Torrefied Red Spruce Soundboard for Small Guitar
Get the tone of Old Growth spruce from new sets! Torrefication gives this Red Spruce the properties of seasoned vintage wood for rich, vibrant tone—without the decades-long wait.
Coming from high altitudes in the Appalachian mountains, Red Spruce (Picea rubens) was used on the most prized Golden Era Martins and Gibsons. For many collectors today, there is simply no comparison to Red Spruce tops. While Old Growth Red Spruce is disappearing, torrification gets you one step closer to capturing that incredible vintage sound.
Played-in tone instantly
Torrefication involves carefully heat-treating the wood in an oxygen-free kiln. The wood actually changes at the molecular level and mirrors the properties of well-aged decades-old wood. Builders have reported improved tap tone, greater strength, and lighter weight. It's also more dimensionally stable and less prone to cracking, splitting, and warping.
Old growth tone with new growth value
The same species as Old Growth Red Spruce, new Red Spruce trees have grown faster in less harsh conditions. This recently harvested Red Spruce has wider, more pronounced grain lines, warmer color, and more color variation compared to other varieties.
These sets are also more readily available and affordable for higher grades than Old Growth Red Spruce. We select the best specimens with the highest quality, stiffness, and the straightest grain.
Dimensions
Bookmatched set of two halves. When joined they're large enough for classical, 000, and parlor size guitars.
- Each half is approximately 7-1/2" x 22" (190mm x 558mm)
- Sanded sets are thickness-saned to 0.150"-0.155" thick (3.81mm - 3.93mm)
- Unsanded sets are approximately 3/16" (4.7mm) thick, ready for thickness-sanding to your own specs.
Limited availability: See our entire selection of Red Spruce for more sizes. Old Growth sets tend to have tighter grain than regular Red Spruce.
Use our grading system to choose your soundboard:
Color: Higher grade soundboards have more consistent color (color affects the instrument's appearance only, not its tone).
Grain straightness: Higher soundboard grades have straighter, tighter, and more uniform grain. While closely spaced grain has been traditionally favored, luthiers have found that wider grain can produce very good tone.
Quartersawn grain: The higher the grade, the more closely quartersawn the wood. Perfectly quartered wood is more dimensionally stable and moves proportionally with changing temperature and humidity environments. This helps to ensure structural integrity and resists cracking better than other types of cuts.
Grain run-out: Our soundboards are sawn from split billets to reduce the amount of grain "run-out," caused by a twist in the tree. By splitting the log, the twist is followed when sawing. Higher grade soundboards have less run-out.
Origin and drying: Our soundboards (unless otherwise noted) are from western North America, and have been kiln-dried and stored in a climate controlled environment.
