Pine

A soft, resinous conifer whose cheap boards and plywood appear in the cheapest instruments and in cabinets.

Pine grows fast and widely, which is why it is the default construction softwood, and it also turns up under the thinnest budget instruments. It is light and soft, so it dents under a fingernail, and it is resinous enough that some boards refuse glue or paint without preparation. It is commonly described as giving a soft, open, midrange-friendly sound, adequate for a beginner's body but short of definition and punch. It is not stiff or hard enough to keep a neck straight under normal string tension, so it is used for bodies, internal parts and speaker cabinets rather than for structural work.

Example: A pine-bodied budget guitar is light and comfortable, but it dents at the strap button and sounds soft next to the same shape in alder.

typical use: Bodies on the cheapest instruments, internal parts and speaker cabinets.

Pine

See also