Macassar Ebony

Taylor Acoustic Guitar Woods

Tropical Mahogany A midrange powerhouse. Mahogany is prized for balance and articulation, making it one of the best all-around tonewoods there is. Indian Rosewood The tonewood superstar. Popular, traditional, and versatile, Bob Taylor puts Indian rosewood among the greatest tonewoods ever. Big Leaf Maple High-end sparkle and incomparable good looks put maple in its own category. Hawaiian Koa Few woods carry the allure of Hawaiian koa, with its gorgeous figure and sweet, complex tone. Walnut Walnut’s crisp highs are balanced by a deep, woody low end that emerges as the guitar is played in. Cocobolo A cannon of a guitar, with exotic coloration and figure to match its bold voice. Ovangkol Although not as well-known as its Indian rosewood cousin, ovangkol shares many of the same properties, making it a versatile, great-sounding tonewood. Sapele One of the best all-around tonewoods there is, sapele will deliver for any playing style. Rosewood Laminate A rosewood veneer and laminate construction present a beautiful aesthetic in a durable, affordable package. Sapele Laminate Laminate construction is used to offer attractive, durable and affordable models. Maple Laminate Maple veneer is part of the resilient laminate construction on the black 214ce-BLK. Blackwood Laminate A blackwood veneer with laminate construction blends exotic beauty, resilience and affordability. Quilted Sapele Besides boasting gorgeous figure, the tone enhances sapele’s “bright mahogany” voice with extra low-end warmth. Tasmanian Blackwood Koa's cousin produces a similar tone, with a breathy midrange and bright treble notes, plus low-end overtones. Macassar Ebony Macassar’s exotic beauty is matched by a bold, dynamic tone that can be dark or bright, depending on the player and the top pairing. Koa Laminate Koa veneer is part of the resilient laminate construction on the 210ce-K and 214ce-K. Granadillo Sonically comparable to rosewood, granadillo’s higher density yields a clear, ringing tone. African Ebony A dense wood typically used for fretboards and bridges, ebony produces rich overtones.

Macassar Ebony

Origin: Indonesia

Used On: Limited Editions, Custom Guitars

Another dense hardwood, Macassar boasts a lot of presence and is typically clear and loud with a broad dynamic range. It seems to be a wood that is uniquely responsive to different playing styles. It has a strong bass and lower mids; clear and transparent highs that respond like an accelerator pedal as you move your right hand closer to the bridge and dig in a bit; and a slightly scooped midrange.

Macassar likes to be played hard, and tends to take a slightly longer period of playing time to open up. When it's used with a softer top wood like cedar or redwood, it makes a balanced instrument. When topped with Adirondack spruce it becomes an all-out cannon. Some players tend to pull more brightness out of the wood; others, like Bob Taylor, tap into its darker side.

"To me, Macassar has a great 'low-fi,' old Gibson vibe," Bob says. "It's dark, it's dense, it's heavy. It's killer for a very manly, old school strum. We put a super clear 'finishing salt' on its tonal flavor using our style of construction to brighten it up, but to my ear the tonal beauty of this wood is the low-fi vibe. I love the sound. I bought one."

Goes Well With: Old-school strummers and players with a heavy picking hand who like a thick old school sound; players who struggle to get enough brightness and articulation from traditional woods.

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