Options and Features
Custom Options for 2008:
- Kevin Ryan Arm Bevel (blessing given by Kevin Ryan himself!)
- Wedge (an innovation originated by Linda Manzer)
- Soundport
Topwoods
- Sitka Spruce
North-West Canada and Alaska. Sitka spruce is the primary topwood for Martin and Gibson acoustic guitars. It is chosen because of its consistent quality as well as its straight uniform grain, longevity, and tensile strength. Tonally, Sitka spruce is extremely vibrant providing an ideal "diaphragm" for transmission of sound on any size and style of stringed instrument.
Bear Claw Sitka Spruce. Not a separate species, but a relatively rare configuration of Sitka Spruce. A randomly figured Sitka, due to genetic or environmental factors. It looks like a bear has clawed across the grain of the wood. Once discarded by guitar manufacturers, this particular variety is now highly coveted for its unique patterns. From the Pacific Northwest.
- Engelmann Spruce
Englemann Spruce (Picea engelmannii) from North America. Englemann spruce is prized for its similarity in color to European (German) White spruce as well as its extreme lightness in weight which seems to produce a slightly louder and more projective or "open" sound than Sitka spruce. Englemann spruce grows in the alpine elevations of the American Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Cascades. It is considerably more limited in supply than Sitka spruce, and therefore mainly used for top of the range acoustic guitars.
- Adirondack Spruce
Adirondack Spruce aka Red Spruce. This legendary wood that Martin used for its tops throughout its golden years came from the East Coast, from the Southern Mountains into New England and upper New York State. Called both Appalachian and Adirondack spruce, it has a creamy white color. Similar to Sitka, Adirondack responds well to either a light or firm touch. It has more overall resonance than Sitka. Interesting grain color variations make this another visually desirable top. Adirondack has been unavailable since the mid-1940s. Virgin growth has been (fortunately) preserved in national parks; the rest is all second growth, plentiful but too small to be usable for guitar tops until recently. Guitar makers have started finding second growth of at least 100 years old that is big enough to be used for tops again. Adirondack is, like Alpine spruce, very expensive and mainly used for top of the range acoustic guitars.
- Western Red Cedar
Western Red Cedar (Thuja plicata) from Western Canada and the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Western Red Cedar has long been used as a soundboard material by classical guitar makers for its vibrance and clarity of sound. It is extremely light in weight compared to spruce, and the tonal result is generally a slightly louder, more open response. Balanced, warm and rich with bright trebles. What is most characteristic of Red Cedar is that it sounds broken-in, even when new. Exceptional sound for light to very firm techniques. Coloration runs from light (almost as light as Sitka) to a very dark reddish-brown.
- Redwood
Redwood from North America. It has more richness in the bass than cedar. Redwood responds to subtle playing with a crisp balanced sound. The bass response is particularly round and full with a piano-like crispness. Lacquer and glue do not bond quite as well as the spruces. Because of this (as with cedar), some Luthiers recommend light gauge strings only on guitars with these tops. Originally from Northern California, many luthiers get redwood from recycled lumber and timber salvage.
- Port Orford Cedar
Tonewoods
- African Blackwood
Described by Jeffrey Elliott and Cyndy Burton by the comparison, "African Blackwood is to Brazilian Rosewood as Brazilian Rosewood is to Indian Rosewood," they went on to say that it was an excellent tonewood, very responsive, with a terrific taptone.
- Brazilian Rosewood
Sometimes referred to as "Jacaranda", this species of genuine rosewood ranges in color from brick red to violet with spidery black streaks known as spiderwebbing. The smell is like roses when freshly cut. Brazilian rosewood is endangered and on the CITES convention list. Hence it is more costly and difficult to obtain than other tonewoods.
It is extremely resonant, producing full, deep basses and brilliant trebles. Brazilian rosewood is occasionally available in very limited quantities for custom or special limited edition instruments only. Brazilian rosewood harvested from stumps of areas which were cut years ago is available and this wood is just as, if not more unstable as the previously harvested Brazilian rosewood.
The Martin guitar company switched from Brazilian rosewood back and sides to Indian rosewood in 1969 due to higher prices and scarcer supplies. Several Martin guitars made in 1970 from Brazilian rosewood have been documented and are widely believed to be guitars started in 1969 but finished the following year.
- Bubinga
Bubinga, sometimes called "African Rosewood," is not a rosewood, and in fact there are several African species that are commercially sold as Bubinga. Of these several species the most common is Guibortia africana and is the one which is the one you see pictured here. Frequently found with a variety of figure, including "bees wing," "quilt," and "curl," Bubinga, even when plain displays a lot of "movement" in the wood because of its interlocking grain. Interlocking grain also accounts for Bubinga's good stability, and the difficulty of bending its sides.
- Cocobolo
Cocobolo is a true Rosewood that grows in southern Mexico and Central America along the Pacific seaboard. It's a beautiful wood, which when freshly cut is a bright yellow and orange-red. Over time it oxidizes to a rich brown-red color with black streaks. It is probably as close to Brazilian Rosewood in beauty and tonal qualities as any wood.
- Koa
From the Big Island of Hawaii, the beauty of Koa wood reflects the beauty of the land it's from. It's golden brown color is remeniscent of a Hawaiian sunset, while the dark streaks form patterns patterns so complex you can easily get lost in. The bold iridescence found in koa wood creates ripples of gold that move remind you of the sun dancing on the ocean.
It's voice is easy-going as the people of Hawaii and sweet as the fruits that grow on the islands. When compared to other tonewoods, koa seems to have a bass response that is slightly less than that of rosewood and treble response that is slightly less than that of mahogany. The result is a very equally balanced instrument.
- East Indian Rosewood
Emcompasses 2 different species from India. East Indian rosewood is resinous, and generally more stable than most other rosewood species. Currently, the Indian government controls export of this timber. Dalbergia latifolia tends to be harvested from Tea plantations where it is used as a shade tree whereas Dalbergia sissoo is harvested from forested areas. Both are tonally similar being resonant producing a deep warm projective bass response. Although latifolia and sisso can differ in appearance, distinguishing processed (i.e. sanded and lacquered) East Indian rosewood from Brazilian is difficult but not impossible. Brazilian rosewood can display distinct visual features not found on East Indian rosewood such as spiderwebbing.
Dalbergia latifolia is typically richly grained with dark purple, red, and brown color. Dalbergia sissoo is similar to latifolia except the shades tend more towards red than purple. This species can also display a crimson streaks in the wood
- Honduran Mahogany
Yellowish brown to reddish brown in color, Genuine or "Amazon" mahogany is very stable. Mahogany is lighter in weight than rosewood, koa, or maple. In spite of its weight, mahogany yields a strong loud sound with a quick response and an emphasis on warm, round midrange.
Figured Mahogany, beautiful and rare (often quilted), is a variety of genuine mahogany occurs in a very small percentage of mahogany trees. Though more difficult to bend, figured mahogany shares the same tonal properties of the unfigured mahogany.
- Maple
Maple is very hard and reflective, producing a loud, powerful, projective sound. Curly, flamed, tiger-striped, or "Fiddleback" maple refers to the characteristic alternating hard and soft rippling which runs perpendicular to the grain in some rarer maple trees.
- Sapele
Sapele (entandrophragma cylindricum), also commonly called African mahogany, is a west African wood quite similar to South American (Honduran, Cuban, etc.) mahoganies, which is why sapele has been used in the guitar industry as an alternative to true mahoganies for some years now. It has a comparable honey-brown color and a similar specific gravity. To my ear, sapele sounds very much like true mahogany, with an open, woody sound that projects very well.
- Claro Walnut
Imparts the bright "woody" tone of mahogany when played lightly, with much of the punchiness and power of rosewood when you dig in. When properly braced, a walnut-backed guitar can have a unique warmth and tonal depth. This is a dark brown, highly figured specialty wood which is grown in a wide variety of locations.
- Ovangkol
- Ziricote
- Myrtlewood
- Chocolate Heart Mango