Tropical woods are all very dense and have similar tone characteristics. The reason why some are more expensive than others is in relation with the rarity of the wood and the resistance that the wood offers when it is worked by the luthier. African Blackwood literally destroys some tools when it's worked, Padauk produces a very irritating dust when sanded and requires the use of a mask at all times,  Cocobolo requires specialized gluing techniques and so on. 

Aesthetically, it is a very personal choice that inclines you to have a preference for darker VS lighter woods, or highly flamed cuts VS more uniform cuts. 
 

Back & Sides WOOD	Samples	SOUND	Weight	Sound Sample	Overall SCORE 1-10	Recommended FOR:
African Blackwood		The Deepest basses, well defined trebles, excellent tone wood, very responsive, with a terrific tap tone. I find the mid-bass ranges of this wood to be very human-like in quality. The most expensive of all the tropical woods. It is also the one guitar sound that is really different from all the rest.	Heavy		9.5	All types of music, advanced-pro players
Black limba		Well defined basses, clear trebles, balanced sound throughout the scale and a very lively sound. Bright penetrating trebles and well defined basses. Top notch separation of voices. Rarely used by builders, I consider it a better choice than Koa which is far more expensive.	Light		8.5	Classical and Flamenco, intermediate-pro players, classical ensemble, guitar & voice
Bloodwood		Very balanced sound, ideal for Baroque music, great volume and very nice quick response, great balance and separation of voices. he guitar makes for terrific looking instruments. Matches marvelously well with Alpine spruce and the looks are simply stunning.	Medium		8	Classical & Baroque music especially, Intermediate-pro players
Bocote		Deep sounding basses and an overall BIG sound. Very similar to African Blackwood. Terrific tap tone and a very wide palette of mid ranges that make it one of the best tonewoods. The looks are also quite spectacular with all shades of yellow, orange and dark brown... Construction wise, it is far more stable than Brazilian rosewood because unlike the Brazilian species, it never fissures.	Medium-heavy		8.5	All types of music, novice-pro players. Performs very well in classical music
Bolivian rosewood		Well Balanced sound, good volume and perfect balance of voices. Quick response. Possesses all the characteristics of the more luxurious Brazilian relative but has less presence in the sound making it an ideal choice for Bossa players that need warmth and introspection more than power in the sound. It finishes marvelously well and is very stable and resonant.	Medium-heavy		9	All types of music, novice-pro players, Bossa seems to be made for Bolivian rose
Brazilian rosewood		Deep basses, well defined trebles. Bright and ringing tone, Great sustain, tap tone and separation of voices. Considered by many to be the best wood for Back and sides. It has become one of the most requested instrument woods in the world and simply put, the worst built Brazilian rose guitar sounds great ! The only drawback of Brazilian rosewood is that it sometimes fissures and needs close scrutiny of humidity conditions. The good news is that the fissures have no negative impact on the sound.	Medium-heavy		9.5	All types of music, advanced-pro players
Bubinga		Well balanced tone on all registers. Quick response. Very similar to Koa and Maple. The basses are very round and the mid ranges excel. The trebles shine very brightly. The looks of Bubinga guitars is simply spectacular.	Medium-light		8	Classical, Flamenco and Bossa (with the cutaway), advanced-pro players
Cocobolo		Almost identical to Brazilian rosewood, can be called Brazilian rosewood younger brother. Liquid tone and great color palette. It is strikingly beautiful and the finished instrument can get anybody stunned. The sound is mysterious, deep and clear at the same time. The grain is fabulous and it finishes to the point where you simply say WOW ! Outstanding !	Medium-heavy	.	9	All types of music, with the cutaway it is chosen by Bossa and Jazz players A LOT, advanced-pro players
Cypress		Clear penetrating sound excellent response and tap tone. It has become the wood of choice for Flamenco construction because it s easy to come by. It is also true that it makes for great classical playing. Cypress allows for a crisp penetrating sound with little sustain but very penetrating trebles. Also great to accompany singing. The pale coloring of the grain makes the resulting instrument a striking one. I build some of the World most beautiful Flamenco guitars using Cypress.	Light		7.8	Flamenco, novice-pro players, guitar & voice
Gabon Ebony		Gabon ebony is the standard for black in lumber. It has been found in Egyptian tombs and is used on the fingerboard of violins. A very dense wood with specific gravity of 1.2, it is usually only available in widths less than 6” and lengths less than 48”. This is partly do to where the trees grow in central west Africa. There are few roads and most of the billets have to be hand carried out of the jungle.  *Very dense tight grained wood	Heavy		9	Classical, Pros
Goncalo Alves		Well balanced sound throughout the strings, quick response. It is a very "unknown wood" and ot surprises me because it is not very expensive, still it offers some of the most valued characteristics of the more expensive tropical species. Clear crisp basses, great middle tones and rampant trebles. The finished instrument  looks like a wild cat. You can find yourself staring at the grain for hours at a time.	Light	.	8.5	Classical and Flamenco. advanced-pro players
Indian Rosewood		Very stable, clear tone and good separation of voices. The most popular wood for classical guitar construction especially since Brazilian rosewood has gone up in price. I call it the Volkswagen of tropical woods. Low priced and very stable. Makes for very "predictable" guitars... It offers great playing and looks without breaking the bank.	Medium		8	Classical, all levels of playing
Lapacho		Round basses and very clear trebles, competes with Brazilian rosewood when it comes to punch and definition of voices. Superb tap tone and a collectible since only a few Lapacho guitars have ever been built. The wood is incredibly hard but the luthier is filled with pride when he ears the sound of the finished instrument. I am quite certain that in time this wood will be part of the "tropical woods Royalty". It is simply Stunning.	Medium		9.5	Classical, all levels of playing
Koa		Clear warm sounding basses and crystal clear trebles. Similar tone characteristics as Bubinga. Tone wise, it does not present anything particularly striking but the wood makes up by presenting often spectacular grain...I find it overpriced considering that Black Limba gives similar if not better results at a much lower price.	Light	.	8	Classical, Flamenco, advanced-pro players
Macassar ebony		Deep clean basses and great sustain preferred to Brazilian rosewood by many guitarists and builders. It is sober and generates a full, round sound. It projects very well and the figuring can be quite striking. In the same league with Brazilian rose, African Blackwood and Maple... Some of the most striking instruments are made with this Indian species. If you love dark looking  instruments, this is definitely the wood for you.	Heavy		9	All types of music, with the cutaway it is chosen by Bossa and Jazz players A LOT, advanced-pro players
Maple		Well balanced sound on all 6 strings, in my opinion, one of the best tone woods to the point that I cannot believe that it is not more sought after. It really competes neck to neck with Brazilian rosewood and African Blackwood...and the wood looks simply terrific. The great advantage of the species is that it is an American species, which translates in very little care when it comes to humidity conditions etc. It is very light compared to the tropical species but delivers with the same presence.	Light	.	9.5	Classical and Flamenco, advanced-pro players
Padauk		Big sound with penetrating basses, fast response and clear trebles. Very similar to the rosewoods. The reddish tone makes it a great favorite among the lovers of this color. Every Padauk guitar I built to date has been a  head turner.... The sound is rich in overtones and it is among the best woods in its price range which is considerably small when it is compared to woods in the same league.	Medium-heavy		9	Classical and Bossa (with the cutaway) especially, advanced-pro players
Walnut		Very bright sound on all registers, clear, open tone with excellent depth and strong trebles. A favorite among collectors because relatively few classical guitars are built with Walnut. The looks are very sober and the instrument is particularly suited for Baroque music. It is very beautiful to look at and the resulting instruments are always stunning.	Medium-heavy		7.5	All types of music, shines with Baroque, advanced-pro players
Zebra wood		Well defined basses and trebles, good volume and excellent distribution of voices, mostly, the guitar is stunning to look at. I'd order one with lattice bracing to enhance the sound and bring out the best tonal qualities of the wood. Zebrawood double tops make for terrific guitars at very reasonable prices.	Medium-light		9	All types of music, all levels of playing
Ziricote		Big deep sound in the bass, clear trebles, similar to Macassar Ebony and Brazilian rosewood, stunning to look at and one of my favorite woods. The grain is simply dramatic and some of the most beautiful instruments are made with Ziricote	Heavy		9	All types of music, great for Bossa (with the cutaway) advanced-pro players

If you go to the Bellucci guitars Gallery, you can see fabulous guitars built with these outstanding woods