Special/AAA Classical European Spruce Soundboard

Botanical name: Picea excelsa, Picea abies

Origin: Northern and central Europe

Other names: German Spruce, Pino Abeto Europeo, Pino Abeto Alemán

Density: 400-500 kg/m3 25-31 lbs/ft3

Uses: Soundboards

Its color is typically creamy white with a beautiful ivory sheen. It has a fine even texture and a consistently straight grain. Easy to work, glues and finishes well, though it can give poor (blotchy and inconsistent) results when being stained due to its closed pore structure. A sanding sealer, gel stain, or toner is recommended when coloring Spruce. Although this species of Spruce is native to Europe, it has also been planted in the northeast, Rocky Mountains, and Pacific coast areas of the United States. Quartersawn billets of instrument-grade European Spruce, can easily exceed the cost of most all domestic hardwoods in terms of per board-foot cost. The grading of this wood depends on the narrowness, evenness and verticality of the grain and on its hardness, cut and color. It has been the wood of choice for soundboards of the bowed instrument world and also, among high-end steel string and classical guitar builders.