VTH Series: The Beauty and Sound of Camphor Laurel

Aaron Fenech is known for his efforts to promote the use of Camphor Laurel in guitar-making in Australia. More than a decade ago, he was one of the first to experiment with this unique tonewood while striving to build guitars predominantly using Australian-grown Tonewoods. With his scientific background, Aaron was able to apply various voicing techniques to fine-tune the use of Camphor Laurel. He experimented with variables such as density, mass, specific colour selection, and bracing techniques to refine the wood’s best musical tone. After ten years of building guitars using Camphor Laurel, it’s safe to say that Aaron Fenech and his team are experts in its use for making the best guitars.

Camphor laurel was brought to Australia from Asia in 1822 as a garden ornamental. However, it is now considered a destructive tree as it replaces native vegetation. Despite this, it’s used extensively among fine furniture makers for its attractive grain, workability, and stability. It’s also a great tonewood, although not widely known. Best of all, by using Camphor Laurel as a tonewood, we are helping to restore our native vegetation one guitar at a time!

Best Fit for:

Camphor Laurel is an excellent tonal choice for both strummers and flat pickers. The wood delivers a crisp, warm mid-range sound with a slight bass leaning. Moreover, the wood’s unique and striking visual features make it an ideal option for musicians who want something a little more distinctive, as each back and side set has bold colour variations.