Thoughts on Rosewood / Cedar for Light & Moderate Strumming

[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!

[CASD57]

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 just got a Seagull CH momentum with a cedar top, and it's very nice sounding and can get loud if you want it too, I haven't maxed out the top with my heavy hand yet and I guess you can stock that up to Seagulls abilities with cedar,
I don't finger pick much but I think this guitar is great for it because of how responsive it is.

[Rosewood99]

Good for everything except for that occasional hard strumming. Probably not enough headroom for the latter.

[Shadowfox]

I would of bought a Furch with a Cedar top and Rosewood if I wasn't primarily a pretty heavy strummer. That guitar brand with that guitar combo is magical imho.

[musicman1951]

I don't think you want to assume that every guitar has the same headroom.

[Rosewood99]

Originally Posted by musicman1951

I don't think you want to assume that every guitar has the same headroom.

Of course not, we’re speaking in generalities. But no matter what guitar, cedar will not give you as much headroom as, for example, spruce.

[scotchnspeed]

Cedar can clip with hard strumming, but that tone is not necessarily bad if you ask me (unless playing bluegrass). I'd suggest redwood, which imparts some of the warmth of cedar, but with more sprucelike headroom.

[Dustinfurlow]

I've had a few cedar/rosewood, small-bodied guitars that I've gigged and recorded with and I think the only disadvantage of that combo is overall acoustic headroom, as in, it's not the ideal choice for standing out in a room full of other acoustic players as opposed to spruce which can project a bit more.

Cedar, when done right, can surpass the volume of a spruce guitar. It's always about the builder and obviously the player, not the woods.

If you enjoy the voice, that's all that matters

[JayBee1404]

In terms of volume, my cedar/EIR Lowden O25, which I sold about a year ago to fund the Brook purchase, kicked the butts of both my Martin Dreads. I never felt the Lowden ‘lacked headroom’ because it was intrinsically such a loud guitar in the first place it didn’t need ‘thrashing’ in order to be heard above the madding crowd.

I’ve done everything with it - fingerpicking (with picks), strumming, band and solo gigs, sessions, yadda yadda - it never let me down, not once.

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by JayBee1404

In terms of volume, my cedar/EIR Lowden O25, which I sold about a year ago to fund the Brook purchase, kicked the butts of both my Martin Dreads. I never felt the Lowden ‘lacked headroom’ because it was intrinsically such a loud guitar in the first place it didn’t need ‘thrashing’ in order to be heard above the madding crowd.

I’ve done everything with it - fingerpicking (with picks), strumming, band and solo gigs, sessions, yadda yadda - it never let me down, not once.

I was going to say exactly the same thing about my Avalon small-jumbo, but why repeat...?

[Wade Hampton]

The one and only Taylor that I’ve ever owned was a cedar-topped 714. It worked fine with whatever music I threw at it.


whm

[mikealpine]

Originally Posted by scotchnspeed

Cedar can clip with hard strumming, but that tone is not necessarily bad if you ask me (unless playing bluegrass). I'd suggest redwood, which imparts some of the warmth of cedar, but with more sprucelike headroom.

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.

Originally Posted by Shadowfox

I would of bought a Furch with a Cedar top and Rosewood if I wasn't primarily a pretty heavy strummer. That guitar brand with that guitar combo is magical imho.

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.

[ljguitar]

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!

Hi wg

Works great on my EIR/Cedar Olson Dreadnought. And the Olson can take heavier touches as well.

Not overplaying ANY guitar with ANY wood combo is up to the player, not the builder. If players can't moderate their style to maximize their sound on that instrument, there is a need for growth on their part (my biased opinion).

[JayBee1404]

Originally Posted by ljguitar

Not overplaying ANY guitar with ANY wood combo is up to the player, not the builder. If players can't moderate their style to maximize their sound on that instrument, there is a need for growth on their part (my biased opinion).

I guess my opinion must be as biased as yours, Larry!

[Shishigashira]

I've got an Eastman E2D with the cedar top, but the dread not OM, and Sapele b/s not Rosewood. Still it can take everything I throw at it and sound terrific. Never thought I was missing head room.

And if you're looking for how hard you can strum cedar guitars it may be worth looking up Glen Hansard videos when he plays the guitar he calls 'horse'. Its a cedar topped Takamine and put's Trigger's extra soundhole to shame.

Here's one I like: https://youtu.be/3MDG3pWK5CY