---
title: Success Story with Wood from Sustainable Forestry | Sonowood
description: "Product development with wood based technologies: Wood from sustainable forestry for musical instruments as ideal solution for luthiers and guitar makers."
image: https://sonowood.swisswoodsolutions.ch/hubfs/Website%202024/Nachhaltige%20Violine%20Richelieu%20mit%20Greentech%20-%20Sustainable%20Violin%20with%20Greentech%20-%20Swiss%20Wood%20Solutions-2-1.jpeg
---
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#### Sonowood. Instrument Making without Tropical Timber.
[Contact Us ](https://sonowood.swisswoodsolutions.ch/en/contact?hsLang=en)
#### Sonowood. Instrument Making without Tropical Timber.
[Contact Us ](https://sonowood.swisswoodsolutions.ch/en/contact?hsLang=en)
# Wood from Sustainable Forestry for Musical Instrument Making.
## The Challenge
Tropical timber is traditionally used in musical instrument making. But overexploitation on a worldwide scale means that stocks of most tropical timber types have decreased dramatically and many are at risk of disappearing altogether. The consequence? Quality suffers and availability decreases. More stringent import and trade restrictions such as CITES are also complicating international logistics for both tropical timber and musical instruments.
## The Solution
Swiss Wood Solutions developed Sonowood as an alternative to tropical timber. We exclusively use local wood from sustainably managed forests. Following a special modification process, the wood matches or even surpasses the physical, mechanical and tonal qualities of tropical timber. Sonowood is not a plastic composite but real wood without additives.
## The Result
Sonowood is a leading-edge solution, offering musical instrument makers the perfect substitute for endangered tropical timber. It is ideal for stringed instruments, guitars, and other plucked, wind or keyboard instruments. The high sound velocity and a damping comparable to ebony make it ideal for creating optimized sound qualities and ensuring excellent playability. Sonowood is 100% sustainable wood that is ethically and morally safe to use, and easy to process. It can be manufactured in a consistently high quality and is constantly available. Sonowood is not affected by the terms of CITES, meaning musicians need have no concerns when crossing international borders.
[ ](https://sonowood.swisswoodsolutions.ch/hs-fs/hubfs/Website%202024/Gitarrenbau%20aus%20nachhaltiger%20Forstwirtschaft%20-%20Guitar%20Making%20from%20Sustainable%20Forestry%20-%20Swiss%20Wood%20Solutions-1.jpeg?width=1200&name=Gitarrenbau%20aus%20nachhaltiger%20Forstwirtschaft%20-%20Guitar%20Making%20from%20Sustainable%20Forestry%20-%20Swiss%20Wood%20Solutions-1.jpeg&hsLang=en) [ ](https://sonowood.swisswoodsolutions.ch/hs-fs/hubfs/Website%202024/Violine%20aus%20nachhaltigem%20Holz%20-%20Violin%20made%20of%20Wood%20from%20sustainable%20forestry%20-%20Swiss%20Wood%20Solutions-1.jpeg?width=1200&name=Violine%20aus%20nachhaltigem%20Holz%20-%20Violin%20made%20of%20Wood%20from%20sustainable%20forestry%20-%20Swiss%20Wood%20Solutions-1.jpeg&hsLang=en) [ ](https://sonowood.swisswoodsolutions.ch/hs-fs/hubfs/Nachhaltiges%20Holz%20f%C3%BCr%20den%20Instrumentenbau.%20Sustainable%20Wood%20for%20the%20instrument%20making%20-%20Swiss%20Wood%20Solutions.png?width=1200&name=Nachhaltiges%20Holz%20f%C3%BCr%20den%20Instrumentenbau.%20Sustainable%20Wood%20for%20the%20instrument%20making%20-%20Swiss%20Wood%20Solutions.png&hsLang=en)
> No one can justify the clearance of tropical rainforests. We believed in Sonowood right from the outset and were happy to support the pioneering work involved. It is now used in our workshop on a daily basis. Sonowood’s material qualities allow me more leeway when it comes to shaping the sound.
##### Boris Haug
###### Luthier Zürich, Switzerland Winner Certificate of Artisanship VSA 2024 for a Viola equipped with Sonowood fittings
> The guitar with the fingerboard and bridge made of Sonowood has a very warm acoustic color. My customer is simply thrilled.
##### Dr. Mauro Bodio
###### Guitar Maker Basel, Switzerland
> The sound with Sonowood is warmer and more open than with the tropical wood fingerboard. The response is also much clearer than before.
##### Chin-Ting Huang
###### Violist Pacific Quartet Vienna
> Sonowood will revolutionize the manufacturing of wooden instruments.
##### Fidel Peugeot
###### Professional Guitarist Switzerland and Austria
> We initially chose Sonowood over tropical timber for ethical reasons. Now that we’ve been using it for a few years, we also love how it looks and feels
##### Stefano Gibertoni / Valerio Nalin
###### Luthiers Milano, Italy Winners of the Violin Society of America’s Certificate for Artisanship 2022 for a string quartet using Sonowood fittings from sustainable forestry
> We’ve been using Sonowood for many years now. We especially like the black beech fingerboards. Colleagues and musicians can’t see any difference between them and ebony, and we think the material’s properties and tonal characteristics are comparable to those of this high-quality wood. We’re grateful that we can rely on this sustainable alternative going forward.
##### Mira Gruszow / Gideon Baumblatt
###### Luthiers Werder an der Havel, Germany Winners of the Violin Society of America’s Gold Medal for Artisanship 2022 for a string quartet using Sonowood fittings from sustainable forestry
## Interested in Sonowood?
### If You Are an Instrument Maker:
##### Contact us.
We will be happy to discuss your individual requirements and answer any questions you have about Sonowood square timbers made from wood from sustainably managed local forests.
[**Contact us >**](https://sonowood.swisswoodsolutions.ch/en/contact?hsLang=en)
### If You Are a Musician:
##### Contact one of our partners. Or ask your preferred luthier about Sonowood.
We have carefully selected our partners: these respected experts have extensive experience in crafting high-quality musical instruments – and they rely on Sonowood. They will be more than happy to help you with making or modifying your instrument.
**[To the Sonowood Partners >](https://sonowood.swisswoodsolutions.ch/en/products/violin-making#sonowood-partners)**
##### Swiss Wood Solutions
Swiss Wood Solutions
Sonowood is an innovation developed by Swiss Wood Solutions AG. As a technology and business incubator, Swiss Wood Solutions supports sustainable businesses with the decarbonization of products and manufacturing processes, and the development of business models. With our unique wood densification process we develop genuine alternatives to tropical timber, plastic and composite materials. Our greentech innovations, which center on wood-based frontier technologies, promote sustainable development – in both ecological and economic terms.
Swiss Wood Solutions AG
Giessenstrasse 10
CH-6460 Altdorf
T +41 44 244 38 00
[mailto:info@swisswoodsolutions.ch](mailto:info@swisswoodsolutions.ch)
##### Quick Links
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- [Violin Making](https://sonowood.swisswoodsolutions.ch/en/products/violin-making)
- [Guitar Making](https://sonowood.swisswoodsolutions.ch/en/products/guitar-making)
- [Success Stories](https://sonowood.swisswoodsolutions.ch/en/references)
- [Portrait & Team](https://sonowood.swisswoodsolutions.ch/en/about-us/portrait-team)
- [Career](https://sonowood.swisswoodsolutions.ch/en/about-us/career)
- [Contact](https://sonowood.swisswoodsolutions.ch/en/contact)
- [Website Swiss Wood Solutions](https://www.swisswoodsolutions.ch/en/)
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