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Wood’s quality don’t change much once it’s harvested. Old wood is more often from natural forests where trees grow slowly due to resource competition and theref

Wood’s quality don’t change much once it’s harvested. Old wood is more often from natural forests where trees grow slowly due to resource competition and therefore have tighter growth rings. New wood is usually from lumber farms where trees are planted and managed such that they grow quickly and end up being less dense.

tzs 4y ago
Doesn't the moisture content change over time after the wood is harvested, leading to small changes in size of the wood? I recall seeing instrument making videos where they mentioned the importance of using wood that had aged long enough to stabilize so that dimensions would not change after it was on the instrument. Some instruments have parts whose dimensions are critical.
- DannyBee 4y ago
  Moisture content changes to equilibrium with environment. The rate at which this happens is dependent on how well sealed it is, but as there is permeability, and time, it will happen ;) The only exception is if the wood is transformed in a way that does not enable it to absorb water (or as much of it), such as petrification, etc.
- singron 4y ago
  Wood used for this purpose is almost definitely dried (either naturally or with a kiln) and will thenceforth seek equilibrium with its environment. It's pretty unusual to use green/undried wood for anything, although I've heard of using it for log-cabin type things.
  - m463 4y ago
    I don't know much about wood in respect to drying/moisture, but I remember reading about the "enertia" house where they used wood with a certain resin that would phase change around room temperature to be comfortable naturally. I wonder if this is green wood https://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/05/17/a-home-that-heats-and-cools-itself/ https://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/05/17/a-home-that-heats...
- wildzzz 4y ago
  When doing woodworking, you typically want to let the wood get comfortable to the controlled temperature and humidity in the workshop for a couple days. This lets the wood warp and expand/contract to settle in a consistent shape and size. Then you'll cut it and fasten it together so that when the humidity and temperature does change, the joinery keeps the wood in the intended shape.
soperj 4y ago
And yet there are a bunch of Japanese instruments that are made from Paulownia which is one of the fastest growing trees around, and not dense at all.
- austhrow743 4y ago
  Are they of a similar quality to Stadivari?
  - Fezzik 4y ago
    Probably. Professional musicians are unable to distinguish between modern violins and Stradivari. It’s just hype. The key point is summarized in this very article: “In fact, a 2012 double-blind study of 21 experienced violinists found that most of the subjects preferred playing the newer instruments; the Stradivarius ranked last in their preferences. Most of them couldn't tell the difference between the old and new instruments, with no significant correlation between an instrument's age and its monetary value.”

tzs 4y ago

Doesn't the moisture content change over time after the wood is harvested, leading to small changes in size of the wood? I recall seeing instrument making videos where they mentioned the importance of using wood that had aged long enough to stabilize so that dimensions would not change after it was on the instrument. Some instruments have parts whose dimensions are critical.

DannyBee 4y ago
Moisture content changes to equilibrium with environment. The rate at which this happens is dependent on how well sealed it is, but as there is permeability, and time, it will happen ;) The only exception is if the wood is transformed in a way that does not enable it to absorb water (or as much of it), such as petrification, etc.
singron 4y ago
Wood used for this purpose is almost definitely dried (either naturally or with a kiln) and will thenceforth seek equilibrium with its environment. It's pretty unusual to use green/undried wood for anything, although I've heard of using it for log-cabin type things.
- m463 4y ago
  I don't know much about wood in respect to drying/moisture, but I remember reading about the "enertia" house where they used wood with a certain resin that would phase change around room temperature to be comfortable naturally. I wonder if this is green wood https://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/05/17/a-home-that-heats-and-cools-itself/ https://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/05/17/a-home-that-heats...
wildzzz 4y ago
When doing woodworking, you typically want to let the wood get comfortable to the controlled temperature and humidity in the workshop for a couple days. This lets the wood warp and expand/contract to settle in a consistent shape and size. Then you'll cut it and fasten it together so that when the humidity and temperature does change, the joinery keeps the wood in the intended shape.

soperj 4y ago

And yet there are a bunch of Japanese instruments that are made from Paulownia which is one of the fastest growing trees around, and not dense at all.

austhrow743 4y ago
Are they of a similar quality to Stadivari?
- Fezzik 4y ago
  Probably. Professional musicians are unable to distinguish between modern violins and Stradivari. It’s just hype. The key point is summarized in this very article: “In fact, a 2012 double-blind study of 21 experienced violinists found that most of the subjects preferred playing the newer instruments; the Stradivarius ranked last in their preferences. Most of them couldn't tell the difference between the old and new instruments, with no significant correlation between an instrument's age and its monetary value.”