--- title: "Alaska Specialty Woods Blog" url: https://alaskawoods.com/shop/alaska-specialty-woods/ type: term taxonomy: category taxonomy_label: "Category" count: 30 lang: en --- # Alaska Specialty Woods Blog ## Categories - [Updates](https://alaskawoods.com/shop/alaska-specialty-woods/updates/) (1) ## Latest entries - [ASW’s New Ultra Light Sort](https://alaskawoods.com/asws-new-ultra-light-sort/) — Several years ago, one of our very appreciated customers - Greg Maxwell of Dogwood Guitars — called to order Master Grade Sitka spruce tops for his guitars. In the discussion, I asked him about his... - [What Should You Consider About the Soundboard Before Buying an Acoustic Guitar?](https://alaskawoods.com/what-should-you-consider-about-the-soundboard-before-buying-an-acoustic-guitar/) — The soundboard is essentially the heart of any acoustic instrument. It is responsible for the tone of a guitar and its lifespan. However, too much attention is paid to the peripheral components of... - [Things you probably didn’t know about Sitka Spruce](https://alaskawoods.com/things-you-probably-didnt-know-about-sitka-spruce/) — The spruce tree is embedded in North American culture and mountain landscapes. Many states claim a type of spruce as their state tree- the Alaskan state tree is the Sitka spruce; the Colorado State... - [The Top Three Acoustic Guitars For Professional Players](https://alaskawoods.com/the-top-three-acoustic-guitars-for-professional-players/) — The world of guitars is expansive and so are its tonewood options. Reputable acoustic guitar companies, such as Taylor Guitars and Martin & Co. are now offering dozens of standard tonewood... - [Mandolin Care and Maintenance – How to Look After Your Mandolin](https://alaskawoods.com/mando-care-maintenance/) — If you are someone who likes the look and feel of a worn, decrepit instrument, then this blog is not for you. On the other hand, if you want your mandolin to look as good as new for a long time,... - [4 Famous Bluegrass Mandolin Players You Should Definitely Know](https://alaskawoods.com/4-famous-bluegrass-mando-players/) — The mandolin: synonymous with Bluegrass and American folk music, is one of the most popular acoustic string instruments. If you wish to acquaint yourself with the instrument and its significance in... - [3 Basic Fingerpicking Tips That Will Save You on Years of Practice](https://alaskawoods.com/3-basic-fingerpicking-tips/) — Playing the guitar requires skill, effort, and more than just that, it requires the player to put their heart and soul into it. If you can relate to an artist like Kurt Cobain, and feel the need to... - [A Day With the crew of Alaska Specialty Woods Inc,](https://alaskawoods.com/a-day-with-the-crew-of-alaska-specialty-woods-inc/) — A Day with the Alaska Specialty Woods Inc crew We at Alaska Specialty Woods do a lot of different tasks to complete our one job, that is to produce the finest soundboard products in the world.... - [Tips for Creating Your Own Guitar](https://alaskawoods.com/tips-for-creating-your-own-guitar/) — There are music lovers and there are wood crafting enthusiasts; and sometimes the two are combined. Whether your love is for the sound that a guitar creates, or actually creating the instrument... - [Our Wood Stash](https://alaskawoods.com/our-wood-stash/) —   To create great instruments you need to start with the finest materials. Sitka Spruce is the wood for the job. This wood grows densely on Price of Wales Island. The maritime climate creates... - [All About Archtop Guitars](https://alaskawoods.com/all-about-archtop-guitars/) — Archtop guitars were first introduced in the late 1890's they were a new type of sound people were looking for. These new guitars were not invented to be amplified at the time. They already produced... - [All About Your Instrument’s Reeds](https://alaskawoods.com/all-about-your-instruments-reeds/) — Reeds are important to many woodwind instruments.  One could say that without the saxophone or clarinet the great sounds of jazz may never had existed.  Reeds are so important in bringing a unique... - [13 Tips for Better Guitar Practice](https://alaskawoods.com/13-tips-for-better-guitar-practice/) —   Many people are turning to self-teaching methods with books and videos, instead of going to a teacher and getting lessons with feedback. Here are some helpful tips that will maximize your... - [Seven Good Reasons To Learn Guitar](https://alaskawoods.com/seven-good-reasons-to-learn-guitar/) —  It's Never Too Late To Start!   Learning to play guitar is a skill for every age. Playing guitar is good for the soul and is not too complicated to learn when you have the right resources... - [Major Factors in Acoustic Guitar Sound Quality](https://alaskawoods.com/major-factors-in-acoustic-guitar-sound-quality/) — When people think acoustic, they often think vocals over guitar sound. This causes many people to fear that all acoustic instruments have the same tone and that couldn’t be further from what’s... - [Handcrafted Acoustic Guitars Vs. Electric Guitars and Electronics](https://alaskawoods.com/handcrafted-acoustic-guitars/) —  Guitar Playing Unplugged     The music emanated from a guitar is all-encompassing and permits you to forget everything else and feel the beat. Typically speaking, most guitarists favor... - [10 interesting Facts about Sitka Spruce Trees](https://alaskawoods.com/10-interesting-facts-about-sitka-spruce-trees/) —   A guitar's wood type affects its sound and tone quality, and everything about the tree's life plays a role. The tree's environment, age, and health can accentuate or diminish the quality of... - [Anything But Classic: 5 Wacky Guitars](https://alaskawoods.com/anything-but-classic-5-wacky-guitars/) — Ultimately, we know that a guitar, acoustic or classical, is only as good as the wood it’s made from. The rich tones and sounds produced by a quality wood are irreplaceable. But, let’s face it,... - [Cherry Vs. Indian Rosewood](https://alaskawoods.com/cherry-vs-indian-rosewood/) — When selecting tonewood, you have a myriad of choices, all of which can influence the tone of an acoustic guitar. Different types of wood accentuate and diminish sound quality, making only a select... - [Understanding Why ASW Vertical Grain Tone Wood is Superior](https://alaskawoods.com/understanding-why-asw-vertical-grain-tone-wood-is-superior/) — When selecting the tonewood for woodwind instruments like acoustic guitars, you have a few options. Not much of a debate exists between vertical grain wood and straight sawn wood, because of the... ...and 11 more.