Reading the Rings
How Old is the Wood on your Instrument Top?
The top (soundboard) of a violin, viola, cello, or bass is key to its sound. Usually made of spruce, this wood holds secrets. Players and collectors often ask: “How old is this wood?” Dating the wood is different from dating the instrument itself. It’s a fascinating investigation!
Why does wood age matter? Old wood is often valued for its stability and beautiful sound. Knowing the wood’s age gives us clues to the instrument’s story and how it might sound. At Luthier on Call, we often look at wood. Here’s how we (and you, a little) can start to find those clues:
1. The Science: Tree Ring Dating (Dendrochronology)
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What is it? It’s the most accurate method. Experts measure annual growth rings – wider in good years, narrower in tough years. This pattern is like a tree’s unique barcode. They compare it to records to find the exact year the tree was cut.
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How it works on instruments: A specialist photographs or scans the rings visible near the edges or f-holes. If there are enough rings, and there’s a matching record for the wood’s region (like the Alps), the cutting date can be found.
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Important note: This tells us when the tree was cut, not when the instrument was made. Luthiers often aged wood for years, even decades, before using it. This method also requires special skills and databases.
Growth Rings
Image Credit: Bettymaya Foott
Click the Picture and will redirect you to an article by National Park Services
2. Visual Clues: What a Luthier Sees
Less exact than science, but visual checks give good hints:
Ring Width & Consistency:
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- Narrow Rings: Often from old, high-altitude spruce, which is prized wood. Slow growth means dense, stiff wood, good for sound. Tight rings can mean older wood, but not always. It could be a younger, slow-growing tree, too.
- Wide Rings: Could mean faster growth, maybe from a younger tree or different growing conditions.
- Consistent width: Rings that are evenly spaced often signal quality wood selection Color and Patina:
- Natural Aging: Spruce gets darker over time, from light yellow to golden brown, due to light exposure.
- Under the Varnish: The varnish changes the color you see. However, experts can often see the wood’s true color where the varnish is thin or worn. Older instruments have a warm, deep glow to the wood.
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Winter/Summer Growth: Look at each ring. You might see a lighter, wider part (spring/summer) and a darker, thinner part (late summer/winter). This might change subtly with age, but it’s not a clear indicator.
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Medullary Rays: These are silvery lines across the grain. They’re typical of quarter-sawn spruce. Not an age clue themselves, but they add to the overall picture.
Young Spruce Growth Rings
Violin Top Before Varnish By Felix Violins
Violin top Grain Showcase Felix Violins
3. The Luthier’s Choice & Seasoning
Great luthiers chose wood carefully. They might have used wood that was already decades old. For example, Antonio Stradivari likely used aged wood. A violin from 1715 might be made from wood cut in the late 1600s.
Putting It All Together
Finding the exact wood age needs tree ring dating. However, a skilled luthier can often guess well by looking at the grain, color, and other details. It’s a mix of science, experience, and knowing the history of how tonewood was chosen and prepared.
Each instrument’s top has a story written in its rings and color. While we might need experts to fully read that story, appreciating these details connects you to the history under your fingers.
- Image Suggestion 6: Photo of a luthier examining a violin or cello top closely.
Need Help?
Luthier on Call can’t do tree ring dating ourselves. But our experienced team can check your violin, viola, cello, or bass, and discuss its wood based on what we see and what we know about historical instruments. Contact us today!
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