I play with low action and little relief. Should I stay away from Adi tops?

[imc_1121]

Just as the title says, I primarily play fingerstyle and have my guitars set up with low action and very little to no relief. I was planning on doing a custom Martin build in the near future, and was debating on wether I should stay away from adi topped guitars, since I've heard they're usually very stiff and need some force to drive the top and get a good sound. Would standard spruce or so ething like european spruce be a better choice.

[TokyoNeko]

Engelmann sounds like the ticket, in my personal opinion, although Martin does not use Engelmann very often.

Adirondack may not be too bad a choice, though. In fact, Sitka would be my last choice given the same builder and construction method.

YMMV

[zmf]

What size Martin?

I have an Adi topped Bourgeois dread and Froggy 000, and both a very responsive to light touch, with setups as you describe.

I had an Adi D-18V that did require you to dig in when fingerpicking, but that's the dread, and also an N of 1.

So no, an Adirondack top definitely doesn't automatically preclude fingerstyle.

[mercy]

Based on my experience with Engleman it will respond to a light tough but if thats what youre looking for you might think of cedar, very light touch excites it but the tone is colored quite a bit. Having said that every species has harder/softer pieces so if you were going with a custom builder you could ask for a softer piece but I dont think Martin will do that.

[BrunoBlack]

I play 50-50 fingerstyle-flatpick and have 5 adi-topped guitars (small jumbo, 000, 2 OMs, & 00) set up as you describe with terrific response & tone for both playing styles. My most sensitive & warm guitar is adi-topped. So it's not the wood that makes the difference in my case.

[Bruce Sexauer]

Although Martin guitars made with Adi tops may tend a little toward structural excess, I hasten to add that many of the more flexible makers are able to use Adi to make highly responsive guitars which some acute observers believe to have more headroom than a similarly responsive Engelmann guitar.

[sdelsolray]

Originally Posted by imc_1121

Just as the title says, I primarily play fingerstyle and have my guitars set up with low action and very little to no relief. I was planning on doing a custom Martin build in the near future, and was debating on wether I should stay away from adi topped guitars, since I've heard they're usually very stiff and need some force to drive the top and get a good sound. Would standard spruce or so ething like european spruce be a better choice.

What spruce is used is not nearly as important as what luthier you choose and the design involved.

[fazool]

If you play primarily fingerstyle and are getting a custom made guitar, why not get a cedar top ?

[TokyoNeko]

Originally Posted by sdelsolray

What spruce is used is not nearly as important as what luthier you choose and the design involved.

The OP clearly said he wants a Martin, and Bruce already mentioned that Martin tends to overbuild its Adi tops a bit. So I'm not sure if there is a choice of builders, unless the OP chooses to change his mind.

Originally Posted by fazool

If you play primarily fingerstyle and are getting a custom made guitar, why not get a cedar top ?

Does Martin even offer Cedar as a top choice? I could be wrong, but the next Cedar-topped Martin I see would be my first.

[Frosty]

Adirondack topped Martin 000-18ge. Light gauge strings, low action, very little relief. Works for me!

https://youtu.be/MhS8WckSooA

[fazool]

Originally Posted by TokyoNeko

The OP clearly said he wants a Martin, and Bruce already mentioned that Martin tends to overbuild its Adi tops a bit. So I'm not sure if there is a choice of builders, unless the OP chooses to change his mind.


Does Martin even offer Cedar as a top choice? I could be wrong, but the next Cedar-topped Martin I see would be my first.

Yes, occasionally . I've seen them. And as a custom model you can select cedar.

[Howard Klepper]

Originally Posted by Bruce Sexauer

Although Martin guitars made with Adi tops may tend a little toward structural excess, I hasten to add that many of the more flexible makers are able to use Adi to make highly responsive guitars which some acute observers believe to have more headroom than a similarly responsive Engelmann guitar.

+1. Red spruce ("Adirondack") is sensitive to being overbuilt, and that is where most of its reputation for long break-in and needing to be driven hard comes from. And not just in the hands of CF Martin.

A guitar with a red spruce top can be responsive right out of the gate.

[zmf]

Originally Posted by fazool

If you play primarily fingerstyle and are getting a custom made guitar, why not get a cedar top ?

Perhaps you want the brightness/brillance of spruce?

[Mycroft]

How heavy is your hand?

[docwatsonfan]

the Martin CEO7, adi topped Gibson inspired L00 style guitar seems to be a big hit

and like Howard said..... a red spruce topped guitar can definitely be
responsive right out of the gate