I've been looking at Cremonese and Venetian celli and I've noticed a pattern where celli with poplar or willow backs have ribs made from pear or beach. I didn't find a lot of examples so maybe these were just a coincidence. My other thought is that while poplar and willow backs work well for celli backs they are not appropriate (structurally?) for ribs. Is this true?
I've seen tonewood suppliers of European poplar and I can get Tulip poplar (not from the Populus genus) locally. However, I have no idea where to order European Beech or pear. If needed with willow or poplar for ribs, does anyone know reliable suppliers of beech or pear?
Thanks,
Jim