Tops

[mrkpower]

Old topic but new poll!
Please select your favorite tone wood for the soundboard of classical guitars.
Any why?

[redir]

It's just not a fair question

But really it depends on what you are after. My personal favorite guitar has a WRC top and I would describe it as having a romantic Spanish tone, if that even makes any sense. But the Contreras guitar I have with a spruce top has an incredible punch to it and is very loud and rings like a bell.

[Emile640]

Really depends on the guitar. I've owned and played exquisite western red cedar tops; various spruce tops, and my current favorite that I still own is a double top with lutz outer and wester red cedar inner layer.

[rick-slo]

All of the above depending.

[LadysSolo]

Originally Posted by Emile640

Really depends on the guitar.

This^^^^. In general, spruce but I can be persuaded otherwise....

[tbeltrans]

On a classical guitar, I prefer a cedar top. To me, it is a warmer sound and I much prefer the looks. However, I have never considered that there are several kinds of cedar top, so I wouldn't know what to put on the poll.

Tony

[jaymarsch]

I love cedar but have owned an Engelmann topped nylon string that was stellar. Best of both worlds really.

Best,
Jayne

Originally Posted by tbeltrans

On a classical guitar, I prefer a cedar top. To me, it is a warmer sound and I much prefer the looks. However, I have never considered that there are several kinds of cedar top, so I wouldn't know what to put on the poll.

Tony

None of the woods identified as cedar on the list are actually cedar (of the genus Cedrus). If we all used Linnaean taxonomy/classification we would avoid much confusion.

[redir]

Yup. Cedar has become a generic word to mean wood with a nice spicy scent to it. Those listed are all in the cypress family if I'm not mistaken.

Originally Posted by redir

Yup. Cedar has become a generic word to mean wood with a nice spicy scent to it. Those listed are all in the cypress family if I'm not mistaken.

Yes, they are all in the Cupressaceae family.

[Carey]

I like spruce. European, Lutz; Sitka, too.

[Bob Womack]

So many tops, so little time.

Bob

[mrkpower]

Originally Posted by m-thirty-great

None of the woods identified as cedar on the list are actually cedar (of the genus Cedrus). If we all used Linnaean taxonomy/classification we would avoid much confusion.

Was it my mistake not including the "Spanish Cedar" in the poll? I thought the Western Red Cedar equals to the Spanish Cedar.

[mrkpower]

Originally Posted by Bob Womack

So many tops, so little time.

Bob

Hey bro, what "tops"?

Originally Posted by mrkpower

Was it my mistake not including the "Spanish Cedar" in the poll? I thought the Western Red Cedar equals to the Spanish Cedar.

What us commonly referred to as Spanish Cedar is in the Meliaceae, or Mahogany family.