Can I usePoplar for a harp sound box?

[stuckinthemud]

I know traditional Celtic harps used willow (Salix) for carved soundboxes, and I know poplar is a genus of Salix, so can I use poplar for that purpose?

 

[BillK]

I'm not sure this is much help but with other stringed instruments using a soundbox and top, it's the top that matters the most by far; the wood type, thickness, shape, bracing patterns, etc. The back & sides/soundbox matters less so people use all sorts often for cosmetic reasons. It's more of a support and kind of an amplifier, for the top. For instance some guitars are built & braced so the back & sides are deliberately pretty rigid and all the action is in the design of the top.

But I know nothing about celtic harps so.. The mechanics might be different - praps there's a specialist forum or two worth a hunt through.