tonewood
Acoustic instrument material
Tonewood is wood selected for its acoustic properties, used in making musical instruments.
Different species produce different sound qualities—spruce for guitar tops, maple for violin backs, rosewood for fingerboards.
Luthiers choose tonewoods based on density, stiffness, and resonance: The manufacturer sources high-quality tonewoods for their acoustic guitars.
Amplified oscillation at natural frequency
- sustainKeep something going continuously
- vibrationRapid oscillating movement
- harmonicsFrequencies above the fundamental
- overtonesImplicit secondary meanings
frequency · soundboard · projection · decay · response · brightness · warmth · clarity
Neat; also a conifer
- mapleSap-yielding hardwood tree
- rosewoodTropical cabinet timber
- mahoganyReddish-brown tropical lumber
- cedarDurable, fragrant conifer
ebony · koa · walnut · ash · alder · basswood · wenge · laurel
Tone-amplifying wooden surface
- topUppermost part or surface
- backReverse side; support
- sidesLateral edges or teams
- neckHead-body junction
fretboard · bridge · bracing · binding · purfling · linings · laminated · solid
resonance
Amplified oscillation at natural frequency
- sustainKeep something going continuously
- vibrationRapid oscillating movement
- harmonicsFrequencies above the fundamental
overtones · frequency · soundboard · projection · decay · response · brightness · warmth · clarity · richness
spruce
Neat; also a conifer
cedar · ebony · koa · walnut · ash · alder · basswood · wenge · laurel · myrtle
soundboard
Tone-amplifying wooden surface
neck · fretboard · bridge · bracing · binding · purfling · linings · laminated · solid · carving
guitar
Fretted stringed instrument
- violinBowed string instrument
- celloDeep-voiced bowed instrument
- mandolinPlucked eight-string lute descendant
ukulele · piano · harp · dulcimer · banjo · bass · viola · bouzouki · oud · lute
figured
Computed or understood
bookmatched · birdseye · straight · tight · wild · figuring · runout · quartersawn · density · porosity