Dogwood Guitars

  • Home
  • About
  • Guitars
    • Dogwood Models
    • Guitar Galleries
    • Ordering your Dogwood Guitar
    • FAQ’s
  • Services
  • Lutherie Classes
  • Pictorials
    • Repairs
    • How to Correctly String a Guitar
    • Building A Monarch
    • Making a Spalted Maple Rosette
    • Pearl and Abalone Inlay
  • Articles
    • Technical
    • Viewpoint
  • Testimonials
  • YouTube
  • Contact
You are here: Home / Articles / Technical / Baking Tops

Baking Tops

A number of guitar builders (including a couple of well-known factory-made brands) follow the practice of baking the Spruce tops in an oven at low heat prior to using them in the construction of an instrument.

This practice has caused a lot of discussion among luthiers and more than a little skepticism. According to some, baking Spruce increases its tonal qualities by affecting the resin in the cellular structure of the wood. Baking also supposedly accomplishes other structural changes that add to the musicality of the top. Some builders swear by this technique; many others dismiss it as sales hype and myth.

I bake all my tops, but for a different reason and one that I suspect is the true motivation for many who do so: Baking reduces the moisture content of the wood to near zero. The wood then stabilizes at equilibrium with the relative humidity of the shop, which is maintained at 45-50% year round. This in effect is like pre-shrinking a pair of jeans. The wood, having been taken to as a low a moisture content as it will ever be again along with the resulting shrinkage, is much less likely to cause the guitar owner problems in the future due to seasonal wood movement caused by fluctuations in temperature and humidity. Wood treated in this way also has the best possible preparation for glue adhesion.

All wood is subject to this seasonal movement, and the majority of acoustic guitar players I know are unaware of just how much the thin wood used in stringed instruments can shrink and swell. They are also unaware of the importance of keeping their guitars humidified to the correct level, and the deleterious affects that failing to do so will have on the guitars. Excessive drying can cause cracks, sharp fret ends, and soundboard shrinkage that affects the action and playability. Baking guitar woods prior to construction helps to minimize the potential for damage should the guitar be subject to incorrect conditions.

Any tonal benefits that come from “setting the resins” or other structural changes are merely a side benefit. Of course, I’ll gladly accept them if in fact they occur! But the bottom line is that there is no substitute for the wonderful things that the aging process does to stringed instruments and their tone. But baking guitar wood can help your instrument live to a ripe old age.

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
This error message is only visible to WordPress admins

Error: No connected account.

Please go to the Instagram Feed settings page to connect an account.

Bolt-On Necks: High Tongue Frets

I am including this article as a special page in the Services Menu because of the frequency with which the issue of high tongue frets arises. The tongue is the part of the fretboard that extends into the body of the guitar. On acoustic guitars, the … [Read More...]

1975 Gibson Hummingbird Restoration

While meeting with a customer and his daughter about designing a guitar for her, he showed me his Gibson Hummingbird that his daughter had been playing. Using the serial number and other identifying characteristics, I was able to date the guitar … [Read More...]

Blog: Spalted Maple Rosette

I love spalted wood, especially spalted Maple. My affection toward this unique combination of color and pattern goes back to the 1980's, when I became introduced to the work of James Krenov. In 1983 a friend and I discovered a huge spalted Maple … [Read More...]

Blog: 1932 Martin Repair

Its not often that a luthier has the opportunity to work on a pre-war Martin. This 1932 0-18 parlor guitar needs a crack repair and a neck reset. Great care must be taken when working on such an old and fragile guitar. Get out the hot hide glue. … [Read More...]

The Importance of a Good Setup, Part Two

In the first part of this article, I discussed the elements of a basic setup. These include checking the neck relief and the action at the first and twelfth frets, as well as installing new strings and performing a few other basic adjustments. In … [Read More...]

Custom Guitars

Superb craftsmanship and exceptional tone are reflected in every handmade Dogwood guitar. Whether you are a singer-songwriter looking for an articulate instrument to express your creativity, or are part of a country band or a worship team and need a … [Read More...]

Visit us on YouTube…

Follow Dogwood Guitars

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube

Technical Articles

The Science and Theory of Tonewoods

Search out any discussion about tone and tonewoods on the internet and you will quickly find a wide variation of opinions among players and builders alike. However, the majority will almost always list "tonewoods" and/or specific species of Spruce … [Read More...]

More Technical Articles

Viewpoint Articles

The Three Elements of a Great Guitar

Guitar players and collectors have so many choices available to them. New, used, factory brands, custom hand built...how do you narrow down the choices to the best option for you? In my opinion, any guitar should be measured by three … [Read More...]

More Viewpoint Articles

Copyright © 2022 Dogwood Guitars