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What exactly is "silk"?   You are logged in as Guest
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britguy

Posts: 712
Joined: Dec. 26 2010
From: Ontario, Canada

What exactly is "silk"? 
Been reading a few books on classical guitar construction recently, and keep seeing references to "silk" in regard to selecting quality tonewoods.

What exactly is this quality, and how does it affect tone, etc.?

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Fruit farmer, Ontario, Canada
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Oct. 31 2011 13:07:15
 
Gimar Yestra

 

Posts: 298
Joined: Jan. 19 2011
From: The Netherlands

RE: What exactly is "silk"? (in reply to britguy) 
silk is a type of figure that you see in wood when its perfectly quartersawn.

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www.yestragitaarbouw.nl
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Oct. 31 2011 14:31:43
 
Gimar Yestra

 

Posts: 298
Joined: Jan. 19 2011
From: The Netherlands

RE: What exactly is "silk"? (in reply to britguy) 
http://www.lonewolfguitars.com/images/option_photos/top_wood_sitka_cup.jpg

good example of silk in a piece of spruce.

silk can be found in every quartersawn piece of wood, in some woods it looks more drastic than others though.

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  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Oct. 31 2011 14:32:58
 
Dave K

Posts: 155
Joined: Mar. 29 2006
 

RE: What exactly is "silk"? (in reply to britguy) 
Here you go Britguy, your fruit trees couldn't live without medullary rays, better known as cross grain silk.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medullary_ray_(botany)

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Avise La Fin
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Oct. 31 2011 16:53:59
 
Dave K

Posts: 155
Joined: Mar. 29 2006
 

RE: What exactly is "silk"? (in reply to britguy) 
Here's a better article with pictures by Frank Ford...
http://www.frets.com/fretspages/general/glossary/Silk/silk.html

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Avise La Fin
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Oct. 31 2011 17:04:49
 
britguy

Posts: 712
Joined: Dec. 26 2010
From: Ontario, Canada

RE: What exactly is "silk"? (in reply to Dave K) 
O.K. I see the 'medullary rays' O.K. in the sample photos, and also on the face of my guitars.

Is this just a cosmetic feature, or does it have any effect on tone, etc.?

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Fruit farmer, Ontario, Canada
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Oct. 31 2011 18:24:16
 
Gimar Yestra

 

Posts: 298
Joined: Jan. 19 2011
From: The Netherlands

RE: What exactly is "silk"? (in reply to britguy) 
there are some theories about this.

first of all, medular rays show that a top is perfectly quartersawn, wich make the piece of wood stiffer, wich therefore can be worked thinner, wich if properly worked can give better volume or projection.

2nd is, these medular rays sortof connect the woodfibers across the grain, wich cause vibrations to travel both along the grain, aswell as across the grain.

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  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Oct. 31 2011 18:32:04
 
britguy

Posts: 712
Joined: Dec. 26 2010
From: Ontario, Canada

RE: What exactly is "silk"? (in reply to Dave K) 
quote:

your fruit trees couldn't live without medullary rays


Interesting. . .

So THAT'S what keeps those trees alive and well, and producing nice juicy fruit.

(And all these years I thought it was all those gallons of nutritient-laden (?) water I keep pumping out of Lake Ontario. . .)

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Fruit farmer, Ontario, Canada
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Oct. 31 2011 18:38:37
 
Anders Eliasson

Posts: 5780
Joined: Oct. 18 2006
 

RE: What exactly is "silk"? (in reply to britguy) 
All very true BUT

Dont make the conclusion that more silk necesarily means a better tonewood. I´ve used some very nice German spruce with little silking even though it was perfectly quatered.
Some spruces silk more than others. I think the most extreme I´ve seen is Sitka spruce.

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  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Nov. 1 2011 7:42:02
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