Minor beef with Adirondack

[GaryH]

I've got a great D-18GE that I've had since 2001. It is the best guitar I've ever owned. I've owned more expensive instruments, but none that is/was better. I've had the first few frets replaced, and the bridge re-set, and that's all it's needed.

Now, my gripe with the addy top is that it hasn't darkened to that nice pumpkin color that I like. The '95 GE I had from the mid 90s darkened pretty quick. It saw a lot more time outside at Bluegrass festivals. I'm thinking it might have been Sitka, but I'm not sure.

I know this is a stupid question, but will this addy top ever darken?

[hank]

Originally Posted by GaryH

I've got a great D-18GE that I've had since 2001. It is the best guitar I've ever owned. I've owned more expensive instruments, but none that is/was better. I've had the first few frets replaced, and the bridge re-set, and that's all it's needed.

Now, my gripe with the addy top is that it hasn't darkened to that nice pumpkin color that I like. The '95 GE I had from the mid 90s darkened pretty quick. It saw a lot more time outside at Bluegrass festivals. I'm thinking it might have been Sitka, but I'm not sure.

I know this is a stupid question, but will this addy top ever darken?

Red spruce will tend to deepen a bit towards yellow over time. It will not get that pumpkin color you're referring to. My '55 D-18 is "pumpkinized" if you will with its sitka top.

[Dustinfurlow]

I’ve never seen an adirondack top turn that pumpkin color that wasn’t super old. They usually will lean towards gold or yellow like euro Spruce from what I’ve seen.

[Paoli]

The adi top of my 2008 D-18GE custom turned yellowish slightly orange.

[jazzguy]

Do you keep it stored in a case primarily? If so, that may slow the color transformation process?

[Pitar]

http://goodallguitars.com/woods/

While it does not discuss patina of aging species of spruce it does give an immediate contrast in aesthetics and tonal description that might be otherwise useful.

I would think that ambient light is the main contributor to the evolving patina of wood. I would also contribute the local atmospheric gas composition relative to the porosity of the finish. All guesswork at best, light exposure I think is key.

It's never going to go orange/pumpkin like Sitka. It's just a difference in the woods, and also one of the indicators used to determine spruce type on older guitars.

Here's 1936 red spruce on the left, and much darker 1948 Sitka on the right. The color difference is even more stark in person.

[s2y]

Is this a wood or a finish issue?

[JonWint]

Give it another 120 years or so.

Left is 140+/- yr old Adi and right is 3 yr old Sitka both under shellac.