Layered Sapele
Overview: Taylor’s layered backs and sides incorporate three layers of wood, featuring a middle core of poplar with a veneer on each side. While layered woods won’t produce quite as complex a sound as solid woods, they allow us to blend exotic looks with climate-resilient construction.
Sound: While the rich tones of solid wood remain unmatched, a layered wood construction can yield great sound in a beautiful, durable and affordable instrument. Such is the case with layered sapele, in which we use interior and exterior veneers of sapele with a core layer of poplar between them. One of the benefits of layered wood for guitars is extra resilience in the face of fluctuating humidity conditions. This comes in handy for guitars like the GS Mini and Baby Taylor models, which are travel-friendly guitars that may be more directly exposed to different environments. All Taylor layered-wood models feature a solid wood top to optimize the tonal response.
Layered Sapele Featured Models
Back and Side Woods Overview
The hardwoods used for a guitar’s back and sides (the same species is used for both) contribute rigidity and stability to an acoustic guitar body. This helps generate more sustain from notes as they ring out. The back and sides woods also emphasize certain resonant frequencies in ways that add unique sonic colors and textures to the guitar’s overall sound.
Body Woods and Acoustic Guitar Tone
Along with body shape and top woods, the woods used for the back and sides of an acoustic guitar play a key role in coloring the guitar’s voice. Hardwoods, such as rosewood, mahogany, koa and maple, are exclusively used. They provide the supportive shell of the guitar body, and their hardness and density add the rigidity that helps generate sustain from the notes.
Explore All Acoustic Features
Top Woods
The type of wood used for a guitar’s soundboard has a major impact on its tonal properties.
