Douglas Fir for guitar top, anyone ?

[bigshoe]

Anyone here ever have the opportunity to play a guitar with a Douglas Fir top or can give actual experience with its tonality in acoustic guitars?

Thanks in advance

[tadol]

Might want to post in B&R section - luthiers might have some good feedback on why it isn't used very often. I think I've only seen some dulcimers made with fir tops -

That said, I have some 2x12s I've salvaged that would give the tightest grain spruce a serious run for the money -

[bjewell]

Living in the heart of BIG Doug, I've wondered the same thing. It might be a grain thing. This is the logging road out to the range. Redwood Practical Shooter (IDPA) has a beautiful range deep within the woods east of Fort Bragg CA. Just got back from practice. Great morning for sure...

[StringFive]

Seems to me Doug Fir would be too soft and pitchy. ???

[bigshoe]

Actually very stiff like Adi

Originally Posted by StringFive

Seems to me Doug Fir would be too soft and pitchy. ???

[Mortimor]

I found this video of a douglas fir-topped guitar.

[PiousDevil]

Originally Posted by Mortimor

I found this video of a douglas fir-topped guitar.

Seems a bit muddy to me

[Mortimor]

Originally Posted by PiousDevil

Seems a bit muddy to me

I'm not sure how much of that is the guitar and how much is the recording or just how hard the player is hitting the guitar.

Here's another example that sounds a bit better:

[bigshoe]

Wow sounds good to me.

Originally Posted by Mortimor

I'm not sure how much of that is the guitar and how much is the recording or just how hard the player is hitting the guitar.

Here's another example that sounds a bit better:

[dmckean44]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBsfV8uYRZw

Archtop with douglas fir over cherry.

[PiousDevil]

Originally Posted by Mortimor

I'm not sure how much of that is the guitar and how much is the recording or just how hard the player is hitting the guitar.

Here's another example that sounds a bit better:

This one sounds better

[murrmac123]

Originally Posted by StringFive

Seems to me Doug Fir would be too soft and pitchy. ???

I have never come across the term "pitchy" before ... what (if anything) does it mean ?

[Wozer]

I believe the term to be used is pitchy...which implies sap pockets I think...

anyway, I'd down vote fir as a top because I tend to think of it as North American Crack Wood...I have found it to crack along the grain lines when vertical grained just by looking at it incorrectly...now, admittedly, the woods in question were of obvious new growth as opposed to old growth...by this I mean the winter growth (the dark lines, which I have found to be fairly sappy) is fairly wide and tends to not bond to the summer growth for whatever reason...I suspect old growth woods may not exhibit this characteristic from what VERY little I have dealt with.

my apologies for any incorrect terms I've used to try and describe this wood...but I will firmly stand behind my thoughts of it's tendency to split from what I have had to deal with over the years.

[westman]

yes Dug Fir top on a Daion in the '80's excellent guitar.



StringFive Seems to me Doug Fir would be too soft and pitchy. ??? - what about Cedar SF?

[bigshoe]

Interesting, your a builder I take it.

Originally Posted by Wozer

I believe the term to be used is pitchy...which implies sap pockets I think...

anyway, I'd down vote fir as a top because I tend to think of it as North American Crack Wood...I have found it to crack along the grain lines when vertical grained just by looking at it incorrectly...now, admittedly, the woods in question were of obvious new growth as opposed to old growth...by this I mean the winter growth (the dark lines, which I have found to be fairly sappy) is fairly wide and tends to not bond to the summer growth for whatever reason...I suspect old growth woods may not exhibit this characteristic from what VERY little I have dealt with.

my apologies for any incorrect terms I've used to try and describe this wood...but I will firmly stand behind my thoughts of it's tendency to split from what I have had to deal with over the years.