Master Grade

• Consistant Color, No Discoloration
• Even, Tight growth Rings
• Absolutly Straight Grain, No Runout
• Perfect Quarter, 20+ Rings per inch 
• No hard Grain 

sets are the absolute cream of the crop. These are the sets that are found in top-of-the-line instruments all over the world. They are perfectly even in color and grain. The end grain is perfectly vertical, meaning that the wood was cut on quarter. For the luthier, this translates to a maximum stiffness-per-weight ratio, and a predictable appearance. Master Grade sets are rarely available, so please contact us and make sure we have what you are after before you place an order.

3A Grade

• Consistant Color, No Discoloration 
• Even growth Rings 
• Straight Grain, Very little to No Runout 
• Quarter Sawn, 15 - 20 Rings per inch 
• No hard Grain 

sets are not too different from Master grade, but they allow for slightly more variation. That means that there may be some very faint coloring, or that the grain may gradually open up, or get farther apart, as it goes from the center to the outside edge of the instrument. For the luthier, this means the density of the wood will decrease toward the lower bout of a guitar, or the rim of a mandolin or violin. This is very much like the “graduated carving” or “Stradivarious carving” that violin makers employ, carving the edges thinner than the center in order to allow the vibrations of the instrument to be less inhibited as they travel to the outer edges.

2A Grade

• Uniform to Very little color Variation
• Growth Rings may widen to outer edge
• Quarter Sawn, within 10 degrees 
• 12 -18 Rings per inch  
• May have Hard Grain in lower bout

sets are far from being “inferior”, in fact, they represent what we believe to be our best value when it comes to tonewood. Some of our happiest customers are those who bought 2A wood. If tap-tone and stiffness are of greater concern than appearance, these are definitely the sets to choose! For small orders we can hand pick your sets, and make sure you get exactly what you want. You can expect some variety from one set to the next, in terms of grain and coloration, and possibly a few hard lines. If you are ordering these sets, call or email us and tell us what it is you are looking for, and we can usually accommodate you.

1A Grade

• Slight color Variation and uniformity 
• Growth Rings may be ununiform 
• Quarter Sawn, within 20 degrees  
• 11+ Rings per inch   
• May have Hard Grain 

set are not usually the choice of custom builders, but are great for beginning luthiers. They are good, economical tops, and we have sold a lot of these tops to large manufacturers. 1A sets usually feature open and closed grain patterns, and some pinkish striping. A great value in tonewood!
Personal preference is a major component when it comes to choosing a piece of wood. The evenness of color and grain that some builders consider “perfect” is sometimes considered undesirable by others who prefer to see more “feature” in the wood of their instruments. Ultimately, each instrument is a piece of art, and as such deserves to be unique.