Violin Forum/Message Board

rabn

This is just a question about whether we, as a trade/art form are deciding which wood to use for the ribs, back, and neck based upon the tonal quality or the attractive quality characteristics of the wood first or second? Of course ideally it would be both, however, when our wood is mostly bought over the internet, exactly how are we making our decisions and selection of wood when all we really have are photographs and a description. This is not a criticism but more of a musing. We certainly acquire our wood supply differently when we compare ourselves with even 100 years ago. And our decisions today will directly influence the quality of 'old' violins, violas, and cellos for at least a couple hundred years.
So, this question is meant only to start a discussion on the procedure of acquiring wood. What do you think?

ctviolin · Posted: Sat Jun 15, 2013 1:16 am Post subject:

rabn,

Good question.

Of course I'll give an opinion, because I always seem to have one hanging around.
Let me admit though, right out front - that I do not really pretend to have a good answer to this question.

I use aged (20 - 30 year old wood) domestic (from the good 'ol USA) wood only. I choose to use Bigleaf Maple for backs, sides, necks, etc., which I am very happy with using.
I am making a slab sawn piece of Bigleaf right now and it is quilted, instead of fiddle back.

I have been told that fiddle back (quartered) run sideways (slab) displays a quilt instead of a fiddle back pattern - which, honestly, I doubt is exactly correct.

Still, though my favorite is aged fiddle back Bigleaf - the quilt often has an equal tone on the finished violin, though, and I do have some nice, aged quilt.

Belly wood I also use domestic (USA- Canada) Sitka.

Perhaps in the past, European wood made a difference in tonal quality - but today, you don't really get those type of results, no matter what wood you use.

Did I answer the question, or did I entirely miss your intent in asking?
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ctviolin · Posted: Sat Jun 15, 2013 1:21 am Post subject:

And, oh, by the way - I did order most all of my wood from Bruce Harvie when he was dealing wood in (as it Oregon?)

I believe he still deals wood, though I've not bought wood for many, many, years.

Excellent wood at excellent prices, and if you didn't like what he sent he'd work with you, no problem...
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rabn · Posted: Sat Jun 15, 2013 2:07 am Post subject:

That was very cool. Really I had no idea what kind of response I would get. I have these questions and catch me in the right mood and out they come. This one I've been asking myself for a while. On this forum I saw no reason not to pose are people picking wood mainly for what it looks like or more for what kind of sound we get from the wood. Thanks for the quick response.

DonLeister · Posted: Sat Jun 15, 2013 12:58 pm Post subject:

I guess it depends on what you want your violins to look and sound like or rather, who you want to please.
I have used red, sugar, big leaf, and european maples and they all can look and sound really good. Only -some- of the European maples I have are a good match visually for the general look of the Cremonese. I think the thing most responsible for the sound has been my skill in knowing how to make a violin. I say that with the knowledge that the maples that I have used resemble one another fairly well in terms of weight and strength.
I have to add though that of seventy instruments only a few were sugar maple ( heavy) and one was big leaf, neither of which I'm using much of these days.
If I can find red maple that resembles European maple then I buy it, but when it really comes down to it the red is always recognizable. It works pretty good I think.

kjb · Super Member Joined: 06 Feb 2013 Posts: 385

don do you have a suggestion for where to get the red maple?

L P Reedy · Posted: Sat Jun 15, 2013 6:26 pm Post subject:

I'm a little different than most makers. I use whatever maple I have available, mostly local red. Much of it was given to me by a now-deceased friend. I select for looks when I have a choice. I have no idea how to select for "sound" except by making it into a fiddle.

DonLeister · Posted: Sat Jun 15, 2013 11:19 pm Post subject:

http://www.curlymaplewood.com/curlymaplewood.html

I have been using some from here, it is pretty much all slab cut but works well. I don't know where to tell you to get neck blocks since most of his is not thick enough. Watch out for pieces with lots of 'thread' lines in it.

kjb · Super Member Joined: 06 Feb 2013 Posts: 385

thanks, I was reading through his advertising , he said all wood is kiln dried?

Lemuel · Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2013 9:56 am Post subject:

DonLeister · Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2013 10:09 am Post subject:

Well, that's my suggestion for a good source of red maple. Most makers probably aren't going to want to say they use anything kiln dried and truth is they really don't know for a fact. There is such a range of wood drying techniques and names for them that it makes me wonder.
I have noticed this wood is pretty stable and works well, carves well and no problem that I have seen. The price is good too.

kjb · Super Member Joined: 06 Feb 2013 Posts: 385

thanks don, It wasn't a criticism, and yes I am finding out there is a lot things that are taboo, and no-one ever uses them , but they do. Wood looks great, I pretty sure your violins sound great too! keivn

DonLeister · Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2013 9:46 pm Post subject:

Lemuel, I have heard them referred to as gold threads, worm track, I'm not sure what they are but they run generally along with the grain ( annular ) lines of some red maples, but not all. I have seen it in some Chinese instruments and practically never in European maples.

kubasa · Member Joined: 13 Sep 2007 Posts: 212

I have ordered red maple from Old Standard in Missouri. The wood was excellent and they also sell (or used to sell) neck blocks. Good people to work with. If you google it you should be able to find their number. I'm not on my computer so I don't have my bookmarks or I'd include the link.

James

Michael Darnton · Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2013 12:37 am Post subject:

In general I don't like to use American wood and I have had bad tonal results with most American tops, but for maple, just about anything I've ever used has been fine, including hard, heavy hard maple that had to be thinned to 3.2mm in the center to make it light enough to use.

Whenever I get fussy about wood, something like this shows up, working great, to steer me from the path of believing in wood magic:

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