Tone woods - Stradivarius trees: Searching for perfect musical wood

Here is an interesting article I read by John Laurenson of BBC news and thought it would be worth sharing......................

Switzerland is home to some of the best violin makers in the world. But how do they know which tree will make a top quality violin? A wander through the forest with a master tree picker gives an idea of the enormous experience and instinct required.

Just any tree will not do when combing a forest in Switzerland for the perfect musical wood - its age, the weather and even the position of the moon help to craft the warmest, fullest notes.

Lorenzo Pellegrini shook his head and walked away, knee-deep in snow. He was not going to waste his time on that tree. Too many branches. Branches mean knots in the wood. And knots in the wood spoil its resonance. Pellegrini is a tree picker. He will find you the spruce in 10,000 that is just right. He will find you the "Stradivarius tree".

"Lentement, lentement, lentement," he says. "Slowly, slowly, slowly". That's how violin trees should grow. "Up in these mountains, they grow so slowly sometimes they stop growing altogether. They just gather strength. There are trees up here that are a thousand years old," he says. His blue eyes are wide with wonderment. "Can you believe that?"

Pellegrini has been working the forest since he was nine. Growing up in Italy's Abruzzo mountains, he and his family would go deep into the woods each year, hours and hours from the nearest village, build a cabin to live in and stay there for eight months, cutting down trees, chopping up logs. "I used to give my leftover polenta to the wolves," he says.

When he was 30 he discovered the Risoud Forest and never wanted to leave. Now 83, he still climbs trees like a squirrel, and tends the forest as if it were his garden - weeding out the beech trees that would smother his precious spruces. "For the trees to grow slowly and regularly, you have to let them grow close together like the hair on your head," he says. "And there should not be too much water. The tree's heart should stay dry. That gives the best wood. Solid. Enormous resonance," he adds.

Pellegrini "gardens" the forest, as he puts it. But he gardens for people who will not be born for hundreds of years. So that there will be fine resonance spruce in the 24th Century. Once you have found the perfect tree, he says, you have to wait for the perfect day to cut it down. That day comes at the end of autumn when the sap has sunk back into the ground. When the moon is lowest on the horizon, and furthest from the Earth.

Because, apparently, the gravitational pull of the moon does not only tug the waters of the sea and make the tides, it tugs up the sap. On that day, the tree is as dry as it can be. A ceremony is organised with the other foresters. It is usually the youngest who has the honour of felling it.

Driving down to Le Brassus, a little mountain town near the forest that houses many of Switzerland's most prestigious watchmakers, Jean-Michel Capt points to a mountain shrouded in cloud. "They say that when you can see that peak, it is going to rain," he says and pauses, letting us voice a little enthusiasm. "And when you cannot, it is raining already."

Capt is a craftsman and inventor who uses the resonance wood Pellegrini finds to make fine guitars. In his workshop he shows me a strip of tonewood from a tree at least 350 years old. Its grain, its rings, are dead straight and close together.

Put your finger on one ring - that is the British Army going over the top at Ypres. On another, that is Louis XIV building Versailles. This one takes you right back to the Pilgrim Fathers. To demonstrate the wood's acoustic qualities, he takes out a little musical box. He winds it up and it tinkles.He places the tinkling box on that strip of wood and the tune suddenly fills the room. Not only much, much louder but warm and full.

Later we walk through the village to meet one of the many musicians of the Risoud Forest. By the side of a wood-burning fire, by a table he made from a giant spruce, David Guignard takes out his cello and plays a bit of Bach - no pun intended.Around here you would not be surprised to learn that people wear paper shirts and grate wood shavings on their spaghetti.

"My father was a forest warden and my grandfather built a cabin for us in the woods," he recollects. "So the best moments of my childhood were in the forest. I was happy to live at the foot of those trees." Guignard's music teacher taught him that wood is never quite dead.

It is always reacting to changes in temperature and humidity, always evolving.I listen to the crackle of the fire and the sound of cello strings making the wood sing. And think that I will never quite hear this music in the same way again.

Because around here, when you hear an instrument like this, you think of the snow and the wind and the cuckoos and the bees in those tall violin trees.

Humidity and the effects on your guitar

Manufacturers warn owners to control the humidity of the guitar's environment but many players are still either confused or ignorant to the challenges that can take place.

Wood is like a sponge, as it absorbs moisture it expands and as it gives off moisture is contracts.
When it expands, it has to go somewhere. This could lead to warping, twisting and in the case of a soundboard, especially flat tops, it could invert, in other words bend inwards, causing a change in your action and a whole lot of domino effects, like buzzing, going out of tune to mention a few, so, the wood in a guitar must be dry, but, not too dry.As a result manufacturers dry their wood to an optimum moisture content of about 6% - 8% and some are able keep their manufacturing facility at about 45% relative humidity. These conditions will result in a guitar that is stable under normal conditions. However, wood is still an organic material and susceptible to changes in climactic conditions and can adapt to various humidity conditions.In conditions of low humidity the wood will continue to lose moisture and shrink.Conversely it will gain moisture when conditions are damp and this will cause it to swell. The consequences can cause sometimes serious challenges.

The greatest danger is low humidity.Any part of the country where there is a high heat season (or where there are desert conditions) is likely to see low humidity. Another one is air-conditioning, as this can result in very dry air, ie low humidity

The principal danger from low humidity is cracks in the top. Soft woods like spruce are more prone to humidity problems than hardwoods, but there are exceptions. Backs and sides can also crack quite easily.Some guitar woods, such as Brazilian Rosewood, are more susceptible than others. Another likely problem is shrunken fingerboards, resulting in frets protruding from the edge of the board.

If you leave your guitar in a car for too long in the sun, the car can heat up to some serious temperatures, especially if it is a hot day. This will result in a very quick loss of moisture, the wood to dry out too quickly, causing shrinkage and at the weakest place can crack or split, making for a very difficult repair

So, low humidity can damage your guitar.How to prevent this? First, be aware of the humidity level where your guitar lives.Humidity gauges are available and these may not be accurate enough for scientific purposes but for the guitar player they are fine.The goal is to keep your home/guitar room at about 45% relative humidity.

If the humidity is too low, a room or home humidifier is one solution, but often not enough.In most winter climates at somewhere about 30% relative humidity the moisture in the air will condense on the windows and the room will not get more humid.At that point a guitar case humidifier is in order.There are a few options available.They should be checked regularly. If you want to keep the guitar hanging on a wall, then the humidifiers which cover the sound hole will be adequate. Case humidifiers also are an option for dry conditions. If your humidity is moderately low (25 -35%) one in-case humidifier will be enough.If you over humidify, then swelling of the wood will occur.

Even if precautions are taken, wood being what it is, still tends to sometimes do its own thing regardless of what you do.

Luthiers - Antonio Stradivari and Guarneri del Jesu

Antonio Stradivari (1644-1737)

The maker of the Stradivariusa or Strada stringed instruments is the most famous luthier of all times. During his long life he made at least 1,116 instruments. It is assumed that only around half of his instruments survived until today, but the exact number is not known.

His instruments were regarded to be the best stringed instruments ever created already during his life. They are highly prized for their superb tonal qualities

and excellent playing characteristics.

Stradivari was a perfectionist and his instruments are perfectly executed. He sold them often to the royalty and laid the foundations of stringed instrument-as-an-investment. His instruments were always highly valued.

Bartolomeo Giuseppe Guarneri del GesA? (1698-1744)

The most prominent luthier after Antonio Stradivari was Giuseppe Guarneri del GesA?. The term del GesA originates from the Greek abbreviation for Jesus (IHS) (Jesu Hominum Salvator) and a Roman cross that Guarneri used on the labels inside his instruments. It indicates veneration for the Holy Name.

Contrary to Stradivari, Guarneri del GesA? made his instruments quickly and sold them for a low price. Despite of this also his instruments are exceptional and highly valued.

Only around 135 violins, none viola and one cello build by Guarneri survived until our time.

Why Are The Instruments By Stradivari And Guarneri So Special?

The master stringed instruments made by Antonio Stradivari and Giuseppe Guarneri del GesA? excel in a supreme powerful, rich and colourful tone that is ideal for a solo instrument.

A Stradivarius in a good condition emits high-frequency sounds in a range where human hearing is the most sensitive. These frequencies become more audible in larger rooms. That makes the Stradivarius ideal for concerts in spacious concert halls and for performances together with big philharmonic orchestras.

The sound of these sublime instruments is so very characteristic that an observant listener can distinguish their superior tone when hearing the same artist playing on different instruments.

The sound of the old master instruments is not only superior in the vivacity of the tone; it is also insistent and captivatingly beautiful. The lustre and beauty of the instrument's tone is as close you can come to the immaculate voice of a great opera diva.

Science has not invented an instrument that could measure or quantify the beauty of a sound yet. Only the metaphysical investigation could possibly tackle the phenomenon.

Thousands of hours and millions of dollars were spent in the search for the secret formula of the old master stringed instruments made by Stradivari and Guarneri, but no clear all-explaining answer was found. Neither using x-rays or the wood of specially grown trees nor anything else has helped to re-create their excellent characteristics.

Tip to spot a fake Strad label

This is the most commonly copied Stradivarius label of all 'Antonius Stradiuarius Cremonenfis Faciebat Anno 1...' with the last digits of the year of manufacture written by hand. The clue which reveals the fake is that from 1700 to 1730 a cursive 'u' was used in place of a 'v'. After 1730 the Roman 'v' was used. Hence, Stradiuarius, Stradivarius.

Bone Nuts and Saddles for Guitars

Bone Nuts and Saddles for Guitars is the most common and least expensive aftermarket natural material used for saddles. It is denser than any of the synthetic materials and in nearly all cases displays an immediate, noticeable difference after installation.

Most of the bone used in today's guitar saddles comes from Chinese cows or ox.Is a Chinese cow or ox better than South African, European or any other ones for that matter? Not at all, but, their bones are cheaper. The most expensive cost will be your postage. What can also be done, if you are a keen DIY, is go to your local butcher and purchase a thigh bone of a cow or ox and ask the butcher to cut the ball joints off and the cut the bone longitudinally through the centre exposing the marrow. If you have a dog, let him/her eat all the marrow out and eat all the bits meat off. Do not cook the bone.After a few days, put the piece of bone outside in a well-ventilated area and let it dry out for a good 12 - 16 weeks. After the bone is dried out, you can cut the nut and or saddle out. The down side of this is that there will be an unpleasant smell, similar to burnt hair.

NO animals are unnecessarily murdered just for the purpose of anyone's guitars.These are simply the by-products of the beef industry.Nearly every guitar in the higher price range (approx. R25000 ($2000.00) and up) will come with a bone saddle and nut as the standard material.You will rarely find any handmade guitars in the extreme price ranges that do not come equipped with high quality bone components.It is unquestionably the standard in that section of the industry.

Bone saddles can be a bleached white colour, and can occasionally have some darker specklinga in the grain. Most saddles can also be ordered in what is known vintage bone.The only difference between this and regular bone is the vintage bone is dyed to a yellow-brown colour to give it an aged or vintage look.

Bone is usually the first step people choose in an aftermarket saddle, as it is relatively inexpensive, and offers significant improvement over factory-installed components.Bone increases clarity and sustain, provides better overtones, and provides a better high to low end balance.It provides a much more focused high end and punchier low end,and is not at all shrill like some plastic saddles render the guitar.Also, bone will outlast the factory installed plastic saddles by far.

Spruce or Cedar Soundboards For Guitar Making

The question is often asked Cedar or Spruce for guitar making?

The two most common woods used for acoustic guitar tops are spruce and cedar. There is no difference in quality between the two woods so the choice is one of preference. Different Luthiers will have different opinions and each will give you good reasons why you should use the one they prefer.

Spruce tends to sound brighter and clearer. Cedar is warmer and more direct and has a more of a so called Spanish sound. Both types of wood will improve over time but a cedar will sound closer to its mature sound at the beginning and has been said to sometimes diminish as time goes by, while the spruce will sound more raw and have a more dramatic improvement over time and tends to hold the tone better. This is purely a matter of taste and opinion, and is often influenced by the type of guitar one learns on and/or the type that was played by the guitarist one listened to most in the Luthier's case, it could be an influence by how he was taught. The choice of wood is an issue if you want a certain type of sound but at the lower price range it is a far less important issue than whether the top is solid or not.