Yoshiyuki Kaku began with an approach that was similar to making an instrument, instead of a speaker. Not just any wood would do. It had to significantly contribute to the beauty of the sound. He started with listening tests of Walnut, Spruce, Birch, and Maple. After exhaustive auditions, Kaku-san settled on Maple, the preferred choice of musical instrument makers. It made perfect sense.
Almost.
Not content, Kaku-san proceeded to test Maple from different countries and different regions, refining his search to wood from Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido. Closer to Siberia than to Tokyo, Hokkaido features vast forests and a cold climate. The cold gives Hokkaido Maple a tight grain, which makes a marked contribution to the beauty of the sound. Furthermore he decided it needed to be harvested in November, when the grain is tightest.
