Our wood

Manufacturing and Drying Process

The art of crafting string instruments demands exceptional precision and skill. Key aspects of producing a high-quality instruments include selecting specific wood species for different parts, aging the wood meticulously, and using natural adhesives and varnishes. Among the various types of wood used in musical instruments, the term "resonance wood" typically refers to materials chosen for their acoustic properties, such as spruce for the soundboard and fiddleback maple for the resonator box.

Wood, as the foundational material for many musical instruments, plays a critical role in determining their acoustic, aesthetic, and technical qualities. Being a porous and hygroscopic material, wood must undergo careful drying to reduce its moisture content, ensuring it is suitable for crafting a final product. While kiln drying is commonly used to achieve moisture levels between 20% and 5%, this process can alter the wood’s cellular structure, potentially affecting its acoustic characteristics. For musical instruments, it is essential to avoid kiln drying, as preserving the anatomical structure of the wood is vital for maintaining the instrument's tonal properties. Instead, the wood must be conditioned for extended periods under stable room conditions, a process crucial to violin making.

All our timber is radially cut during the winter season, ensuring maximum stability, lower moisture content, and reduced susceptibility to warping or degradation. Each piece is carefully stored and dried in naturally cool conditions, aging for 10 to 20 years. This slow and natural drying process eliminates residual moisture and compacts the cell structure, enhancing the wood's acoustic and mechanical properties.

Radially cut timber also provides optimal symmetry between both sides of the instrument, significantly contributing to its tonal and aesthetic excellence. Our tonewood is crafted with the utmost care and precision, making it the perfect foundation for creating world-class violins, violas, and cellos.

The Origins of Our Tonewood

Bosnian maple refers to Acer pseudoplatanus, a species of European sycamore maple renowned for its exceptional tonal qualities. This maple, sourced from the mountainous regions of the Balkans, particularly Bosnia and Herzegovina, has been revered for centuries as the finest wood for crafting violins, violas, and cellos. The unique growing conditions in this region contribute to its extraordinary properties, making it highly sought after by luthiers worldwide.

The precise origins of the maple we offer are the pristine forests of Grmeč, Vitoroga, Šator, and Klekovača, located in the central mountainous regions of Bosnia and Herzegovina. These areas are characterized by high altitudes, cold climates, and nutrient-poor soils, which result in trees that grow slowly over many decades. This slow growth produces wood with densely packed annual growth rings, enhancing its density, uniform grain orientation, and mechanical properties. Such characteristics are essential for achieving superior acoustic performance in string instruments.

Bosnian maple is distinguished by its light weight, strength, and beautiful wide, deep flaming, making it a favorite among legendary luthiers like Stradivari, Guarneri del Gesù, and Montagnana. The climatic and environmental factors unique to the Balkan region ensure that this maple provides not only unparalleled tonal qualities but also exceptional flexibility, allowing for precise shaping during the crafting process. Each piece of Bosnian maple we offer embodies this legacy of excellence, ready to serve as the foundation for creating instruments that echo the mastery of the great Italian Golden Period makers.