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Old 05-05-2019, 09:46 AM
mcduffnw mcduffnw is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Alan Carruth View Post
I'm an apostate: IMO spruce is spruce, and what matters is the density. Engelmann tends to be lower in density than most of the others, based on my measurements, Euro is denser, and then come Sitka and Red. Stiffness along the grain at a given thickness pretty well tracks density, but in such a way that a denser top will tend to end up heavier, assuming they're built to the same stiffness. A light weight top tends to be more 'responsive', while a heavier one will usually have more 'headroom'. To say that there are a bunch of other variables involved would be a gross understatement. Keep in mind that there's a wide range of variation between pieces of wood of the same species: some of the densest tops I've gotten were Engelmann spruce, the densest piece of softwood I've tested is old European spruce, and I've gotten Red that was close to the lowest in density of any spruce I've seen.

In the end, a luthier doesn't work with a 'species' of wood, but with a piece of wood. If they're good they evaluate it on it's own merits, and work with it from there. Luthiers are, of course, as prone to buying into the prevailing myths as anybody, and will hear what they expect to hear, just as players will. Still, if you're after a certain sound you should find somebody who tends to build that sound, tell them what you want, and let them pick the top.

This post^^^...From this point going forward...Should just automatically be inserted, by one of the moderators on duty, into the beginning of any new thread about "Top Woods What are the differences in Tone" or any such variant thereof.

This IS the truth that Mr. Carruth speaks folks.

Read, Learn, Live...


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