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Old 04-22-2009, 03:32 PM
Jeff M Jeff M is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Matt Mustapick View Post
What is the difference in tone?
Perhaps a very subtle one some of the time, but the difference is so subtle that counterexamples to any tone generalizations you might hear about are nearly as common as confirming examples. That said, it may be that a Sitka guitar is more likely to have more warmth and fullness in the midrange, while an Adirondack guitar is more likely to have more separation and more treble projection.

Is either better?
Absolutely not. Adirondack spruce tends to have more fans, and a bit of ooh-la-la, because it generally costs a bit more.

Is there a price difference?
Usually. Adirondack is often more expensive. Price discrepancies across different varieties of woods are determined by supply. The fact that Adirondack costs more (or any other wood that costs more), is often mistakenly associated with some imputed notion of merit.

I think Adirondack and Sitka are both fine choices, so long as the wood is really nice.
Says it well.
Neither is "better".
Chinese vs Italian.
As with food, it depends on what you like.

Played/owned guitars made with Adirondac, and others made with Sitka.
My favorite has a sitka top.

Different builders designs tend to lend themselves more to one or the other.
Big generalizations here;
An Adirondac top (tends to be "bright", "sharp" sounding) on a Taylor (tend to be "bright", "sharp" sounding already) may be too much for some.
Adirondac on a Martin (tend to be "darker" sounding,) can balance it out nicely.
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Last edited by Jeff M; 04-22-2009 at 03:38 PM.
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