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Do Gibson acoustics use quarter-cut tonewoods


gotomsdos

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Posted

I read quarter-cutting method produces better tonewoods in classical guitar making, increasing cost.

And steel guitar ?

Do Gibson acoustic guitars use quarter-cut tonewoods ? or does Gibson use it to some grades of guitar ?

Posted

It's not unusual for any guitar maker including Gibson to NOT use quarter-sawn wood for backs, but sides, top & neck are usually always quartered. The top & neck are the most crucial.

Posted

It's not unusual for any guitar maker including Gibson to NOT use quarter-sawn wood for backs, ...

+1

 

Use of flat-sawn wood for a back is not usually a cost-cutting move. It's a way of winding up with a back with fancy figure. For example, seeing the "quilt" pattern in quilted maple and quilted mahogany requires flat-sawing. So does exposing the fancy swirls in some rosewood. Highly figured sets are highly expensive.

 

-- Bob R

Posted

The trick with quarter sawn wood for a guitar top is getting it perfectly quartered. If not, you'll see grain runout after the wood has been split and assembled side to side to make the soundboard. If the cut of the wood is less than perfect then the results show up with one side of the top appearing darker (or lighter depending on the angle the guitar is held) than the other. The less perfect the quartering is, the more noticeable the runout effect becomes.

 

Grain Runout

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