Fender Custom Shop Carved Floral Stratocaster, 1994. Photographed at NAMN Museum of Making Music

Music is a fascinating area when it comes to the art of woodworking. Wood adds to the beauty of both the music and the instrument itself. Music is, has been, and always will be an important part of culture. Until the refinement of metals and the development of synthetic materials wood was the material for instruments. Even today the finest instruments are made of wood. Pianos, guitars, and the woodwinds to name a few that are made from wood. Wooden instruments last and it is not uncommon to hear of a violin from the 18th, 17th, or even the 16th century sold in auction. The construction and the woods chosen for an instrument are not random, but are highly specialized. This forms an interesting overlap in the study of acoustics and wood science. The Music + Wood Series elaborates on the application of wood  as it applies to instruments.