For the 3rd guitar, I decided to do something a little more exotic. I’ve been a fan of exotic woods for as long as I can remember. Not only do they bring a unique tone to the instrument, but they look absolutely stunning.
Black Acacia, more commonly known Australian Blackwood, is an exotic tone wood from Australia. It is in the Acacia family of woods and is a close relative of Hawaiian Koa. I first discovered Australian Blackwood years ago, when I was in college. I was a fan of Jack Johnson and I loved the look and sound of his guitar. After some research, I learned that his guitar was constructed with Australian Blackwood. From that moment, I knew that I would one day build a guitar of my own using this unique tone wood.
Australian Blackwood has a tone similar to Indian Rosewood, in that it is very well balanced. Australian Blackwood tends to sound slightly brighter than Indian Rosewood, in my opinion, because it has a slightly louder higher end and not as much bass as the rosewood. Australian Blackwood has a striking appearance, comparable to Hawaiian Koa. As you can see from the pictures of this guitar, it really is a beautiful wood with a lot of depth. I’m using a flamed Australian Blackwood on my third guitar, which has a little more figure than a lower grade version of the wood.
Having built two guitars prior to this one, I completed this build much quicker and with fewer complications. Whereas on earlier builds, I was learning each step as I went along, this build was different. I am by no means a master luthier, but I understand the guitar much better than before and I’m able to complete certain challenging tasks with ease.
To date, this is my favorite guitar and I play it more than any other that I own, including my Taylor made Koa special edition. It’s suitable for a variety of playing styles. I love the way the high notes shine over the bass and mid range. This guitar as slightly less bass than that of an Indian Rosewood construction and because of that, sounds a little brighter.