Because the back is the largest piece of wood in the entire ClimaCab, it requires more consideration when selecting the wood species to be used. To begin with, the back is a prominent aesthetic feature and it provides a backdrop for the instruments. Since it can range in color from light to dark depending on what wood, stain, and solid color is selected, the importance of choosing the right combination is vital. From a construction standpoint, the back is the place where the wood can move the most. Since the back is inset into the sides, limiting movement of this large piece is extremely important. Therefore, all ClimaCabs use a plywood back because of stability and limited expansion/contraction. The risk is too high to use a glued up back made of hardwood because it will undoubtedly push the sides of the ClimaCab outward as the wood naturally expands.
Some wood species have cabinet grade plywood that is indistinguishable from their hardwood counterparts. These wood species are identified with an asterisk in the Wood Tiers table above. If the ClimaCab is made from one of the woods with an asterisk and the Top Rail display option is chosen, we will simply install the cabinet grade plywood back unless the look of Tongue/Groove back is desired. If the ClimaCab is made from one of the woods without the asterisk, the only option is to use the Tongue/Groove back. The Tongue/Groove back consists of 4" wide strips of wood with a tongue on one edge and a groove on the other. These pieces are allow for the natural movement of wood, as the tongue can expand or contract within the groove. They are installed in a vertical orientation over a 1/2" thick piece of cabinet grade plywood that is concealed from view following installation.
For the ProHang display option, all slat wall is made from 100% hardwood regardless of the wood species used. The slat wall is also installed over a 1/2" thick piece of cabinet grade plywood. Since there is a 1/4" gap between the slats, a small sliver of the plywood is visible. Therefore we will typically stain the plywood back the same color as the remainder of the ClimaCab.
For the Neck & Bout Rest and Tandem display options, the options for utilizing the cabinet grade plywood or Tongue/Groove back are available.
