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Tonewood Characteristics
Luthier Tonewood Resources & Wood Suppliers
What started out as a search to have a seven string archtop built for myself, ended up as a web site and a collection of over 240 luthiers that can build you an archtop guitar.
- Ukulele Wood Information from Ko'olau Ukulele & Guitar Company
- Ukulele Wood Information from Tony Graziano of Graziano Ukuleles
- Links and Additional Tone Wood Information
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Ukulele Tone Wood Characteristics - Ko'olau Guitar & Ukulele Company
I've owned five or six Pono ukuleles with various wood combinations. And really like the Cedar and Rosewood combinations. So much so, that I got a Ko'olau Contemporary Series Tenor with the same combination.
Mahogany top, back, and sides (All Mahogany) - This is a traditional combination used for many years by many famous makers such C.F. Martin Company for guitars and ukuleles. The sound is predictaby good, soft, sweet, and mellow. Bass tones are sufficient and trebles are somewhat soft and muted. In time, this combination ages to produce the classic sweet ukulele sound.
Koa top, back, and sides (All Koa) - Similar to all Mahogany, one of the most common wood choices throughout the history of ukulele building. Good sound and visually beautiful.
Mahogany sides and back With Spruce top - this instrument has all the properties of above ALL MAHOGANY with a wider tonal range and greater volume projection.
Mahogany sides and back With Cedar Or Redwood top - same as Mahogany with Spruce top, but a softer treble tone and slightly less projection.
Koa With Spruce, Cedar, or Redwood - same as above Mahogany combinations, but differences in Mahogany and Koa (see Mahogany and Koa). We often combine Koa with Spruce and the results are very good.
Kula Wood (Gold Shower, Prima Vera) with Spruce - excellent tone and visually beautiful.
Maple sides and back with Spruce top - bright tone, strong projection, most Maple, especially curly Maple is visually beautiful.
Maple sides and back with Cedar OR Redwood top - similar to Maple but more warmth of tone, and less projection
Rosewood sides and back with Spruce top - traditional combination for volume and deep tone
Rosewood sides and back with Cedar top - enhanced depth and bass, Cedar produces a more "aged" tone.
Macassar Ebony back and sides with Spruce or Sequoia Ebony top - using Spruce will create more projection and enhanced treble and bass clarity. However, Sequoia Redwood , with similar properties also produces a beautiful tone. The decision to either use Spruce or Redwood is also determined by visual preference, namely a creamy white top, or dark brown top, again, both are beautiful.
Ko’olau Guitar
and Ukulele Company
Kitakis Stringed Instrument Repair
401 N.Cane St. A-10
Wahiawa, Hawaii 96786
808-622-1064
fax: 808-622-1646
eMail: sales@koolauukulele.com
Links
Tiki King's Ukulele: Brand name database: Ko_olau
Info
Custom and stock instruments, strings and more.
Guitars and 'Ukuleles
Ko’olau Guitars and 'Ukuleles are professional quality, hand crafted instruments. The shop is located in Kaneohe, on the Island of Oahu, Hawaii, approximately fifteen minutes from Honolulu, at the foot of the the beautiful Ko’olau Mountains.
These are some of the best Ukuleles around.
Strings
Selected Ko'olau strings are available right here on my online store. These are the strings that I use on several of my tenor ukuleles.
I really like the new 'Alohi Series and have them on my CS Contemporary Tenor from Ko'olau. I go back and forth between the 'Alohi Series and the Savarez strings that I have been using for years.
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Ukulele Wood Characteristics - Tony Graziano Ukuleles
Ukulele Top Woods
Tony Graziano Ukuleles, Tony Graziano has been building musical instruments since 1969 and became interested in the Ukulele in 1978 , and then in 1995, after several years of building both guitars and Ukuleles, Tony began building Ukuleles almost exclusively. Tony likes to think of the ukulele as an instrument of the millennium. Its compact, easy to travel with, and brings joy to all who hear and play them. All Tony Graziano Ukes are built by Tony in his Santa Cruz shop using of the finest woods available.
Check out the Tony Graziano Ukuleles web site.
Click on ukulele wood image for larger view.
Koa
A native hardwood of Hawaii. It has a beautiful grain, as well as a bright punchy tone with plenty of warmth. Koa is the "traditional" Uke wood.
Mahogany
Similar to Koa in sound, it is very even in tone, and has excellent midrange response.
Cypress
Cypress is a hardwood traditionally used in flamenco guitars. When combined with a spruce top, it gives a snappy bright sound with good sustain. It is also very light in weight.
Mango
Similar to mahogany though a bit harder. Lots of yellow and grey grain variations. another cool Hawaiian wood.
Rosewood
Great for a enhanced bass tone. Works well in baritones with a spruce top.(as shown here) very good low end.
Bamboo
A non endangered tropical wood. Great bright sound and great unique look. Bamboo literally grows like grass.
Walnut
A very pretty domestic hardwood.
Maple
Bright sound, clearer treble response.
Spruce
An excellent Top wood with a warm full sound. Makes for a louder Uke with more sustain. Shown here on a Uke with Koa sides.
Cedar
Similar to spruce, but with a "darker" sound. Responds quickly with no break-in time required.
Links
- www.grazianoukuleles.com
- Tiki King's Ukulele: Brand name database: Graziano
Info
His is a page of information on the woods, with descriptions, used by Tony Graziano to build his fine ukuleles.
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Tone Wood Information & Links
Here are a few sites that have great information on tonewoods.
- Dana Bourgeois - link
- Regarding Top Woods by James Goodall - link
- Hawaii Forest Industry Association (HFIA) - link
- Ko'olau Guitar & Ukulele Company - link
- Growing Koa: A Hawaiian Legacy Tree - link
- Martin Guitar - link
- Mayes Guitars - (Start with this site) link
- Dream Guitars - (a mirror of the information on John Mayes's site) link
- Taylor Guitars - link NEW
- Santa Cruz Guitar Company - link
- Ervin Somogyi - link
- Road Toad Music - link
Additional Luthier Web Resources
- Association of Stringed Instrument Artisans -
During the summer of 1988, a small group of stringed instrument makers and repair technicians met with the intent of establishing a not-for-profit professional trade organization. Most simply, we preferred to be an "association," deciding to focus specifically on "stringed instruments," and we felt that the word "artisans" best described our mutual activities. Hence, the Association of Stringed Instrument Artisans (with the accidental yet recognizable acronym of "ASIA") was born. Michael Dresdner was chosen to launch the concept of ASIA, with the initial goal of facilitating through consensus a mission statement and set of bylaws that would provide a framework of integrity for our future evolution.
With Michael Dresdner's task complete, a Board of Directors was elected and Dick Boak, assuming the voluntary post of editor and executive director, began the task of developing a publication and operating procedure. The ASIA journal began as a very informal 4-page newsletter and grew over the course of several years into the substantial and respected magazine Guitarmaker.
- Famous Guitarmaker Internet World Headquarters
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Content is always being added and updated. So check-in often. Thanks, Curt
TONE_WOOD.PHP | Updated: Monday, 26th March, 2012 @ 08:34am