Materials Used in an Acoustic Guitar
An acoustic guitar is an instrument with a hollow body to acoustically project sounds made when strumming the strings. They're relatively simple instruments, and are made mostly of wood. The type of wood that's used, and the way the guitar is assembled, can make a significant difference in how it sounds and plays. This can also affect the price, which is why you'll see acoustic guitars ranging from less than $100 to over several thousand dollars.
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Body
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The body is the largest part of an acoustic guitar, and is composed of three main parts: the sides, the back, and the top --- also known as the soundboard. The soundboard is important, as it is where the hole is cut, and where the sound is projected from. Several types of wood are commonly used for the soundboard, including a cedar, redwood and variety of spruces, . Spruce soundboards are generally considered to be of higher quality than other wood types. The sides and backs can also be made from cedar, redwood, koa or a variety of spruces.
Neck
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The neck is the part of the guitar that runs from the body all the way up to the headstock, where the strings are attached and tuned. It is a separate piece from the body of the guitar, but is glued into the body, usually somewhere between the 12th and 14th frets. The neck is susceptible to warping, so stronger wood like ebony is a good choice of material to use. Other woods, such as mahogany, rosewood or maple are also used. Usually a steel rod is also placed down the length of the neck to help keep it from warping.
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Fingerboard
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The fingerboard is a thin layer of wood that's laid over the top of the neck. This is usually made from ebony, rosewood or maple. Less expensive guitars may use synthetic materials for the fingerboard. After the fingerboard is in place, steel frets are inserted, in very precise intervals, along the neck. Often, fret markers or decorations are inlaid into certain parts of the fretboard, between the metal frets. These can be simple round dot markers or elaborate designs. These can be plastic or ivory, or, especially in higher end guitars, mother of pearl.
Bridge and Saddle
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The bridge is where the base of the guitar strings are held, and is located just below the hole in the guitar's soundboard. The saddle is a thin strip that rests on top of the bridge and secures the strings' place in relation to the fretboard. Bridges are usually made from ebony and rosewood. While saddles have traditionally been made from ivory or bone, today they're mainly composed of plastic or other synthetic materials.
Headstock and Tuning Machine
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The headstock is located at the end of the guitar neck, and is intended to hold and tune the guitar's strings. In most cases, headstocks are made from the same type of wood as the neck, commonly ebony, rosewood or maple. The headstock also holds the tuning machines, which are composed of several small parts made from steel or hard plastic. These parts include gears and knobs that turn to tighten or loosen the guitar strings, thus adjusting the pitch.
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References
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