ENGLISH SYCAMORE WOOD
English Sycamore is a member of the maple family and is found throughout Europe. This is the lumber that is used for violins, cellos, basses, and violas. It is often quartered, a requirement for musical instruments. English Sycamore is used extensively for architectural millwork projects calling for a very white colored lumber. It can be highly figured with curl or what the British like to call ripple.
- Often found with curl figure (ripple)
- Larger logs usually quartered
- Highly prized for veneers
- Superior tonewood for classical instruments
- Good substitute where thicker / wide white material is needed
- Logs yield more sap wood
Characteristics of English Sycamore
| Origin of Wood Type | England & Europe |
| Botanical Name | Acer pseudoplatanus |
| Specific Gravity | 0.61 |
| Avg. Weight Per BF | 3.17 lb/ bf |
| Color Range | White – Cream |
| Rarity / Availability | Readily Available |
| Typical Avg. Width | 3″ to 24″ |
| Typical Avg. Length | 6′ to 16′ |
| Avg. Waste Factor | 0.5 |
| Wood Uses | Fine Furniture, Cabinetry, Architectural Millwork, Guitar Building / Instrument Making, Wood Turning, Wood Carving, Veneer, Flooring and many other uses |
| Lumber Grades | Quartersawn, Quartersawn (Figured), Flitch, Veneer |
| Other Trade Names | Sycamore, Great Maple, European Maple |