Sycamore

A pale hardwood with a broad, lacy figure, from two unrelated trees that share the name.

In American usage sycamore is Platanus occidentalis, whose flat-sawn boards show a large quilted figure that has made it a favoured back-and-sides wood for instruments wanting maple-like brightness with a softer edge. In Britain and Europe the same word usually means Acer pseudoplatanus, the sycamore maple, the traditional wood for violin family backs and necks. It is commonly described as bright and clear without maple's bite, which pairs well with a spruce top. It is prone to blue stain and to movement while drying, so it needs care in seasoning.

Example: An acoustic with sycamore back and sides sounds bright and even, and the wood is often left pale under a clear or lightly tinted finish.

typical use: Acoustic backs and sides, and occasionally necks and mandolin bodies.

Sycamore

See also