Re: softwood vs hardwood tops for wire
David M. Holmes-Smith (david@culdee.org)
Tue, 14 Jan 1997 09:19:47 +1000
Philippe Clement wrote:
>
> Hello fellow builders and harpers,
>
> I have built soundboards with hardwood (usually maple-edge glued) and I
> have also built soundboards with softwood, cross laminated (one layer of
> quaterred spruce widthwise+ one layer of quaterred spruce lengthwise) for...
> my wire strung harps.
>
> I have here two instruments of a comparable size and construction; one
> equiped with 5-16th thick maple, the other one with 5-16th thick laminated
> sitka spruce; wereas I like both sounds... my impression is that maple gives
> out a longer sustain and livelier upper partials, sitka offers more volume
> throughout the whole range and much more "muscular" basses, but the trade
> off is a shorter sustain. Although I will keep building the two types in the
> future, I am tempted to start recommending softwood to my performing clients
> (who are not specializing in Irish music), particularly when a great number
> of wound strings are fitted on their instrument. Softwood, I believe,
> produces strong voiced instruments on which damping is a little easier.
>
> I am aware of the long "wars" that have been fought in the past over this
> issue, and that hardwood tops are traditional on wire harps...I am also
> aware that in the defence of soft tops one could point to the fact that
> practically all plucked wire instruments: harpsichords, guitars, citterns,
> etc have softwood soundboards. How about this one for a debate!
>
> I would value comments on this vital point.
>
> Greetings to all,
>
> Philippe SRL Clement
> pclement@magi.com
I prefer the hardwood tops for lyres and pslatries that I make strung
with both metal and nylon strings. No debate here.
--
Rev'd David Michael Holmes-Smith, OC, MEd, MSIS, david@culdee.org
1914 University, Studio 106, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822
David Harp Company: http://www.culdee.org/college/guild/harp.htm
Holmes-Smith Engineering: http://www.culdee.org/college/hse/index.htm