Which is better spruce or cedar?

Spruce tends to be the most popular top for acoustics (confusingly there are several varieties of spruce used on guitars!) and has in general a bright sound whereas cedar is warmer with less high end sparkle.

Is spruce louder than cedar?

Generally speaking, spruce is louder than cedar and is therefore a better choice for concertizing.

Is a spruce top guitar good?

Overall, spruce will give you a clear, crisp high end for articulate notes, and a balanced base and mid response. Other top woods are mahogany, maple, and cedar. A laminate top doesn't necessarily produce a bad sounding guitar.

Are cedar guitars good?

Cedar is the most popular top tonewood for classical guitars and is an excellent choice for steel-string acoustics as well. A variety of cedars can be seen in acoustic guitar tops and necks, though it's uncommon to see it used as a back and sides material and certainly as a fretboard material.

Do spruce top guitars sound better with age?

Spruce ages beautifully, like fine wine. As the top stiffens and dries with age, the sound of a spruce top guitar will slowly evolve and mature.

SPRUCE vs CEDAR Classical Guitars Tone Comparison | Klassische Gitarre Fichte oder Zeder?

How long does it take for a spruce top guitar to open?

Re: How long for spruce to 'open up'?

The sound grows really fast as it comes under tension, and the biggest sound improvement happens within the first 24 hours."

Are spruce and cedar the same?

Cedar (Cedrus) and spruce (Picea) trees may seem similar, but they are very different trees. Cedar belongs to the genus Cedrus, which is part of the family Pinaceae (pine family), of which there are roughly 40 species native to the northern hemisphere. Spruce trees are coniferous evergreens.

How do you tell a spruce from a cedar?

Usually, (western red) cedar is darker colored when new than spruce. Especially if the spruce is not sitka, the difference should be obvious. That is, if it's fairly new and doesn't have toners or a strongly colored shellac coating. New non-sitka spruces are usually quite white.

What is the best wood for a guitar body?

Mahogany, mainly used in the acoustic world, for back and sides. It is the most commonly used hardwood because it's relatively economical, durable, attractive, easy to work with and resonant. Mahogany became popular in guitars because it is attractive and cheaper to get than rosewood.

Is cedar good for guitar tops?

Cedar tops sound full and voluminous

Cedar's tone responds quickly and percussively to the player as well, making the sound quite different than the spruce top. This makes cedar-topped guitars especially popular with guitar students and beginners.

Do cedar top guitars sound better with age?

Cedar tends to get even better sounding with age, as do many woods. Spruce on the other hand, is lighter in color, and a true hardwood.

Is spruce or mahogany better?

Mahogany guitars sound smoother and warmer compared to spruce top guitars which sound brighter and more crisp. This is because mahogany produces more bass and mid-range emphasis compared to spruce which has more treble emphasis.

What is harder spruce or cedar?

Is Spruce Harder Than Cedar? Red Cedar is harder than Spruce, but white Cedar is slightly softer than Spruce. There're is a significant difference in hardness between red Cedar and White Cedar.

Which wood is best for classical guitar?

Is spruce good for electric guitar?

Spruce, like other softwoods, is much too soft for practical use in electric guitar necks.

Is spruce a pine?

Definition. Spruce is a widespread coniferous tree, which has a distinctive conical shape and hanging cones while pine is an evergreen coniferous tree which has clusters of long needle-shaped leaves. Thus, this describes the distinguishable difference between spruce and pine.

How do you identify a spruce?

To tell spruce and fir trees apart, it helps to know that spruce needles are sharply pointed, square and easy to roll between your fingers. Fir needles, on the other hand, are softer, flat and cannot be rolled between your fingers. Spruce needles are attached to small, stalk-like woody projections.

Is cedar a hardwood?

No, cedar is not a hardwood. This iconic wood, known throughout the world for its beauty, versatility and spicy aroma, is a softwood. It belongs to a group of plants known as “gymnosperms,” which includes most conifers, such as pine and fir trees. The common term for all gymnosperms is softwoods.

Is spruce a good outdoor wood?

The spruce offered for exterior applications exhibits moderate rot and pest resistance. Treatment with chemical preservatives and waterproofing compounds greatly increase spruce's resistance to deterioration. Under natural weathering conditions spruce's creamy white color slowly changes to a light silver.

How long does spruce last?

What kind of trees last the longest? A typical pine, fir or spruce tree should last roughly five weeks when maintained properly, though they age in different ways, depending on the type of tree and environmental factors.

Is spruce durable?

Spruce, which is our most important wood for construction timber, falls into the lowest durability category in contact with the ground.

Do guitar strings expire?

Unlike produce at your local grocer, guitar strings do not have specific expiration dates. They are metal, though, and, if subjected to air and moisture, will rust. Most guitar-string manufacturers advise their strings can last several years before opening and use.

What guitar strings are best?

Do old guitar strings sound bad?

The first time you play new strings is the best they ever sound. Strings gradually deteriorate until they break or you can't take the dreary sounds they produce. Old strings sound dull and lifeless, and they lose their tensility (their capability to hold tension), becoming brittle.