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Insights

Video

Pacific Rim Tonewoods with Dr. Olson
Pacific Rim Tonewoods with Dr. Olson
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Articles

Advancing Wood Processing Through Automation and 3D Printing
Advancing Wood Processing Through Automation and 3D Printing
At Pacific Rim Tonewoods, we’re continually exploring ways to improve precision, efficiency, and scalability while preserving the craftsmanship at the heart of our work. One area where this commitment is... Read more...

Video

Miroslav Tadic and Yvette Holzwarth performing live at sunset on Lummi Island, WA, in a Pacific Rim Tonewoods-hosted concert blending guitar and violin.
In Concert: Lummi Island WA with Miroslav Tadic & Yvette Holzwarth
Miroslav Tadić, a Serbian musician, composer, and luthier now based in Los Angeles, joins fellow LA-based artist Yvette Holzwarth, a violinist, vocalist, composer, and music educator, for an unforgettable performance. Read more...

Video

Miroslav Tadic and Yvette Holzwarth performing together on guitar and violin during a Pacific Rim Tonewoods-hosted concert in Anacortes, WA.
In Concert: Anacortes WA with Miroslav Tadic & Yvette Holzwarth
In May 2023, Miroslav Tadic and Yvette Holzwarth performed some of their new compositions for clients, family, and friends in Anacortes, WA. Hosted by Pacific Rim Tonewoods and with the... Read more...

Articles

Workers installing solar panels on the roof of Pacific Rim Tonewoods' facility, advancing sustainability efforts.
Harnessing the Sun
Pacific Rim Tonewoods is leveraging solar panels to help ensure a more sustainable future. Read more...

Articles

Pacific Rim Tonewoods team standing in front of a new Resch & 3 sawmill at their facility.
Milling More Wood With Less
Pacific Rim Tonewoods’ investment in two new band sawmills helps ensure a long-term supply of instrument-grade woods. Read more...

Video

Science of Expression: Sonically Graded Wood
Science of Expression: Sonically Graded Wood
The challenge with a natural material like wood, is that it has a great deal of variability – from one tree to the next, and even wood from the same... Read more...

Video

Acoustics for Spruce Tonewood: Dr David Olson
Acoustics for Spruce Tonewood: Dr David Olson
Dr David Olson talks to luthiers about sound—how luthiers hear it, and measure its tonal attributes and quality. Dr Olson also describes in detail how guitar makers can utilize the... Read more...

Video

In Conversation: The Science Behind Building Better Guitars
In Conversation: The Science Behind Building Better Guitars
From the studio of Fretboard Journal in Seattle, Washington, Jason Verlinde chats with Pacific Rim Tonewoods about the latest science in helping luthiers to specify the sound they want for... Read more...

Video

Sonic Impressions: Low and High Q
Sonic Impressions: Low and High Q
Luthier and guitarist Miroslav Tadic compares the sonic resonance of two identically constructed classical guitars. These guitars were built by renowned luthier Trevor Gore, using Low and High Q sonically-graded... Read more...

Video

Sonic Impressions: Low, Mid and High Q
Sonic Impressions: Low, Mid and High Q
Renowned classical guitarist Miroslav Tadic compares the sonic resonance of three identically built classical guitars. These guitars were crafted by Australian luthier Trevor Gore, using Low to High Q sonically-graded... Read more...

Video

Tree to Tonewood: Our Mill
Tree to Tonewood: Our Mill
Pacific Rim Tonewoods has been supplying premium wood to guitar makers and luthiers around the world. Our mill is nestled in a forested valley of the North Cascades where we’ve... Read more...

Video

The First Log
The First Log
A walk through the Pacific Northwest forest with Steve McMinn of Pacific Rim Tonewoods, to see the world's largest Engelmann spruce tree—the Easy Pass Giant.   Read more...

Video

Utopia: Figured Maple Project
Utopia: Figured Maple Project
The Utopia Maple Project began in 2014 as a research project to grow more valuable wood for both foresters and guitar makers. At Pacific Rim Tonewoods, we are interested in... Read more...

Video

Siglo Tonewoods: Reforesting Hawaíi’s Koa
Siglo Tonewoods: Reforesting Hawaíi’s Koa
Hawaiian Koa wood has become increasingly scarce, losing ground to logging, wilt disease, and grazing animals like cattle. The vision of Siglo Tonewoods is to conserve, restore and reforest koa,... Read more...

Video

A Tree Point of View: Fretboard Journal
A Tree Point of View: Fretboard Journal
In 2015, Pacific Rim Tonewoods Founder Steve McMinn talked about his unlikely start in the business of milling wood—the Northwest native simply wanted to build himself a guitar. Though he... Read more...

Articles

Lutz Spruce and “Hybrid Vigor”
Lutz Spruce and “Hybrid Vigor”
The wood of the spruce tree has been valued for centuries as an ideal soundboard for stringed instruments such as guitars, violins and pianos. Spruce trees thrive in cool climates... Read more...

Articles

Seeding Koa's Future
Seeding Koa's Future
In previous issues of Wood&Steel, Taylor Director of Natural Resource Sustainability Scott Paul has shared updates on the koa forest restoration projects they’ve embarked on in Hawaii with Pacific Rim... Read more...

Research Papers

Thermal Modification of Spruce Tonewood
Thermal Modification of Spruce Tonewood
By David Olson MD, MS There are many techniques for thermal modification, many different names, and many different end uses. To clear up some of the understandable confusion, we have produced... Read more...

Research Papers

Key Signal and Wood Anatomy Parameters Related to the Acoustic Quality of Wood for Xylophone – Type Percussion Instruments
Key Signal and Wood Anatomy Parameters Related to the Acoustic Quality of Wood for Xylophone – Type Percussion Instruments
Published 2006 by Loic Brancheriau et al This technical paper discusses the particular technology that we use to test the boards, known as BING (Beam Identification for Non-Destructive Grading) by... Read more...

Research Papers

Guitar Analysis Using Measurements
Guitar Analysis Using Measurements
Published ((date)) by Sebastian Merchel, Dresden Institute of Technology This pair of highly technical papers are the result of careful objective measurements done withing the anechoic chamber at Dresden, one of... Read more...

Research Papers

Perceptual Evaluation of Bracewood and Soundboard Wood Variations on the Preference of a Steel String Acoustic Guitar
Perceptual Evaluation of Bracewood and Soundboard Wood Variations on the Preference of a Steel String Acoustic Guitar
Published 2019 by Merchel, Altinsoy, and Olson, Journal of the Acoustical Society of America This is the first research project collaboration between Taylor Guitars, Pacific Rim Tonewoods, and the Dresden... Read more...

Research Papers

Perceptual Evaluation of Audible Differences Between Guitars – Q Study
Perceptual Evaluation of Audible Differences Between Guitars – Q Study
Published 2020 by Sebastian Merchel, Dresden Technical University The aim of this project is to investigate the influence of varying internal damping of tonewood on the perceived acoustic quality of... Read more...

Research Papers

Wood for Sound
Wood for Sound
Published 2006 by Ulrike Wegst, American Journal of Botany A classic introduction to the acoustics of tonewood, covering the basics as to why certain woods have been used over the centuries... Read more...

Books

The Guitar – Tracing the Grain Back to the Tree
The Guitar – Tracing the Grain Back to the Tree
Authors: Chris Gibson and Andrew Warren Guitars inspire cult-like devotion: an aficionado can tell you precisely when and where their favorite instrument was made, the wood it is made from,... Read more...

Books

Contemporary Acoustic Guitar Design and Build–2nd Edition
Contemporary Acoustic Guitar Design and Build–2nd Edition
Author: Trevor Gore with Gerard Gillet Contemporary Acoustic Guitar Design and Build is for everyone who wants to understand more about designing and building acoustic guitars. Trevor Gore, a renowned... Read more...

Articles

Sound, Spruce and Science: Measuring the variability of guitar tone with Pacific Rim Tonewoods
Sound, Spruce and Science: Measuring the variability of guitar tone with Pacific Rim Tonewoods
At Pacific Rim Tonewoods, our work has always been guided by a deep respect for both the craftsmanship and the science of guitar making. While luthiers have long relied on... Read more...

Articles

Pacific Rim Tonewoods: Where Guitars Start Their Journey
Pacific Rim Tonewoods: Where Guitars Start Their Journey
If you own an acoustic guitar by Gibson, Martin, Collings or Taylor, you might wonder where its wood came from. And if you live in Washington State, the answer might... Read more...

Articles

The Quest to Create A Greener Guitar
The Quest to Create A Greener Guitar
Many guitars are made from rare trees like rosewood, mahogany and ebony. They’re popular for their good looks and good vibrations, but their high value also makes them attractive to... Read more...

Articles

Building a Sustainable Guitar: Maple
Building a Sustainable Guitar: Maple
Guitars appeal to our eyes as much as our ears. The most highly desired tonewoods are not only resonant and produce a good sound, but are also visually beautiful. While... Read more...

Articles

The Guitar Industry’s Hidden Environmental Problem and the People Trying to Fix It
The Guitar Industry’s Hidden Environmental Problem and the People Trying to Fix It
We spent six years on the road tracing guitar-making across five continents, looking at the timber used — known in the industry as tonewoods for their acoustic qualities — and the industry’s... Read more...