Soundboard (Acoustic Guitar)

The soundboard of an acoustic guitar is the top of the guitar body, and plays a critical role in determining the tone and projection quality of the instrument. Different materials have different sonic characteristics. Spruce tends to result in crisp highs and a big bottom-end with lots of volume. Cedar or redwood have a bell-like quality. Mahogany offers a warm, sweet tone that tends to result in quieter acoustic guitars. And koa sounds like mahogany but with a stronger midrange. The back of the soundboards is crisscrossed with a pattern of struts and braces to provide stability while still allowing the soundboard to vibrate freely in response to energy from the strings, transferred through the guitar’s bridge to the top.