#31
|
||||
|
||||
To echo a previous poster regarding Ben Wilborn and cedar, I have one with EIR back and sides and it is stellar. I bought it at Woodstock and it has opened up so nicely, it does everything I ask. Ben and I have talked about the common belief on headroom and he and I played some of his cedar guitars loudly and I don't know how anyone would want to play any louder and there was no problem with headroom.
I also had another builder tell me he felt like cheating when he used a Cedar top because he said "it was impossible to make a bad guitar with a cedar top". I would not hesitate if it is something you would want to try.
__________________
PS. I love guitars! |
#32
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
|
#33
|
|||
|
|||
The longtime builder and methodically-minded Al Carruth wrote:
Quote:
"Weathered-looking" kind of like this guy: Actual photo of Al Carruth Seriously, unless you're constantly mindful, on cedar tops dings and dents appear seemingly all by themselves. On two of the guitars and both dulcimers the scratches are minimal and indicative of normal playing wear over the course of many years, but the little Seagull Folk model I bought used in a Vancouver BC pawnshop has got so many scratches and divots out of its surface that it looks kind of like a WWI no man's land: "Mon Dieu!" It sounds great, though! Anyway, putting a pickguard on any cedar-topped guitar is a good idea, because that's the place on the top where most damage will occur. Even if you don't use picks, dings and scratches can accumulate in that spot remarkably quickly. If you hate the way a dark colored pickguard looks, think about getting a clear one. It will make a positive difference. Hope this helps. Wade Hampton Miller |
#34
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
Ultimately, if everyone remains friendly, it does help illuminate the subject more completely. As a wise man once said: Quote:
Cheers! whm |
#35
|
|||
|
|||
Wade:
I must object: that's NOT an 'actual photo of Al Carruth", the guy in your picture is 'way handsomer and more picturesque. It is, of course, quite possible to make a cedar topped guitar with good 'headroom'. You just have to know how, and use the right piece of cedar. It's just that headroom comes more naturally to some other woods. |
#36
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
What I should really say here is that my newest guitar has a cedar top to which I added a pickguard, thanks to advice I received from Wade. If I buy another guitar, it will have a cedar top, and I'll add a pickguard if it doesn't have one. Whether I'm strumming or playing fingerstyle, I anchor my right hand with the little finger. With a cedar top, I need a pick guard to keep from wearing a hole in my anchor spot.
__________________
1 dreadnought, 1 auditorium, 1 concert, and 2 travel guitars. |
#37
|
|||
|
|||
After I posted this "actual photo" of Al Carruth:
Maybe NOT Al Carruth Al himself wrote to say: Quote:
Wade Hampton Miller |
#38
|
|||
|
|||
I have a cedar/maple OM Webber. It has an appealing tone that is intimate, clear with just enough warmth. Wonderful for fingerstyle. I used to think that it was a little too quiet and limited in headroom which I attributed to both the cedar and the maple. I recently tried medium strings, which really brought this particular guitar to life. Now I can't imagine parting with it.
In general, I might still prefer spruce which is more of a "do-it-all wood", but one of each makes a great combination. |