Grand Auditorium – Padauk with Douglas Fir

Padauk is a tropical hardwood known for its vibrant and striking appearance, as well as its potential as a tonewood for guitars. Although it is not as widely used as traditional tonewoods like mahogany or rosewood, padauk offers unique tonal qualities and visual appeal that make it an interesting choice for guitar construction. On the aesthetics side, Padauk is visually striking. Its vibrant color and often interlocking grain pattern can make for stunning guitars.

In terms of sound, Padauk is typically associated with bright, projecting midrange and a clear, balanced tone. It has similar density and hardness to Rosewood, which is another popular choice for guitar tonewood. The hardness of Padauk lends itself to a good sustain and crisp articulation, making it suitable for various styles of play, from fingerstyle to strumming.

When used in guitar bodies, Padauk can provide a nice balance of warmth and brightness, with the midrange slightly pronounced. For the back and sides of an acoustic guitar, Padauk can enhance the instrument’s resonance and overall projection.

Regarding the Douglas Fir top, when used as a soundboard, it can provide a clear, bright, and punchy tone with a strong midrange. The clarity and definition can be comparable to the more commonly used Sitka spruce, but with its own unique tonal coloration. Douglas fir often has a straight and tight grain pattern. This not only looks appealing but also contributes to its tonal characteristics. Its color can range from a light tan to a reddish-brown. It is also known for its stiffness-to-weight ratio, which is a desirable characteristic in a soundboard material. This stiffness can contribute to the wood’s ability to produce a vibrant and responsive tone.

  • Padauk back and sides
  • Douglas Fir top
  • Ebony binding and headcap
  • BWBW trim on top and back
  • Maple rosette, Maple G and Diamonds and Squares
  • 1 ¾” neck, joined at the 14th fret,
  • Three piece neck: Mahogany, Maple, Mahogany
  • Open gear tuners with Ebony knobs

Price:  $5,200

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