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Engineered Zebrawood DIY Guitar Kits

Updated on July 25, 2025 by Nathan T.

Engineered Zebrawood is made by compressing dyed cottonwood (a poplar sub-species) using heat, glue, and pressure to create its signature striped look. It’s denser than mahogany or basswood and has tonal qualities closer to real hardwood—making it a great choice for guitar builders.

If you're interested in learning more about how different tonewood affect the tone and playability we recommend you to read – Guitar Tonewoods: How they affect Tone and Playability.

Watch & Learn with ABD (Anthony Darrus)

Anthony Darrus brings the build process to life with his clear, hands-on video series. His tutorials are engaging and practical, offering plenty of tips along the way. If you’re just getting started or want inspiration, we highly recommend watching his build series.

How to finish Engineered Zebrawood

The Engineered Zebrawood looks amazing right out of the box and would require very little work to apply a finish.

 

Recommended reading: Engineered Ebony Fretboards

There are multiple ways to make the Zebrawood pattern stand out and look even more awesome. Others would just sand it until it’s smooth and wipe it with polyurethane. Repeat the process 2 or 3 times and keep sanding in between coats of polyurethane. 

While others go the extra mile and stain their guitar bodies with bright colors to make the Zebra pattern stand out, then finish with 2 to 3 layers of your choice of clear coat.

The final finish can be glossy or semi-glossy depending on one’s preference and might require more sanding if you want to make it shinier.

Watch How do I POLISH MY GUITAR? To get detailed instructions on how to make your guitar body look shiny.

See more options for a guitar finish.

Types of guitar finishes:

  1. Oils and waxes
  2. Shellac
  3. Nitrocellulose Lacquer (‘Nitro’)
  4. Polyurethane (‘Poly’)
  5. Polyester

    The Benefit of Engineered Timber

    In addition to their exotic look, engineered timbers have the advantage of being less susceptible to cracking and warping due to humidity changes due to consistent density (no growth rings).

    You can learn more about how humidity levels may affect your guitar by reading the following articles:

    Safety Precautions

    For safety reasons, we recommend sanding and finishing your guitar in a well ventilated area wearing a respirator mask. You can learn more about safety tips that you need to follow from here: Important Guitar Finishing Safety Tips That You Must Follow.

    DIY Guitars by Guitar Kit World Builders

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    Meet the author

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    Nathan T.

    As a longtime contributor at Guitar Kit World, Nathan has spent more than a decade helping guitar builders turn basic kits into stage-ready instruments...

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