Last Updated on April 28, 2023 by Teemu Suomala
Beautiful dark brown color, resonates well, and provides a great volume…of course, I’m talking about Rosewood.
And while most of us are more familiar with smooth rosewood fretboard, rosewood does make an excellent back and sides wood too. It gives the guitar an elegant & classy look and supports the tone the top provides with full resonance.
And because rosewood back and sides are a great combo for acoustic guitar, I was happy to put together this article listing the cream of the crop guitars with them. I also reveal the 3 best ones. If you have any questions, just check the FAQ section or leave a comment.
Let’s get started!
Author: Teemu Suomala
Rosewood
Rosewood has a darkish brown color and noticeable grains (even through the finish). Grains are usually straight. Rosewood is a hard wood and provides a clear, snappy, and articulate sound. The sound rosewood provides is relatively treble-heavy.
Check this cool image that reveals a lot about tonewoods:
Learn more about acoustic guitar tonewoods here.
25 Guitars With Rosewood Back and Sides
Guild D-150CE is a good option if you are after a Slim C neck shape, solid Sitka spruce top, good quality finish, and full tone. It also costs just a bit over $1k. But it did lose the best overall spot for one special Yamaha…
Price Range Icon Meanings:
$= $330-499
$$= $500-899
$$$= $900-1299
$$$$= $1300-1599
$$$$$= $1600-
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| Model | Body Style | Rosewood Type | Top Material | Price Range | Check Current Price (affiliate links) |
| Yamaha FG830 – Best Budget | Dreadnought | Rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia) | Solid spruce | $ | Sweetwater* – Thomann* |
| Baton Rouge X54S/FJE-BT | Folk Jumbo with Cutaway | Rosewood | Solid spruce | $ | Thomann |
| Yamaha A1R II TBS – Find More Great Yamaha’s Here | Dreadnought | Rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia) | Solid spruce | $$ | Sweetwater – Thomann |
| Yamaha LS 6 A.R.E NT | Concert | Rosewood (Dalbergia Latifolia) | Solid Engelmann spruce | $$ | Thomann |
| Recording King RO-328 All Solid OOO | Concert | Solid Indian Rosewood | Solid aged Adirondack spruce | $$ | Guitar Center – Thomann |
| Guild F-150CE Nat | Jumbo with cutaway | Solid Rosewood | Solid spruce | $$$ | Guitar Center – Thomann |
| Guild D-150CE Nat – Great Guitar | Dreadnought with cutaway | Solid Rosewood | Solid Spruce | $$$ | Sweetwater – Thomann |
| Yamaha A3R ARE | Dreadnought | Rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia) | Sitka spruce, solid | $$$ | Sweetwater – Thomann |
| Taylor 210ce – Find More Great Taylors Here | Dreadnought with cutaway | Rosewood plywood | Solid Sitka spruce | $$$ | Sweetwater – Thomann |
| Yamaha Transacoustic LL-TA – Best Overall | Dreadnought | Solid rosewood (Dalbergia Latifolia) | Solid Engelmann spruce | $$$ | Sweetwater – Thomann |
| Yamaha LL16D ARE Original Jumbo | Original Jumbo | Rosewood (Dalbergia Latifolia) | Solid Engelmann spruce | $$$ | Sweetwater – Thomann |
| Yamaha AC5R ARE – Best Premium | Concert with cutaway | Solid rosewood | Solid Sitka spruce | $$$$ | Sweetwater – Thomann |
| Martin D-16E Rosewood – Great Value Martin | Dreadnought | East Indian Rosewood | Solid Sitka Spruce | $$$$$ | Sweetwater |
| Martin GPC-16E Rosewood – Find More Great Martins Here | Grand Performance | East Indian Rosewood | Solid Sitka Spruce | $$$$$ | Sweetwater |
| Godin Fairmount CH | Concert Hall | Solid Rosewood | Solid spruce top | $$$$$ | Sweetwater – Thomann |
| Takamine P5DC | Dreadnought with cutaway | Back: Solid rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia) – Sides: Laminated rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia) | Solid spruce | $$$$$ | Sweetwater – Thomann |
| Yamaha A5R ARE | Dreadnought with cutaway | Solid rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia) | Solid spruce | $$$$$ | Sweetwater – Thomann |
| Gibson L-00 Studio – Find More Great Gibsons Here | Parlor | Solid rosewood | Solid Sitka Spruce | $$$$$ | Sweetwater – Thomann |
| Gibson J-45 Studio Rosewood | J-45 | Solid rosewood (Dalbergia Latifolia) | Solid sitka spruce | $$$$$ | Sweetwater – Thomann |
| Takamine P7NC – Find More Great Takamines Here | Concert Cutaway | Solid rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia) | Solid spruce | $$$$$ | Sweetwater – Thomann |
| Gibson J-185 EC Modern | Jumbo with cutaway | Solid rosewood (Dalbergia Latfolia) | Solid sitka spruce | $$$$$ | Sweetwater – Thomann |
| Gibson SJ-200 Studio | Jumbo | Solid rosewood | Solid sitka spruce | $$$$$ | Sweetwater – Thomann |
| Guild F-55R | Jumbo | Solid Rosewood | Solid Tight Grained Sitka Spruce | $$$$$ | Sweetwater – Thomann |
| Martin D-35 | Dreadnought | East Indian Rosewood | Solid sitka spruce | $$$$$ | Sweetwater |
| Martin HD-35 | Dreadnought | East Indian Rosewood, 3-piece back | Solid Sitka Spruce | $$$$$ | Sweetwater |
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3 Best Guitars With Rosewood Back and Sides – My Favorites
Best Budget – Yamaha FG830
What I like
- Solid spruce top for a cheap price
- Great construction
- Really high value for the money
- Stays in tune well
- Surprisingly full sound
What I don’t like
- Urea nut and saddles are not the best, but for this price, I can’t really complain
Check our picks for the best acoustic guitars under $500 here.
Who is it for?
If you are after a budget guitar that has great quality construction, a solid top, and full sound, Yamaha FG830 is one of the best options. It works really well for beginners and for electric guitar players trying out acoustic. Easily one of the best budget and beginner acoustic guitars.
Check Today’s Price on
Best Overall – Yamaha Transacoustic LL-TA
What I like
- All solid wood construction
- Rosewood body and Engelmann Spruce top offer full and articulate sound
- Awesome unplugged effects
- Smooth playing
- Has Urethane finish with an A.R.E. aging process that seasons the wood and creates a vintage tone
- Great quality
What I don’t like
- Urea nut and saddles feel cheap for the price
Who is it for?
If you are after a great-sounding acoustic that can also pull off amazing unplugged effects, Yamaha Transacoustic LL-TA is one of the best choices. It has gone through Yamaha’s A.R.E. treatment, is comfortable to play, and offers great quality. A real bone saddle and nut would be awesome, but if you replace the urea ones with better material (bone or Tusq for example) you got a real premium guitar with cool effects in your hands.
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Best Premium – Yamaha AC5R ARE
What I like
- Built strongly with quality woods and materials
- A.R.E technology creates a vintage-like tone
- Very loud for a concert guitar
- SRT2 pickup produces a rich and authentic sound
- Uses AA batteries
- Playability is next to none
What I don’t like
- None
Who is it for?
The AC5R is one guitar that all guitarists will love, but it’s primarily designed for gigging musicians and singer-songwriters.
With its all-solid construction, high-quality hardware, smooth-playing neck, and premium electronics, it’s a worthy guitar if you need a deluxe acoustic without shelling out $3000 in cash.
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FAQ
Is Rosewood Good Tonewood for Guitars
Of course, this depends on your personal preference. But rosewood can make a great tonewood for acoustic guitar. It’s a dense and hard wood that provides a clear, snappy, and articulate tone. It’s also durable and has brown coloring with noticeable grains.
Is Rosewood Banned in The US?
Rosewood is not banned, and it can still be owned, shipped, and traded too, but certain strict regulations must be followed when doing so. If you are planning on trading, selling, or shipping rosewood, do your own research and consult an expert. In case of guitars containing rosewood, check this resource.
It should be noted that Brazilian rosewood is no longer available.
Conclusion on Guitars With Rosewood Back and Sides
While guitars with rosewood back and sides are quite rare nowadays, this article included some best of the best options for you. These axes possessed stunning looks, great quality, and snappy & clear sound. Awesome instruments.
I hope this article helped you out, and maybe you even decided to get one of the guitars featured. If you have any questions, leave a comment, I and the GND team are here for you.
Now go, my son, and Rock!
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