What Alan Carruth said is exactly true, in my experience. In a factory setting there's a pile of 100 cedar tops, which have probably already passed some modicum of cosmetic inspection, and a guy/gal just grabs one for the next guitar and that's how it works until the pile is gone. Same with spruce. But if you're commissioning a guitar from a luthier, he/she can really search to find you the best top. Not all spruce tops are of equal value and the same is true for cedar tops. I've commissioned several guitars over the years built with cedar tops, and I always instructed the luthier to select a cedar top which had the best combination of stiffness and tap tone. I had one luthier tell me he sampled over 200 tops until he found one that he thought would do. I think the guitars I've had built with cedar tops are truly exceptional instruments, very warm and dynamic and loud. So, I actually love a good cedar-top instrument. There's a rap that cedar-topped guitars don't hold up to heavier playing with a pick but I don't know if I actually believe that; just because it's not customary doesn't mean it's not effective. I never had to work very hard to get a big, blooming, dynamic sound out of a cedar-topped guitar. I sometimes wonder if players playing with an aggressive pick attack are just playing cedar-topped guitars too hard. Anyway, that's my two-cents worth.
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