Talk to me about guitar tops for fingerstyle...

[TBman]

In your opinion as a finger style player, which do you prefer?

Spruce - Englemann, Sitka, Adirondack, Lutz?

[RP]

Don't know if I can generalize, but my Taylor 714 with Lutz Spruce top has quickly become my favorite....

[Picking Moose]

To me different tops don't affect playability at all.
Scale and neck width and profile do. Perhaps also neck wood since I understand it can be partly responsible to strings feel (tension).

Tone of course depends on many factors combined so we cannot really talk of a spruce vs sitka guitar sound without considering the remaning woods used, the size of the guitar, construction techniques...

[Bob from Brooklyn]

I was recently finger-picking on a Martin 00015sm. I don't know if it was the mahogany top or string width but man I was making rather merry.

[AZLiberty]

Originally Posted by TBman

In your opinion as a finger style player, which do you prefer?

Spruce - Englemann, Sitka, Adirondack, Lutz?

Of those Engelmann, then Sitka.

I have not played Lutz. I find Adirondack or European to be too direct and strident.

[buddyhu]

I like cedar best of all (not listed). European spruce is next. Englemann can be quite fine. Haven't played any lutz.

I haven't enjoyed fingerpicking Adirondack in several instances.

[Mycroft]

Originally Posted by TBman

In your opinion as a finger style player, which do you prefer?

Spruce - Englemann, Sitka, Adirondack, Lutz?

Assuming it is a serious question, then my answer is that it is the wrong question. Far more important than the species is how the top is tuned and braced.

I have guitars with Adrondack, Englemann, European, Sitka...

[fazool]

Cedar has wonderful overtones and is much more responsive to delicate (finger) touch.

[BrunoBlack]

It will be interesting to see what experiences other players have. But I think it might have much more to do with the build than the top wood. My best fingerstyle guitar by a long shot is a Froggy H12 made wth an Adirondack top. I also have other Adi top guitars that are great for fingerstyle -- as well as Mahogany, German and Sitka topped guitars.

[sdelsolray]

Originally Posted by TBman

In your opinion as a finger style player, which do you prefer?

Spruce - Englemann, Sitka, Adirondack, Lutz?

For fingerstyle, I like a well designed and constructed top. The topwood used is somewhat secondary, although there are certainly sonic and behavioral differences between (i) cedar/redwood, (ii) the various spruces and (iii) the hardwoods (e.g., mahogany, koa and walnut).

In terms of design and construction, I suspect most fingerstyle folks will prefer a thinner top with less and not more bracing. Much will depend on the player's right hand techniques, such as whether they are playing with bare fingers, flesh and nail, fingerpicks or flatpick/finger hybrid. Also, the music styles and genres being played will influence choice.

All that being said, a good fingerstyle player will sound good on just about any quality guitar regardless of woods, technique or music style. Over the years I've come more and more to the realization that just about any quality acoustic guitar will sound convincing regardless of the style of music being played, with some exceptions. Thus, playing celtic music in DADGAD on an all mahogany SCGC 00 1929, playing a Leo Kottke American Primitive tune on a SCGC FS or playing a Fernando Sor study on a Martineque OM all work quite well.

[virob]

They all make fine guitars that can be played finger style.

What is more important is how do you play? softy? aggressively? soft and loud?
Do you like a lot of overtones? more fundamental?

Those would be the kind of questions I would be thinking of if I were comparing guitars from a single manufacturer/builder.
Choosing from a list of random guitars, then there are too many other variables in play and I would just pick the one the sounded and felt the best regardless of what it was made of.

I prefer a stronger fundamental, like to go from very soft to as loud as I can depending on the song, so gravitate to sitka or lutz, as a starting point, but won't allow that to limit my choice.

[rogthefrog]

Originally Posted by TBman

In your opinion as a finger style player, which do you prefer?

Spruce - Englemann, Sitka, Adirondack, Lutz?

Any, all, none, other.

[TBman]

Thanks for all your responses. Maybe at some point I'll do a poll as well. I've only played Sitka so this helps.

Originally Posted by Mycroft

Assuming it is a serious question, then my answer is that it is the wrong question. Far more important than the species is how the top is tuned and braced.

I have guitars with Adrondack, Englemann, European, Sitka...

I can't control the other factors but thanks.

[mercy]

Its got to be what you like, I like Sitka but as was said your builder will put his sound stamp on it.

[AZLiberty]

Originally Posted by TBman

Thanks for all your responses. Maybe at some point I'll do a poll as well. I've only played Sitka so this helps.

Bracing and construction matter and play into it.

For example, if I were buying a Taylor for fingerstyle I would want a Cedar top for a fuller sound.

On the other hand, Breedlove's Cedar tops are too full and rich sounding and can get a bit muddy so I went with Sitka.

A Martin or Larrivee I would prefer Engelmann.