In Europe Maple is a very traditional tone wood. Combined with Spruce for soundboards and used almost exclusively in Violins, Violas, Violincellos, and Basses Maple not only resonates very nicely itself but it helps to shape the tone.

In the US Rock Maple or Sugar Maple is used for furniture as well as Viols and many Archtop guitars. Elder and soft Maple are closely related and do not make a very high quality tone wood. There seems to be a corrolation between quality of sugar sap to quality of tone wood regards to Maple. Even Box Elder has a sugarable sap but it is of very poor quality

My experience with Maple shows it to be a very consistant and resonant wood regards to density. The resonance seems to depend on the figuration of the wood chosen. Flame, Tiger, Birds Eye, and Quilted maple are all used as woods for backs and sides and the figuring seems to shape the tone from dark to bright.

The Maple lap dulcimers I have made have a brighter sound than the more earthy sounding walnut instruments I have made.

Maple of a plain configuration carves easily with sharp tools. It glues well and generally speaking it takes a finish well.

Don