Help me pick an Adirondack top

[Do_the_fandango]

I recently decided on purchasing a Blueridge BR160a... I have received 2 in the mail due to a shipping error by the company and have to return 1... but which?

Both guitars play decent (will still have the keeper set up), and sound very similar to my ear. I have restrung both as to try to eliminate variables and so far I can tell very little difference.

Which top would you pick and why? Is the wider straighter grain top preffered due to the strength of the peice, or is the finer grained top preferred based on the bearclaw silking?

[Do_the_fandango]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/153296...7688746021614/

[amyFB]

Originally Posted by Do_the_fandango

....
Which top would you pick and why? Is the wider straighter grain top preffered due to the strength of the peice, or is the finer grained top preferred based on the bearclaw silking?

i wonder if there aren't other variables in play here:

does wide and straight grain translate to strength ?
does bear claw silking impact the strength , wide or fine grain?

other than my two added questions, with tone and playability being equal, then my preference would be for the one that i liked the looks of.

bear claw silking isn't appealing to everyone, so that might affect future resale ability, if resale is part of your consideration.

good luck

[rokdog49]

Personally, I liked the one without the bear claw.
I like bear claw only when it's all over the guitar...just me.

[Do_the_fandango]

I'm having trouble seeing any photos on my end... are they coming through I guess?

[tippy5]

I had an early 2005 Blueridge 140A that had heaps of headroom with medium wide grain. These old 1 11/16" nut width 140A's are a bargain (Around $500 used). Although they have thick poly and a skinny neck. They do have nice, bold tone compared to newer Blueridge's with adi tops that I have tried at GC and one OM I had for a month.

[DukeX]

Originally Posted by rokdog49

Personally, I liked the one without the bear claw.
I like bear claw only when it's all over the guitar...just me.

It's not just you. I feel the same way.

[Do_the_fandango]

Originally Posted by tippy5

I had an early 2005 Blueridge 140A that had heaps of headroom with medium wide grain. These old 1 11/16" nut width 140A's are a bargain (Around $500 used). Although they have thick poly and a skinny neck. They do have nice, bold tone compared to newer Blueridge's with adi tops that I have tried at GC and one OM I had for a month.

My primary instrument has been a Guild GAD40ce (Mahogany/spruce), but of all the guitars I tested I gravitated towards the Rosewood sound ( a little more articulate, but less woodsy? ).... Either way, to my ears, the 160A has plenty of headroom, a "Martin-y" tone and good sustain... overall what I was looking for (at 819$ with taxes and shipping).

If you're still interested in these it may be worth giving them another shot... apparently some of the new ones being made still have good mojo

[Tico]

I prefer the bear claw one a great deal.

[Shadowfox]

Vote for the straight grain one for me!

[Montesdad]

I prefer the bear claw - but traditionalists will go straight grain.

The claw adds a nice visual touch - - -

[Ted @ LA Guitar Sales]

Unless one plays, or sounds better than the other, I would probably go with the top one.

[brencat]

Top one for me as well. While I’m not a fan of wide grain Adi, I dislike the racing stripe down the middle on the bearclaw top. Reminds me of the Martin VTS racing stripes that I avoid like the Plague. Top one also looks like it has extra saddle for adjustment too.

[mmasters]

I have one with wide grain that sounds great, I'd say go with that.

[Mr Fingers]

Well, I don't think either top is particularly good, visually. Incidental bear claw like that just looks like a hack in the top -- I don't see any visual appeal at all. On the straight-grained one, the spacing gets really, really big, and I don't think that's appealing, visually, either, particularly because it goes dramatically from tight to wide grained. Builders will tell you that neither the width of the "grain" nor figure like bear claw (esp. when it's so minimally present) necessarily indicate the stiffness of the top. I doubt if Blueridge adjusts its bracing according to the stiffness of each top, anyway. So I would go with sound and playability, and in a tie would pick the straight grain, not the bear claw. At least a wide-grained top has a vintage look, as some of the old ones use wide-grained wood. If they both sound good, then the fact that neither of these tops looks great in conventional analysis is moot.