Good day all,
I was just sitting here thinking about tonal qualities of wood- you know, the sort of thing most people think about early in the morning ;-). I have this amazing single piece of WRC that was cut in the early 70's (not by me) and is big enough for a single piece top for a classical guitar. It has over 30 growth rings per inch and rings like glass when you tap it. I have been waiting for the right moment, as well as for me to develop my skill, before building the "Tonemeister."
While thinking about tonal qualities of wood, I also was thinking about sharpening molding plane blades. (Stay with me here- this will come together.) I was thinking about how when sharpening on a machine, I have to worry about the heat generated, which we all know can change the metal's hardness. Then I thought about when you machine wood. It generates heat- enough to burn the wood if not careful. I started to wonder- could heat change (ever so slightly) the crystaline structure of the aged sap in the wood, thus changing the tonal qualities? I'm not talking huge changes here- I am talking concert guitar for a tone nerd who can hear silent dog whistles and tones other normal people can't hear.
I thought I'd see what others thought about this theory.
Cheers,
Malcolm