Spruce and Rosewood - The Legacy of Acoustic Guitar Soundwoods

The spruce/rosewood combination is one of the most classic soundwood pairings in acoustic guitar design. Its loud, clear sound made single notes pop off the soundboard, and strummed chords sounded both grand and detailed. Combined with its iconic look, this makes spruce and mahogany the tonewood of choice for everyone from bluegrass pick players and rockers to solo singers.

But not all varieties of the two materials are created equal. Everything from where the wood grows to how the luthier pairs them with the instrument can dramatically affect the tone of an acoustic guitar. So we thought we should study these two woods in detail. We'll take a look at the different types we use in our instruments, and break down the two Breedlove families that build upon them.

Adirondack Spruce:

An iconic wood known as the ceiling material for guitar tops. It has more overall resonance than the Sitka spruce, loud and punchy, and the bass is focused and punchy.

German spruce:

Known for its creamy white appearance, German spruce has nearly the same tonal character as the Adirondack. Clear, focused, tight bass response, but not as bright.

Sitka spruce:

The most common guitar top material, Sitka spruce produces a loud, bright tone that accentuates the lows and highs. It combines stiffness and elasticity, which translates into a wide dynamic range, clear articulation.

Swiss spruce:

Beautifully grained, it produces a distinctive, clear and intense tone with more emphasis on the treble.

Engelmann Spruce:

Engelmann spruce is a lighter-colored wood than Sitka spruce, and it has the same tonal character as Sitka spruce, but with richer harmonics and a more focused midrange.

Brazilian Rosewood:

Ceilings in the back and sides panel material, the most popular wood. Highly regarded for its deep lows, mature mids, and sweet highs. Now in increasingly short supply, Brazilian rosewood is usually reserved for the highest models. Due to the embargo of Brazilian rosewood, its price has also soared year by year, and it is normal for a set to cost tens of thousands or even tens of thousands.

Types of rosewood used in acoustic guitars

Madagascar Rosewood:

Madagascar rosewood has grown in popularity for its similar properties to Brazilian rosewood—a warm sound with clear lows, mids, and rich highs.

Cocoa Pineapple Rosewood:

Cocobolo is a very beautiful wood that has been known to change the color of being cut. It offers everything Brazilian rosewood offers; added power, sustain and volume, as well as its beauty in color and shape.

Santos Rosewood:

Santos Rosewood English Santos Rosewood, commonly known as Pau Ferro, is very similar in sight and tone to most rosewoods—only more rounded in tone and sound.

Indian Rosewood: Indian Rosewood is known for its warm, rich bass and clear treble response. One of the most popular woods used to make guitar bodies.

We're crazy about tonewoods of all types and have collections to prove it. We are known for our many exotic selections, including our beloved Myrtle. But the classics are hard to beat, and as long as the wood is available, the spruce/mahogany pairing will be there.

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