Gallery Woods
The Lakewood Customshop gives you the opportunity to design your very own guitar from a wide selection of fine tonewoods. For certain parts of the instrument, you can even choose individually selected, photographed, and catalogued woods – each one truly unique.
Below, we present these exceptional tonewoods, so you can select the ones that will define the character of your Customshop guitar.
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This back and side set can only be selected in combination with Koa top No. 299. This particularly beautiful Koa set for the back and sides comes from the Hawaiian Islands and displays a fascinating interplay of golden brown, reddish, and partly amber tones. The lively grain and silky sheen give every guitar a warm, sunny appearance. In terms of sound, koa combines the balanced warmth of mahogany with the brilliant clarity of maple – transparent, lively, and finely graded in dynamics. In combination with a matching koa top, the result is a harmonious, elegant overall appearance – a true masterpiece in both looks and sound.
Malaysian blackwood is one of the finest and most expressive tonewoods in the world. It has a deep, almost black brown color with golden and gray nuances—often with impressive, dramatic grain. This rare wood comes from Southeast Asia and is reminiscent of African blackwood or dense rosewood in terms of sound: warm, full, and with impressive clarity in the high frequencies. As a back and side wood, it provides great depth, sustain, and a finely structured overtone spectrum. An exceptional wood for guitars with a rich voice, noble tone, and luxurious appearance.
This rare native service tree originates from Central Europe and captivates with its warm, rose-brown color and fine, even structure with a gentle sheen. It is one of the finest native hardwoods and is rarely found in the world of guitars – we only have a few select sets of it. Its sound is balanced, clear, and warm, with fine mids and a silky response. A service tree brings naturalness, elegance, and a wonderfully honest character to every instrument – regional, special, and fascinating in terms of sound.
Black Limba captivates with its warm, golden brown base color, which is interspersed with dark, contrasting veins—each piece displays a unique, organic pattern. The wood comes from West Africa and combines lightness with amazing resonance. In terms of sound, Black Limba lies between mahogany and koa: open, warm, and lively, with finely differentiated mids and silky highs. As a back and side wood, it gives the instrument a natural, charismatic voice and a visually expressive, almost tropical elegance.
Bubinga originates from West Africa and is known for its deep red to violet-brown color with impressive, often wavy grain. The wood appears both elegant and powerful, with a fine sheen and impressive visual depth. As a back and side wood, bubinga delivers a rich, powerful sound with clear tone separation, pronounced sustain, and a beautiful balance between warmth and brilliance. It is reminiscent of the richness of rosewood, but sounds slightly tighter and more precise. A wood for guitars with a strong presence – a statement both visually and sonically.
Amaranth – also known as purpleheart – impresses with its intense, natural violet color, which changes over time to a deep, warm purple tone. This wood comes from South America and is not only visually striking, but also impresses with its clarity, projection, and tight response. When used for the back and sides, amaranth delivers a clear, focused tone with precise definition and brilliant highs, similar to dense rosewood, but with slightly more presence in the midrange. A wood for instruments with a strong personality – modern, lively, and unmistakable in color.
This finely grained plum captivates with its warm, reddish-purple tones, which appear even richer and more harmonious when steamed. The subtle grain gives the wood depth and movement, while the silky sheen emphasizes its elegant appearance. As a back and side wood, plum delivers a warm, focused sound with clear tone separation, balanced projection, and fine response. Its sound lies between cherry and rosewood – with a hint of velvety richness and elegant warmth. A wood for guitars with soul and visual sophistication.
Cherry wood exudes a warm, natural elegance—with reddish-golden hues that develop a beautiful, deep patina over the years. Our cherry wood comes from Central Europe and is prized for its fine structure and subtle grain. Used for the back and sides, it produces a balanced, clear sound with soft mids and pleasant warmth that comes through beautifully without being intrusive. Cherry gives the guitar a harmonious, lively character – authentic, regional, and full of charm.
This exceptional walnut from Central Europe captivates with its intense grain – a fascinating wave pattern that shimmers in the light and creates depth. Its colors range from warm medium brown to dark, almost chocolate tones, often interspersed with golden reflections. As a back and side wood, walnut offers a balanced, warm sound with fine overtones, clear definition, and a subtle, elegant warmth – tonally situated between rosewood and mahogany. The strong grain makes each set unique, with a refined, lively character.
Tochi, the Japanese horse chestnut, is a fascinating tonewood with a light, maple-like grain and a soft, silky sheen. This wood comes from Japan, where it is highly prized for its fine structure and elegant grain—each set looks like a piece of living natural art. This back and side set stands out with its incredible flaming, which is very rare to find. Tochi delivers a clear, open sound with a fine balance between warmth and transparency, and is very sensitive in its response. It gives the instrument a calm, noble aura – light, resonant, and unmistakably Japanese in its simplicity and harmony. Its sound is comparable to maple, but delivers a slightly softer and warmer tone.
Cherry wood exudes a warm, natural elegance—with reddish-golden hues that develop a beautiful, deep patina over the years. Our cherry wood comes from Central Europe and is prized for its fine structure and subtle grain. Used for the back and sides, it produces a balanced, clear sound with soft mids and pleasant warmth that comes through beautifully without being intrusive. Cherry gives the guitar a harmonious, lively character – authentic, regional, and full of charm.
Cocobolo is one of the finest and most fascinating tonewoods available. It originates from Central America and captivates with its deep, contrasting colors—from bright orange to rich red to dark brown, often with black veining. As a back and side wood, cocobolo delivers a rich, warm sound with a powerful foundation, brilliant highs, and exceptional projection. It combines the richness of rosewood with an extra dose of clarity and dynamics. A wood for guitars with character, expression, and rare beauty.
The service tree is a rare native hardwood that immediately catches the eye with its warm, rose-brown color and fine, silky texture. It originates from Central Europe and is highly prized for its beauty and tonal quality – at the same time, it is so rare that we can only offer a very limited number of sets. As a back and side wood, it delivers a clear, balanced sound with a fine response, slightly silky highs, and warm mids. It brings a noble, natural touch to the instrument and represents authentic European craftsmanship in its most beautiful form.
This exceptional sugar maple combines two rare characteristics: beautiful, vibrant flaming and the striking, natural grain of the burl. The interplay of light, golden, and darker lines makes each set a unique work of art created by nature. In terms of sound, sugar maple offers a clear, brilliant tone with a tight response and precise definition – similar to European maple, but with slightly more density and projection. As a back and side wood, it gives the instrument a noble, luminous presence – bright, resonant, and unmistakably individual.
This beautifully flamed cypress comes from Greece and displays a lively interplay of golden yellow to slightly reddish tones. The fine grain and silky sheen lend it a Mediterranean elegance that immediately radiates warmth and lightness. As a back and side wood, it produces a clear, airy tone with fast response and a pleasant, natural warmth. It ensures transparency in the sound and gives the instrument a bright, open personality—perfect for players who are looking for both lightness and character.
This honey locust originates from Switzerland, where the tree grows sporadically in parks and avenues and has proven to be an excellent regional tonewood. Its wood has warm, golden brown tones with a fine, often slightly wavy grain reminiscent of fine tropical woods. As a back and side wood, it delivers an open, balanced sound with pleasant warmth and clear mids, while remaining light and very resonant. It responds sensitively to the guitarist's playing and has a natural, honest character – perfect for instruments with a delicate, lively character.
As a wood for the back and sides, figured poplar creates a very special appearance – its cloudy, often marble-like grain is reminiscent of natural works of art. Each piece is unique, with lively structures that seem to flow in the light. In terms of sound, burl poplar provides a rather neutral, clear base with a slightly bright tone, which brings out the best in the top. Ideal for guitars where individuality and visual expressiveness are paramount.
German Ash – Powerful Dynamics with Striking Aesthetics German Ash (Fraxinus excelsior) is an exceptional tonewood, distinguished by its striking grain pattern and outstanding acoustic properties. With its light, creamy to golden-brown color and often pronounced annual rings, ash gives every guitar a unique visual appeal. Tonally, ash delivers impressive dynamics with strong, well-defined bass, prominent mids, and brilliant highs. Its high density ensures excellent projection and a quick response while maintaining a balanced and powerful sound profile. It is particularly well-suited for percussive playing techniques or strumming, as it reproduces tones with great attack and clarity. As a sustainable European alternative to tropical tonewoods, German Ash is an excellent choice for guitar enthusiasts who value bold aesthetics, powerful sonic performance, and locally sourced woods. A strong statement—both visually and tonally!
German Ash – Powerful Dynamics with Striking Aesthetics German Ash (Fraxinus excelsior) is an exceptional tonewood, distinguished by its striking grain pattern and outstanding acoustic properties. With its light, creamy to golden-brown color and often pronounced annual rings, ash gives every guitar a unique visual appeal. Tonally, ash delivers impressive dynamics with strong, well-defined bass, prominent mids, and brilliant highs. Its high density ensures excellent projection and a quick response while maintaining a balanced and powerful sound profile. It is particularly well-suited for percussive playing techniques or strumming, as it reproduces tones with great attack and clarity. As a sustainable European alternative to tropical tonewoods, German Ash is an excellent choice for guitar enthusiasts who value bold aesthetics, powerful sonic performance, and locally sourced woods. A strong statement—both visually and tonally!
Our M-55 Edition 2024 has made a statement for Blackwood as one of THE tonewoods par excellence! Here we offer you the chance to get a set of the most intense flaming that surpasses all previous sets of Blackwood and delivers a visually and sonically unique piece. Have you been looking for THE guitar? With this set your search will come to an end and you can devote yourself entirely to the enjoyment of your guitar playing ... and admire this instrument as a true work of art on your wall as well. Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
Maple has always been one of THE tonewoods in instrument making. This hard, native tonewood offers a loud, focussed sound. It itself is not overly overbearing and therefore supports the tonal properties of the used top wood. Bird's eye maple is a speciality in the growth pattern of maple whose origin has not yet been precisely determined. Only a very small percantage of trees exhibit this growth pattern, making bird's eye maple - especially with this strong characteristic as visible in this set - something very special. Available for all types of finish
Maple has always been one of THE tonewoods in instrument making. This hard, native tonewood offers a loud, focussed sound. It itself is not overly overbearing and therefore supports the tonal properties of the used top wood. Bird's eye maple is a speciality in the growth pattern of maple whose origin has not yet been precisely determined. Only a very small percantage of trees exhibit this growth pattern, making bird's eye maple - especially with this strong characteristic as visible in this set - something very special. Only possible finish for this back: open-pored satin-gloss
Maple has always been one of THE tonewoods in instrument making. This hard, native tonewood offers a loud, focussed sound. It itself is not overly overbearing and therefore supports the tonal properties of the used top wood. Bird's eye maple is a speciality in the growth pattern of maple whose origin has not yet been precisely determined. Only a very small percantage of trees exhibit this growth pattern, making bird's eye maple - especially with this strong characteristic as visible in this set - something very special. Only available finish for this back and sides set: open-pored satin-gloss
Transparent tone with strong basses and trebles. A wonderful alternative to East Indian rosewood that is in no way inferior to it - but is visually much more varied and colourful. Alternating areas of intense red and pale yellowish stripes with black lines that are almost reminiscent of sapwood, but are not. We owe this crazy exotic appearance to a genetic defect in the wood of individual tree trunks, which nevertheless belong to the same species as the "normal" padouk. Depending on the intensity of the incident UV light, the red areas in the wood will turn a brownish colour over the years Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
Transparent tone with strong basses and trebles. A wonderful alternative to East Indian rosewood that is in no way inferior to it - but is visually much more varied and colourful. Alternating areas of intense red and pale yellowish stripes with black lines that are almost reminiscent of sapwood, but are not. We owe this crazy exotic appearance to a genetic defect in the wood of individual tree trunks, which nevertheless belong to the same species as the "normal" padouk. Depending on the intensity of the incident UV light, the red areas in the wood will turn a brownish colour over the years
A phenomenally flamed set of French walnut. Its soft, slightly more mid-range tone with a gentle treble and beautiful dynamics makes this wood a great domestic wood alternative to bring the impressive tonewoods of our European continent into the focus. Many years ago we already presented this wood as a part of our edition series. Now we had the opportunity to buy a very small remaining stock of this wood. We will probably not be able to find a walnut as flamed as this one again.
A 3-pieced Macassar Back with a dark macassar for the middle piece. No binding strip will be used on the back.
It could hardly be more homely! Autumn is upon us and already the chestnuts are ripening on the tree. Who knew that this wood has such a beautiful color picture? In fact, this type of wood is usually much more "boring". Because these discolorations towards the edge and the flames in the middle occur in the quantity and combination only very rarely in nature. This could result in an exclusive, domestic beauty that does not have to hide in sound. A super balanced sound sweetens the chestnuts that already smell in the oven. How about combining it with a 50 year old spruce top? Martin Seeliger stacked these tops back in his training days - and the tops already came from an old stock. So they are already naturally aged and will add a tone to this chestnut set that will blow your mind Can be used for all types of finishes
Since this is a very small, but very beautiful type of macassar ebony it can only be used for our smallest concert shape. Can be finished with every type of our finish
The perfect wood for fingerpicking. Artists like Sophie Chassée swear by the depth of sound and differentiated tonal response of Padouk. And so will you! A transparent tone with strong bass and clear highs
A warm, deep bass combined with a wide frequency range in the mids. In addition, a phenomenal sustain and a powerful volume - this is Bocote. Originated around Central America to the North Amazon. It is visually hardly noticeable but it actually comes from the same family as Ziricote. So definitly a family that delivers what it promises! All finish option available
Myrtlewood - a phenomenal tonewood from the North American West Coast. Grown for decades in the depths of the rainforests there, it captivates with its appearance and tonal qualities. A warm, dry, round tone. Strong in its development - this wood plays into the hands of any good guitar top and player without distorting the sound. Can be finished with all varnishes
Deepest, North American jungle sends its regards. Myrtle from the US Northeast Coast. The set photographed here stands out from the classic myrtle assortment in such a way that we would prefer to keep it ourselves. We have two such similar sets lying here and these are the first sets of this kind we have ever seen.
Tasmanian Blackwood with quite great sapwood content. The family proximity to Koa is the reason for the visual and tonal similarities. From a smaller batch of Blackwood sets, this one was selected by us and set aside for the gallery. With our high gloss finish an absolute stunner
Baaaaam! A Tasmanian Blackwood of the highest order. There are not as many "A's" on my keyboard as needed for this 5A Blackwood set. Incredible grain. These flames will bring out a depth effect under a high gloss polish like only our wildest dreams can do. Belongs to the acacia family - so the visual and sonic proximity to koa is obvious. The famous sister Koa, native to Hawaii, has long been used very intensively in guitar making, and so is slowly being replaced by Blackwood. Because nowadays the Koa often does not have these flames. Sonically, it has like mahogany a focus on a beautiful, midrange sound but with the for Koa popular shimmering treble. A feast for the eyes that penetrates to the ears.
Beautiful figured Tasmanian Blackwood. A wonderful piece of acacia wood. The famous sister Koa, native to Hawaii, has long been used very intensively in guitar making, and so is slowly being replaced by Blackwood. Because nowadays the Koa often does not have these flames. Sonically, it has like mahogany a focus on a beautiful, midrange sound but with the for Koa popular shimmering treble. A feast for the eyes that penetrates to the ears.
A tonewood mainly coming from central africa that deliveres a very similar tone to mahagony - just with a little bit more bass response All types of finishes can be used on this back
A tonewood mainly coming from central africa that deliveres a very similar tone to mahagony - just with a little bit more bass response Can be finished with: Open-pored satin gloss (natural finish) Satin-gloss, filled grain polished
Palo Escrito or mexican rosewood is a lighter-weight type of rosewood. Guitars with back and sides made of palo escrito are known for a sweet high end and good punch. Palo Escrito is a relatively light rosewood with good bass and treble separation. Can be used with all of our finishes: High-gloss finish Open-pored satin gloss (natural finish) Satin-gloss, filled grain
Osage orange or milk orange tree is an extremely hard tonewood which is perfect for a guitar where a very long sustain is required. Powerful basses and crystalline highs are the tonal characteristics of this special and rare wood. How about a color finish on this back? A red tone that fades to black at the edges could create an incredible radiant effect. Can be used with all of our finishes: High-gloss finish Open-pored satin gloss (natural finish) Satin-gloss, filled grain
Silver Wattle - part of the Acacia family such as Koa and Blackwood. So a nice midrange sound. Mahogany-like. But in addition with the beautiful, acacia known, silvery treble. Can be used for all of our finishes: High-gloss finish Open-pored satin gloss (natural finish) Satin-gloss, filled grain
It could hardly be more homely! Autumn is upon us and already the chestnuts are ripening on the tree. Who knew that this wood has such a beautiful color picture? In fact, this type of wood is usually much more "boring". Because these discolorations towards the edge and the flames in the middle occur in the quantity and combination only very rarely in nature. This could result in an exclusive, domestic beauty that does not have to hide in sound. A super balanced sound sweetens the chestnuts that already smell in the oven. How about combining it with a 50 year old spruce top? Martin Seeliger stacked these tops back in his training days - and the tops already came from an old stock. So they are already naturally aged and will add a tone to this chestnut set that will blow your mind Can be used for all types of finishes