Engelmann Spruce
Light, stable, and easy to work. White Pine is sometimes used for bracing, blocks, or low-stress internal parts.
What we stock: Blocks, limited billets
Shop Engelmann Spruce →
Tonewood Shopping Guide
Tonewood is wood selected specifically for making musical instruments. It’s not just about species — it’s about how a tree grew: its density, grain uniformity, and straightness. When cut and cured properly, great tonewood amplifies sound in a way that generic lumber can’t.
For centuries, luthiers have relied on specific types trees — and sometimes specific forests — to find the right feel and sound for their instruments. At Mountain Voice Inc., we specialize in sustainably harvested high-grade Engelmann Spruce, as well as other species, harvested from Canadian forests. Each piece is chosen for its musical potential, not just its appearance.
Navigation
Simple list of clickable links at the top to jump down the page.
Types of Tonewood
Douglas Fir
Light, stable, and easy to work. White Pine is sometimes used for bracing, blocks, or low-stress internal parts.
What we stock: Blocks, limited billets
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Western Red Cedar
Light, stable, and easy to work. White Pine is sometimes used for bracing, blocks, or low-stress internal parts.
What we stock: Blocks, limited billets
Shop Western Red Cedar →
Yellow Cedar
Light, stable, and easy to work. White Pine is sometimes used for bracing, blocks, or low-stress internal parts.
What we stock: Blocks, limited billets
Shop Yellow Cedar →
White Pine
Light, stable, and easy to work. White Pine is sometimes used for bracing, blocks, or low-stress internal parts.
What we stock: Blocks, limited billets
Shop White Pine →
Birch
An affordable alternative to maple for backs, ribs, and necks. Bright tone and easy workability.
Commonly used for: Violins, guitars, archtop parts
Shop Birch →
Willow
An affordable alternative to maple for backs, ribs, and necks. Bright tone and easy workability.
Commonly used for: Violins, guitars, archtop parts
Shop Willow →Aspen
A lightweight wood used occasionally for backs, blocks, or internal components where a soft, low-density material is needed.
What we stock: Blocks, occasional slabs
Shop Aspen →Maple
Dense, reflective, and often beautifully figured. Maple is the gold standard for backs, necks, and sides in string instruments.
Commonly used for: Violins, violas, cellos, archtops
Shop Maple →Size Charts
Grading Explained
Grading is subjective from person to person and can vary between instruments. Here we attempt to capture the criteria of how we grade tonewood at Mountain Voice Inc.
Types of Figure
Bearclaw
Light, stable, and easy to work. White Pine is sometimes used for bracing, blocks, or low-stress internal parts.
What we stock: Blocks, limited billets
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Dragon Claw
Light, stable, and easy to work. White Pine is sometimes used for bracing, blocks, or low-stress internal parts.
What we stock: Blocks, limited billets
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Birdseye
Light, stable, and easy to work. White Pine is sometimes used for bracing, blocks, or low-stress internal parts.
What we stock: Blocks, limited billets
Shop Birdseye →
Flamed or Curly
Light, stable, and easy to work. White Pine is sometimes used for bracing, blocks, or low-stress internal parts.
What we stock: Blocks, limited billets
Shop Flamed & Curly →
Ribboning
Light, stable, and easy to work. White Pine is sometimes used for bracing, blocks, or low-stress internal parts.
What we stock: Blocks, limited billets
Shop Ribboning →
Silking
An affordable alternative to maple for backs, ribs, and necks. Bright tone and easy workability.
Commonly used for: Violins, guitars, archtop parts
Shop Silking →
Spalted
An affordable alternative to maple for backs, ribs, and necks. Bright tone and easy workability.
Commonly used for: Violins, guitars, archtop parts
Shop Spalted →
Colour
A lightweight wood used occasionally for backs, blocks, or internal components where a soft, low-density material is needed.
What we stock: Blocks, occasional slabs
Shop Colour →
Blue Stain
Dense, reflective, and often beautifully figured. Maple is the gold standard for backs, necks, and sides in string instruments.
Commonly used for: Violins, violas, cellos, archtops
Shop Blue Stain →
Pink Stain
Dense, reflective, and often beautifully figured. Maple is the gold standard for backs, necks, and sides in string instruments.
Commonly used for: Violins, violas, cellos, archtops
Shop Pink Stain →
Purple Stain
Dense, reflective, and often beautifully figured. Maple is the gold standard for backs, necks, and sides in string instruments.
Commonly used for: Violins, violas, cellos, archtops
Shop Purple Stain →