Choosing Tonewood For Ukulele

Choose Tonewood Ukulele.

Regardless of tonewood choice, choosing instruments with solid wood soundboards is a good start. Solid wood instruments rely on the quality of the specific woods from which they are made and are a major factor in the sound, appearance and price of the instrument you purchase. When you're not sure which type of ukulele to choose, solid wood is always a good choice.

Mahogany wood (Mahogany).

Mahogany is one of the most widely used woods for Ukuleles. It is a reddish brown tropical hardwood known for providing a balanced and moderate tone. A solid Mahogany ukulele typically emphasizes the bass and treble with better timbre, creating a "rustic" sound.

Koa wood.

Koa wood is the common name for many types of wood in this family. In the local Hawaiian language it literally translates as "warrior". In general, Koa is lightweight and offers the clarity and sharpness of Maple and the warmth and rich tone of Rosewood. Instruments using Koa Wood have a sharp, bright sound when new, but the longer you play the tone becomes richer, sweeter and more resonant, with a rich and well-rounded bass.

Acacia Wood (Acacia Wood).

Acacia is a tropical hardwood tree with a similar color tone to Koa. Acacia is sometimes called “Blackwood” even though it is not black in appearance. It has a tone somewhere between Mahogany and Rosewood but with high nuance, giving it a dry sound.

Mango Wood (Mango Wood).

The first thing you will notice about Mango wood is its grain and attractive appearance. While some players may hear similarities to the Koa, the Mango has an incredibly warm sound, deep, resonant bass, exceptionally good midrange, long sustain, and clear sound throughout a session. wide sound spectrum.

Maple Wood (Maple Wood).

Maple is a very dense hardwood, which produces faster note decay and less sustain. The density gives it more reflectivity and a brighter sound than others. Maple tonewood also provides excellent separation allowing each individual note in a chord to sound clearly without being blurred together.