Sonowood: the sustainable wood for your musical instrument.
Sonowood makes your instrument sound better.
For the manufacturing of musical instruments, tropical woods are highly esteemed thanks to high hardness and density, advanced dimensional stability and aesthetic dark coloration. However, excessive and unregulated exploitation has resulted in a rapidly decreasing availability of the material. Increasingly strict governmental regulations, such as CITES, aim to protect the biodiversity. As a result, import and trade of tropical woods are closely controlled and often only allowed with certain certificates.
This is why we have developed Sonowood. Sonowood matches the favourable properties of tropical woods while being a completely legal alternative. In addition to being environmentally friendly, the technology offers adjustability of a wide range of parameters.
Sonowood is the best alternative wood for your musical instrument, made of 100% real AND indigenous wood. Further detailed information is presented on the Sonowood flyer available for download.
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Sonowood bears a range of advantages:
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The real thing
Sonowood is NOT a composite material, it is fully authentic wood, with straightforward workability.
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Superior acoustics
High sound velocity, low damping. Fully approved by musicians and instrument makers.
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Continuous availability
Despite being a natural material, Sonowood is available continuously in constant quality.
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Preserving biodiversity
Sonowood is manufactured from sustainable European wood species.
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No legal restrictions
Sonowood does not contain wood species listed on CITES, therefore no trade and import restrictions occur.
Learn more about the country-specific impacts of the CITES regulations on various stakeholders in the music industry.
CITES in the United States CITES in Switzerland CITES in Germany
Types of Sonowood
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Sonowood Maple
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For string instruments and guitars
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Product range:
- Fingerboards for violin, viola, cello and guitar; as square timbers
- Tailpieces for violin, viola, cello and double bass
- Pegs square timbers are provided for violin, viola and cello
- Chinrest
- Full set as blanks and fittings
- Bridges and headstocks for guitars
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Technical data:
- Sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus)
- Colour: mocha
- Density: 1'200 – 1'400 kg/m³
- Brinell hardness: 90 - 140 N/mm²
- Dimensional stability: height ~ 0.7%,
width ~ 0.3% per % moisture content change - Sound velocity: > 4'400 m/s
- Damping (log. decrement): ~ 0.053
- Dynamic elastic modulus:
> 23'000 N/mm²
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Sonowood Spruce
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For string instruments and guitars
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Product range
- Fingerboards for violin, viola, cello and guitar; as square timbers
- Tailpieces for violin, viola, cello and double bass
- Pegs square timbers are provided for violin, viola and cello
- Chinrest
- Full set as blanks and fittings
- Bridges and headstocks for guitars
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Technical data
- Made of Spruce (Picea abies)
- Colour: caramel
- Density: 1'300 – 1'400 kg/m³
- Brinell hardness: 100 - 150 N/mm²
- Dimensional stability: height ~ 0.75,
width ~0.33 % per % moisture content change - Sound velocity: > 5'500 m/s
- Damping (log. decrement): ~ 0.04
- Dynamic elastic modulus:
> 39'000 N/mm²
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Sonowood Walnut
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For string instruments and guitars
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Product range:
- Fingerboards for violin, viola, cello and guitar; as square timbers
- Tailpieces for violin, viola, cello and double bass
- Pegs square timbers are provided for violin, viola and cello
- Chinrest
- Full set as blanks and fittings
- Bridges and headstocks for guitars
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Technical data:
- Walnut (Juglans spp.)
- Colour: darkbrown to black
- Density: 1'200 – 1'400 kg/m³
- Brinell hardness: 90-140 N/mm²
- Dimensional stability: height ~ 0.29%,
width ~ 0.3% per % moisture content change - Sound velocity: > 4'400 m/s
- Dynamic elastic modulus:
> 23'000 N/mm²
Let us introduce you to the world of Sonowood:
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