Soundboards - Spruces & Cedars
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Todd makes it look easy, but balancing a log on only two points takes a lot of effort. Sitka spruce logs wait splitting and resawing.
Sitka spruce blocks
Click on the various soundboards for more information (just below)
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Description
PART No. European Spruce
Price Ea. 6 - 12
13 - 24
WSEUJ4A Steel string, best $150.00
— WSEUC4A Classic, best $140.00
— WSEUJ3A Steel string, fine $120.00
$100.00
WSEUC3A Classic, fine $110.00
$90.00
WSEUJ2A Steel string, good $75.00
$60.00
WSEUC2A Classic, good $70.00
$60.00
Engelmann Spruce
Price Ea.
6 - 12
13 - 24
Steel string, best $70.00
—
Classic, best $65.00
—
Steel string, fine $48.00
$43.00
Classic, fine $48.00
$42.00
Steel string, standard $32.00
$26.00
Classic, standard $32.00
$26.00
WSEN2
Steel string/classic, 2nd (export grade) Inquire
Sitka Spruce
PART No. Description Price Ea. 6 - 12
13 - 24
Steel string, best $70.00
— Steel string, fine $50.00
$45.00
Steel string, good $35.00
$31.00
WSS2A
Steel string, 2nd, export grade Inquire Adirondack Spruce
Each 6 - 12
13+
WSADJ3A Steel string, fine See Weekly Special
WSADC3A Classic/00, fine $80.00
$65.00
WSADJ2A Steel string, good $95.00
$80.00
WSADJ1A Steel string, standard $70.00
$65.00
Carpathian Red Spruce
Each 6 - 12
13+
WSCRJ4A Steel string, best $130.00 WSCRJ3A Steel string, fine $95.00 $90.00 WSCRJ2A Steel string, good $75.00 $65.00 Western Redcedar
Price
PART No. Description Each 6 - 12 13 - 24 WSCJ4A Steel string, best $60.00
$55.00
— WSCC4A Classic, best $60.00
$55.00 — WSCJ3A Steel string, fine $40.00
$36.00
WSCC3A Classic string, fine $38.00
$34.00
$30.00
WSC2A Steel/Classic string, good $25.00
$21.00
WSC2 Classic, 2nd, export grade Inquire
GRADING
I believe the grading designations of A, AA, AAA began with the C.F. Martin Co. and Oddvar Nass, when Martin bought spruce soundboards from Niedemeyer-Martin of Portland, Ore. Oddvar was foreman at that company and later after retirement started his own company supplying spruce tops. Oddvar later sold his company to Larry White. The designation of "master grade" was one of Bill Lewis' of Lewis Luthier Supplies. Tom Peterson and I bought Lewis Luthier Supplies in 1978 and moved it to Healdsburg, California and began The Luthiers Mercantile. After a few years we began using the A — AAA grading system, and had continued using "master" for a grade. Although the nomenclature is almost standard these days, there are still grading variations from vendor to vendor. Between all of us involved in Allied Lutherie, we have several decades of grading experience, and we feel that our grading standards are high.
In brief, Master grade (or AAAA) is as good as it gets, about 1 to 2 percent of soundboard material grades out as master, with cosmetics (which are based on structural integrity) and runout differentiating this grade from AAA.
AAA is a good professional grade soundboard, with good cosmetic appearance and little if any runout. (Runout, commonly understood these days, was a little known subject before Bill Lewis wrote about it in his supply catalog of 1975.) We find that about 5% of tops fall into this category.
AA is a good grade, but may not be as perfectly quartersawn as AAA grade, or may have more grain variation, or some slight coloration. This is a grade that the US factories commonly use.
A grade is a decent top but few handbuilders ever use it, and few of the factories in the States use this grade. It's more of an export grade, although one can find some nice tops in this grade if cosmetics are not of great importance.
Address General Information Sales/support Tele:
707-431-3760 POB 217, 101 C Grant Avenue, Healdsburg, Ca. 95448 USA info@alliedlutherie.com sales@alliedlutherie.com Fax:
707-431-3762
