Spruce is by far the most common choice for soundboard wood, with desirable structural and acoustic properties that make it well-suited for the piano. Sitka spruce - which is also used for guitar soundboards - seems to be the most common variety, used by Steinway, Yamaha, Kawai, and others. But there are other wood varieties used ostensibly for their more desirable acoustic properties, including European spruce (Bosendorfer uses Alpine European spruce), Italian spruce (Fazioli uses spruce from the same region that Stradivari sourced wood for his violins), Eastern white spruce (Mason & Hamlin), Engelmann spruce, and even redwood.

My question is: how does the soundboard wood species affect the tone of the piano? If you were having a piano rebuilt and soundboard replaced, is there any reason to choose a specific wood variety over another based on the desired tone? I know that for guitars, the soundboard wood can have a significant impact on how the instrument sounds (e.g., Sitka providing greater punch and dynamic range, and cedar producing a softer, warmer, and more harmonically complex sound).

I understand that there used to be a "wood expert" on PW, who has since left many years ago. Are there any remaining domain experts around? Are there any books or other resources on this topic?

    There are those who think that the species is more important, and there are those who think the design and build of the soundboard trumps the species every time. I'll be interested to hear how this plays out!

      I was in the Whinlater forest (UK Lake District) a month or so ago which was heavily planted with Sitka spruce forty years ago. Some areas of spruce are now being cleared and replanted with a mix of deciduous hardwoods. Each felled tree had about forty rings confirming its age but what came as a surprise was how straight they had grown reaching about sixty foot. As an amateur cabinet maker I had no option but to think why wouldn't you want to make a sound board from such straight grained timber.

        It would be an interesting question to ask Del Fandrich. Not sure if he's pokin' around this forum or not. (?)

        Reading this thread immediately brings back memories of a Samick with a meatloaf (composite) soundboard on PW. It did not sound good.

          Rubens Reading this thread immediately brings back memories of a Samick with a meatloaf (composite) soundboard on PW. It did not sound good.

          There was a cheap spinet sized piano quite a few years ago that used a laminated soundboard, can't remember the brand. It wasn't anything to listen to, either.

          I'm thinking that there is a much more upscale piano, the name "Phoenix" comes to mind (?), something like a 7' grand maybe?, that used a carbon fiber soundboard and people have noted that it sounds pretty good. It's been sampled and used as a virtual instrument. Have heard it described as a cross between some of the top pianos which suggests that perhaps it is possible to have a decent outcome with boards other than the typical single layer Sitka Sruce.

            Pallas I think it's Steingraeber. On YouTube, there's a Merriam Music video where Stu demos it.

            Cool! I'll have to look for it. Thanks!

              8 months later

              Joseph-Fleetwood
              I have had a Sauter grand Delta 185 which has a sound board made of Alpine European spruce. I also have now the Sauter Omega 220 which has the sound board made of red spruce of the Val Di Fiemme. Both pianos sound very good and I have talked about their good sound to the piano makers of Sauter, when I visited the factory in Spaichingen. I was told that the design and build of the sound board is more important than the wood used.

                  6 days later

                  I think that's also the case with the uprights, especially the 122 and the 130.

                  King, I see you have Delta and an Omega. I love both of those especially the Omega. Beautiful pianos! I am relpying to King.(not good at this yet)
                  I am not deliberately trying to be an exclusive Sauterine.

                  Aparently Fazioli would use laminated Soundboards if requested on their fabulous grands. I am sure it's done very well. ( I guess for people live in challenging climate conditions)
                  I feel slightly more at home here with a few other Sauterines (we are a rare breed but we love that silvery tone and the pianos response) and other new members from PW who have only just joined. I cannot explain why?
                  I still need to hold on to my membership on PW as well. I owe it to them, especially Frank.

                  shawarma_bees
                  Yamaha uses European spruce for the SX series grands and Asian spruce for at least some other pianos. They may also use Sitka spruce.

                    I have only just discovered that Sauterne is a French sweet wine. ..or is it Sauterine? I did not mean that!😚 So no not much of a wine expert at all. Never really drink alcohol. Wrong term I apologize!

                      trecorda
                      Chateau d'Yquem is a world renown Sauternes. You need to have just only a sip to appreciate it even if you are not a wine drinker.

                        trecorda
                        Let's go back to discussing the spruce wood for soundboard.

                          15 days later

                          Well the humidity has been much lower here. So I have had the piano covered. The humidifier going. It's not conducive to practicing , first remove the covers etc
                          It's also overdue for a service, just mainly tuning needed so the technician comes on Wednesday. I wish all this snow would melt.
                          So do you think there is a large difference in the sound between your Omega and the Delta Vuong? Do you think it's the.different species of `wood that makes the difference?

                            trecorda
                            As I have stated already above, the sound of the Delta is as good as the one of the Omega. If there is any difference in tone it is because the Omega is larger and has a different design than the Delta. It appears the design of the soundboard is more important than the species of wood.

                                trecorda The only way to tell if the the different soundboard wood makes a difference is to build two identical pianos where the only difference is the soundboard wood. Otherwise, any difference in tone could be a result of numerous other design or execution differences in the pianos or many other factors like voicing, the humidity in the room, and even the pianist's mood on a given day.

                                    Vuong I was told that the design and build of the sound board is more important than the wood used.

                                    In a way, this is true. In a way, no it's not.

                                    The wood has to have certain characteristics, straight tight grain, acoustic resonance, and so on. The design is also important because it has to consider the wood species, grain density, resonance, and so on.

                                    So both are important. The decisions that are made in wood species affects the overall tone of the finished soundboard, and vice versa because designers can model the design to accommodate whatever specific wood species is selected.

                                        Player1
                                        The choice of the wood can be appreciated as I owned the Sauter Delta which used Bavarian wood. The Sauter piano manufactured obviously designs the sound board according to this spieces of wood. I also owns a Sauter Omega and he same thing can be said about the design of the Sauter Omega sound board.. The result is that both pianos sound good to me.