Teak

A dense, oily South-East Asian hardwood, famous in boatbuilding and used on guitars mainly for fretboards.

It comes from Tectona grandis, grown across South-East Asia and widely planted, and its natural oils make it resistant to water and insects, which is why ships and outdoor furniture are built from it. Those same oils make it difficult to glue and to finish, so it needs preparation before it can go into an instrument. Where it is used it is commonly described as warm and dry, with a decent low end and a soft top end. It is heavy, and its pores are open enough that a gloss finish has to be filled.

Example: A teak fingerboard feels slightly waxy under the fingers and wears evenly, though it is seen more often on basses and travel instruments than on high-end guitars.

typical use: Fretboards, and occasionally bodies and necks on instruments for humid climates.

Teak

See also