Tropical Hardwoods Used in Musical Instruments - Can We Substitute them by Temperate Zone Species?
Dietrich Holz · Holzforschung · 1996
Tropical and some subtropical woods are used for many musical instruments or in parts of them. This paper investigates those physical qualities that are relevant to justifying the application of tropical woods. A substitution by some domestic or Northern American species is only permissible for a few purposes, e.g. for guitar necks or face veneers on piano cabinets. However, it is not appropriate when high hardness and density are needed, or a high Young's modulus together with a small density and a low damping, often combined with a movement as little as possible. Such demands are met best for woodwinds by Grenadille and some different species, for xylophone-bars by a few other species, and for some stringed instrument parts and for bows by special hardwoods only. Some applications of tropical woods are added as a matter of tradition or taste. A substitution by a synthetic material is possible, but usually for secondary instruments only.