Preferred back and sides for fingerstyle?

[wcap]

As others have noted, the wood used for back and sides is only part of what gives a guitar its character. The top wood plays a big role, and how the guitar is built is a huge factor.

But beyond all of that, really this all depends on what you play, and how you prefer the music to sound. And your playing technique (particularly right hand technique) is a huge factor. And whether you play with good nails vs fingerpicks, etc plays a big role in how a given guitar is going to sound. And whether you know how to make use of a very complex sounding guitar's sound, and know how to control lush overtones.

And whether you are playing solo vs playing with other musicians can make a difference in determining which guitar works best (e.g. I've been concluding recently that the overtone-rich guitar I'm playing in the first video below does not work as well when playing music (fingerstyle) with my wife (violin) as my Martin D28 (a special one with an Engelman top, but still a dreadnaught with a somewhat different sound).

What wood is best for fingerstyle? It really depends on so many different things. And often it is not so much that one guitar is better than another for fingerstyle but rather that the guitars are just different.

And in this regard, some of the different pieces I play sound better on different guitars, and some (even some that were composed on one of my steel string guitars) actually sound a lot better on my classical guitar.


Here I'm playing a very resonant, overtone rich rosewood/cedar guitar:



Here I'm playing an all mahogany guitar (the photo is the same as above, but the guitar I was playing was indeed different):




Which sort of wood (or wood combination) is better for fingerstyle here?

The two guitars above are different, but I like them both for fingerstyle.


.

[wcap]

Similar debates are also often had about body size/style.

Many people will tell you that smaller body guitars are better for fingerstyle. I respect that people have these sorts of preferences (and some of this surely is a function of how and what different people tend to play). Personally I prefer larger steel string guitars for fingerstyle because they give me more of the depth of tone I'm looking for after playing classical guitar for some years before getting into steel string guitars. I also prefer a good quality larger guitar that has strong bass, and lots of volume (lots of people don't like having the bass too strong when playing fingerstyle though) - one can always tone down these things via playing technique, and if you have a responsive guitar, a louder guitar gives you more dynamic range potential, and it is nice to tap into the volume and the strong bass sometimes for dramatic effect.

And my 12 string guitar is a rosewood/sitka jumbo, and I play it entirely as a fingerstyle instrument. This might not work so well for different kinds of music from what I play, but it works for me (at least for what I am currently playing).

[EZYPIKINS]

Best sounding guitar I have is a Maple Gibson J-185. If I had the Martin 000-28 my answer may be different.

[Mooh]

Rosewood, mahogany, maple, padauk, are my choices but I can't find a preference that isn't based on sentimentality. They're all good.

[Wolfram]

Macassar ebony for me - a well-made ebony guitar has all the richness of a good rosewood, but less 'ring', making for greater clarity and separation.

I have four ebony guitars now - all different in style and tone, but all with that same underlying characteristic of richness and clarity. I remember reading many years ago in Wood & Steel that ebony is Bob Taylor's personal favourite B/S wood too.

Cheers,
David

[aeisen93]

This is interesting for me... my Taylor 814ce sounds great fingerstyle... But my Gibson G45 has a really clear and crisp fingerstyle sound. The G45 has walnut back and sides.

[BigOrangeBox]

For me (lyrical fingerstyle), it is some type of heavy rosewood like Cocobolo, Ziricote, Ebony with a EURO/Alpine/German top.

Sitka can be phenomenal too with a clear sounding back like Cocobolo. Warmth + definition.

As far as brand goes. Without selling a kidney my top within $10k Range: 1. Goodall 2. Lowden

[David Eastwood]

My current favourite is carbon fibre

And whatever my Martin is made of.

[cedartop52]

cedar over rosewood (for finger style with nails)

[sakar12]

Yep. My Lowden is Sitka / Cocobolo. Perfection.

Originally Posted by BigOrangeBox

For me (lyrical fingerstyle), it is some type of heavy rosewood like Cocobolo, Ziricote, Ebony with a EURO/Alpine/German top.

Sitka can be phenomenal too with a clear sounding back like Cocobolo. Warmth + definition.

As far as brand goes. Without selling a kidney my top within $10k Range: 1. Goodall 2. Lowden

[Teherie]

I voted for mahogany but my core lineup includes

3 mahogany - dread, 000, 12 string
2 Rosewood - dread, OM
1 flamed maple - parlor

All Sitka spruce tops except 12 string which is mahogany top

Generally speaking: The 12 string and dreads for strumming and fingerpicking, the OM, 000 and parlor for fingerstyle.

The OM and 000 have lighter, scalloped bracing and the 000 and parlor are short scale. One of the dreads is tuned down a whole step.

It took 40 years and playing well over 1,000 guitars to assemble this group and all of them are keepers.

[zombywoof]

Never had any preference. As a staring point, I am more interested in neck carve, nut width and string spread at the bridge.

[jazzereh]

Anyone have experience with walnut as a body wood? Spruce top. I've not played one and am curious if there are any comments about the sound - mostly finger style.

[Cheezeweggie]

Over time be learned the back and side woods aren't nearly as important as other characteristics. Build, body size, bracing.