[Enter your text here]
You can reach us at:
3375 Edison Way
Menlo Park, CA 94025
Phone: (415) 555-5555
Fax: (415) 555-5515
Office Hours:
Monday - Friday 8:30AM to 5:30PM
Wood and tone
changing arena. Playability, tone, volume and aesthetics are the ultimate combination. Here are a few of my thoughts and observations.
The top wood is the primary factor in the sound and preformance of an instrument. The type of wood used, how it's braced if it is a flat top, or how it's carved if an arch top. The most popular trees selected for instrument tops are conifers and from the conifers spruce prevails. Of the spruce family again several come to the forefront, for example the sitkas from the Taiga Belt, (boreal forest) of the northern hemisphere. The conifers in the upper regions of the northern hemisphere demonstrate slow growth and smaller growth rings, producing a strong but light weight wood. This is ideal to handle the string related tension on instrument tops.
More information on the subject of the Taiga Belt and boreal forest can be found at this link:
Sitka has made its imprint in the musical soundboard industry in recent years due to it's availability as other sources, primarily in Europe, have diminished.
Other American spruces that have received recognition are Engelmann and Adirondack. Engelmann is the softer of the two and dents easily. Adirondack, growing in a harsher climate reflects this condition, a stiffer board, more dent resistant.
Incorporating other materials as soundboards is not a new phenomena, instrument builders like their musician counterparts are always looking and experimenting with new sounds. In keeping with this we see other conifers entering, cedar, redwood and cypress to name a few. These woods have drifted in and out of the guitar world for some time, especially the cedars and cypresses with classicals and flamencos. They are however relatively unknown in the mandolin world, with few builders venturing into these uncharted waters.
Lastly the manufacturing of plywood has entered the playing field, it is unique from a decorative and strength aspect but very poor tonally. Often loud, tied with bling and electronic pickups, they have saturated the market with a sub standard which is becoming a norm.
As the builder sorts through the options they are also faced with the fact that even though the above woods are used and accepted, nature has its say as well. Things that affect the density of the tree are, sun exposure, growing season, and available nutrients. So we look for the right combination of mass vs. density.
What drives the sound and how the above woods react tonally;
The top is like a drum head, when loose it is dead, when tuned it rings. The process of tuning relates to the aforementioned mass and density. The density of the top and how you want it to sound relates to how thick or thin you end up and how the bracing is placed and shaped. Another primary factor is the type of finish and how hard it dries.
Over time Luthiers have been on a quest to achieve the best of both worlds, for the audience and the player. Each region developed its own style and type of instrument, many still in existence today. In the string world the designs that survived have been refined, bringing us to the present day. With this ongoing evolution certain woods were found to enhance different tonal qualities. It is important to recognize that all wood is resonate but, not all wood contains the desired properties of a fine instrument.
The Luthier is faced with the task of bringing forward the best in this ever
