Woods
Tuning in to tonewoods will help
you gauge a guitar’s sonic nuances
The tonewoods selected to
craft a Taylor guitar marry acoustic
properties with visual appeal. Each
type of wood is defined by unique
physical traits, such as density
and stiffness, which in turn impact
the way a guitar resonates. Guitar
enthusiasts love to dissect the
tonal frequencies that contribute
to a guitar’s sonic identity, often
comparing the relative levels of
bass, midrange and treble, and
noting other acoustic properties
like projection, sustain, overtones
and headroom. Some terms used
to describe tone seem to draw
from our other senses, like “bright,”
“dark,” “crisp,” “sparkling,” “sweet,”
and even “meaty.”
Woods work in concert with a
guitar’s body shape to “flavor” the
shape’s fundamental sound. The
next time you’re in a music store,
try playing several guitars that have
the same body style but different
woods. It might help you tune in to
some of those flavors, and to dis-
cover how each responds to your
playing style.
The tonewood descriptions that
follow are meant as a general reference to help you differentiate each
acoustic series in the Taylor line.
Keep in mind that there are many
other subjective factors. Even with
Taylor’s consistency of sound, each
set of wood ultimately is physically
and tonally unique. Remember also
that we each hear tone in a slightly
different way, and that a guitar will
respond differently to what each
player is doing. But that’s the beauty of woods and guitars. There are
always new and exciting discoveries to be made, and the answer is
always in your hands.
Tropical Mahogany
Models: 500 Series, Acoustic 5
Series, LKSM models
A popular guitar tonewood,
mahogany claims its sonic identity
largely in the midrange frequencies.
Its “meaty” midrange character is
the result of harmonic overtones
that build up to create a wonder-
ful acoustic “bloom” that’s often
described as “breathy.” Paired
with a cedar top on a 514ce, one
of our most popular models, the
tone conveys plenty of warmth and
character, which many fingerstyle
players and light to medium strum-
mers will enjoy.
Indian Rosewood
Models: 700, 800, 900 Series,
Acoustic 7, 8 Series, DMSM,
JMSM, SCCSM, NS72ce,
NS74ce; Laminate: 200 Series,
NS24e, NS24ce
Rosewood’s rich heritage as a
preferred tonewood is due in part
to its highly musical, full-spectrum
tonal range. Boasting a deep
low end and capable of a throaty
growl, rosewood is also balanced
by bright, crisp treble notes, with
fewer midrange overtones than
mahogany. It sounds great with
players who have a heavier attack,
especially if you use a pick. If you
like a full low end and sizzling
highs, you’ll probably enjoy a rose-
wood guitar.
Big Leaf Maple
Models: 600 Series, Acoustic
6 Series, NS62ce, NS64ce,
DDSM
Maple’s tone is very focused and
dominant on the fundamental. Its
sound is often perceived as clean
and “bright” because of its relative
lack of overtones and its treble
sparkle. The quicker note decay
gives the notes a sense of defini-
tion that allow the sound to cut
through a live band setting well,
making maple guitars a favorite of
stage and studio players. Flamed
or “fiddleback” maple is quar-
tersawn, which makes it slightly
punchier than quilted maple, which
is flatsawn and often yields a bit
more sweetness and warmth.
Hawaiian Koa
Models: Koa Series,
Acoustic Koa Series
Think of the midrange of mahog-
any blended with the top end of
maple. As a fairly dense tropical
hardwood, koa’s tone tends to be
relatively bright on a newer guitar,
but the more it’s played, the more
{SHAPES + WOODS + PLAYER = TONE}
the midrange expands to create
a sweeter, more resonant voice.
Koa’s initial brightness can be softened by fingerstylists who play with
the pads of their fingers.
Sapele
Models: 300 Series, Acoustic
3 Series, NS32ce, NS34ce;
Laminate: 100 Series, Baby
Taylor, TSBT, GS Mini
This highly sustainable African
tonewood yields a consistent,
balanced voice across the tonal
spectrum, making it great for a
full range of playing styles. It’s a
viable alternative to mahogany, with
slightly fewer midrange overtones
and a little more treble zest.
Ovangkol
Models: 400 Series,
Acoustic 4 Series
An African relative of rosewood,
ovangkol shares many of rose-
wood’s tonal properties, including
a broad spectrum of tonal frequen-
cies, plus a slightly fuller midrange
and a bright treble response that
approaches that of maple. While
it lacks the name recognition of
other more traditional tonewoods,
its tonal versatility gives it broad
appeal that expands even further
this year with the addition of an
ovangkol GS to our 400 Series.
Walnut
Models: Build to Order
Like koa, walnut’s density and
stiffness yield bright treble notes,
but with a more present midrange
that splits the difference between
rosewood and mahogany. Walnut
typically produces a slightly deeper
low end than koa, yielding a wood-
ier character, at least initially. The
bass tones will grow richer with
time and extended playing.
Macassar (“Striped”)
Ebony
Models: Build to Order
This dense hardwood is typically
clear and loud with considerable
dynamic range. It has a strong bass
and lower mids, clear highs, and
a slightly scooped midrange like
rosewood. Macassar likes to be
played aggressively and, like koa,
often takes a little while for the tone
to “open up” and become richer. It
can sound bright or dark, depend-
ing on the technique of the player.
Cocobolo
Models: Presentation Series,
Build to Order
Mexican cocobolo is a dense, stiff
tropical hardwood that produces a
fairly bright overall tone emphasized
by sparkling treble notes. Soni-
cally, it’s comparable to koa but
resonates a little deeper on the low
end, although not quite as deep as
rosewood or ovangkol. Fast and
responsive, cocobolo’s note dis-
tinction gives it an articulate voice
that responds well to a variety of
playing styles, depending on the
body shape.
Laminates
Models: 100, 200 Series, Baby
Taylor, Big Baby, GS Mini,
NS24ce, NS24e, TSBT, Doyle
Deluxe
Offering guitars that feature a lami-
nate back and sides allows us to
produce these models more cost-
effectively and pass the savings
onto the customer. Our veneered
construction features three layers
of wood that are glued together,
which makes for a strong and resil-
ient guitar body that tends to travel
well and in general hold up better
to extremes of relative humidity.
A laminate won’t produce quite
the complexity of tone that a solid
wood guitar will, but all of our lami-
nate models feature a solid wood
soundboard to generate quality
acoustic tone.
Soundboards
A guitar’s top, or soundboard, is a
vital part of a guitar’s tonal equation.
The top resonates together with
the strings to generate a complex
range of tones. Spruce is the king
of guitar tops because it’s relatively
light yet strong, with a high degree
of elasticity that helps translate the
player’s picking or strumming into
clear acoustic tone. We use several
different types of spruce, although
Sitka is the most available.
Sitka Spruce
Models: Most acoustic/electric
and acoustic models
Sitka generates a broad dynamic
range and accommodates numer-
ous playing styles.
