Thermally modified (aka “Torrefied”) Carpathian Spruce (Picea rubens) guitar top. Grade AAA. The spots you may see in the photos are compounds that volatilize during the torrefaction process. These will readily sand away. These are “lightly roasted” tops. Enough temperature was used to provide all the advantages of Thermal Modification, but without the brittleness associated with higher temperatures.
This is our best grade of Carpathian spruce top. Only a very few tops make this grade. Although we call these “AAA”, some may call them “5A”, “7A”, Mastergrade, etc. Regardless of what nomenclature is used, this is the best top we can produce. Minimum usable width at lower bout is 8.125 inches. Most tops are 0.200″ (5mm) or more in thickness, but minimum thickness is 0.140″ (3.5mm). (Please inquire if you need a larger width top – we can probably accommodate). Photos are representative examples of tops of this grade and show visual aspects (grain, color). In addition to having excellent visual qualities, these tops are without physical issues (no runout, perfect “quarter”, etc).