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Old 10-26-2019, 09:10 AM
Ralph124C41 Ralph124C41 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Wade Hampton View Post
Ralph, with the factory stock Sonitone pickup installed, these are not terribly loud guitars - in fact, they’re pretty quiet. When I pulled out the Sonitone undersaddle pickup element, the guitar became noticeably louder.

But the J-45 guitar design that the Eastman E1SS-LTD models are based on is not an especially loud design, not compared to the Gibson Advanced Jumbo (AJ) or the Gibson Songwriter models.

So you can’t really reduce this fairly complex matter of acoustic guitar loudness and projection to the species of spruce used for the top - you just can’t. For one thing, Adirondack tops themselves vary from one example to another. For another, the bracing pattern and placement has at least as much impact on loudness and projection as the top does. Theoretically, yes, an Adirondack top should be a tiny bit louder than a Sitka spruce top will be, but that can vary a great deal from one guitar top to the next.

The last issue has to do with projection. Many players assume that loudness and the ability of the guitar to be heard in a loud acoustic environment is the same thing.

But it’s not. Both the Gibson J-45 and the Martin D-35 are quite loud when you’re playing one, but they both have what’s called an enveloping presentation. Which means that the sound surrounds the player, but doesn’t project out as well as designs like the AJ and the Songwriter.

Which in practical terms means it can seem really loud to the player and anyone seated next to him, but won’t be heard nearly so clearly in front, especially if other instruments are being played at the same time.

Short version: when it comes to volume and projection, the species of spruce used for the top matters less than the guitar’s design and bracing pattern.

Hope that makes sense.


Wade Hampton Miller
Thank you for very much for that detailed info. That makes me rethink my appeal to the guitar as I really want a loud guitar that can hang with other guitars at an acoustic jam. The pickup I would probably never use. I just assumed the Adirondack top would give it a little more volume. I still will test one out, though.
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