Maple has, without doubt, the best density-rigidity relationship among woods. This acoustic wood is one of the most used for making acoustic guitars.
Heels have to support a great tension because they’re the only ones that join the neck to the guitar body, that’s why not all woods are good for making the heel. However, Maple has the proper qualities for doing this.
BOTANICAL NAME: Acer pseudoplatanus
ORIGIN: Central and East Europe
DESCRIPTION: 610 – 680 kg/m3 density white wood. It has a white or light yellow colour, but the sapwood is no different from the heartwood. The rays are visible and appear as very thin decorative lines. The grain goes from straightness to unevenness, it’s also thin. The curl is a very appreciated quality for aesthetic reasons.
SUGGESTIONS: Machining can present problems because of the intertwine grain. The util’s blunt is a common issue. It shows a good response when bending with the vapour. Both the gluing and the finish show no inconvenient. Wood is durable to fungus and sensible to termites. It gets dirty easily, it’s recommended not to keep it in humid places.
DRYING: Drying at low temperature chambers is recommended to avoid colour changes and stains. If drying is fast, the wood will keep its white tonality.
USES: A very versatile and requested wood, so it’s used for classic and acoustic guitar’ sounding board, also for Backs, Sides and Necks of Violin, Viola, Cello and Double Bass, as well as Electric Guitar and Bass’ Necks and Bodies.
