#31
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coming back to the topic of adi vs. sitka.
it's been my experience, that because of some of the qualities of adi spruce (quick response, string clarity, headroom, overtones, etc), it's easier for a good adi top guitar to sound immediately impressive to the player upon the first few minutes of playing it. it's easier for the player to be wowed by the tone of a good adi top guitar right away, and notice “more” of everything that’s going on. as for stika, it's more likely for an excellent sitka guitar to be very humble sounding upon the first few minutes of playing it. there's less wow factor in the sound initially, but when the player takes the guitar home and spend some serious time with it in a quite environment, the richness, warmth, and balance in notes would be revealed to the fingerstyle player. it usually takes some time to discover a good sitka guitar. those have been my experience. Last edited by banpreso; 04-23-2009 at 10:55 AM. |
#32
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you know what, i played some adi topped 7 series taylors, GA and DN. and wow! they felt to me heads and shoulders above the other taylors in the room (and there were a lot of them). |
#33
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It may be visually impossible to tell them apart, but Euro is usually stiffer. If the Engelmann was impossible to tell from the Euro in all ways, that would raise the question why it matters. The wood business runs a lot on trust. I buy from sources I think are reliable. Most of them cut logs and mill them themselves.
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"Still a man hears what he wants to hear, and disregards the rest." --Paul Simon |
#34
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The main reason I would choose to buy another new dreadnought model guitar with an Adirondack Spruce Top as opposed to a Sitka Spruce Top, is one of maintaining a traditional connection back to the 1930s Martin Dreadnoughts and Gibson Jumbos (dreads). I'm assuming that all or most of the 1930s models of these brands had Adirondack Spruce Tops? Thus, I'd want to get an Adi-topped guitar mainly for historical reasons and not necessarily for any possible differences in tone compared to a Sitka-topped guitar. I've got a couple of super-toned Sitka-topped dreads now but no Adi-topped dreads and I want remedy this to feel a sense of completeness about my stable. If my future Adi-topped acquisition were to sound great too, so much the better! Although it may sound silly to some, I wonder if many other players feel a similar compulsion towards adding at least one Adi-topped guitar to their collection for a reason similar to mine of maintaining a historical connection to the 1930s "Golden Era" axes? Regards, SpruceTop P.S. I've played several Adi-topped guitars (more specifically, a new Huss & Dalton DS Adi-top ($750 option) with EIR vs. my new Huss & Dalton DS Sitka-top with EIR), and didn't perceive their tone as being much different than Sitka-topped guitars. Certainly, no "Eureka" moments were had.
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#35
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Kind of a side track to this thread, but here is a question for Howard, Tim, Matt and whoever. Adirondack is often referred to as "red spruce". Is there a particular reason for this other than for taxonomy purposes. And, if a particular guitar is advertised with "red spruce top and bracing" does this in essence mean Adi top and bracing???
Thanks, |
#36
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One of my students brought his SCGC 00 with Sitka to do a little A/B a while ago. So this isn't very scientific, but we did make an effort. Both guitars sport ej16’s, though his were only a day old, and mine have been on for a busy week. The setups are just about exactly the same. We use the same guy in town...
We pointed the center of the X of the two mics at the 19th fret, from eight inches away. Made a good effort to hold the guitars the same way (tilting up at about thirty degrees, and not touching my belly- which is getting harder and harder since I hit my forties) and picked at same distance from the bridge, basically right along the bridge side of the rosette. We just put it on Garage Band with no compression or eq, but I did add a little reverb only because I think this room sucks. If it bothers anyone I can post another one dry. Here’s an mp3 (two short clips. The first of each is the sitka) http://www.ericskye.com/music/Double_0%5C's.mp3 I think we both felt like it was harder to tell them apart in person. On tape, or whatever is it in there, the red spruce 00 seems to have more impact. It sounds almost the same, but it’s hitting the mics harder. It’s a punchy guitar -for want of a better term. |
#37
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Thanks for the recording comparison. Very nicely done! I have to admit, the differences in sound to my ears is quite subtle. On the first lick played, I am guessing that the Sitka top was first, followed by the Adi top. Am I right? (Or not?) Thanks again. - Glenn |
#38
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I think bracing may be more of a factor than top wood when talking about tone. I've played Adi's that were unbelievable, and some were duds. Same with Sitka. Once again....play the guitar, and stop trying to generalize. You can't make a blanket statement about a tone wood. In Canada, there is a funny expression, "To each his own", said the farmer kissing his pig. Play first, pay later.....
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#39
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Then I play a few flatpicked blues licks with the sitka, and then a few blues licks with the adi. So the order as you're hearing it is sit/adi/sit/adi. Hope that makes sense. |
#40
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Whoa! For once I was actually correct! I have several with Sitka tops, one with an Adi top, and your recording does stay true to my memory of the difference in sound. Bottom line -- when a couple of well-made guitars are played side-by-side, the difference between Sitka and Adi is audible but subtle. Again, nicely done -- Thank You! - Glenn |
#41
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#42
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This quote is by John Arnold discussing where Picea Rubens got its name.
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#43
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haha! i was wrong...
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#44
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__________________
Wade Worry less about the guitars you want. Play the guitar you have more. The answer will come, and it will not be what you expect. A guitar is a tool, and a friend. But it is not the answer. It is the beginning. Current Guitars: Taylor 716C Modified Voyage-Air VAOM-04 CD: The Bayleys: From The Inside CDBaby Amazon Also available from iTunes |
#45
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Here are few examples from Jim Olson of this kind of Adi... |