Category: The Skills

Southeast Asian Rosewood

Southeast Asian rosewood is an endangered species. This wood is no longer harvested for guitar manufacture, and is therefore extremely hard to find from legitimate sources.

Southeast Asian rosewood has the exotic colors that make Brazilian rosewood so highly sought. It tends toward a reddish cast. Black grain lines offer contrast, but without the unique branching typically seen in rio, as the Brazilian species is also known.

Furthermore, Southeast Asian rosewood is often regarded as being remarkably similar to rio in sound. When played, it rings out loud and strong. But this wood is no mere copycat—it has a unique sparkle of its own, sounding particularly lively toward the high end while still displaying character in the bass notes.

In Short

• Extremely rare.
• Often sold illegally.
• Resonant.
• Lively lows.
• Sparkling highs.

 

Amazonian Rosewood

Amazonian rosewood, while not found on the majority of guitars today, is probably one of the least rare species of rosewood. No trade restrictions on this wood are in effect at the time of this writing. It is still uncommon, however, as most of it comes from one supplier.

Brazilian rosewood and Amazonian rosewood are commonly confused. They are actually two separate species that grow in different parts of Brazil. Contrary to popular perception, Brazilian rosewood does not grow in the Amazon rainforest like Amazonian rosewood does.

In appearance, Amazonian rosewood is fairly similar to Brazilian rosewood, but with somewhat finer and straighter grain. But note the word somewhat. There are many excellent pieces of Amazonian rosewood in existence that can boast an exceptionally unique, striking appearance.

Amazonian rosewood is a little denser than rio, giving it a deeper, bassier sound. It is slightly less resonant, but makes up for that with power and crystal clarity.

In Short

• Somewhat rare.
• Striking in appearance.
• Heavy.
• Bassy.
• Somewhat less resonant than other rosewoods.
• Projects sound well.
• Clear.
• Good sustain.

 

Honduran Rosewood

Not only is Honduran rosewood a less common selection, in January 2017 it fell under the treaty restrictions that impact buying and selling Indian rosewood guitars. Little wonder—this species is quite rare, growing only in Belize. Needless to say, Honduran rosewood is difficult to obtain these days.

In appearance, Honduran rosewood is far more subtle than the bold and striking Brazilian rosewood. It is tends to look pinkish or purplish with fine grain and minimal contrast. To some luthiers and guitarists, this makes a Honduran rosewood guitar bland; to others, it adds a more subtle element of beauty.

Honduran rosewood is denser than rio wood, putting it in a class of its own. It has a strong tone with excellent sound projection. Its harmonic properties are very complex, giving it a rich sound unlike any other. There is a trade-off to this complexity, however—the notes of a Honduran rosewood guitar, while still articulate, are not as impeccably clear as with some of the other rosewood species.

The tonal range is well balanced across the spectrum. As with most other dense woods, however, Honduran rosewood really shines in the bass range.

In Short

• Rare.
• Heavy.
• Subtly beautiful.
• Balanced.
• Excellent bass response.
• Tonally complex.
• Projects sound well.
• Excellent sustain.
• Warm tone.

Rosewood is a common choice of wood for guitars and mandolins. It has been used for backs, sides, tops, and fretboards.

But did you know that instruments are built with several different types of rosewood? Seven of the most common are:

• Brazilian.
• Indian.
• Madagascar.
• Cocobolo.
• Amazonian.
• Honduran.
• Southeast Asian.

Does country of origin make any difference in the sound of the rosewood? Let’s examine each type in turn and find out.

 

Brazilian Rosewood

Brazilian rosewood, or rio as it is called by Brazilians, has earned a reputation for top-notch tone. This was largely due to influential vintage guitars built prior to 1970, many of which made extensive use of Brazilian rosewood.

However, the desirability of Brazilian rosewood subjected it to extensive overharvesting. This type of rosewood grew steadily rarer and rarer, until action was deemed necessary to prevent its extinction. The Brazilian government banned further exports in 1967, and in 1991 it followed that law up with one to prohibit the harvest of Brazilian rosewood in the wild. Rio was further protected by international treaty in 1992, making it very difficult to ship a Brazilian rosewood guitar. In 2008, the United States took further action to prevent illegal importations of wood with the Lacey Act, requiring a chain of paperwork to accompany rare woods arriving from other countries. This combination of laws not only makes importation of wood difficult, but it can require a musician traveling with a Brazilian rosewood guitar to carry extensive paperwork to protect his instrument from confiscation.

Guitars constructed with Brazilian rosewood still exist, however. This rare wood can be used legally if it was harvested prior to 1992, cut from the stump of a tree harvested before the treaty, or salvaged from a naturally fallen tree. But Brazilian rosewood is remains scarce, and it commands a hefty price tag. Price, scarcity, and rich appearance (particularly one-of-a-kind in guitars made from old stumps) combine to make this wood something of a golden ideal in the guitar world, despite the variable quality that comes from salvaged wood.

Perhaps a little more ideal than its sound merits. Brazilian rosewood’s association with vintage guitars has connected it in the minds of guitarists with a warm, sweet, resonant tone. Part of this sound was owing to the availability of high-quality wood, now generally lacking. Brazilian rosewood is naturally rather hard, ever so much more so when it has been harvested from a dead stump. This translates into a guitar with excellent sound projection, but one that is a little bright and that will be prone to cracking with age. Many top luthiers claim that a warmer tonewood can be obtained by looking for a different country of origin. Much of the image of Brazilian rosewood comes from hype, which unfortunately creates a wide opening for black-market trade.

However, outstanding characteristics of Brazilian rosewood include clarity, impressive sustain, and an almost metallic resonance, often compared to the ringing of a bell. Rio can boast bright highs, but rich lows are its hallmark.

In Short

• Rare.
• Expensive.
• Often sold illegally.
• Strikingly beautiful.
• Variable quality.
• Fragile.
• Rich lows.
• Bright highs.
• Clear.
• Excellent sound projection.
• Excellent sustain.
• Resonant.

 

Indian Rosewood

When the Brazilian rosewood supply dwindled in the 1960s, rosewood from East India stepped up to the plate as a common wood in instrument manufacture. Although less prestigious than its rare counterpart, Indian rosewood still has a loyal following and a strong tradition in American music.

Indian rosewood has also fallen under treaty restrictions as of January 2017 in response to illegal trafficking of the wood for the Asian furniture market. While these regulations are less strict than those affecting the endangered Brazilian rosewood, the new rules will require paperwork for anyone buying or selling an Indian rosewood guitar internationally. However, the treaty does not affect buying or selling Indian rosewood guitars within the borders of the United States, and under most circumstances it will not affect people traveling with the guitar.

The appearance of Indian rosewood is also less impressive. It is brown with touches of purple and gray. Its grain tends to run in straight lines, creating a “plain” look.

While very close in weight and density to rio, Indian rosewood is just slightly the less dense of the two, diminishing its sound projection a trifle. In the hands of a novice, the difference is probably negligible; in the hands of an expert guitarist, the difference may be audible. There is an upside to the extra give of the Indian rosewood, however—it makes the guitar much sturdier and less prone to cracking with age.

Indian rosewood possesses an impressive tonal range, bringing fullness and clarity to both the low and high ends of the spectrum. It is particularly known for its bassy quality, making it a favorite with rhythm guitarists. Its sound characteristics vary somewhere between moderately warm and neutral.

In Short

• Consistent quality.
• Sturdy.
• Versatile.
• Full tonal range.
• Bassy.
• Bright highs.
• Clear.
• Resonant.

 

Madagascar Rosewood

Like most types of rosewood, Madagascar rosewood has a rather rather complicated history. In the 1990s, American luthiers began to experiment with this tonewood, hoping to find the perfect substitute for Brazilian rosewood. Unfortunately, civil and political turmoil in Madagascar made the supply very unreliable.

Madagascar rosewood is also rare. While it does not fall under the stringent restrictions of some of the endangered species treaties, much of it is obtained illegally and smuggled out of Africa, making it subject to confiscation if found in the United States.

This species looks very much like Brazilian rosewood, but with more of a red cast. It is a little lighter in weight, but the sound is generally regarded as similar to that of rio, albeit “livelier.” It tends to the bright side, but it does an excellent job adding richness to the entire tonal spectrum. Madagascar rosewood can also boast of superb sustain.

In Short

• Short supply.
• Often sold illegally.
• Attractive.
• Full tonal range.
• Bright.
• Excellent sustain.

 

Cocobolo

Cocobolo is rosewood from the Pacific Coast of Mexico and Central America. Like most other types of rosewood, its scarcity is increasing with time, and its price tag is rising to the occasion. The Mexican government is attempting to regulate the harvest of cocobolo, but an increasing amount of the wood imported to the United States has been brought in illegally.

This exotic wood has an exotic appearance to match, boasting an eye-catching rainbow of contrast somewhat reminiscent of the rich shades of Brazilian rosewood. Over time, however, cocobolo will oxidize, aging to a more uniform chocolate color.

Cocobolo is the hardest and densest of the rosewood family, which makes sound projection one of its strong suits. In fact, some luthiers feel that cocobolo is what Brazillian rosewood used to be, a throwback to the glory days of vintage guitars. Its tone is remarkably similar. The strength of cocobolo lies in the high range; it tends to lose some fullness toward the low end.

In Short

• Increasingly rare.
• Increasingly expensive.
• Often sold illegally.
• Colorful early in life.
• Projects sound well.
• Tonal range leaning toward the high end.
• Clear.
• Good sustain.
• Resonant.

 

Up next: Southeast Asian, Amazonian & Honduran

The Dobro or resonator guitar has a unique feature that can be a great help or hindrance, depending on how you look at it: It is tuned to an open G chord. This means that if you strum all of the strings you will produce a G major chord instead of some kind of discordant noise.

The good thing about open G tuning is that it makes it quite easy to locate any major chord on the Dobro. Lay the steel straight across the neck at any fret, and you will produce a chord.

The bad thing about open G tuning is that it makes finding minor chords a little confusing at first. But not to fear! Dobro players have several options available to them.

 

Skip the Third

Chords are built on intervals. The intervals used in a major chord are the prime (root note), the third, and the fifth. If the root note is G, the third is B and the fifth is D. (We’re assuming you know some basic music theory here; if not, scroll down to the Helpful Resource section.)

The difference between a major and minor chord is the third. In a minor chord, a flat third is used. So a G minor chord consists of the notes G, B flat, and D. The root and the fifth do not change.

This brings us to an easy shortcut we can use when dealing with minor chords. We can place the steel as though we were going to play a major chord, and just avoid the third altogether. Thus for an E minor chord:

1. Bar the ninth fret as if to play an E major chord.
2. Pick the sixth, fourth, third, and first strings.
3. Do not play either the fifth or the second strings—that would be a major chord.

While there is nothing about this chord that sounds distinctively minor, at least it won’t clash with the rest of the music.

 

Play a Two-Note Chord

Another possibility is to play only the root note and the flat third of a chord. While this does not sound as full as a three-note chord, it does have a distinctly minor sound.

The second string of a Dobro is tuned to B. The flat third in a B minor chord is D, which happens to be the sound of the open first string. Thus, you can play a two-note B minor chord just by picking the open second and first strings. In fact, you can place your steel on these two strings and find two-note minor chords all up and down the neck. Just remember that the second string provides the root and the first string provides the flat third.

 

Include Open Strings

Another easy method is to learn two chord shapes involving open strings.

The first shape will produce an E minor chord (E G B):

1. Tilt the steel to play the fourth string, second fret (E).
2. Play the open third string (G).
3. Play the open second string (B).
4. Do not play any of the other strings.

The second shape will produce a B minor (B D F#):

1. Lay the steel across the fourth and third strings at the fourth fret (F# and B).
2. Play the open second string (B).
3. Play the open first string (D).
4. Do not play the other two strings.

These two chords can be a big help. E minor is used in the key of G major, the preferred key of Dobro and banjo players. Likewise, B minor is used in the key of D major, a favorite with fiddle and mandolin players. If you need to play in the key of A, also commonly used by fiddlers, just put your capo at the second fret and use your E minor chord shape. This will give you an F# minor chord. (Playing in the key of A is often easier with a capo, anyway.)

As you become familiar with your fretboard, you will doubtless find other combinations of open and fretted strings that you will enjoy.

 

Play an Arpeggio

Instead of trying to find the chord, just play the notes that are used in the minor chord you are seeking as a roll or arpeggio. For example, let’s say you are playing a D minor chord:

• Tilt the steel to play the sixth string at the seventh fret.
• Move to the fifth string, sixth fret.
• Move back to play the fourth and third strings at the seventh fret.
• Move again to the second string, sixth fret.
• Go back to the first string, seventh fret.

This can be an unwieldy method for a fast song, but can sound pleasant on a slower piece.

 

Helpful Resource

Interval
Great explanation, complete with exercises for mastery.