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Topic: Musical grade wood? |
Richard Tipple
From:
Ohio, USA
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Posted 8 May 2008 1:32 pm |
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While looking over a well known steel manufactures site, It said thier steels are made of Musical Grade Maple wood
This is the first Ive ever herd of the term ? Im probably not up on all the terms of the business of manufacturing steels, but is there a musical grade wood?
_________________
steelguitarguy.com |
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Danny Bates
From:
Fresno, CA. USA
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Posted 8 May 2008 1:39 pm
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| Sitka Spruce is what piano's use for the soundboard. Carved maple is good on guitars. I have never heard of a musical grade wood either. I am assuming is is a well dried hard rock maple that has an even grain with no knots etc. |
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John Billings
From:
Ohio, USA
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Posted 8 May 2008 2:37 pm
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| Danny, you're right. There are some soft, fast-growing Maple species that would not be suitable at all. |
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Brian ONeil
From:
Minneapolis, MN USA
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Posted 8 May 2008 3:01 pm
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I went to school for guitar making and probably the only thing I heard about the type of wood is that it is quarter sawn rather than slab cut lumber. I even sam Bob Taylors "pallet" guitar which was made out of a pallet from his warehouse (so pretty much cheap pine). He's really all about the wood conservation. It had an inlay of a forklift on the fret board!  |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 8 May 2008 4:35 pm
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| I guess the "musical grade" is hard-rock (sugar) maple. It's the hardest and heaviest of the maple species, and also sometimes features flamed or "bird's eye" grain figures in the wood. It's the most popular choice for pedal steel bodies because of these qualities. These are the exact opposite of spruce, which is used in acoustic instyuments for a soundboard, because of it's lightness and flexibility. Many different woods are used in different instruments, each employed for a specific quality, so there's really lots of "music woods". |
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Mike Perlowin
From:
Los Angeles CA
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Posted 8 May 2008 8:49 pm
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The best sounding 6 string guitar in my collection is this Japanese LP copy. The body is carved from a single piece of mahogany.
I wonder how a mahogany steel would sound. Has anybody ever made one?
_________________
Please visit my web site and Soundcloud page and listen to the music posted there.
http://www.mikeperlowin.com http://soundcloud.com/mike-perlowin |
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Mark Durante
From:
St. Pete Beach FL
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Posted 9 May 2008 3:01 am
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Mahogany has great tonal characteristics but is not as stiff as maple, so cabinet drop would be an issue.
I think the term Musical Grade is mostly a marketing thing. |
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Jim Sliff
From:
Lawndale California, USA
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Posted 9 May 2008 5:15 am
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What Mark said.
I hate terms like that - they are totally misleading.
The first Fender Esquires (which were actually two-pickup in the early version) were pine. Gee, I wonder if it was "musical grade" pine?
There ARE grading number used in luthiery - but the usually describe the tightness and/or clear presence of grain patterns (i.e. AAA Sitka Spruce tops, AA tiger maple back, etc)
_________________
No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional |
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Bent Romnes
From:
London,Ontario, Canada
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Posted 9 May 2008 6:51 am
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I agree that 'Musical Grade' is just a sales term and is misleading.
Quarter sawn lumber is done to give you more of a dramatic grain configuration. That's what I would use if I could get hold of it. There is more waste with quarter sawing, therefor it's getting rare.
Another thing to look for is that the lumber has been properly kiln dried so it has a moisture content of no more than 6 or 7%. Storage is also critical. Not much sense in kiln drying it and then storing it where it can absorb moisture from the air. Storage in a room with humidity control is the best. |
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Daniel Davis
From:
Washington, USA
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Posted 9 May 2008 7:33 am
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I only buy instruments made from Uber-Musical Grade wood, cut from virgin trees that only grow on one small Micronesian island only after being fertilized by a mixture giant albatross poop, saffron, and gold flakes.
I find that regular old Musical Grade wood is pedestrian, and beneath my high standards. |
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Mike Perlowin
From:
Los Angeles CA
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Daniel Davis
From:
Washington, USA
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Posted 9 May 2008 8:04 am
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| Mike Perlowin wrote: |
I wonder if there is a special musical grade of carbon fiber?  |
I had my Alesis digital keyboard made with special Musical Grade plastic. It sounds amazing. |
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Bill Duve
From:
Limestone .New York, USA
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Posted 9 May 2008 9:52 pm
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| Stradavarius they say, used only wood from the little ice age or from colder climates that had tighter annular rings, But mines most all aluminum and it sounds nice too..... |
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Brint Hannay
From:
Maryland, USA
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Posted 9 May 2008 9:58 pm
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| Bill Duve wrote: |
| Stradavarius they say, used only wood from the little ice age or from colder climates that had tighter annular rings, But mines most all aluminum and it sounds nice too..... |
A mostly aluminum Stradivarius??!!??  |
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Jim Sliff
From:
Lawndale California, USA
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Posted 9 May 2008 10:56 pm
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And let's not forget the 50's and 60's Danos made from virgin Masonite....
_________________
No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional |
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Glenn Suchan
From:
Austin, Texas
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Posted 10 May 2008 5:25 am
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uh, that would be "musical grade" virgin Masonite. You know, the kind with the "tight-grained" wood particles.... 
Keep on pickin'!
Glenn |
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Bill Hatcher
From:
Atlanta Ga. USA
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Posted 10 May 2008 7:16 pm
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There is a category of "musical instrument" grade wood.
There are all sorts of wood categories from cabinet grade to pallet grade.
Musical instrument grade wood would have no knots. There would be no run out in the grain. In regards to either slab or quartered, it would depend on the use of the wood, which would be prefered. The grain structure and the tightness of the grain would also be considered.
There is quite a difference in the same species of wood as to its' use for a musical instrument and its' use for say a fence post. The qualities/properties of the wood for each application would be totally different.
I don't think that describing the wood used by a manufacturer as being Instrument Grade is hype. |
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Todd Clinesmith
From:
Lone Rock Free State Oregon
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Posted 10 May 2008 7:17 pm
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From my wood buying experiences, "Musical Grade" lumber usually means it is twice the price it should be.....
Todd |
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Sonny Jenkins
From:
Texas Masonic Retirement Center,,,Arlington Tx
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Posted 11 May 2008 3:17 pm
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Todd,,,that's my take on it too.
Mike P.,,,,the lap steel I just finished has a solid mahogany body,,,,the resonance is amazing!!! |
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Mike Perlowin
From:
Los Angeles CA
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Sonny Jenkins
From:
Texas Masonic Retirement Center,,,Arlington Tx
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Posted 12 May 2008 9:30 am
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| Hey Mike,,,thanks for that link,,,very informative,,every little bit helps! |
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HowardR
From:
N.Y.C.-Fire Island-Asheville
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Posted 12 May 2008 8:28 pm
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| Mike Perlowin wrote: |
| I wonder if there is a special musical grade of carbon fiber? |
This is an excerpt of an email from Emerald Guitars of Ireland (acoustic)......they manufacture(d) carbon fiber guitars......
Carbon fibre can be processed in many ways and can give wider variations in results than wood. It could purely be down to the type of carbon or more likely the resin. |
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MARK GILES
From:
HAMILTON, TEXAS
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Posted 12 May 2008 10:06 pm
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Bill Hatcher is correct. There is such a thing as musical instrument grade wood. It is "usually" knot free, quarter-sawn, and tight grained. And yes Todd, it is twice as expensive. However, if you want musical instrument grade wood in you musical instrument, then... well, you know. You build 'em too. Does a steel guitar need it? Depends on who you ask and what they want.
Mike, yes there have been mahogany steels built, and pine and oak and rosewood and plexiglass and I'm sure many others. Did they sound good? You might as well ask which brand of guitar sounds good. Everybody knows that answer. It"s the one you got or the one you had or the one you wish you had or the one your gonna get. |
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