SpyD Guitars Tone Woods

Published: Wed May 22 2024

While I started this endeavor to build guitars, and I have an impressive supply of sandard and exotic woods, thanks to my dad A. Frank Nogarin, Dad & I I have been using my tonewoods to do other projects as they are simply pristine and wonderful to work with!

I am using the following fretboard woods

I am using these fretboard woods mostly for inlays in guitar bodies.

Ebony

Our Ebony (Diospyros crassiflora) comes from West Africa and tends to be more uniformly black than we have seen from other sources, however, most African ebony is not perfectly jet black, most boards have some visible grain and occasional streaks of greys and tans. We think these visual variations offer character and enhance the aesthetics of most guitars, but if you desire a perfectly dark, jet black appearance consider using our Black Fingerboard Stain to darken the board and create the desired visual effect.

Chechen

Coming from Mexico and Central America, Chechen (Metopium brownei) is sometimes referred to as Caribbean Rosewood. While not a true rosewood, it shares some of the excellent characteristics of high projection and volume. Similar to Pau Ferro, it's a hard, dense, and tight-grained wood that makes an excellent fretboard. Colors range from amber to chocolate brown with a pleasant figure.

Fumed Eucalyptus

Used by Taylor Guitars as a sustainable alternative to Rosewood, Fumed Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus) is an excellent choice for fingerboards and bridges. Also referred to as “Smoked Eucalyptus”, the rich brown color, straight grain, and density are remarkably similar to Indian Rosewood. Developed by Madinter, the ammonia fuming process permanently darkens the wood throughout the entire piece. The fuming process also imparts a temporary aroma that fades over time.

Granadillo

Since all rosewoods are now part of the CITES treaty and international export is prohibited, Granadillo (Platymiscium yucatanum) has been rising in popularity among European and North American builders. It is an extremely inexpensive, dense, non-porous wood that resists wear, has a strong resonant tap-tone and glues well. Most boards range between sandy and “brick" brown and oxidizes over time to a warm dark brown patina.

Machiche

Another emerging Central American tonewood, Machiche (Lonchocarpus castilloi) compares favorably to Honduran Rosewood. Its excellent tap tone, high density, and easy workability have made it a new favorite for steel string and classical builders. Visually the grainlines are very similar to Honduran Rosewood, with a combination of reds, and light and dark browns. It also glues and finishes with ease.

Maple

Ultra-hard and smooth Rock Maple (Acer saccharum) fingerboards are perfect for electric guitar builds. This North American native species works well and plays effortlessly. The maple we secured for our fingerboards is uniform in color and has that classic look and feel. The non-porous surface is easy to stain and finish in either gloss or matte for the exact feel you want.

Padauk

Padauk (Pterocarpus soyauxii) is an opened grained wood that is easy to machine and glue, and offers an extremely beautiful, exotic look to your next custom build. This wood is extremely popular with high end electric guitar makers and its striking pink/red color and perfectly straight grain create a stunning visual effect.

Pau Ferro

In recent years Pau Ferro (Machaerium scleroxylon) fingerboards have become quite popular—especially with electric guitar builders—due to its sustainability, excellent resistance to wear and ability to hold frets like a vise. Plus, its non-porous surface makes it feel silky smooth and almost effortless to play.

Body woods

Swamp Ash

Swamp Ash or White Ash (Fraxinus nigra) are the perfect starting point for making your own solidbody guitar or bass. A classic wood for electric guitars, the strong grain and easy workability make it ideal for any build.

One of the most popular electric guitar body woods, Ash has a bold grain that's perfect for clear or tinted finishes. The dynamic tone has been loved since the 1950s.

Tonally, Ash is highly resonant with very balanced note separation. Highs are clear but not harsh, midrange is strong and focused, and the low end is clear and doesn’t get muddy or too dark. Commonly used to create instruments with a maple neck, the versatility of Ash makes it easy to pair with any neck wood.

The strong grainlines can be highlighted when filling and finishing for a dynamic and bold effect. Ash is open-grained, and filler should be used to level the pores before applying a finish. A joy to work with, it cuts and sands with ease, and glues well.

White Ash which grows in the north, is heavier, while Swamp ash, growing in wetter conditions results in a lighter version.

African Mahogany

African Mahogany (Khaya senegalensis) is not a "true" mahogany. However, it IS a beautiful wood with many of the same visual and sonic properties of its South American namesake. used by builders more and more due to its fantastic tone, easy workability, and the ready availability of high-quality pieces.

It has a warm tone, with a balanced midrange and deep bass response. Due to its density, African Mahogany has a strong fundamental with increased overtones. When used for an electric guitar, it creates the classic punchy midrange that defines the instrument.

While it's denser and more fibrous than Honduran Mahogany, African Mahogany works and cuts well with both hand and power tools. The reddish-brown coloring will make a beautiful guitar with either a solid or translucent finish. It's an open pore wood, and requires filler to level the grain.

Poplar

Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) is an affordable and easy to work with tonewood that is ideal for electric guitar bodies. The moderate weight makes for a well balanced instrument and a consistent overall tone.

The easy workability makes it an excellent choice for both first time and experienced builders.

Poplar has a very balanced tone, with a pleasing treble presence and a defined bass response. Many builders describe the tone as being similar to Alder. Also, like Alder, this wood sounds excellent when crafted into a Tele-style or Strat-style guitar. And it compliments humbuckers and single coils equally well.

Visually, the yellow-gold color has moderately strong grainlines with green, gray, and brown streaks. It works equally well with hand tools, power tools, and CNC and sands smoothly. The moderate density and closed-grain makes it very easy to finish.

Guanacaste

With its radiant Koa-like color and striking grain, with incredible variation really sets it apart, ranging from subtle waves to wild swirls. Used in custom woodworking for decades, it’s finally being recognized as a guitar tonewood.

Coming from Mexico and Central America, Guanacaste is also known as Parota. Colors range from golden brown to deep reddish-brown accentuated by varying light and dark grain lines. Guanacaste has exceptional workability, carving smoothly with hand and power tools. It also glues and finishes easily. The large pores require filling before finishing.