TIMBER
The joy of a bespoke guitar cabinet is hunting down the timber that really speaks to you - whether it’s the colour, the grain pattern or the tone.
We only use the best quality timber from trees who’s roots grew in UK soil, meaning our work takes advantage of the amazing tree species - too long undervalued - that grow all around us. It also means we tread lightly when it comes to our carbon footprint.
Unfortunately most of the timber trade in this country is based around importing hardwoods from North America or the Tropics, but experience has shown me that if you want to build something that’s unique and full of character, homegrown timber is the way to go.
Nine times out of ten native timber has a whole lot more wow-factor than boards shipped from overseas.
Below is a brief guide to the timbers I use most often, but don’t be shy to ask about other options.
Pine
Guitar cabinets have historically been made from pine, and with good reason: it’s strong, light, resonant and plentiful.
Pine is too often covered in tweed or tolex, but I love how it looks when left on show.
Most people don’t think of pine as ‘special’ in the same way as oak or walnut or maple etc, but I love it and it’s perfect for guitar cabinets.
Ash
Strong and stable, beautiful to look at and a joy to work with.
It also sounds great - somewhere in between pine and birch ply: it resonates but not as noticably as pine and is definitely brighter.
We have a decent supply of native ash in this country so it’s also a great sustainable choice.
Olive Ash
All of the same properties as ‘white’ ash but with added caramel swirls, thanks to Devon’s mineral-rich soil.
Often white and olive exist side by side on the same boards so a combination of the two is also an option.
Want something more unusual? Well, the world is your oyster…
Some people like to go for tone-woods commonly found in electric guitar bodies. Personal experience tells me that cabinet size and speaker choice effect tone far more than the timber itself, so why not go for something truly unique? I am in contact with various suppliers of UK grown timber full of character. Their stock changes constantly so it’s a case of finding out what’s available but species include English Oak, European Walnut, London Plane, Sycamore, Yew, Copper Beech and many more.