Cedar top, Mahogany back and sides

[abelville]

I’ve seen some cedar top, mahogany back and side guitars just recently - Washburn G-series & Seagul. Played a few and thought they sounded pretty good. I’ve always thought that Rosewood back and sides sounded best with Cedar. Could I get some of your views with on the cedar/hog wood combination.

[fitness1]

Cedar and Mahogany in the right builder's hands can be pretty darn nice. Just the right amount of warmth from the top, and the quicker decay and fundamental of the Mahogany. Cedar/Rosewood is almost always way too "dark" sounding for my ear.

I always gravitate toward the drier woods (Mahogany, Walnut etc)

[gordee]

Originally Posted by abelville

I’ve seen some cedar top, mahogany back and side guitars just recently - Washburn G-series & Seagul. Played a few and thought they sounded pretty good. I’ve always thought that Rosewood back and sides sounded best with Cedar. Could I get some of your views with on the cedar/hog wood combination.

Interesting that this should come up. I was just thinking about a Hog/Cedar short scale last night.

I really like that wood combination. I've owned a few guitars that were really nice particularly, but not limited to finger style. One was the Taylor GAMC which was the predecessor to the Taylor 514 model.

I also had a Goodall GC that was mahogany/cedar and that could handle any type of playing.

I think a lot has to do with how you hear. I really like the fundamental of mahogany but the cedar does warm it up as Fitness mentioned.

As Fitness said, sometimes, rosewood/cedar can be too dark but I find it works very well for finger style. That really does depend on the builder though. My Ryan, which EIR/Cedar is built for finger style and though you can strum it it gets muddy. My Charis, same woods, works well for both so, as always, there's no absolutes when it comes to wood combinations.

[fulfillingsoul]

Interesting that this should come up. I just bought one 2 hours ago.

Lakewood M-14.

Originally Posted by abelville

I’ve seen some cedar top, mahogany back and side guitars just recently - Washburn G-series & Seagul. Played a few and thought they sounded pretty good. I’ve always thought that Rosewood back and sides sounded best with Cedar. Could I get some of your views with on the cedar/hog wood combination.

[mashup]

I recently bought a Walden G570, which is a Grand Auditorium size guitar with a lovely Solid Cedar top & laminated Mahogany back & sides. I had heard such great things about the guitar, read many excellent reviews & heard some very lovely sound samples before purchsing it & I had to order it via post as no shop within 200 miles of me had them in stock. I was a bit dubious ordering over the phone, but the chap who dealt with me was very helpful. He spoke to me about the tonal differences of the various Walden guitars that he stocked, in great depth. He could have just done a sales pitch on me & got me to buy the more expensize G730 (Which has a solid Rosewood back & Lam Rosewood back & sides) but in all honesty he said that he preffered the G570 tonally & that it would be more appropriate for my needs, as well as saving me £XXX. All guitar are different, i know that, but what i can hear from the tone of my G570 is the sweetness of the Cedar top coloured & complimented by the dry, woody, fundamental, airy openess of the Mahogany. It has a bright & balanced but mellow articulate character & it sounds lovely to my ears. Thumbs up to the Cedar/Mahogany combo from me. Im well happy with this brilliant bargain instrument.

[riorider]

It's a great combination - in very general terms will handle strumming and fingerstyle competently. I as well found rosewood to be a bit muddy when strummed and in a small ensemble - although my son plays his Taylor 714 (EIR/cedar) in every venue happily.

Play it first if you can, but in general terms it's a great combo!

Phil

[Neil K Walk]

Count me in as another convert. I spent a bit of time last winter with a Tim McKnight Highlander OM-D made with solid Cuban mahogany with a western red cedar soundboard as well as the same model with solid redwood top and cocobolo back and sides. The cedar/Cuban hog was a dream to record with in that it had a nice mix of warmth and clarity without any brashness or muddiness. Like Todd said though, it also depends on the builder and Tim makes very resonant guitars.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by abelville

I’ve seen some cedar top, mahogany back and side guitars just recently - Washburn G-series & Seagul. Played a few and thought they sounded pretty good. I’ve always thought that Rosewood back and sides sounded best with Cedar. Could I get some of your views with on the cedar/hog wood combination.

Hi abel…

I'm not a convert, just an appreciator of both.

Three of my favorite Bashkin guitars were Mahogany/Cedar in Parlor/12 fret (cutaway), OM and Grand Concert sizes. It's a magical combination all it's own. One of those lives in town with a friend and former student.

My main guitar is a Rosewood/Cedar which is my main instrument, and wouldn't trade it for anything. It too is steallar. They are completely different animals (Rosewood/Cedar and Mahogany/Cedar).

If I had another built, it might be a magical little Mahogany/Cedar.

[markallen]

Without question, my Kwasnycia cedar/hog SJ is the finest sounding guitar I have ever played. I've had several other higher end guitars and this one beats them all. I'm definitely a cedar/hog convert.

http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/f...ight=kwasnycia

Cheers,
Mark

[fulfillingsoul]

Which strings did you put on for this wood combination? I have elixir but want to change to strings warmer and more natural for my Lakewood M14

[steveyam]

I've owned a Yamaha CPX-8M (cedar/mahog) for over 8 years during which time it has been my main acoustic guitar. Many many times people have commented on the complex, full, rich sound that it produces. The classic spruce/rosewood combo is more 'hi-fi like', with clearly discernible bass and treble, and initially it can be more enticing/engaging in A/B tests. But listen deeper; listen for the harmonics, the mid range richness and lack of harshness when played hard. No doubt about it, a nicely made cedar/mahogany guitar is a joy to hear. And the autumn gold cedar top makes a refreshing change in the looks department from the ubiquitous (almost boring) 'white' top of spruce.

[gary0319]

Originally Posted by ljguitar

They are completely different animals (Rosewood/Cedar and Mahogany/Cedar).

+1 on this comment and I'll add that not all Cedar/Rosewoods sound the same. I had two 712 Taylors (both year 2000), one with light colored Cedat and light colored Rosewood and it had this wonderful "lilting" tone to it. The other 712 was dark, close grained Rosewood with a very dark colored Cedar top and it had this deep, almost depressingly marose tone.

I now have a Cedar/Laminated Rosewood OM that is soft and mellow, almost like a good Cedar/Mahogany......which is still on my list to find.

[CoffeeGuitar]

great combo

the fardia M2 even beat my cedar rose lowden

wish i had never sold it

[jc1027]

My Fylde is cedar/mahogany. It's my only guitar w/ that combo....Not as loud as it's spruce/mahogany counterparts. Great for fingerpicking...it gets a bit overpowered with hard strumming. Weird...the only guitar that I've ever owned that sounds better as the strings get older!!!!

[ruger9]

Originally Posted by mashup

I recently bought a Walden G570, which is a Grand Auditorium size guitar with a lovely Solid Cedar top & laminated Mahogany back & sides. It.

I've got the CG570CE (gloss version, cutaway). Excellent guitar for the money. Honestly, I've never had a spruce/hog to compare it to, but that's my next purchase...

I will say that the cedar/hog combo (at least on the Walden) seems to be a "all-around" combination... there are better strummers, there are better flatpickers, and there are better fingerstylers, but the Walden 570 does all of these pretty well.