Spalted Maple for Guitar Construction

Spalted Maple

Spalted Maple can be very beautiful wood, but we do not recommend its use for guitars, even for decorative tops, as it tends to be spongy and almost cork-like. Spalted wood is actually diseased wood, making it striking to look at but very unstable. It is not a tonewood and I would argue that the softness of spalted wood actually dampens the tone of any instrument in which it is used.