At Pacific Rim Tonewoods, we use traditional and sonic grading. 

Our traditionally graded soundboard collection includes maple, koa, redwood, and many spruce sets, all hand-selected using visual and structural cues. Our team then assesses grain, colour, figure, and consistency, looking for the best possible tonewood in each board.

Our sonically graded soundboards go beyond traditional visual grading by measuring the actual acoustic properties of each board. We use BING (Beam Identification for Non‑destructive Grading) technology in our mill to measure three key properties: density, stiffness, and Q value (damping). 

These measurements help us steer the high-Q wood into our sonic sort, and from there, we put it into three different density buckets: low, medium, and high density sonic grades. This allows luthiers to choose the right wood for the right guitar.

We offer a range of premium spruces, including Engelmann, Sitka, and Lutz. Each species has unique tonal characteristics and is suited to different instrument styles and builder preferences.

Yes, our soundboards are carefully dried and stored in climate-controlled conditions. However, we recommend allowing them to acclimate to your shop environment before thicknessing or gluing.

Most of our soundboards are suitable for standard-size guitars, including dreadnought, OM, and classical models. Dimensions may vary slightly. If you're building a larger instrument or have specific size needs, feel free to contact us.

While sold separately, many of our soundboards pair beautifully with the back-and-side sets in our Traditional Tonewood collection. We’re happy to help you select visually and tonally compatible pieces. 

Yes, if you're looking for particular attributes such as bearclaw figure, tight grain, or color matching, let us know. We’ll do our best to accommodate special requests when inventory allows.

Spruce is widely considered the best wood for a guitar soundboard. The guitar soundboard is the sonic engine of the guitar. While hardwoods like koa or maple can be used for tops, spruce is the go-to choice for most luthiers.

At Pacific Rim Tonewoods, we offer both traditional and sonically graded spruce soundboards. Sonically graded tops are selected based on acoustic performance, not just appearance, making them the highest-quality choice for builders who prioritize tone above all else.

Ultimately, the right soundboard wood depends on your build, the player’s style, and the kind of tonal response you’re aiming to achieve.

Visible grain lines often reflect tighter, more stable grain, which many builders attribute to better resonance. That said, performance is more about density, stiffness, and damping, attributes that are precisely measured through our sonic grading process.

Spruce is prized for its high stiffness-to-weight ratio. Density affects tone weight and volume; stiffness influences clarity and projection; and the stiffness-to-weight ratio is key in transmitting sound. These are the same properties we measure when sonic grading.