Super Flake Spessart Oak

OM/000

AAAA

Extreme figure

Unsanded

Minimum Dimensions

Back Halves: 8-1/4″ x 22″ x 0.15″

Sides: 5″ x 31-1/2″ x 0.110″

Oak is not typically considered an instrument wood, but is increasing being used and touted for it’s bright, clear projection, similar to Maple.

Martin Guitar’s iconic, limited run of 100 “Arts and Crafts” Guitars were built from these same trees purchased from the same supplier many years ago.

Recently, Martin has been purchasing more of these trees for another limited run from this supplier, and I visited the sawmill and scooped them up before they could.

These back and side sets are cut from Old Growth White Oak exclusively grown in the Spessart forest in Bavaria, Germany and are the absolute gold standard of all Oaks worldwide.

The Spessart forest is a unique experiment in White Oak conservation. 1,000 years ago, the local Bishops reserved the area for hunting due to the stellar production of acorns that the White Oaks produced, which are highly favorable to deer and other game species.

The management continues to this day, but the focus is now on the Oaks themselves.

German foresters clear one hectare of land at a time, and then plant the acorns from the best specimens. The seedlings are thinned out a few at a time leaving only the best trees.

As the most promising trees grows, they plant Beech trees, which grow well in the shade of an Oak, and prevent the lower trunk of the Oaks from branching out, which would degrade the lumber’s quality.

‘Super Flake’ refers to the rare, cross-grain figure sometimes found in these trees, and only revealed when the sets are cut carefully to obtain a perfectly quartersawn orientation, further adding to the rarity and exceptional appearance of these sets.

“the Spessart bears the most magnificent oaks in the world. American cabinet makers, when they want the last word in quality use Spessart oak.” – Aldo Leopold