The perceptual effects of tonewood choice for the back/side plates of the steel-string acoustic guitar

Abstract

The sound qualities of different tonewoods used for the back/side plates of acoustic guitars are the subject of intense debate among guitarists. However, comparisons between different guitars are rarely performed under blinded conditions. We asked a sample of professional, semi-professional, and amateur guitarists (n = 52) to rate the sound quality of six steel-string acoustic guitars, built to be as similar as possible except for the woods used for the back/side plates, which were: Brazilian rosewood, Indian rosewood, mahogany, maple, sapele, and walnut. The guitarists played the guitars in a dimly lit room while wearing welder’s goggles to prevent visual identification. The sound quality ratings did not differ significantly between guitars. Test-retest correlations, measured for a subset of guitarists (n = 34), were low, suggesting that the lack of significant rating differences was not due to averaging out contrasting individual preferences. The results of a blinded ABX discrimination test, performed by a subset of guitarists (n = 31), indicate that guitarists could not easily distinguish the guitars by their sound or feel. Overall, the results suggest that the species of wood used for the back/side plates of a steel-string acoustic guitar may play a lesser role in perceived sound quality than is commonly believed.