Thoughts on Rosewood / Cedar for Light & Moderate Strumming

[dgeorge]

I have a cedar topped rosewood Taylor 714ce. Sounds great soft or loud! I had the same concerns before I bought it but they have long ago vanished.

[DukeX]

I think a lot depends on the build.

My Cedar/EIR Webber OM is a no go for strumming (unless close to the bridge).

I had a Cedar/Mahogany Larrivee D-05 for a few years that was a great strummer. Never a problem.

[_zedagive]

Had a cedar/EIR Breedlove (American series CR25/CRe-H) that was excellent for both fingerstyle and light strumming. Only let it go when I got a good deal on a Masterclass guitar.

[LakewoodM32Fan]

Originally Posted by DukeX

I think a lot depends on the build.

My Cedar/EIR Webber OM is a no go for strumming (unless close to the bridge).

I had a Cedar/Mahogany Larrivee D-05 for a few years that was a great strummer. Never a problem.

I echo this. I read broadly that cedar has a lower volume ceiling and can either "break up" or "compress" at louder volumes and under hard strumming.

That said, I have a Taylor Custom GA which is cedar over cocobolo (old bracing by Bob Taylor, not the v-class). The shop that handpicked the woods and specs, asked that they use Adirondack spruce for bracing to "turbocharge" the top (shop owner's words, not mine).

Sure enough, I can drive this guitar very hard and it gets loud without breaking up or compressing. There's nothing it can't do (within reason, I don't try to play metal on it or anything like that). But hard rockin' tunes, it reproduces with aplomb.

[Shadowfox]

Originally Posted by mikealpine

Redwood is my favorite top. Love the lush sound and that it can handle whatever you throw at it. But it can cost a lot.




Bought a Furch dread in this combo. It’s got volume to spare and makes my Adirondack-topped guitar sound a bit anemic. They have a grand auditorium size that also sounds great. In my mind I think of a fuller, richer 814.

It’s going to depend on how hard you plan to beat the guitar. With my dread, I don’t have to test the limit. See if you can get your hands on a Furch GC in this combination. I think you’d be pleasantly surprised.

I actually did get my hands on a Dread CR, and was tapping out the headroom on that, and since I was going for a G shape, I went with a Alpine/Cocobolo .

If I went back, I might of gone jumbo in ebony or something like that.

[Guitarplayer_PR]

Originally Posted by wguitar

Hi folks,

Would appreciate some comments on Rosewood / Cedar guitars for light and moderate strumming (maybe an occasional bout of faster/"harder" strumming). Think OM / OOO / MJ size guitar. Always appreciate the informed & experiential input of my fellow AGF players.

THANKS!

I've only had one guitar which was cedar over rosewood: an Epiphone EF500RCE. Great guitar for fingerpicking and moderate strumming.

[TBman]

You might want to try out a Furch. Really nice instruments.