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What does it mean when wood (I've seen this used to describe maple) is quartersawn? Why does it cost more?

Its a way the maple is cut to show more grain, but it doesn't let the luthier get as much usuable wood from a larger piece of maple.

Ironically, having spoken to a few people, they say it is something that is better for acoustics and not electrics.

Quartersaw is dividing the log into four quarters and then they are cut normal to the rings. This allows the luthier to use more wood for making guitars comparing to the radial cut. It is true that electric guitars do not use that much quartersawn wood for the body but they still use them for the neck.

i thought quatersawn mean sawing against the grains ie. perpendicular to it. please correct me if i am wrong.


Originally Posted by pac112i thought quatersawn mean sawing against the grains ie. perpendicular to it. please correct me if i am wrong.

The log is cut into quarters. Hence quot;quartersawnquot;. Then cut normal (perpendicular) to the annual rings for slaps. There is no consideration for grain directions.


Originally Posted by AmateurThe log is cut into quarters. Hence quot;quartersawnquot;. Then cut normal (perpendicular) to the annual rings for slaps. There is no consideration for grain directions.

i see. thanks man.

Why is this desired? What does it do? Sound any better?

I don't know about sound but it looks killer. Eric Johnson's signature strat has it.


Originally Posted by OciferWhy is this desired? What does it do? Sound any better?

It's done because shrinkage in q-sawn wood is uniform.

Slab-sawn wood distorts when it absorbs or loses moisture. This means it is less stable.

In my experience q-sawn wood is rarely used in guitars, except for the fronts of acoustics. Tonewood is riven, rather than sawn, as this maintains the grain's longitudinal integrity.

Quartersawn is cut so that the grain of the wood goes from the front (in the case of a neck, the fretboard) to the back (where the skunk stripe would be). This is opposed to flatsawn, where the grain runs from side to side (low E side to high E side). Quartersawn wood is stronger, because the front to back grain resists warpage better than flatsawn. This, as opposed to aesthetics, is why it is preferable. It also results in less usable wood from a tree, so it is more expensive.


Originally Posted by AmateurQuartersaw is dividing the log into four quarters and then they are cut normal to the rings. This allows the luthier to use more wood for making guitars comparing to the radial cut. It is true that electric guitars do not use that much quartersawn wood for the body but they still use them for the neck.

This is not strictly correct, because it depends what type of wood you are talking about.

Tonewoods such as spruce, pine and cedar are riven radially rather than sawn.

Woods such as maple, rosewood and other common hardwoods are almost all slab sawn and then the quarter sawn bits sold at a premium.

If all manufacturers were to use quartersawn wood for guitar necks the price would go through the roof.

Originally Posted by octavedoctorThis is not strictly correct, because it depends what type of wood you are talking about.

Tonewoods such as spruce, pine and cedar are riven radially rather than sawn.

Woods such as maple, rosewood and other common hardwoods are almost all slab sawn and then the quarter sawn bits sold at a premium.

If all manufacturers were to use quartersawn wood for guitar necks the price would go through the roof.
That is why they don't use quartersawn wood on solid bodies because it is unnecessary. If you don't know, a lot of accoustics bodies are actually made of plywood, not solid wood. The ones that use solid wood on both top and bottom are probably in the gt;$1000 range. Most of the manufacturere still use quartersawn wood on the neck because of the warppage concern though.


Originally Posted by Amateur

Most of the manufacturere still use quartersawn wood on the neck because of the warppage concern though.

No they don't ya know!

When was that last time you saw a production Strat of any quality level with a quartersawn neck?

Gibson DEFINITELY don't use quartered wood, i've seen enough broken ones to know this.

The only use of quartersawn wood in the music industry (and i've been in it nearly 30 years now) is for acoustic guitar soundboards.

Many of the quot;plywood back and sidequot; acoustics are actually laminated which is not necessarily inferior from a technical standpoint. Laminated ribs are strong, easy and cheap to produce and as the ribs play no direct part in the vibration complex of the guitar, other than to define the separation of top and back (which are the principal acoustically dynamic elements), then there is really very little point in them being solid.

I never mentioned about any ribs. I only mentioned about top and bottom. You may argue that from an engineering or strurctural standpoint, the laminated woods are just as good or may be even better. But they don't sound as good. To tune the soundboard of an acoustic guitar, a luthier has to progressively thin the board out, which you can't do it on a laminated board. That's why solid wood top and bottom acoustics are expensive, it's the labor, not just the material. The sound quality of a laminated board is nowhere near the solid wood. If the laminated wood is just as good, nobody would pay a premium for the solid top acoustics, but that is not the case. People know what is good and they're willing to pay for it.

Also, I hate to disappoint you, the name quot;Gibsonquot; does not automatically mean quality. A lot of the OEMs are trying to get away with the cheap stuffs nowadays. You have to know exactly how quartersawn wood looks like in order to tell the difference. I don't want to get into an argument, which I think is pointless, but I have also been in it for the last forty years and I have seen something different from what you have seen. May be it is different on your side of the ocean.

THis is the first link I googled that had pictures. It looks like what my wood working friends explained to me in pictures also.

Quatersawn Link