Luthier, Mr. Juha Lottonen picks up a beautifully gleaming, reddish-brown guitar from the wall. It is a model called Modesto.

- The bindings are made from elm, the top, back and sides are birch and the neck black alder, he explains.

- When some old elms were felled in the Kaivopuisto Park in Helsinki some years ago, I had to try them. They were filled with the music from the concerts organised in the park over the decades, he says.

Traditionally, guitars have been made from mahogany, cedar, rosewood, sitka spruce - but not of Finnish tree species. Luthiers Juha Lottonen and Lauri Tanner from Lottonen Guitars use all of the above in their guitars, but also Finnish aspen, birch, black alder and spruce. Why use Finnish tree species?

- Well, why not? I experimented with alder, how it works as neck material - and it was fine. Alder is easy to work with, it's smooth and does not warp, which is important, Lottonen says.

Difficult to get quality wood from abroad

In addition, it is becoming more difficult to get quality wood from abroad. And even when it is available, it might not be sawn in the right way.

The mahogany on offer is heavier than it used to be, Lottonen says. On the other hand, the use of Brazilian rosewood is difficult, as its trade is strictly monitored to prevent the species from becoming endangered due to illegal logging and trade. Whenever travelling with an instrument made of Brazilian rosewood, you have to present a valid document about the legal origin of the wood to the customs.

For Lottonen Guitars, the legal origin of the wood is extremely important.

Lottonen says that using Finnish wood is also a part of the company's brand. For some of the customers that is precisly "the thing" in a Lottonen guitar. A relatively small company can use the variation in the wood material to their advantage, as each guitar is an individual.

Timbre and tone depend on the wood species

The tree species used and its characteristics affect the timbre and tone of the instrument made of it. A back made of Brazilian rosewood gives a guitar a beautiful timbre.

Usually, one wants the vibration of the guitar to last, in order that the sound continues longer. A heavier wood vibrates longer than a lighter one.

On the other hand, in a Cuban Tres guitar, used to play more fiery rhythms, the sound should be sharper.

- Finnish aspen might perhaps be used in a Tres guitar because of its lightness, Lottonen ponders.

Photo: forest.fi