Official Luthiers Forum!

quarter sawn or flat...or does it matter ????

_________________
MK5acoustics.com

Have used both, but the wood has to be super dry

well....I'm going to put my opinion up here....and then take it like a man....! These threads can generate heat if you know what I mean.

Anyway - I think the question of quartered versus flat, when discussing bridges and fretboards, depends more upon how straight the grain runs through the prospect wood. It is my opinion that you can use a flatsawn bridge AS LONG AS the annular ring doesn't rise or fall through the top or bottom of the bridge. Again..how straight is the grain. Some guys want them quartered, some want them on the rift.

Fretboards seem to draw an even wider array of opinions if you count the electric guys in, but for me, again, the question remains..... how straight does the grain run down the subject piece. I've seen some spectacular fretboards that were flatsawn. Some acoustic builders wouldn't give it a second glance because it's not quartered.

Another issue you didn't ask about is whether or not the subject wood has good tonal properties. I suspect most would agree they'd prefer wood that is 'alive' when you ping it versus wood that just thuds. Over the last 2 years I've not built a single guitar, but I've handled A LOT of wood. All different types of species. Last year I acquired some East Indian Rosewood finger board stock. The guy I bought it from didn't know that was what I was using it for or even what species it was. He was just holding on to it for something. He acquired it about 6 years prior to my getting it. Moisture meter said it was dry....but it didn't ping...in fact it sounded wet. I went ahead and cut it into fingerboards and again...just dead. The moisture meter still said it was dry. I mean it wouldn't make a sound. I burned it. Now that's been the only time I've held Indian Rosewood that didn't have some sort desireable tonal property, but it was an eye opener for me.

_________________
There is no difference between the man that thinks he can....and the man that thinks he cannot.

There have been other posts explaining that exactly quarter sawn bridges are more likely to split at the saddles that bridges that are off quarter. The others posts recommended optimum angles for off quarter, but I do not recall.

I agree, and to some extent, with some species, the same is true with backs and sides.

_________________
I didn't mean to say it, but I meant what I said.
http://www.brackettinstruments.com/