A soundboard is the surface of a string instrument that the strings vibrate against, usually via some sort of bridge. Depending on the instrument, it is also called a top, top plate, resonator, table, sound-table, or belly. It is usually made of a softwood, often spruce.
Production and material
Wood for working a soundboard must be specially prepared. Ideally, it should be naturally dried. The natural drying process takes at least one year, but it is the only process that preserves the natural structure of the fibres and pores of the wood, which determine the resonance and frequency characteristics of the material. Not only is this process lengthy, but it is also expensive. Although it would be far quicker and cheaper to subject the wood to artificial drying, its quality would be compromised. The acoustic properties of an instrument are also influenced by the wood's cutting profile, the direction of its fibres and the lack of knots. ==See also==