Luthiers- do you prefer billets or already book matched sets?

[tea312]

To all of the great builders out there & hobbyist- do you prefer your top woods to be in book-matched form or billets when stored (dry or wet)? Any advantages or disadvantages to having one or both configurations? Thanks.

[BrandonT]

The wood will dry faster the thiner it is cut.
wood drys about 1 inch a year overall.

I like keep my wood as thick as possable as its better to have thicker
wood for design flexebility.

[stringbendr]

I like to store mine bookmatched, and clamped flat in a humidity controlled area. Some will try to warp even clamped and I like to be able to identify those in case they need special attention.

[Ian Anderson]

I like to keep the wood around as lumber or billets until I need it for tops. I have learned it's best to machine and join the wood into tops as close to the time you are going to glue it to the body as possible to minimize the chance for warping or cupping and get the best possible joint.

[gbdweller]

I keep mine bookmatched and stacked 'stickered' in a stable climate. (45% humidity). I flip the stickered piles occasionally to keep the seasoning of the pieces even. My tops usually season for a year before I work with them. Never sticker with a reactive wood. I use spruce blocks most of the time.

[stringbendr]

I suppose we could debate this all day.....

We've all got our reasons for how we store the stock. What is important to me is to be able to identify the tops that might be a potential problem, and to give them a chance to "settle" before use. Not every billet is dried the same, therefore the inner "slice" line may have more of less moisture than the opposite surface. Exposing both sides to air lets them sort of stabilize. The ones that exhibit to much movement are left to dry much much longer.