WOOD FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

In general, the trees suitable for the production of a specific type of musical instrument are assessed individually from the point of view of physical and acoustical characteristics, mechanical and aesthetical properties. They should be healthy, without any significant growth defects, without biological deterioration and unwanted trunk deformations. Producers of musical instruments select the material according to their experience and use traditional manufacturing procedures. The issue of availability of quality raw wood material used for the production of musical instruments forces the producers to look for wood of the required quality following their experience, as well as objective assessment. The objective assessment can be carried out by means of objective methods for assessing the logged wood (e.g. dynamic resonance method), or through looking for suitable stands with trees producing wood with properties which are required for a certain type of musical instrument. The paper deals with the physical acoustical characteristics of various wood species, whose wood is used for production of musical instruments. The characteristics of individual wood species are compared, too.