There’s always been a hotly contested debate among guitarists on the topic of . , he says, delivered “unanimous” results proving that different woods do greatly affect tone, while always rubbished such thoughts. Notably, we’re in an age where luthiers are having to use less of certain woods, like the prestigious , due to sustainability concerns.
That's led to more obscure tonewoods like to grow in prominence and consequently add further fuel to the fire of the discussion. Now Paul Reed Smith has weighed in with his thoughts, backing up Guthrie’s corner, albeit with a twist to his argument. In a new column published on , the luthier has revealed that PRS doesn’t deal in tonewoods.
Rather, he believes “the species is less relevant than the qualities of the wood. “I don’t really use the term ‘tonewood,’” he explains. “Because the internet uses the word, the word is used, but at PRS we just talk about wood, its beauty, and its ability to ring.
All the latest guitar news, interviews, lessons, reviews, deals and more, direct to your inbox! “I guess tonewood is a wood used on musical instruments that helps give the instrument a good tone. Certain woods are classified as tonewoods and some are not.” Instead of measuring a wood’s “toneful” characteristics, PRS runs through a scientific checklist to determine how a wood performs.
“Those qualities,” Smith says, “are: length of time the wood rings when you hit it, the amount of water remaining in.
