Fine instruments can be made all of the maples. Like many woods, there is significant overlap in properties. I personally prefer the European Maples for some of the reasons Ed articulated in the video. That said, I have both flattop and archtop made using Bigleaf Maple and both are superlative instruments. It is more about the maker than the back and side woods.
Here is summary of common physical properties of the more common maples used in lutherie:
Type———————————————Specific Gravity—Hardness (lbf)—Stiffness (lbf/in2)
Silver Maple (North America)————-0.44 to 0.53——-—-700————-1,140,000
Bigleaf Maple (North America)————0.44 to 0.55———--850————-1,450,000
Red Maple (North America)—————-0.49 to 0.61————950————-1,640,000
Norway Maple (Europe)——————--0.50 to 0.65————1,010————1,538,000
Sycamore Maple (Europe)——————0.48 to 0.62——-—-1,050———--1,438,000
Hard Maple (North America)————--0.56 to 0.71————1,450————1,830,000
Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard Mott
What a lovely video of Ed, such an extraordinary soul. One of the finest builders anywhere. What he says about Euro maple is exactly what I’ve seen and heard. Sugar maple is much harder and denser, and the sound reflects this, maybe a little clearer and more cutting. By contrast, Euro maple is lighter and sounds that way, maybe a little more “air” in the sound, perfect for a Claxton. Red maple is softer than sugar maple, and builders like Steve Gilchrist use it when they want to emphasize bass response. I’ve heard silver maple can be even softer, at times so much so that it is not suitable for use as tonewood. Western Big Leaf maple I’m less sure about, although I’ve heard it is soft and “stringy” in texture when carving. Totally agree that it is worth bearing in mind what kind of maple a guitar is made from, the difference among maple species is certainly as great and maybe more pronounced than among the various rosewoods.
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