Keystone
Guitar Tonewoods for Luthiers

Soundboards. grading

Soundboards.
How we grade our soundboards.

As the name suggests, the soundboard is the most important part of your selection process.
Our grading criteria are uncompromising for this reason, and we will endeavour to offer you the best soundboards available.

Scroll down to see a selection from our stocks of spruce and cedar tops and bracing wood
All of the prices shown below include VAT at the prevailing rate.
see home page for contact details and full carriage costs details.
Dimensions
Classical size 530mm x 190mm x 4.5mm (2x)
Western size 550mm x 215mm x 4.5mm (2x)
Jumbo & Acoustic Bass 575mm x 240mm x 4.5mm (2x)











Soundboards. sitka top

Sitka spruce soundboards.

spruce is a very strong, stiff material and is well established as the first choice in American guitar manufacturing, and although it is not a traditional material for classical guitars there are some makers that use it to very good effect.




Sitka spruce soundboards






Soundboards. alpine top

German spruce soundboards.

This is the preferred material for most classical guitar makers, because of its even warm tonal characteristics, it can also make a superb steel string guitar. Our stocks are from old growth trees from high altitude and are perfect for high quality soundboards. making high grade tops very hard to come by.





German spruce soundboards





Soundboards. wrc

Western red cedar

Western red cedar, a good value soundboard, which can produce a good quality loud instrument although it is not as robust a wood as spruce and therefore prone to damage.





Western Red Cedar soundboards










Soundboards. extra long s/b

EXTRA LONG
German spruce soundboards.

We have a limited number of very high quality German spruce soundboards that have been cut 200mm longer than the usual length.
Making them 750mm x 220mm x 4.5mm x 2.
Ideal for more unusual and baroque style instruments. or for multiple cuts for smaller instruments.

The preferred material for most classical guitar makers, because of its even warm tonal characteristics, it can also make a superb steel string guitar. Our stocks are from old growth trees from high altitude and are perfect for high quality soundboards. making high grade tops very hard to come by.





German spruce soundboards (extra long)








Soundboards. mahog soundboard

Mahogany Soundboard

Quarter Sawn Mahogany Soundboard





Mahogany Soundboards







Soundboards. jumbo & bass sitka

Sitka Spruce
Jumbo & Acoustic Bass.

Jumbo & Acoustic Bass Sitka Spruce.






Acoustic Bass Sitka Spruce










German spruce
Ukulele soundboards.



Soundboards. uke soundboard

This is the preferred material for most classical guitar makers, because of its even warm tonal characteristics . Our stocks are from old growth trees from high altitude and are perfect for high quality soundboards.




German spruce Ukulele soundboards.



Arch Top Mandolin, Violin & Viola
German spruce wedge soundboards

Soundboard spruce wedges x 2
450mm x 145mm x 22mm tappering to 8mm
3A Grade only
£75+Carriage



Soundboards. mand sb




















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How our Soundboards are graded.

Soundboards. grading 2


AAA Grade. Quarter sawn 90-100%

For exclusive high quality instruments.
Availability is very small.
Light colour, no discolouration, even tight and straight grain, a little wider at the outside of the lower bout. Allowing for one slight variation. For example very slight run out on the outside of the top.



AA Grade Quarter sawn 80-100%

For good quality instruments.
Availability small.
Same as AAA grade, but allowing for some very slight brown lines. very slight waving in grain, slight irregularity in spacing of grain.
Small bear claw markings possible.



A Grade Quarter sawn 70-100%

For mid-priced instruments.
Availability medium.
Same as AA grade, but with slight irregularity in spacing, white colour or with some brown lines, run out possible.
Bear claw markings possible.

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