Urban Ironbark
Overview: This hardwood yields a sweet, yet muscular sound with an alluring blend of power, clarity and balance.
Origin: California
Sound: Urban Ironbark serves up an unexpected, yet appealing sound that stands alone in the Taylor line. Commonly known as red ironbark, this tonewood is sourced responsibly from California through our urban woods initiative. It’s a dense, hard wood with similar physical properties to ebony, but with sonic characteristics resembling a dialed-up version of Indian rosewood. Yielding lush resonance and piano-like fidelity, Urban Ironbark delivers serious power while remaining remarkably balanced across the frequency spectrum. Players will notice how notes seem to leap out of the guitar thanks to the wood’s natural amplification effect, and Ironbark’s sweet, yet complex response gives it a richly dynamic character.
Goes Well With: Players who love the warmth and clarity of Indian rosewood are sure to appreciate Urban Ironbark. Its power and balance make it supremely versatile, an excellent choice for recording purposes as well as live play. Strummers will appreciate the volume and projection, while fingerpickers will enjoy the definition and dynamic range.
Urban Ironbark Featured Models
Back and Side Woods Overview
The hardwoods used for a guitar’s back and sides (the same species is used for both) contribute rigidity and stability to an acoustic guitar body. This helps generate more sustain from notes as they ring out. The back and sides woods also emphasize certain resonant frequencies in ways that add unique sonic colors and textures to the guitar’s overall sound.
Body Woods and Acoustic Guitar Tone
Along with body shape and top woods, the woods used for the back and sides of an acoustic guitar play a key role in coloring the guitar’s voice. Hardwoods, such as rosewood, mahogany, koa and maple, are exclusively used. They provide the supportive shell of the guitar body, and their hardness and density add the rigidity that helps generate sustain from the notes.
Explore All Acoustic Features
Top Woods
The type of wood used for a guitar’s soundboard has a major impact on its tonal properties.
Series
Each acoustic series boasts a unique package of visual details that enhance the aesthetic appeal.
Electronics
Our inspired proprietary pickups faithfully reproduce the natural nuances of a Taylor guitar’s voice.
Specialty
Guitars with a unique musical personality, including 12-string, 12-fret, nylon, baritone and travel.
Finishes
Taylor’s eco-friendly, UV-curable finishes protect your guitar and keep it looking and sounding great.
Bracing
Bracing patterns, such as our new V-Class design, bring out each guitar’s unique voice.
Necks
Our patented neck design ensures superb intonation, playability, and lasting stability.
Cutaways
Our elegant cutaways add to a guitar’s shapeliness and broaden your playing range.
Armrests
An armrest softens the edge of a guitar body to create a more comfortable playing experience.
