Keystone
Guitar Tonewoods for Luthiers

Acoustic Guitar backs and Sides. steffansobell wenge

Guitar backs and sides.

The selection of the guitar backs and sides allows the maker to fine tune the overall aesthetic beauty of the instrument, and influence the tonal characteristics of the finished guitar.

Scroll down to see a selection of backs and sides

On the subsequent pages are individual sets,(individually priced) in species that vary to dramatically set to set, to offer for sale from a single picture.












Acoustic Guitar backs and Sides. irbs

INDIAN ROSEWOOD (Dalbergia latifolia)

Indian Rosewood has been the mainstay of guitar makers large and small around the world since the mid 60s, when Brazilian Rosewood was banned from export. We have good stocks of this beautiful wood.
Please note this species is now list as CITES appendix 2. All of our stocks are pre convention stocks and imported from Europe prior to Brexit.
We will no longer be stocking this species once these stocks are sold.





Indian Rosewood guitar backs & sides





Acoustic Guitar backs and Sides. flame maple back & sides

Curly Flame Figured Maple

Also known as fiddle back - examples of this wood are quite striking and the preferred figure of violin makers.
We are delighted to have managed to secure a limited number of extremely high quality flame maple back and side sets!




Curly Flame figured Maple guitar backs & sides




Acoustic Guitar backs and Sides. wbs1

Walnut
(Juglans regia)
Guitar Back & Sides Sets

Walnut to many is the classic walnut for very high end craft work.
works like a dream sounds fantastic and finishes beautifully.




French Walnut Guitar Back & Sides Sets (plain)




Acoustic Guitar backs and Sides. fumed oak b&s

Old English Antiqued Oak

Old English Antiqued Oak,
darkened to a deep dark brown
to highlight the beautiful medullary rays.

A great alternative to Bog Oak
At a fraction of the price!





Old English Antiqued Oak





Acoustic Guitar backs and Sides. mahog b&s

Mahogany

Mahogany is a wonderful and traditional tonewood for guitar making,
That is a delight to work, and will polish up beautifully,





Mahogany guitar backs &sides









Acoustic Guitar backs and Sides. figured Walnut b&s

Unique Figured Walnut (Juglans regia)
Guitar Back & Sides Sets

Unique Figured Walnut to many is the classic walnut for very high end craft work.
works like a dream sounds fantastic and finishes beautifully.
CLICK ON THE PICTURE
TO SEE INDIVIDUAL SETS



Acoustic Guitar backs and Sides. birdseye maple b&s

Birds eye maple (Acer saccharum)

Birds eye figure is a phenomenon that occurs naturally in very few species, most notably hard maple, it is not known what causes this effect, theories include Temperature, altitude, pecking birds, fungal attack, soil properties, insects, or a combination of some or all of these, sufficed to say that it is extremely rare, virtually undetectable until the tree is felled, and very often is only evident for a few centimetres beneath the bark..





Birseye Maple guitar backs & sides & sides






Acoustic Guitar backs and Sides. walnut b&s fiddleback figure

French Walnut Fiddleback figure
(Juglans regia)
Guitar Back & Sides Sets

Figured French Walnut to many is the classic walnut for very high end craft work.
works like a dream sounds fantastic and finishes beautifully.





French Walnut Fiddleback figure








Acoustic Guitar backs and Sides. Imbuya dark

Figured Inbuya (Brazilian Walnut) (Phoebe porosa) (Dark)

Figured Inbuya also known as Brazilian Walnut.
The export of Imbuya from Brazil seems to be no longer possible at this time time.
We occasionally find old stock boards offered to us by retiring craftsmen from which we are able to produce a few beautiful sets.
this species varies wildly from board to board.
the picture shown is a very good example of the very few sets we were able to cut from the same board.





Figured Inbuya (Brazilian Walnut) (Dark)




Acoustic Guitar backs and Sides. Imbuya light

Figured Inbuya (Brazilian Walnut) (Phoebe porosa) (Light)

Figured Inbuya also known as Brazilian Walnut.
The export of Imbuya from Brazil seems to be no longer possible at this time time.
We occasionally find old stock boards offered to us by retiring craftsmen from which we are able to produce a few beautiful sets.
this species varies wildly from board to board.
the picture shown is a very good example of the very few sets we were able to cut from the same board.





Figured Inbuya (Brazilian Walnut) (Light)





Acoustic Guitar backs and Sides. wenge b&s

Wenge (Millettia laurentii)

Even colour, chocolate brown, quite hard heavier than Indian Rosewood, with pores within the grain. This wood can make a very nice instrument, and is relatively inexpensive.
Western size sets only.




Wenge guitar backs & sides set







Acoustic Guitar backs and Sides. pear b&s

Swiss steamed pear wood
(Pyrus Communis)

Swiss steamed pear wood is a beautiful subtle species that is a delight to work with.
Some sets may have Flame Figure





Swiss Steamed Pear wood back & sides





Acoustic Guitar backs and Sides. waterfall quilted maple b & s

Waterfall quilted maple guitar back & side






Waterfall Quilted Maple guitar backs & sides








Acoustic Guitar backs and Sides. ziricote main pic

Ziricote (Cordia dodecandra) Guitar Back & Side Sets.

This is a truly striking species, the grain characteristics are very similar to old Rio Rosewood spider-web markings etc, but instead of being a background of reds with black lines, the lines are grey over olive greens, this is the preferred wood for some very high class makers, and could make a truly fantastic instrument. these sets are dry and stored in our climate controlled stockroom.

CLICK ON THE PICTURE TO GO TO OUR DEDICATED ZIRICOTE PAGE.
NEW STOCKS JUST IN!







Acoustic Guitar backs and Sides. padouk b&s

Padouk ( Pterocarpus soyauxii)

Bright orange when first worked, it will darken down eventually to a more subtle shade of brownish purple. A good tone wood, stable and relatively easy to work.

Out of stock







Acoustic Guitar backs and Sides. purpleheart

Purpleheart (Peltogyne pubescens)

Purpleheart,
Dull brown when first cut, quickly oxidises to a stunning bright deep purple,
Hard, stable, relatively easy to work, and relatively inexpensive!
This species makes a great tonewood!

Out of stock









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