Sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus) is a tree native to nearly all western Europe in higher altitudes, but it was spread by mankind to nearly all lowlands in between. Sycamore wood is widely used for furniture, in houses for wood flooring and parquetry and of course for musical instruments. The wood is nearly white with a silky lustre, because it was hard-wearing, heavy pub tables were traditionally made of this wood. Occasional sycamore maple trees produce curly figured or fiddle back wood with wavy grain, this greatly increases the woods value for musical instruments and decorative veneers. This extremely precious wood is imported from Bosnia, Scotland, southern Germany and Tyrolian mountain regions. Since hundreds of years this is the wood of choice for precious violins, guitars and flutes, also high level furniture is made from this rare wood.
