eric@phantasypsalteries.com
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Also known as the soundboard, a bowed psaltery top
should be made of wood that is light enough to easily transfer the vibrations
made by the strings to the rest of the body of the instrument. At the same time,
it should still be strong enough to support the entire weight of the
instrument's strings without deforming or buckling.
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Quartersawn Soundboards: Wood can expand and
contract with changes in humidity. Boards that are sawn with the rings of
the grain running perfectly perpendicular to the face of the board (quartersawn)
are much more stable and less likely to warp or deform. This is especially
important for the top of the instrument, which has to bear the weight of
all the strings in tension.
All soundboards are solid, quartersawn wood, free from knots and
other structural defects. Only on very rare occasions will I use exotic
wood that is not perfectly quartersawn for tops - but unless specifically
stated, you can assume that any soundboard will be of quartersawn lumber.
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Sitka Spruce - Features one of the highest strength-to-weight ratios
of any available woods. It is fairly dent and scratch resistant for a
softwood. Spruce
has been used for centuries on violins and guitars, and is a trusted soundboard material.
A light-colored wood with fairly straight and homogenous grain-lines. Shown at left is a
Sitka Spruce top with Black Walnut binding.
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Western Red Cedar - Very responsive and produces an excellent tone,
but tends to
be soft and vulnerable to wear, so care must be taken to avoid subjecting it to physical trauma.
It is considered to be more stable and resistant
to humidity changes than Spruce.
A reddish yellowish color which may have some streaks of
lighter and darker bands mixed in. To the left is a Western Red Cedar top with Cocobolo binding.
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Curly Redwood - Shares many of the same traits as
Western Red Cedar: it is responsive, and has good tone, but doesn't endure
poor handling or wear as well as Spruce or Mahogany.
Curly Redwood has a deep reddish brown color with waves of rippling
figure. To the left is a Curly Redwood top with Yellowheart binding.
On occasion, I do find some redwood that has a stronger curl, which can be
found in the Treasure Trove. |
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Honduran Mahogany - Honduran Mahogany is stable,
strong, and much denser than any of the other soundboards offered. As a
result, it is not as responsive as the other soundboard materials. However,
its stability, coupled with its
strength, make it the most durable soundboard available, and it holds up
well to both wear and tear and environmental changes.
Mahogany has a rich reddish orange hue and an interesting depth
of grain that makes it a visually intriguing soundboard. It is one of the few woods that I offer
regularly which can be used for both the top, and the back and sides of a
psaltery. |
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Bookmatching Tops: The term bookmatch refers to cutting a piece
of wood through its thickness instead of its length, and then folding it open
like a book. As a result, a top that is bookmatched will be in two symmetrical
pieces, with the same grain pattern mirrored on either side.
The alternative is
a single piece top, though this option may not be available for all woods. (If
you would like a one-piece top, please add this in the notes section of
your special order.)
To the left is a piece of highly figured Curly Redwood to illustrate this effect
to its fullest.
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