LE BOIS DE LUTHERIE

Abstract
It is an understatement to say that wood is an unique material used in the art of musical craftmanship. Under the generic name of "resonance wood" are admitted all species used for musical instruments. In this note our comments are limited to spruce and curly maple for violins. The violin makers traditionally select their boards according to the simplest macroscopic criteria as straight grain, fine structure and light density. The description of some acoustical parameters for the characterization of wood for violins was first made on small thin specimens using resonance frequency method. Here we present nine acoustical parameters determined with ultrasonic velocity method. Factors affecting acoustical and physical properties of resonance wood are discussed. We refere to the natural ageing of wood and to the behaviour of this material under long term loading.