RECLAIMED WOOD GUITARS

Sinker and reclaimed wood – back to the beginning of time

During my work as an artisan and luthier I have become familiar with countless wood species. By examining and tone-tapping certain pieces, I usually know well in advance which woods will result in a top-quality instrument. Instrument building most often relies on widely available and well-known species such as alder, swamp ash, mahogany, maple, rosewood, and ebony.

Less common species can also produce excellent instruments. I have built bodies from pine, poplar, bibolo, red cedar, and walnut, and used cocobolo, spalted or flamed maple/birch, walnut, ebony, and various burls as top woods. Neck wood must be especially stable, but it doesn’t always need to be maple or mahogany. Laminating (gluing multiple pieces together), adding carbon fiber or titanium reinforcement rods, and shaping the underside of the neck (“fingerboard veneer”) all help to increase stiffness.

In recent years I have specialized in working with exceptionally old wood—from reclaimed material 100–200 years old (taken from old buildings, furniture, floorboards, tables, etc.) to sinker wood thousands of years old (such as Arctic sinker pine). The age of sinker wood has been verified through radiocarbon dating: the oldest trunks date back to the very beginning of the calendar era, and some even earlier.

Today, it has also become fashionable to use heat-treated (or “roasted”) wood in guitar making. The goal is to artificially reproduce the same effect as natural aging. Heat treatment dries the wood, makes it lighter and more stable, and darkens its color. As a result, it withstands changes in temperature and humidity much better—qualities highly desirable for instruments. Microscopic studies comparing heat-treated wood to naturally aged wood show some similarities in cellular structure, but in reality nothing can replace authentic, naturally aged timber.

When it comes to truly ancient wood, availability is more a matter of luck than planning. Typically, old-growth sinker logs lie deep at the bottom of lakes and rivers, either lost during timber rafting or submerged when forested slopes collapsed in landslides. Arctic cold waters, oxygen-free sludge, and high water pressure have preserved these trees in exceptional condition.

Over the centuries, minerals in the water have stained and patterned the wood in unique ways. Lignins and essential oils gradually dissolve out, so the water essentially opens up the cellular structure—something that does not happen in air-dried wood. Limited availability and extraordinary qualities have made sinker wood highly valued in recent years. These trunks originate from a time when trees grew much more slowly than today. The density of a centuries-old pine can be up to ten times that of modern equivalents; I have counted more than 50 growth rings within a single centimeter. Such structure and density inevitably influence the wood’s tonal qualities. Timber of this caliber is no longer available anywhere, which makes it especially well suited for instrument building.

Once dried properly, sinker wood no longer absorbs moisture from the ground or the air. Its cellular structure has changed, giving it water-repellent properties. This makes the wood lighter and practically eliminates swelling or shrinking caused by humidity. With the right finish—for example, a breathing nitrocellulose lacquer—the wood will continue to dry as part of the instrument, improving even further over time and with playing.

Fender built its very first electric guitar bodies from pine. Old sinker pine has a wonderfully strong and unique fragrance that fills the workshop amidst the hum of the machinery. A special energy radiates from old wood, giving these instruments their own distinctive sound, feel, and character. Having aged not only in years but also in composition after centuries underwater, a new instrument made from this wood is essentially already “vintage.” There is no need to wait another 50–60 years for the same result.

In Japan, it is commonly believed that every tree has a spirit. I’ve come to think the Japanese may not be entirely wrong. Playing an instrument built from wood over 2000 years old is a moving experience—it offers a unique perspective on the passage of time and on life itself. What events has this wood “witnessed” in its lifetime? Such questions often arise when working with reclaimed wood taken from old buildings or furniture.

At GAS Guitarworks, there is currently an unusually good selection of these old treasures compared to normal circumstances—which makes this topic especially timely. The sinker wood selection depends largely on the drying process of different species and batches, while the supply of reclaimed wood is dictated by availability. These woods have already made a deep impression on many players, both in Finland and abroad. You are warmly welcome to explore the wood and try out the finished instruments at the GAS workshop in Tampere, Finland.