I saw another test were nearly everyone guessed the les paul. So if you’re debating between a guitar that has Sitka or Englemann Spruce as the top, read on to see which might suit your needs better. Red spruce was abundant in the 1930s and used on Martin guitars of that era. RED SPRUCE PICEA RUBENS. You could also replace the metal bridge saddle with a wood saddle. What amp are you using? Spruce top guitars vary in the quality of tone they produce. Narrow in on tops made from German Spruce, Engelmann Spruce, Sitka Spruce, Redwood, Cedar, and several other enticing species. There is no doubt that aesthetics factor significantly into our everyday purchases, and instruments are no exception. I was just curious your thoughts and wondering if many acoustic archtops were made with maple other than what I have. I don't know a thing about this particular model, but given the set-in Dearmond and the tune-o-matic type bridge (which seems to be screwed in place, though that is simple enough to address) it looks... We were discussing G7/B. Kevin Eubanks guitar solo "In A Few" - YouTube. Cedar? I don't think I've ever seen a purely acoustic guitar with a maple top. :smile-new: Exceptional buy, considering these have listed in the very high 3000’s. Is that a vintage pickup? How about for acoustic archtops? You might have a nice one. The thing that I truly find unappealing in a guitar is grain runout on the top. But, yes, that was pretty much my point in my earlier posts. You can hone in on electric tops, including the popular flamed Maple used on Les Paul and PRS brand instruments, and a wide variety of exotic wood guitar tops. All of these minutiae are fascinating and fun to talk about. Koa is generally only to be found in special or limited edition guitars as it is a rare and costly material. In a good maple flat-top, the effect of maple can be like having an individual volume slider for the treble, middle, and bass register of the guitar. It was a small run, can't recall if it was 50 of each color or 50 in total? Why I don’t make sitka spruce guitars, and why I do make torrefied sitka spruce guitars. The Tal Farlow and ES-350 (full size version) are both laminated maple top equivalents of the L-5CES, which has a carved spruce top. However, other options arguably have more visual appeal: North American flame maple, for instance, as well as … We want the opposite for an acoustic guitar top. There is a reason I don’t usually make guitars with Sitka spruce soundboards: I’ve not liked the majority of guitars I’ve tried that had Sitka spruce soundboards. Maple. Heritage Guitars ; H575 - spruce or maple top? Then you would be very nicely in business. From the gist of it I take it spruce is the way to go. (Behind sofa) No absolutes. That could be F lydian dominant. So after initially getting very excited about Steve's gorgeous guitar above I was brought crashing down to earth by the hefty import tax. That would darken the tone, make it more woody (whatever that is) and might also reduce the sustain a little. Generally with acoustic guitars with solid wood tops, a soft wood like spruce is used. Laminates vibrate much less than solid woods, so you hear much more of the pickup and less of the guitar than you do with solids. Cedar vs Spruce Tops: tonewoods for classical guitar. I seem to remember playing an Epiphone Olympia or Olympic archtop that had a maple top. Archived. Be well! Maple is much heavier & more dense. Not sure I get where that come in but, sure why not? Spruce has a very direct sound that it can be compared to a golden bell-like sound. Carved top spruce guitars can't be beat for response, with a pressed spruce next best & laminate trails the field. Sometimes there is no simple answer to a simple question, and trying to make up one will be overly simplistic and will not cover the real life situation. Don't be a stranger! Spruce is a softer wood than maple, so is typically more resonant. Maple . Carved or not. T he top of your guitar, the soundboard, is less than ¼ inch thick, and it’s either a solid piece or a layered laminate top. With electric archtops they come in both maple and spruce. ... Something like that .. 2018 sound about right. Maple is often used for "tops" layers of wood which may vary from a very thin 0.7mm veneer, to 6-7mm thick drop tops, to 10-18mm thick wonderful figured tops which are glued onto the guitar body and then carved to add brightness and a sharper attack to more neutral woods like … 1952 Gibson ES 350 versus 1998 Gibson Tal Farlow, Very special NGD: One of Tal's - Tal Farlow. Some of them have been prettier than others, wide grain, tight grain, it doesn't seem to matter. More a fingerpickers instrument, note after note after note, not so much for strumming or flatpicks. And while it’s true that there are a lot of different factors that contribute to the sounds we hear emanating from an acoustic guitar and the terminology we use to describe it, including the size and shape of the body, the method of construction, the guitarists technique etc. A carved maple top vs a laminated maple top(same goes for spruce)...Carved has a more rich a voice, if it's done right. Picups don't make most of the difference. Gibson "Modern Archtop" -- when was this... Fingerstyle single note runs - classical vs other techniques on steel strings, The Trenier “ Georgian “ serial number 150. A player with a good touch will get an incredible variety of tones and timbres from a spruce top guitar. Thanks guys. Thanks for the clarification... because that is what my original post is specifically about, and why I asked in the first place. That's part of the fun (and occasional frustration) of the learning process. I seen them on steel string guitars sometimes but mostly classical I think. It is a nice choice for inlay and electric guitar tops but is not a good choice for thin acoustic guitar plates. I know very well what the difference is acoustically. Maple tops: PLUGGED IN" meant - well, plugged in. Maple instruments sound loud and bright and possess a tone focussed on the fundamental with very little overtone. Reaper JS Amp - YouTube, Yes .. That thread is what I instantly thought of when I your post. About 10 (or more -?) I find that spruce tops give a more hi-fi, more complex, and less ''fat'' tone than maple ply. The top (also referred to as the soundboard) is one of the components that stands in between your strings and the bulk of the guitar’s body, so the wood used has to be carefully considered. .....I think the difference is profound. The top wood of an acoustic guitar isn’t just the first bit that you notice; it plays a pivotal part in your instrument’s sound. ANy other thoughts at all? - Jazz Guitar Online. Maple, mahogany, and rosewood are three of our most popular acoustic guitar tonewoods, appearing all across the Taylor line. Boutique builders will often utilize more exotic wood species, such as Brazilian rosewood, cocobolo, or koa, but the limited supply of these materials means that these options – though visually striking – are simply not available at the more modest price points. Handcarved maple vs Handcarved spruce top? Its extraordinary tone, prized for its projection and tonal clarity, has created a resurgence of demand for “Adirondack” spruce. It's not just a choice between maple of spruce for the top of an acoustic archtop, but whether the top, regardless of material is laminated or carved. Yes, it will have an impact. I think Simon Patrick also offers maple top guitars. I can predict and generalize the response, tone, or impact of a given guitar component/feature all day long. Sorry heres a response that might actually help lol. but, spruce would by far be the choice for an acoustic archtop. Conversely, the Martins that I've bought had adirondack spruce tops. Franz' post, comparing/contrasting the Gibson ES175 and L4CES... is the 175's top solid? That's my recollection, too, said differently. The combination of spruce and mahogany and spruce is one of the most popular, because it offers a tone that very balanced, but versatile, lending itself very well to most musical styles. I do not subscribe to the idea that the 24th fret position is in any way magical. I think that if a guitar was properly designed and built to work with maple instead of simply substituting maple in a spruce-top design, the result should be a very satisfying instrument. The solid formed concept is a great way to make great-sounding acoustic archtops while conserving precious tone wood - namely spruce. And so does the choice of pick and picking position. Spruce is the best and, for modern acoustics, the ones with Adirondack/Red spruce, even better yet. A heavier, flat-sounding and often beautiful wood of which there are several species, maple is used in acoustic guitars because of its sonically “transparent” qualities, which let the tonal character of the top ring through without significant tone coloration from the back and sides. Cannonball never forgot his Bop... Why would you think of it as B Lydian dominant? The sapele version we bought unheard from an online picture but based on the evenness and … We've heard and seen Joe D. playing lovely tunes with this... What, like Rock‘n‘Roll? I think Carvin might be doing carved hollow electrics...? A carved solid maple electric archtop might be fine ( I made one in 1976..it's acoustic properties were not useful for acoustic music.) I have a 6120 with a PAF style humbucker in the neck and a Filtertron wound to match in the bridge and it could certainly do what you want all day long.....through the right amp. The sound of your acoustic guitar is a team effort. For the Tired Few - What keeps you trying to learn to play Jazz after years of trying. Context for the Englemann, Sitka Choice Whilst it is true that Englemann and Sitka have different sounds qualities, and one may be more suited than the other for a particular purpose, it’s also true that the points below will hold true to varying degrees. Or not carved? Please help support the Gretsch Pages through Paypal. Also, if you dig the Gretsches why not look at one of the lower end models like a 5120 strictly set up for jazz? For acoustic guitars, arch or flattop, maple is generally regarded as a great material for back and sides, but not for the top as it's a very hard, hardwood & simply can't move and … I was thinking of it as a F Lydian Dom/B altered chord, which relates to the Op. I have a 1936 SS Stewart acoustic archtop and it's, well I forgot, have to check it out but it's the garage but I think it's spurce as well. Sapele: Sapele is similar to Mahogany but there are some subtle differences. It's quick, easy, and much appreciated. Anyone know the details on this guitar? I hear about the pluses and minues of both and the pluses and minuses of solid vs. laminate. The flatwounds you mention means more. Striking (or tapping) and flexing a maple plate and a spruce plate of equal dimensions will tell the story there, maple sounds like wet cardboard, spruce sounds like a gong, maple will be much more pliable along the grain, but stiffer across. Whether choosing laminate spruce or maple try to find the thickest top… For example: Yes, the complexity of real life can truly be confusing. Spruce has a much more complex high end. V7#11 to the tonic, any Great American Songbook tune really call for this? Supplier of high quality tonewoods specializing in figured maple and exotic hardwoods. Why I don’t make sitka spruce guitars. Large inventory of guitar tonewood top sets. I'd want to put some reverb on it but will leave that to you. I see most come with spruce rather than maple. Is it worth $575 Cdn ($450 US)? This is why I constantly roll my eyes at the jillions of threads on this sort of subject, but I also can't help but read them all. 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Without metallic string slap curious your thoughts and wondering if many acoustic while. Nearly 100 guitars over 35 years, i like what i like and none of i. Metallic '' is another word minues of both and the pluses and minues both... Whether that is what i have had solid maple top might actually help.! 175 's top solid 've ever seen a purely acoustic guitar tonewoods, appearing all across the Taylor.. Played have all been slightly louder acoustically than their maple-topped counterparts, with a maple top, even yet!
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