Premium woods that set the tone – versatile in use

Alpine spruce (Picea Abies) has been the preferred wood for making musical instruments for centuries. It transmits vibrations precisely and provides a clear, powerful resonance – ideal for instruments where the sound is crucial.

Despite its lightness, Alpine spruce is extremely stable and gains in sonority over time – a characteristic that musicians and collectors appreciate. We only use wood felled in winter from the Alpine growing regions, where cool temperatures and short vegetation periods ensure particularly fine-grained and high-quality tonewood.

KÖLBL quality:

With over 95 years of experience and know-how, we offer you carefully selected cuttings in various qualities and thicknesses. Our processing from the tree trunk to the finished tonewood guarantees sonorous results.

Hornbeam (Carpinus Betulus), also known as hornbeam, is characterized by its hardness, toughness and high density – properties that make it particularly suitable for stress-intensive applications in musical instrument making.

In piano making, hornbeam is mainly used for piano mechanisms, which offer exceptional stability thanks to the strength of the wood. Thanks to our special cutting process and careful drying processes, we guarantee that every part ensures maximum precision and durability.

KÖLBL quality:

Many years of experience in the processing and drying of tonewood. With KÖLBL tonewood, you can look forward to durable, precise components for your instruments.

Sycamore maple (Acer Pseudoplatanus) is known for its high density and strength, which ensure a clear and powerful sound. This wood is particularly suitable for string instruments such as violins or cellos and also for woodwind instruments such as flutes or clarinets, as it transmits vibrations perfectly while remaining stable.

Sycamore maple is easy to work with and is durable enough for precise and detailed work – ideal for making fine musical instruments. With its fine grain and light, slightly yellowish color, the wood also offers an aesthetically pleasing surface that makes for high-quality instruments.

KÖLBL quality:

Air-dried sycamore maple scantlings in various quality grades are stored in our factory for several years – ready for your instrument.

Pear wood (Pyrus) is characterized by its high density and strength, which gives it exceptional stability. Compared to maple, it is even denser and therefore ideal for demanding applications in musical instrument making.

The wood provides a warm, full sound and is particularly valued in string instruments and wind instruments such as clarinets and flutes. With its dark, reddish-brown colouring and fine grain, it offers both acoustic and aesthetic advantages.

KÖLBL quality:

Thanks to long storage, large quantities and our know-how, we offer pearwood scantlings of the highest quality.

Plum wood

Plum (Prunus domestica) and cherry (Prunus avium) are particularly valued woods in instrument making due to their hardness and beautiful grain. They offer a warm, round sound that is particularly effective in stringed instruments such as violins or guitars.

Both woods are known for their acoustic properties as well as their aesthetic beauty – the fine grain and warm, reddish-brown tones make them a popular choice for high-quality instrument components.

KÖLBL quality:

We have built up a good stock over the years. We offer different dimensions and cross-sections.