Demystifying Tonewoods | What's the Difference Between Guitar Woods?
Vložit
- čas přidán 7. 08. 2020
- In relation to guitar tones, we hear terms like "scooped mids," "bell-like chime," "warmth" or "brightness," or "midrange monster" all the time; but outside of these trendy terms, there is a vast universe of tonal nuance to understand in the realm of tonewoods. When we discuss tonewoods, we're talking about both the top and back/sides of the guitar, and the different combinations of soft and hard woods that are paired on fine instruments. Spruce, cedar, rosewood, mahogany, maple, and koa are some options just at the surface of this conversation-- today, Chris McKee dives in deep to give you a better understanding of these woods, and even debunks some common misconceptions you might've heard online. Tell us your favorite wood combination in the comments below!
Top Wood Demos: 9:58
Back/Sides Demos: 30:03
Shop our Teespring store: teespring.com/stores/alamo-music
Shop Guitars - www.alamomusic.com/guitars/
Guitar Buyers Guide → bit.ly/2kssXsR
Interested in a different guitar? Talk to an expert here → bit.ly/findmyguitar
__________________________________________________________________
CZcams: Pianos and Keyboards - bit.ly/YTpianos
♪ Contact us: www.alamomusic.com/contact
♩ Call toll-free: (844)251-1922
♬ Connect:
Twitter → / alamomusic
Instagram → / alamoguitarco
Facebook → / alamoguitar
#guitartonewoods #taylorguitars #martinguitars #furchguitars #guitar101 #guitarwoods - Hudba
As a person who, in my mid 50s, is just starting to look for my first guitar, you and Cooper have provided so much great advice and knowledge. Quality videos like these are rare because they take time and effort. Super job! You provide an amazing service to us newbies!
I've watched so many of your vids lately that I woke up at 3am with all of your riffs in a battle royale in my brain.
Thank you?
That was EXCELLENT! Thank you for the detailed information and sound samples. You rock, Chris, as always.
Thanks!!!
Worth more than a thumbs up! I agree
@@AlamoMusic¹¹¹¹¹+¹
I’ve never seen a more informative video on tonewoods. Thank you for your knowledge, and this wonderful production!
My pleasure!
Thanks professor Chris for the master class in woods!!!
Any time!
I keep hearing how Taylors are in a league of their own, and Martins are a gold standard. But no matter how much time I have spent with them, I just found Taylors to be very jangly, and Martins to be very boxy sounding. Amongst all the high end brands I could find at Guitar Centre, Breedloves just appealed to me for their balanced tones and playability.
Goes to show that no matter how many opinions you hear, there is no substitute for in person experience.
For my skill level, I am quite happy with what I get out of a $500 solid top.
But I still would love to own an all solid guitar which has been made with lot of attention to detail. If you love an instrument, it does inspire you to pick it up more often and play.
@@jaghond2 look into the Guild Om-140ce. Solid wood guitar and the quality is very good. I thoroughly enjoy every minute of playing it and frequently pick it up over my solid wood Martin DCRSGT. You can get it brand new on eBay through proaudiostar with case for a little over $500.
Outstanding observation on Spruce and Cedar response. This man knows.
This proves what I believe you and a lot of UTube guitar shows say!!!!!!! With an acoustic guitar especially, you’ve got to sit down in a quiet, with no one around, so no matter how your level of experience is. You can try out a bunch of guitars, with these different types of wood combinations and find the one you absolutely love and will be inspired pick up and play every day for the rest of your life!!!!!! Or until you find the next one!!!!!!!! Chris, Thanks for another great show!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for the support!
Nice explanation.
One thing you didn't mention, that I think influences how people hear a guitar is their expectation, If they grow up around the "Martin" sound, that's what they associate with a "Guitar" and hence anything that doesn't sound like a "Martin" , doesn't sound like a good "Guitar" to them. (substitute and brand for "Martin"). Any difference from expectation is considered not as good..
It's interesting the interaction of top wood, sides & backs, bracing, body shape and expectations have on how guitars sound.
Great point. I grew up on with music where the guitar was seen as more of background accompaniment for the voice. As a result, I tend to like more a mellower guitar. The sound of a flat picked, jangling spruce top guitar often sounds harsh to my ears. In my mind I always associated that sound w/ a "cheap" guitar. As I got older, I was surprised to learn that sound was highly sought after by many players and is probably associated w/ a more expensive guitar hah
I agree completely. Most Taylor's have too much Treble for me. It's just that I have heard more Martin's and I became acclimated to the deeper bass sounds. But there are several Taylors that I love!
Excellent point. I grew up listening to Martins, so thats the sound that I associate with. These days I'm more associating with a Maton. Maybe that's the age thing he talks about.
Great point!
I've recently got into playing acoustic guitar and started off with a 50 dollar guitar since I have zero experience with any instrument for that matter and your videos really help me understand the guitar world. I really love your vids bro!
Thank you so much! Comments like this mean a lot!
Always buy the best guitar you can afford. It makes learning .u h easier
Are you still playing? I hope so, and if so, what is your main guitar and which one is your 'dream' guitar?
Chris has been knocking it out of the park with these educational videos 👍
Why Thank you!
Excellent presentation on tonewoods. I particularly like is the demonstration, playing, of the different options. Thanks Chris.
Many thanks!
Really good, informative video! Great job, Chris - thanks!!!
Best video about tonewoods ever recorded! Congrats Chris!
Chris,
Thanks for sharing your vast knowledge. I really enjoy your work.
Great discussion! I love the sound of the rosewood back and sides.
Thank you, Chris. Excellent vid.
damn this video is 40 minutes long. A lot of work went into this vid lol. Super informative.
Chris is a hard working man!
Great video! I never understood the reasons for the wide range of sounds from different tonewoods. Your explanations made it so much clearer! Thank you!!
Great info as usual! Fantastic videos. Thank you so much. Being in pandemic whereupon one doesn't go to stores as much to check out in person guitars your videos are very helpful. Thanks again.
Thanks Chris. That really demystify the tonewood, particularly on the back and side.
What a fantastic video! Tonewoods can feel a bit conceptually woowoo af times, so I love the clear and *scientific* explanations of what actually constitutes tone. Thanks for this -- and for my newfound, deeply excruciating yearning for a cedar top guitar 😢
Chris. You rock. Thanks for taking the time to explain with your crash course on tone wood.
Phenominal explanation - best I've seen. Thank you!
Thank you that was the best explanation of tone woods I have seen! Brilliant video - has made understanding acoustic guitars much easier.
This video is so helpful...both the explanations and sound comparisons.
This is excellent information. I Like the equalizer smiley face frown explanation. Great job!
Glad it was helpful!
Very detailed video! Awesome job Chris. Couldn't have made this video Amy better. 🤘
Great video, Chris! I think videos like these about body shape and tonewoods allow someone to better understand what (and why) guitars sound like when they play them, but nothing quite beats playing a bunch of guitars to find out what you like. Really glad you mentioned bracing/builder as well which doesn't seem to get as much discussion on its influence on tone. In searching for a new guitar a few years ago I played a ton of guitars and found that while I loved the rich bass of rosewood, my ear didn't like the high treble. Turns out I much prefer the warm mid-range sound of mahogany, either with spruce or mahogany top :-)
Thanks for commenting! Glad to hear you found a wood you liked!
That review was absolutely amazing and very helpful and proffessional,thanks a lot !
What an incredible video. You put on tonewood CLINIC!
This was the best explanation of tonewoods that I’ve ever come across. It’s really helped me understand what I’m hearing. Thank you so much for sharing
Amazing explanation! You break it down nicely. I can easily visualize it when you mentioned the graphic equalizer. Thanks!
Thanks so much Chris! This was the most clear explanation! I finally understand the differences and can even hear the differences now! You're a great teacher :)
This guy is just awesome! So articulate, descriptive, helpful and just a pleasure to listen to. Thank you for all your great videos!
One of the most intersecting videos on acoustic guitars! Well done 👍🏻
Always learn something from you!! Many thanks!!
Most informative video on tonewoods on youtube. Fully went into the science and sonic experiences of each type of wood and how they even vary between manufacturers. Thanks so much!
The explanation about frequency is just so helpful, and your playing...it makes me want to play more instrumental rather than my usual singer-songwriter stuff. Brilliant, Chris 👌
A very good explanation for the tops and the sides with the EQ sample. Chris really takes the time to explain this things. I feel that I am back in school, paying attention to the teacher.
Man, you are so generous for imparting knowledge and clearing doubts. Thanks from India.
Excellent presentation on tone woods. Your explication helped for me to finally understand what these different woods are doing in the top and the back and sides of the guitar.
With hearing loss of the higher frequencies, your explanation of how mahogany and similar tone woods are emphasizing the mid and lower frequencies that I can still hear while my
rosewood guitars don't sound as good as they did when I had excellent hearing. I will need to sell my rosewood Taylors and invest in mahogany instruments.Thank you so much!
those are the infos i've been searching for for so long...
really, thanks! thank you so freaking much
A great, spot on explanation. Well done.
I'm doing an Alamo marathon and learning about woods, sizes and brands. Chris, you are fantastic at explaining all the differences between guitars.
Alamo Music and Chris - thank you for this and all the other videos. You are such a great resource and the information provided is greatly appreciated. I'm becoming an Alamo customer just to keep the videos coming!
The most complete information I've ever heard! Thanks mate
Thank you so much for this very useful info and sound examples, very helpful!
Another terrific video from Chris & Alamo Music. I have Rosewood and Maple guitars but I’m really loving that Mahogany sound. Looks like I’ll be shopping again!
Thank you. Extremely helpful.
I thoroughly enjoy all of your videos Chris! They are all informative and I learn on every one of them. Thank you! Tony Mac, Lititz PA
Fascinating discussion., really makes the point that playing a guitar id the first step to finding the sound you really want!
You are so articulate and knowledgeable which is probably why I watch lots of your videos,, 👍
Thank you for taking the time to share a comprehensive presentation of guitar tone wood differences. Very professional and considerate to the curious or discerning guitarist. 🙏
Another brilliant, information packed, and well presented video. I learned a lot. Now I understand why some of my guitars remain in the case and others are played regularly.
Your finger picking on the Furch is outstanding. Love the sound of the cedar top.
I've gone most of my life in the dark about the nuances of tone woods and construction. Chris takes this to another level - I feel like I understand what I like about the tones I hear. I'm shopping for a guitar and this video will go a long way in helping me in my search. Just brilliant, thank you!
Wow. What a great contents! Excellent job Chris and Alamo!
Excellent presentation. I’ve played hundreds of different guitars over the last 55 years, and I thought I knew just about all there is to know about tone woods, but I learned a few things from you that I never knew. (Yep, I thought maple was bright; now I know!) I hope that the main thing new players take away from this is that there is no one perfect combination. The best advice I ever heard on choosing a guitar came from the great Irish luthier George Lowden: “Pick the one that speaks to you."
Great video, thanks!
The clarity of the Taylor guitars blew me away! I was a bit disappointed by the martins, but they're all awesome guitars! Thanks for such a detailed guide
My pleasure!
I like the brighter upper range of a Taylor more.
Thanks you for this video. I’ve been playing for 30 years and never really understood the differences in the combinations available.
Thank you! Lenard a lot from this video :-). Just got Martin 00015M, Now I understand why I like That old sound it is a win for me.
GREAT video !
Dude. Awesome information. Great Video. Thanks for the knowledge.
Wonderful explanation . I am fascinated by the different tonal qualities of wood but always struggle to fully understand . I am a very basic guitarist but own many instruments and just love their differences . Well done for a good session ,
Incredibly informative video! Very well done.
So interesting !! Probably the best video I have ever watched on tonewoods characteristics and impact on the instruments sound ! So complete, with clear technical aspects very well explained. I personally only play ukuleles, but luthery and tonewoods have always fascinated me, and most of what you say is applicable to smaller instruments as well. I personally also pay a great attention to strings choice to enhance or tame certain characteristics of the instruments I buy : clear fluorocarbon versus black nylon are both ends of the spectrum from ultra bright "high definition" to more forgiving "dark", round and mellow sound. Thank you so much for this very good content, instructive and very well put together ! 🌷
I've been studying for month to build my forst guitar after a couple of Uke and let me tell you this is the best video I'v seen around. Subbed
What a great video, so informative and interesting. Mostly my ear is drawn to the sound of the Mahogany/Spruce combo but recently I've discovered my Maple/Spruce jumbo sounds fantastic in double drop D tuning, now I think I can understand why thanks to this informative video, it never occurred to me to try it in that tuning before.
I love watching this channel, gives a great insight into different guitars & their benefits. I bought a Tanglewood mahogany acoustic for an amazing price and i love the deep rich tone it has... Might change the plastic pins for better one's for an even clearer sound.
Very informative and useful presentation. Thanks much for posting 🙏👍
Terrific presentation.
Most informative and everyone should these fundamentals when considering purchasing a guitar
Chris- I don’t know how I missed this video when it came out. This video is fantastic! The way you explain and present these guitars and the tone wood differences really make it easier to understand. As a 68 year old dude who has tried, and purchased nearly 100 guitars trying to find that perfect combination of woods, my personal experience mimics what you say. Unfortunately, it took me thousands of dollars buying and selling off models trying to find “the sound”. They way you explained it, helps a lot. Even after my own experiences, I learned a lot from this.
Thank you
Very helpful, a well articulated description of tonewoods!
Thank you very much .... That was very informative ... Great job!!!!!
In the uk we have something called The Open University. In the USA Chris looks to be doing that job on his own. I am about to commission a guitar from a luthier for the first time. It will likely be my last guitar so any information I can give the maker will increase my chances of getting what I’m dreaming of. I’m so grateful that you spent the time and care to put this vid together in such an informed and objective way so as to teach me how to understand such a subjective issue. Big thanks
What guitar design did you go for Mike?
Magnifiquement présentation qui explique avec une grande clarté pédagogique les caractéristiques et spécificités des sons obtenus selon les bois utilisés. Bravo, cette Vidéo répond à beaucoup de questions que je me posais. Merci Jean (France) Beautifully presented which explains with great pedagogical clarity the characteristics and specificities of the sounds obtained according to the woods used. Bravo, this Video answers a lot of questions I was asking myself. Thank you Jean (France)
Great explanations! Not only is one's ear & aging involved, but so is voice if you sing with/for others. Sometimes you need more than one guitar because your voice sounds different. I'm not a sales person but I do sing and use different guitars for different songs & tunings.
Great point.
Great tip!
Spruce for heavy strummers, Mahogany for studio, and Cedar for finger picking. The trifecta in your guitarsenal!!!
Solid picks!
Well Chris. this is an excellent reference video, well explained and detailed. Thank you.
Very welcome
This is the best video I've seen after spending a week being obsessed with the possibility of buying a new guitar. I've got a Taylor 614ce, and I'm thinking about getting a Martin D--28 to go along with it, and I'm trying to decide if I really need to be doing this. Your explanation of the tonewoods was amazing!! Thanks for this.
Thanks for this, Chris. Based on your tutorial, I have developed a whole new appreciation for maple. I also understand better why I never warmed up to my 90's Martin D-35.
Another point to consider is that acoustic guitars sound really different when you play them yourself to when you hear someone else playing them. That's why they are so fascinating. Great video, bravo Chris.
Many thanks!
Are you referring to how sound travels, and a person's position relative to the sound holes?
Applause 👋👋👋 Really needed to understand the difference between guitars since I am new to wanting one. Best guitar music to listen to these days. Thanks for the entertainment of nice
Melodies to Guage the sounds. Truly a Delight. 2022
Thanks. Admittedly an impossible topic. Comparing instruments of different makes and designs, amplified electronically and listened to online, is silly. But your intelligent discussion of hardness/softness (physics) is very helpful, the best I've heard. I especially like the graphic "curves."
OMG! This helped so much. I never knew why the 600 series Taylor appealed to me so much until now. They stopped making the 616 I wanted but I can now see why. The 614 with Maple back and sides fills the void perfectly. Thanks Chris McKee once again!
Great job, thank you. Even over CZcams I can hear the differences in the guitars
Chris I wanna say that thank you for this video. I really like how you demonstrate the difference of the various tonewoods. I have an all-Sapele Martin and it sounds similar with Mahogany and I might go for a D15M soon as I really like the sound of it. Btw, I really like the fingerstyle melodies you do with all of the guitars.
Chris, great job on this video. In my 14 guitars I have many of the top/back combinations you mentioned and I see the same differences. I have spruce (Sitka, lutz, European) , cedar, koa, and mahogany tops and a variety of tonewoods besides the big three. Depending on my mood, and whether I want to finger pick or use a pick, I gravitate towards one guitar or another. Your explanations hang together very well. I am a long time reader of Wood and Steel and have absorbed much of the information put there. You did a great job distilling it down to its essence.
Appreciate the comliment!
Rich
30 years in the electric guitars now approaching my first acoustic this video is gold. Thanks! (Btw: Hard to beat that woody Martin tone…)
Excellent, very interesting!!!!! Thanks a lotfor this type of explanation.
You are welcome!
Brilliant explanation, thanks a lot!!!
Probably the best video about this Chris! Thank you ❤️
(to all you guys searching for the right guitar I also recommend the video Massimo Varini did about tonewoods)
Fantastic explanation of a very confusing topic in a very understandable way👌🏼
Chris.....
What you do ....Sooo well INFOMATION !!!!! thank you..love your videos
Stay well.
Glad you like them!
I have fender cd60s cruise top with mahogany back inside
8 sound so good
Thank you for your suggestion
Awesome video, my understanding of the tone woods and different sounds from different manufacturers is greatly improved. When i come to see you to buy, i will have an informed idea of what i want. Thank you 👍
Extraordinary. Thanks!
Excellent breakdown... thank you
Glad it was helpful!
Amazing lesson, thank you!