More interesting is the percentage of a traditionally-built guitar’s sound that is due to the particular player and that makes this subject almost an irrelevance other than to tyros. One more point, Jose Ramirez III would seriously disagree with this article. What is the main factor that guarantees swift response and even notes throughout the registers? Spruce top guitars have a wonderful blooming tone, with bell-like trebles and basses that are low and full but tend more toward the mid range. Every now and again, with the right weather conditions, a cedar top can sound amazing in a way that spruce can’t, if you can wait that long. Actually the widespread use of cedar tonewood for classical guitar tops began fairly recently, having its major “boom” in the mid 1960’s. Spruce is a highly flexible, yet stiff material, and it is for this reason that it has become such a prized and essential component in the building of classical guitars. However I’ve owned and played cedar as well. And there are often moments/ parts within a piece that make one guitar really outstanding. Cyprus cedar. Like the cedar, spruce is a popular ornamental tree. Both woods work well in home and building projects, and … When it comes to comparing treated wood vs. cedar, pressure-treated wood is the sturdier and more weather-proof of the two. Discounting the different techniques luthiers use in bracing the top, or the thickness of the soundboard, it is generally agreed that a spruce top guitar will sound brighter than a cedar top guitar. i loved this and so true about the aging i bought my simplicio replica from u about 7 years ago and the change in herfor the better is amazing the tone has matured and deepened yes we are growing older together !! Why? 2.Cedar wood is decay and rot resistant while spruce wood does not have this property. There are several prominent artist who only play cedar, Barrueco and David Russell. Generally the closer the stripes of the wood are, the older the wood is. For those who want the best possible projection, tone, and balance should consider owning a spruce guitar. A player with a good touch will get an incredible variety of tones and timbres from a spruce top guitar. Therefore, cedars offer a high degree of resistance to deterioration, particularly compared to spruce. It’s highly resistant to insect attack and rot, and special versions rated for “ground contact” can be buried in soil and will continue to shrug off decay for decades. Spruce is edible, and parts of the tree can be made into tea, beer, syrup, and gum while cedar cannot be eaten. As the top stiffens and dries with age, the sound of a spruce top guitar will slowly evolve and mature. Pros of Cedar Cedar is a softwood, but that doesn't mean it isn't durable. After logging, it is prone to decay and is suitable only for indoor use. Basically genres that benefit from the striking sound the Spruce top produces. ). A new cedar guitar will have rich harmonics and a crispness that is sometimes lacking in a brand new spruce-topped guitar. Spruce Tops generally are more trebly, they sound more punchy and bright, for some people they are too bright. There so much variation in the world of classical guitar, and eventually, the onus falls on the player to decide what he or she likes or dislikes about a particular tonewood. When it comes to choosing the best wood, it can be a tough choice, as there are pros and very little cons to each. What do you guys think? Spruce ages beautifully, like fine wine. It seems as if every time the topic of classical guitar comes up in conversation, this question seems to spring up as well. Unlike spruce and similar whitewoods, cedar exhibits natural resistance to both rot and pests. They can grow up to 60 meters tall and have spicy-scented wood. Cedar oil has anti-seborrhoeic, antiseptic, antifungal, tonic, insecticide, sedative, and expectorant properties. This same scent is given off by the oil that the cedar tree produces making products made from it decay and rot resistant. Generally though I’d agree that spruce tends to give a more focused, nuanced and better projected sound. Spruce top guitars also have a tone palette that is sensitive and highly nuanced. Generally speaking, this is true, but with many individual exceptions. Spruce also tends to project sound in a way that is more linear, as opposed to cedar which has a tendency to “radiate” sound. Cedar guitars are usually darker, warmer, and fuller sounding than spruce guitars. The conventional view is that cedar produces a warmer, fuller, mellower sound, and spruce produces a sharper, brighter sound with more clarity. It’s also great for abdominal pain, muscles cramps, and nausea associated with menses. Good read. Good to see this blog addressing the really important issues! A player with a good touch will get an incredible variety of tones and timbres from a spruce top guitar. and updated on April 27, 2011, Difference Between Similar Terms and Objects, Difference Between Tropical Meteorology and Monsoon Meteorology, Difference Between Black and Honey Locust Trees, The Difference Between Softwood and Hardwood, Difference Between Armadillo and Anteater, Difference Between Vitamin D and Vitamin D3, Difference Between LCD and LED Televisions, Difference Between Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates, Difference Between Civil War and Revolution. Please note: comment moderation is enabled and may delay your comment. I own, and have owned a number of spruce top guitars, but in terms of sound, my Gerundino cedar top is my favourite guitar by a royal mile. Like redwoods, true cedars naturally produce compounds that prevent damage from rot, fungus and many pests. Eastern Red Cedar Wood. One of its main uses is as paper. Exceptional Sitka spruce guitars are very hard to beat because they have a blend of the spruce and cedar characteristics, but they are very hard to find, not least because good Sitka tone-wood is hard to find. Coming Soon: Florian Blochinger builds a new guitar for GSI from… TIGERWOOD! Some people call this wood “aromatic cedar” due to its strong, woody smell. I strongly doubt that any of these old saws that you repeat would stand up to blind testing for one moment. Reducing the spruce-cedar issue to this material/physical aspect only or worse, to famos names and prices is the wrong way, I believe. Spruce is light blonde in color, almost sometimes with a honey/amber tint, while cedar is darker and appears in various shades of brown. Cedar has these classifications: Deodar cedar Some spruce top guitars have a very warm, mellow sound, while many cedar top guitars are characterized by brilliance and clarity. Because of that, they possess all the same features, except the wood used in making the … Sound Produced by Cedar. If it doesn’t sound great when it’s new, best to look elsewhere. Sitka spruce in master grade is readily available as sitka spruce to very old age(500 yrs+) and size. Density: Spruce is generally greater, although some specimens of Engelmann spruce fall within the general range of cedar. Both sound great and become more mellow when played a lot in which they are. Cedar wood is suitable for both outdoor and indoor furniture. There is no need to resubmit your comment. Adirondack or red spruce preferred for steel string guitars is much more scarce as the trees were over harvested, and naturally grow smaller and only 200 yrs or less at maturity. Over time, a good cut of spruce will mature and darken, giving it a golden (almost glowing) look. A lot of people joke around when it comes to painting … However, there seems to be a lot of myth surrounding this age old question. Lebanon or Turkish cedar The sound projects well either because it emphasizes the higher frequencies (bad) or because it is clear, that is to say the frequency response of the instrument is well balanced (good). Cedar and spruce are two of the most common types of wood for fences, for very different reasons. Spruce also tends to project sound in a way that is more linear, as opposed to cedar which has a tendency to “radiate” sound. Cedar wood can also absorb moisture and deodorize so it is suitable for shoe trees. Considering this, it is no surprise that hardwoods tend to make poor tops for guitars. Cedar trees are ornamental but they also have other uses. Obviously, there are a plethora of exceptions to consider. • Categorized under Nature | Difference Between Cedar and Spruce. These are just a few points to help better understand some of the more “generalized” characteristics of spruce tops. It is edible, though, and its oil can be made into spruce beer; its needles can be made into tea and spruce tip syrup, and its sap can be made into gum. A lot of people like Spruce tops more than Cedar tops because Spruce tops produce a much clearer and brighter sound. Korean Guitarist, Jiji Kim, Visits GSI and Records Music by Claudia Sessa and Tania León. Cedar leaf also possesses astringent properties making it a great topical treatment for varicose veins. and , of course, cedar models , we came to the simple conclusion that EVERY single guitar has its very special advantage and there are compositions or even eras that make one guitar superior to all the others.