Rosewood?

Brazillian Rosewood

Do you know there are different species of rosewood that are being used for guitar construction? When you look at the specification of the guitars in the catalogue, it is usually stated that the fingerboard is made with Rosewood. But there are really different species of rosewood. Speaking to Ashok Parekh from Parekh Exports, he taught me how to spot the difference between the 3 major types of rosewood that are being used in guitar construction and how they affect the sound.

The first most important one to take note is Brazillian rosewood. It is an endangered species and probably the most well known of all rosewood type, due to it's sound. According to Ashok, the Brazillian rosewood is a very dense wood and produces a very warm sound on the guitar they are build with. The notes are very clear and the sustain is amazing. However, due to it being endangered, it is getting harder and harder to find guitars build with this wood. Even if you are able to find one, they probably cost a lot.

Indian Rosewood

Second up is the Indian rosewood. It is actually a slightly cheaper option to the Brazilian rosewood but it looks different from it's Brazilian sibling. It has narrower grain lines compared to the Brazilian rose wood and is usually darker in color.

Visual aspects of course aren't the only thing that is different. Of course, the tone is different too. Indian rosewood compared to the Brazilian rosewood is a little softer and produces a sound that isn't as hard or screaming. Technically, that will also makes it higher on the bass side compared to the Brazilian rosewood. However this wood is by no means strictly on the bassy side.

If you own a Japanese made electric guitar with a rosewood fretboard, chances are, the fretboard of your guitar is made with Indian Rosewood.

Sonokeling

Lastly, over the years of guitar production, we have began to see less of the Indian Rosewood but more of the Sonokeling. Sonokeling looks visually closer to Brazillian Rosewood but is slightly darker in color and grains are a lot more open. It is actually the same species as the Indian Rosewood. Once again, visual appearance isn't the only thing that is different.

Tone wise, Sonokeling is similar to Indian rosewood but due to it but once again, more towards the bassy side compared to the Indian Rosewood. However, both tones are pretty similar in that sense.

Sonokeling is also cheap compared to Indian and Brazilian rosewood and is favoured by builders from China and Indonesia (It is from Indonesia after all). If you own any guitars with Rosewood fretboard that is made in China or Indonesia, chances are it is Sonokeling.

Do take note that although there are difference in Rosewood, it does not necessarily mean that each species of Rosewood is better than other. In the end of the day, it is just something different and dependant on the player's preference. Next time when you buy a guitar made of Rosewood, do remember to take note and make sure that you gotten the correct type of Rosewood that you wanted.