This looks like an AAA Adirondack top?

[Alalush]

I bought a torrefied AAA Adirondack top from MaderasBarber (Spain, Europe) but I am in doubt if this top can be classified as AAA... Shouldn't an AAA class have more tight grain structures? Secondly, on their website they say 4.5mm thickness but I barely measure 3mm.

https://maderasbarber.com/tonewood/e...1-53707617c4f9

What I got:

[cliff_the_stiff]

Not an expert on wood grade.
Attached are Adi tops from a Martin D-28GE, a Collings, and a Gibson Custom Shop. I have no idea what grade they are, which essentially just makes it a glamour shot.
The grain spacing looks like yours if you ask me, and these three guitars have endless headroom.
I can not speak to the width…

[Bruce Sexauer]

A AAA Adirondack top usually costs me between $300 and $500. 3mm is too thin to resurface cleanly, IMO. Your grain count is pretty even, which I favor. The hard line I see in your photo keeps the top from qualifying for a AAA designation, which is an aesthetic standard for most laymen.

[Fathand]

Was there a picture of the particular top when you ordered? Some websites seem to provide pictures of the specific top you are buying, often with an end grain view.

[redir]

Grading does mostly fall on aesthetics rather than more important things like stiffness and mass. As such I would have to say that falls short of AAA. Given all the structural aspects of it are even perfect.

I've bought from them but it's been a long time. I suppose if they have a grading system from A-5A then that might be a 3A. It used to be that there was A to 3A then Master and that would be more of an AA at best.

Torrifaction can bring out cosmetics that would otherwise grade lower so that could have something to do with the dark lines too.

I would agree that 3mm is really pushing the limits on resurfacing a joined top. T-Wood is stiffer though so I do tend to go a bit thinner but if you are building a Dred or Jumbo then you are already real close to target thickness.

[printer2]

If it were thick enough to sand out I would rather join the outside edge together, 3 mm no way.

[93Jrh]

Can you please elaborate on 3.5 mm being too thin to finish properly. Only seeking knowledge.

[Bruce Sexauer]

Originally Posted by 93Jrh

Can you please elaborate on 3.5 mm being too thin to finish properly. Only seeking knowledge.

Others said 3 mm, you said 3.5 mm. I said “surface cleanly”, you said “finish”.

[Fathand]

Originally Posted by cliff_the_stiff

Not an expert on wood grade.
Attached are Adi tops from a Martin D-28GE, a Collings, and a Gibson Custom Shop. I have no idea what grade they are, which essentially just makes it a glamour shot.
The grain spacing looks like yours if you ask me, and these three guitars have endless headroom.
I can not speak to the width…

There is an article here, discussing Martin's grading practice by model. Style 28 are grade 5-6 out of a possible 8 which is used for style 45.

https://onemanz.com/guitar/readers-q...-wood-grading/

[printer2]

Actually,

"... but I barely measure 3mm."

[nikpearson]

Originally Posted by Alalush

I bought a torrefied AAA Adirondack top from MaderasBarber (Spain, Europe) but I am in doubt if this top can be classified as AAA... Shouldn't an AAA class have more tight grain structures? Secondly, on their website they say 4.5mm thickness but I barely measure 3mm.

https://maderasbarber.com/tonewood/e...1-53707617c4f9

What I got:

You can joint a top that’s 3 mm thick but you’ll have to be mighty precise as there is little room for levelling and cleanup.

Your picture shows exactly the reason why I dislike Adirondack spruce, or at least the red spruce widely available today. The ultra-wide grain is just plain ugly to me.

I’ve become increasingly frustrated with purchasing tops online from suppliers such as Madinter and StewMac. Their grading systems seem inflated to me; perhaps by as much as two grades. Even AAAA tops have been disappointing in terms of visuals.

What I would also say is aesthetics have little impact on sound quality. Wide grain and obvious flaws can be found in very stiff tops. The more instruments I play (and the few I build) suggest to me that a good luthier can make just about any reasonable top sound very nice by graduating the top and shaping braces according to the properties of the particular soundboard. Whilst wouldn’t pretend to have have this particular skill down yet, flexing the unbraced and braced soundboard can tell you quite a lot.

[John Arnold]

Pay less attention to the grading and concentrate on the price. By the common standard, a AAA red spruce top will generally sell for 2 or 3 times as much as the subject top. A true AAA grade should always have straight, evenly spaced, vertical grain with no color or other obvious flaws. When grading red spruce tops, I have made concessions as to actual grain width, since most of the red spruce available today is from second growth trees.

[Howard Klepper]

Grade inflation has been rampant for many years; most conspicuously on Ebay. The old school system that developed in the early 1970s went as high as AAA. Then AAAA or Master grade was added for the 1% of AAA tops that were really perfect.

By old school standards, I would say the top in question is AA. But I'd be more concerned about getting it joined, leveled, rosette installed, and finish sanded without going too thin. Promising 4.5mm and giving 3mm is unacceptable. I suggest you return it, and ask the seller to cover return shipping.

[nikpearson]

I generally like Madinter, particularly their efforts to source sustainable woods, for instance the joint ebony venture with Taylor in Cameroon.

On a couple of occasions I’ve also received materials that were below dimensions, including a maple bass neck blank repurposed for a 10-string classical. The width was critical and was a little under specification which required an ever so slightly tighter string spacing. The wood itself was lovely and they gave me a partial refund.

If the soundboard is already sanded smooth, and you are precise with jointing, then 3 mm is just, but only just enough. Given the visuals though I’d probably return the top.

[varve]

Originally Posted by nikpearson

I generally like Madinter, particularly their efforts to source sustainable woods, for instance the joint ebony venture with Taylor in Cameroon.

On a couple of occasions I’ve also received materials that were below dimensions, including a maple bass neck blank repurposed for a 10-string classical. The width was critical and was a little under specification which required an ever so slightly tighter string spacing. The wood itself was lovely and they gave me a partial refund.

If the soundboard is already sanded smooth, and you are precise with jointing, then 3 mm is just, but only just enough. Given the visuals though I’d probably return the top.

The OP referenced a top from Maderas Barber, a company based in Valencia Spain, whereas Madinter is a tonewood company based in the mountains near Madrid. Madinter recently "joined forces" with Stew-Mac - I assume an acquisition but others may know more. In any case, two companies doing similar things, but with similar names..