What is a good or superior wood for acoustic tops?

[old wrench]

I'm getting together some wood for another project or two .

It's been nearly 30 years since I've owned an acoustic guitar, and the time for another one is getting near.

I've got some sets of backs and sides coming, but I need some suggestions about selecting some decent top wood.

This is for a normal size 6-string, although I haven't decided on the exact body type yet.

Can ya'all help me out with selecting some top wood?


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[guitarbuilder]

I pretty much use Sitka spruce tops. I've used Englemann too. You'll find in some cases a 2nd grade top has acceptable defects you can work around. I bought a batch from Orcas Island tonewoods years ago. I leave the master grade stuff to people who know what they are doing with it....LOL. Everytime I make an acoustic is like the first time...


I suspect no matter which species you buy, it'll sound better than a 99 dollar plywood guitar.



http://www.radiofreeolga.com/tonewoods/

I bought backs and sides from Allied back when he was in CA.

https://alliedlutherie.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIism1_af_6AIVuv_jBx1LbwVvEAAYASAAEgIzT_D_BwE

 

[Marn99]

This is a pretty broad question, as there are a multitude of species used as guitar tops, and the wood selection isn't the only factor. Things such as final thickness, back and side species, bridge plate species, brace species, bracing pattern, and how the luthier voices the top come into play as well when it comes to making a good sounding top. Sitka, Engelmann, and Lutz spruce are all good places to start.

 

[Freeman Keller]

There are really two good wood species with some variations within each group and a few others worth considering. Remember that what you are really looking for is stiffness and weight (density). Those of us who attempt to build acoustic guitars do a lot of dancing around to try to tell if wood is stiff and light enough.

The classic top wood is most members of the spruce family for the same reason it was used to make the frames of fabric covered airplanes, racing boats and lots of other light but strong structures. The "best" spruce was Adirondack or red spruce - thats what the great guitars of the Golden era were topped with. It is almost impossible to find good red spruce any more, at least not the quality that was used in the '30. The popular spruce choice today is Sitka from the northwestern forests - it is available in good quality and at reasonable price. Probably 95 percent of commercial steel string guitars use Sitka. ps - it can have some lovely grain effects called "bear claw".

My last few acoustics were made from Lutz spruce which is a hybrid. It is very similar to Adi as far as strength and weight, has nice tight grain and sounds wonderful. Its available and recommended if you can find it.

Several other domestic and European spruces but those are the ones you find here. Spruces tend to have bright tones with a lot of head room. Spruces age well and seem to improve,

The second most popular wood is western red cedar. Cedar is very popular with classical guitar builders - it tends to have warmer more complex tone than spruce, less headroom. It is a lot more delicate to work with. Because its Young's modulus is less builders tend to make the plates slightly thicker and use slightly heavier braces. Cedar doesn't open up like spruce does - what you hear when you first string it is what you will hear in 30 years.

Mahogany is a wonderful tone wood - it was used on a lot of the inexpensive Depression era guitars that were played by the old blues men. I think the tone is a little more "woody" or "drier" than spruce or cedar - it tends to have more of the fundimentals of a note and not quite as many overtones.

I think the selection of the top wood on an acoustic is the second most important thing about how it is going to sound (second behind the amount of air you put in the box). A good builder can work with a piece of wood to get the maximum out of it, but for just building a nice acoustic guitar, you can't beat a piece of sitka spruce.

Sitka with bearclaw, my first home made guitar

Adirondack,this is about the best you can get today, grain is wide and it has some flaws

Lutz, did I say I love Lutz?

Western red cedar. I built this guitar last year, it is by far my favorite all around go to do everything acoustic

and plane jane mahogany. My little blues box

 

[nojazzhere]

There are really two good wood species with some variations within each group and a few others worth considering. Remember that what you are really looking for is stiffness and weight (density). Those of us who attempt to build acoustic guitars do a lot of dancing around to try to tell if wood is stiff and light enough.

The classic top wood is most members of the spruce family for the same reason it was used to make the frames of fabric covered airplanes, racing boats and lots of other light but strong structures. The "best" spruce was Adirondack or red spruce - thats what the great guitars of the Golden era were topped with. It is almost impossible to find good red spruce any more, at least not the quality that was used in the '30. The popular spruce choice today is Sitka from the northwestern forests - it is available in good quality and at reasonable price. Probably 95 percent of commercial steel string guitars use Sitka. ps - it can have some lovely grain effects called "bear claw".

My last few acoustics were made from Lutz spruce which is a hybrid. It is very similar to Adi as far as strength and weight, has nice tight grain and sounds wonderful. Its available and recommended if you can find it.

Several other domestic and European spruces but those are the ones you find here. Spruces tend to have bright tones with a lot of head room. Spruces age well and seem to improve,

The second most popular wood is western red cedar. Cedar is very popular with classical guitar builders - it tends to have warmer more complex tone than spruce, less headroom. It is a lot more delicate to work with. Because its Young's modulus is less builders tend to make the plates slightly thicker and use slightly heavier braces. Cedar doesn't open up like spruce does - what you hear when you first string it is what you will hear in 30 years.

Mahogany is a wonderful tone wood - it was used on a lot of the inexpensive Depression era guitars that were played by the old blues men. I think the tone is a little more "woody" or "drier" than spruce or cedar - it tends to have more of the fundimentals of a note and not quite as many overtones.

I think the selection of the top wood on an acoustic is the second most important thing about how it is going to sound (second behind the amount of air you put in the box). A good builder can work with a piece of wood to get the maximum out of it, but for just building a nice acoustic guitar, you can't beat a piece of sitka spruce.

Sitka with bearclaw, my first home made guitar

View attachment 710963

Adirondack,this is about the best you can get today, grain is wide and it has some flaws

View attachment 710966

Lutz, did I say I love Lutz?

View attachment 710968

Western red cedar. I built this guitar last year, it is by far my favorite all around go to do everything acoustic

View attachment 710972


and plane jane mahogany. My little blues box

View attachment 710971

I LOVE that mahogany "parlor" guitar.....that's spectacular.
I've long been partial to all mahogany guitars, since an uncle of mine had a "00" or "000"-17 Martin in the 1950's. David Russell Young also made some beautiful cedar-topped guitars in the 1970's.
All that said, spruce is probably most used.....and VERY good for the job.

 

[tubegeek]

Lutz, did I say I love Lutz?
View attachment 710968
Western red cedar. I built this guitar last year, it is by far my favorite all around go to do everything acoustic
View attachment 710972
and plane jane mahogany. My little blues box
View attachment 710971

Ooohh! Ahhh! Repeat.

 

[Freeman Keller]

I LOVE that mahogany "parlor" guitar.....that's spectacular.
I've long been partial to all mahogany guitars, since an uncle of mine had a "00" or "000"-17 Martin in the 1950's. David Russell Young also made some beautiful cedar-topped guitars in the 1970's.
All that said, spruce is probably most used.....and VERY good for the job.

Thank you. The size is a Martin double ought so in my book it is too big to be a proper "parlor" guitar. The one two pictures above (the Lutz top) is what I consider a parlor, but the definition is vague and it really doesn't matter.

I did do a build thread on the mahogany one and the thread would be exactly the same if I had used spruce for the top

https://www.tdpri.com/threads/mahogany-00-acoustic-guitar.969146/

I was playing it the other night and my wife asked "you play that guitar a lot, is it your favorite?" I said no, but its one of them,

 

[Dismalhead]

I've got an all-mahogany Seagull. It's very warm and deep and mellow, without the sparkly highs of a spruce-topped guitar. It's good but very different, I kinda have a different role when I play it with my other friend's acoustic. I'd recommend watching some videos on the sonic differences.

 

[Vanzant]

Italian Spruce

 

[nojazzhere]

Thank you. The size is a Martin double ought so in my book it is too big to be a proper "parlor" guitar. The one two pictures above (the Lutz top) is what I consider a parlor, but the definition is vague and it really doesn't matter.

I did do a build thread on the mahogany one and the thread would be exactly the same if I had used spruce for the top

https://www.tdpri.com/threads/mahogany-00-acoustic-guitar.969146/

I was playing it the other night and my wife asked "you play that guitar a lot, is it your favorite?" I said no, but its one of them,

I admit....I may use the term "parlor guitar" where it might not be exactly appropriate. I tend to refer to most small bodied acoustics as parlor, as opposed (in my mind) to a classical, grand concert, and dreadnought size instrument.....so sue me!
I still think yours are stunning.

 

[Vanzant]

Italian Spruce

or Englemann Spruce, but my Italian Spruce guitar sounds better than my Englemann and Sitka...maybe Italian, Englemann, Sitka...in that order for me.

 

[Milspec]

I do find Andirondack spruce to be uniquely wonderful, but it depends on what type of tone you want. Some are warmer than others, some open up when they age, and some are brighter than others or better for finger picking than say a hard strummer. Plenty of variables to iron out before you can decide on the best top for your purpose.

 

[Freeman Keller]

Here is another way to look at it. Three guitars, different sizes, different woods, different sound

The Lutz 0, mahogany 00 and Sitka 000

Two guitars, same size, different woods, different sounds

Lutz spruce OM, western red cedar OM

All of the are good, each of them is different

 

[1bad914]

I just finished an all mahogany j-45 style. I love it. Very warm, sounds great. I am currently building a sycamore guitar with a very old Adirondack spruce top. I have yet to tune the top, so tbd on it. It all depends on what sound you want.

 

[1bad914]

It is very subjective and really depends on what kind of sound you want the guitar to make.

 

[guitarbuilder]

I've only built a dozen acoustic guitars and they have varied in size over the years. They also turn out to be built every few years. Therefore, I can only imagine what the result will sound like based on the earlier ones. I hope the results sound like a guitar and I hope I'll like it. It's a win if it does.

Unless you build these things day in and day out, I doubt you can really predict what the outcome will really sound like, other than a range of sound based on size and copied brace patterns by somebody like Martin, and that is a general wide margin to end up in. As always, YMMV.

So I'd say, pick some woods....build the guitar....then start the next one.

 

[newminglewoodblue]

Red Spruce (adirondack) will sound superior to anything else to the overwhelming majority of players and listeners (it's been discussed and beaten like a dead horse). But, beauty is in the ears of the beholder. I have 2 sitka tops, and 2 adi tops. The extra tone juice the adi squeezes out is there imho. My mahogany B&S guitar has a sitka top and is very lovely! Both of my adi tops were torrified, which is a relatively new process of toasting the top to age (not a relic job). These tops opened up DRAMATICALLY within 6 months and sound pre-war like after a year (splendid out of the box!).

 

[Old Deaf Roadie]

Hmm...kind of a general question that bears many specifics and exceptions in the answer. Almost like asking which finger is superior for fretting a solo C#. IMO, the best wood is the one you will be happy looking at & telling your friends about.

 

[darkwaters]

My favorite:

https://www.taylorguitars.com/guitars/acoustic/features/woods/top-woods/lutz-spruce

 

[jvin248]

.

The bracing is the key part. Spend time on that. the industry likes to talk about tops backs and sides wood selection because that is what you see and that is how they market different price point instruments, but the mechanics of these go into the bracing.

1- what do acoustic guitar builders spend their time on when 'tap tuning' the tops? It's shaving the bracing. The braces are sturdier on the cheap guitars while for the expensive guitars the builder spends time trading off strength for flexibility, very carefully.

2- what do engineers spend their time and worry about building bridges with? the I-beams. The bending equations for such structures give vertical height or 'depth' a cubed factor. So a 3mm top supported by a 12mm brace (or I-beam) under it is getting all the support from the 12mm brace because it's depth is contributing a cubed strength factor. Width is linear, depth is cubed.

Spruce is a good top choice because it looks nice and grows faster/more renewable than any of the exotic timbers from fragile global rain forests.

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