Compared to engelmann, euro spruce has the same full tonal palette but maybe with a quicker response. For many players it is not hard to feel the difference but as a listener it is easy to be fooled. The wood is affected by the design the luthier has used or created. Engelmann Spruce: A white creamy coloured wood that is softer than sitka. Northern BC (Canada) luthiers are likely bless due to their close proximity to dealers. However, there are many more factors that contribute to the overall sound of the guitar. Part of this seems to have to do with the sound we expect to produce. Email Us +1.610.932.7400. A simple way to fill and enhance wood grain and pores on a guitar body. A Verified CN Gold Supplier on Alibaba.com. Wood Tiger Malie Logs Mini Guitar 23 inch Concert Ukulele with Matte Finish ... European Linden lumber (Basswood Edged or Unedged) US $368.00-$480.00 / Cubic Meter 34 Cubic Meters (Min. Pyle 36” Classical Acoustic Guitar-3/4 Junior Size 6 Linden Wood Guitar w/Gig Bag, Tuner, Nylon Strings, Picks, Strap, for Beginners, Adults, Right, Natural (PGACLS82) 4.3 out … American basswood is derived from the northernmost to the southernmost portions of the eastern United States and as far west as North Dakota. Cedar is “punchier”, often with more headroom and is sometimes described as “darker”. However, other options include: Alaskan Yellow Cedar (I believe this is also called Canadian Cypress), Port Orford Cedar, Spanish Cedar, Coastal Redwood (?). Boutique builders will often utilize more exotic wood species, such as Brazilian rosewood, cocobolo, or koa, but the limited supply of these materials means that these options – though visually striking – are simply not available at the more modest price points. In most cases the tops are cut from split billets, so runout, which is so often seen in European spruce, is minimal. Is this True? Basswood is very light weight and produces a fairly even and full to mid-range response throughout the entire band width. Whether you are building a replica of a classic Gibson L5 or ES line jazz guitar. Lutz spruce is probably the closest thing to fine German spruce I have seen, except that Lutz is a bit cheaper. In general, spruce is clearer, yet with a denser, more complex sound and longer sustain. thank you thom. You can brace a Sitka spruce top with very lightly while tucking all, and I mean all braces. My only problem with engelman is that it is often very soft, and run-out is more common in engelman than sitka. Great deals on Spruce Guitar Building & Luthier Supplies. I don’t know much about it Gord but certainly light and stiff woods seem to be the go-to woods for tops so one it can be thin enough for response and stiff enough for structural and sound qualities. It is generally stiffer and heavier than the rest of the spruce varieties. Sometimes these quotes can be out of context so make sure to follow the links to their websites. Having built several guitars, owning guitars of various woods and after playing many, others, I find it hard to pick a favorite wood. Basswood’s pale white to light brown color is mostly uniform throughout the face grain of the wood, and knots and other abnormalities are very uncommon. The guitar wood we offer is sourced in ecologically friendly ways including forest and urban salvage, commercial fruit and nut grove salvage, recycling and re-purposing. To me, European Spruce produces the most sophisticated tonal range of all the top woods.” via Traphagen Guitars. Not (usually) a topwood, it isn’t even a softwood. ), and Illawarra flame tree (Brachychiton acerifolius.) Spruce is the traditional wood that was used for centuries of guitar making. It’s actually a cousin of mahogany, and has long been a preferred wood for classical necks (as well as cigar boxes). Sitka also goes through drastic change over time relative to red spruce or cedar. Likewise, coast redwood and Port Orford cedar can make excellent guitars.” Link/Source: Byers Guitars, Video Source/Link: Miles Roberts on Youtube. Cedar is forgiving of student technique. Brought to you by Bradford Werner, British Columbia, Canada. I’ve heard spruce guitars that sound like cedar and cedar ones that sound like spruce. I do sometimes miss the full-bodied sound and perceived (?) I agree with the general description of both. I love engelman spruce too. The inner bark of the Linden tree, or bast, is fibrous, and can be processed into rope or woven fiber. Fast & Free shipping on many items! I always recommend that my students get cedars because that full bodied sound can cover up a lot of what would otherwise be poor tone or messy playing. I have played others’ Sitka instruments that are much better sounding than mine but never really great. Basswood is one of the most frequently talked about tonewoods out there and there are many factors that go into the choice of wood for our instruments here at Ernie Ball Music Man. It is commonly used as a wood for guitars. Beyond this, the sonic differences are subtle. 1 Response to American Basswood or European Linden; What is the Difference? Other names include linden for the European species, and basswood for North American species. Dominelli on Lutz Spruce: “The thing that I like about Lutz spruce is this: It has the stiffness of Sitka spruce, with the light weight of Engelman spruce. i guess its the old saying you get what you pay for .in both types of guitars . I have heard, however, that sitka also makes excellent classical guitars if the design matches the wood properly and if one can find a decent lightweight cut or braces lightly. Spruce is usually more colorful. Play the guitars of a luthier to hear what sound will result from what woods and design. We use technologies, such as cookies, to customize content and advertising, to provide social media features and to analyze traffic to the site. I just bought an Hanika Natural PC (Cedar). References. Sitka Spruce: Sitka is the standard wood for steel-string guitars. 6-String Classic Guitar - Junior Scale Guitar with Digital Tuner & Accessory Kit (30’’ -inch) Junior Scale Size : A junior scale 6 string guitar perfect for use on lessons, recitals, band rehearsals, on stage performances or when practicing at home; Has a traditional classic body style great for … Limewood? Since the 1980’s, basswood gained popularity and for a time was probably the most used wood for locking tremolo guitars and paired with maple necks because of how well they cut through the mix. ‘near-the-player-volume’ of my previous cedar top. The wood that is used to create a guitar makes a huge difference to the sounds that the guitar will produce. Bradford’s generalization of the sound of cedar: I find cedar guitars to be warmer, darker, and fuller sounding than spruce guitars. Spruce and cedar tops seem to be the standard, although I have googled and come across a luthier in Paraguay that uses Walnut and various Maples for some of his tops. In fact, in many cases it’s exactly what a player is looking for. The wording of that description and the mention of linden wood is pretty much a red flag for a toy quality Ebay/Amazon guitar. The wood is generally stiff and lightweight making it great for classical guitar tops. Also, don’t forget that there are good and bad cuts of wood so a bad cut of expensive European spruce might not sound good at all. But just don’t start comparing a spruce fan braced to cedar lattice, or a cedar double top!! Identification. This makes sense that it could handle to high pressure and intensity of steel-string guitars. It is also used in classical guitars. In my listening experience, they are more articulate, and have better separation of notes, most of the time. nick says: June 29, 2012 at 4:28 pm. Other cedars: Today, it seems that Western Red Cedar is used most often. Sitka can benefit from a less dense back/side pairing ie; mahogany over dalbergia. Spanish cedar (Honduras cedar, cedrela). Related Species: Basswood (Tilia americana) Scans/Pictures: A special thanks to Steve Earis for providing the wood sample and turned photo of this wood species. So, remember that these are generalizations at best. Play the guitars of a luthier to hear what sound will result from what woods and design. Spruce is light blonde in color, almost sometimes with a honey/amber tint, while cedar is darker and appears in various shades of brown. Buy Blueberry B-D38-Black, 38" Linden Wood Acoustic Guitar for Rs.7990 online. Companies who mass produce  guitars tend to use basswood, so this evidently alters the perception of basswood in the industry. PLACE AN ORDER. With age and playing, the guitar becomes warm and rich. Other spruces: I’ll have to update this when I get some comments and more. However, poor availability of high grade cuts means that you might be better off going to an alternative with a high quality cut. I have to be that this creates a lingering bass to ring under the normally long sustains of the treble. So I think we sometimes hear what we expect hear. We can talk endlessly about woods but I think it’s the luthier and design that is far more important. Link/Source: Dominelli on Delcamp, Gregory Byers on Spruce or Cedar? Copyright © 2020 Bradford Werner, thisisclassicalguitar.com & wernerguitareditions.com. Blueberry B-D38-Black, 38" Linden Wood Acoustic Guitar at best prices with FREE shipping & cash on delivery. When used in guitar production linden wood is usually referred to as basswood. His guitars certainly are beautiful in appearance. Nice collection of information. Find out more about the Majesty guitar offerings here. I can’t say that it’s more available than European spruce because so few people are cutting Lutz spruce for guitars.” via Delcamp Forum. Therefore, it is available in high grades despite the quantity used. I’m not saying that it is lesser quality, however, just different. I simply find that spruce guitars require that I play with more precision in order to get my desired sound. I would think tops made of hardwoods would not resonate very well. Since I had a less expensive cedar one for many years, I was looking for a spruce one for a change. There are many influences on the sound of the guitar (body shape, bracing, strings, bridge saddle etc), but the type of wood used is one of the most influential. Order) 1 YR . Learn more about the Ernie Ball Music Man Bongo here. So you can end up with all sorts of combinations of sound. Zunyi Raysen Musical Instrument Manufacture Co., Ltd., Experts in Manufacturing and Exporting Acoustic guitar, Ukulele and 965 more Products. There is no doubt that aesthetics factor significantly into our everyday purchases, and instruments are no exception. Many guitar and bass bodies are made from Mahogany.There are 49 types of Mahogany, but many are practically extinct because of the wood’s popularity for furniture and musical instruments, and the types used today are not the same as the Mahogany used in guitars in the 1940s or 1950s. Also, don’t forget that the backwood and bracing wood change the sound too! In Britain and Ireland they are commonly called lime trees, or lime bushes, although they are not closely related to the tree that produces the lime fruit. The basswood body features a high-gloss, durable finish with stylish lines and an ergonomic scooped arm contour. Guitars and basses with blonde finishes typically have ash bodies because the wood “takes” that particular finish especially well. Since the 1980’s, basswood gained popularity and for a time was probably the most used wood for locking tremolo guitars and paired with maple necks because of how well they cut through the mix. Also see this page: Classical Guitars for Sale and Recommend Factory Guitars. But the cedar one I tried had more projection and a tone quite close the the Natural PF (spruce). I have played classical guitar for 15 years, and built them for 4 years (I consider myself a beginner on that area). Sycamore is another good wood if that's available. Toward the end of the late 80’s, a few other types of tonewoods were mistakingly thought to be basswood which lead to a decline in basswood’s popularity. Tilia is a genus of about 30 species of trees or bushes, native throughout most of the temperate Northern Hemisphere. It's a great time to upgrade your home music studio gear with the largest selection at eBay.com. Beginner 36” Classical Acoustic Guitar – 6 String Junior Linden Wood Traditional Guitar w/Wooden Fretboard, Case Bag, Tuner, Nylon Strings, Picks, Cloth, Great for Beginners, Children – Pyle PGACLS82 $ 109.99 $ 90.49 Add to cart; Sale! My understanding of wood like maple is that it dampens the sound, thus its use in bowed instruments. Learn more about our Terms, Conditions, Cookies, & Privacy Policy. i do not go cheap on my strings , i find this also provide a better sound with both the cadar and the spruce. The wood is also sometimes used for wind instruments, electric guitar bodies, and drum shells, and is still in use as a carving wood. Certain pieces of basswood sound great, and other pieces can sound really bad. European spruce yields a distinctive sonic profile relative to other spruce species. These include internal structure, thickness of material, pattern and shape of the instrument, type of finish, and type of strings. Only Genuine Products. Instead I think of them as projecting the sound clearly in line to the back of the hall whereas cedar fills the hall with sound. It does slice nicely, but I've tried some linden and it's not too bad (usually). We choose lightweight cuts of basswood because they tend to sound much better than the heavier ones. It is maybe a bit more clear, balanced, and sometimes has more sustain. China Linden Wood Guitar manufacturers - wholesale 2019 high quality Linden Wood Guitar products in best price from certified Chinese Guitar wholesalers, Wood Game Set manufacturers, suppliers and factory on Made-in-China.com The only thing that could not be ever subjective about guitars is the volume and the projection (which it is also a factor that influences when choosing a guitar). Link/Source: Monrad Guitars, Marcus Dominelli on Spruce & Cedar: It’s possible to generalize between spruce and cedar if you’re comparing them built in the same style, for example, fan braced cedar to fan braced spruce. Also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and Patreon. So, if I generalize that cedar is fuller sounding than spruce, this is not necessarily true. However, I’ve tried to use information that I’ve seen listed in multiple places so as a generalization I’m hopefully correct. This more porous, open wood doesn’t quite have maple’s hardness, strength, or stability, however, and it isn’t suitable as a fretboard material. Check out this nice summary via Siccas Guitars YoutubeSiccas Guitars Youtube. Under the Cronquist classification system, t… Our design team prefers to use grain heavy wood to accentuate the look and sound of the instruments, but not all tone woods have such a nice aesthetic, basswood being one of them. Luthiers Mercantile International we offer over 40 species of wood for use in the construction of stringed instruments As a result, I am really enjoying building with Redwood and will continue with it. Since I’m not an expert on woods or a luthier please feel free to leave a comment and correct me. The American basswood or linden has large, heart-shaped leaves, which grow from 5 to 10 inches long and are dark green. It also helps that I have a private source of excellent 100 yr. old Redwood! On the other end of the spectrum, Sitka Spruce has been a problem for me, with trebles that ring but dull mid-range and bass. They are generally easier to play, that is, more responsive (due to their light weight). Linden trees are herma… limewood is a loose term, the lime tree is genus, namely tilia, and has several species, for example, bass wood = tilia americana,,,, there are at least two european species of lime wood trees, namely "sommer linde"=summer limewood with broad leaves and "winter linde"=winter lime wood with small leaves. .ive played both spruce and cedar .i like the cedar for its full deep, rich sound. Re: Basswood ? The tree reaches 50 to 70 feet tall, with a trunk diameter of up to 3 feet. If the Majesty does have basswood it will also have a maple shield and/or top and each Majesty guitar offers mahogany through the neck of the instrument. A simple way to fill and enhance wood grain and pores on a guitar body. The American basswood is the larger leafed and mostly wild,and just ready to bloon. However, how do we measure volume, through loudness or projection? Generally a bit more mellow sounding than euro or sitka possibly due to being slightly less stiff. Everything you think is true about guitar woods or design can be proven wrong or enhanced by a skilled luthier. the cedar is very tonal thin almost tinny but has steel strings prob of not good quality , my spruce has nickle bronze and it ,, for the moment blows the cedar away for deep rich sound with very pleasing ring out almost bell like , there exactly opposite what I expected , however the cedar has issues 1, nasty strings 2, only having it 3 hours It feels and sounds very dehighdrated so unfare comparison even the bridge and neck I see are little high so once I tech the cedar I’m sure it will have a far more pleasing dark sound , just wanted to say strings, highdration, setup, I feel certain blind testing most people would guess spruce was cedar and vice verse , so I think I agree with the experts lots of factors ,,, I susspect my post is redundant ha ha. Link/Source: Marcus Dominelli via Delcamp. My understanding of Spanish Cedar is that it is from central and south America but I know little more. We also share information about your use of our site with our trusted social media, advertising, and analytics partners. PILLA GLOBAL SARL LLC. I have a engelmann spruce and it has a wonderful tone, however, it might not have the quick response and clarity of a euro. Radoja Domanovica 1, 16000 Leskovac, Serbia +381 63 409801. These distinctions are subtle and not always apparent. Also, what constitutes the sound warm or full anyway? I've also heard that some of the European pines are acceptable for carving. If you compare the weight of less expensive guitars to more high-end models made of basswood, you will find that most high-end guitars weigh less and normally sound better. Both are great in the hands of professionals but if you’re a student I’d recommend cedar. That being said, my conclusion is that the sound is very subjective and the decision whether to choose from a spruce or a cedar guitar is frequently influenced by many factors like: “what wood is my teacher’s guitar made of?”, “what wood was the first guitar it amazed me made of?”, “what is the sound I am conformable and pleased with”, “what sound I am looking for”. Basswood has been used in many high-end guitars for decades and is considered a great tone wood for instruments throughout the industry. Part seems to be that different techniques are required to obtain the best sound from each. This is the dynamo combination as far as I’m concerned. But once you get into other modes of construction, like lattices and double tops, the game changes, and it’s harder to compare the characteristics of the two woods. This is partially due to it wide availability, large diameter logs and high yield. I personally tend to prefer European spruce, but North American spruces, particularly Adirondack and Engelmann, can be very attractive. This is something that holds true for most tonewoods, but especially basswood. Find out more about the Axis guitar here. I lie not! It is now quite commonly used for making electric guitar bodies. I’m not a luthier and in no way an expert, infact I’ve been playing purly acoustic for 20+ years .I bought a simon and patric songsmith a year ago in toronto (there built in la patrie quebec ) so I assume it would have canadien spruce , just bought the s&p cedar woodland both are over 12 years old so just getting mature both wild cherry back n sids. Hi, generally, the basswood in the citries and ar taugghnnock park is the little leaf variety-european which blooms =earlier. Let’s be honest: you don’t buy a guitar wood for the chance you will drop the guitar one day, you buy it for the tone. At Ernie Ball Music Man we have sourced and produced dozens of prototypes and the basswood prevailed for specific instruments with its ideal weight and tonal qualities. Don’t forget that there are good and bad cuts of wood so a bad cut of expensive European spruce might not sound good at all. spruce is a fine top as well i guess its what you are looking for in your own style one thing i can tell for sure ,is that the type of string you are choosing. There is a tactile difference here, perhaps related to the generally quicker development of the note in cedar. Guitar wood from the Pacific Northwest by Oregon Wild Wood is the choice of many luthiers who demand the highest quality wood for their guitars. Every person is different and there is a guitar for each person. I'd suggest getting some small pieces of local wood and experimenting with them. The Bongo bass collection features a double cutaway basswood body, made with superior construction. Though basswood may sometimes be less expensive to purchase out in the wild, this does not mean that the tone of the instrument will be worse. Maple, European Ukulele Backs and Sides. European Lime has good strength-to-weight characteristics, and tends to be slightly heavier and harder than its American counterpart. I appreciate the unique qualities of each wood, and the choice depends on the player’s preference. All the talk we do is, to some extend, pointless. There are only three true cedar (cedrus) species: Lebanon cedar from the mideast, Atlas cedar from North Africa, and a very rare Chinese species. Depending on the body style and wood it's paired with, it can match well with sophisticated chords and fingerstyle arrangements, strummers with a firm attack, and any player looking for a responsive tone with nice complexity. It is a soft wood, but I would rather have a guitar that resonates nicely, and sounds good, than one with rock hard wood that sustains a bad tone for longer. Here at Ernie Ball Music Man, we ensure the best quality basswood and instill the highest level of craftsmanship for our instruments. http://www.classicalguitardelcamp.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=75703&start=0. However, true basswood does produce a very pleasing midrange tone, which is why modern guitar companies use the wood for instruments to this day. What is your opinion of the sound emanating from guitars that have such unusual woods for the top? The second most common guitar-neck wood after maple, mahogany is most often coupled with a solid mahogany or mahogany/maple-topped body. Since I’m a player and not a luthier I will fill out this article with quotes from reputable luthiers and guitarists. “Cedar” is one of those names which has long been used for a large number of completely unrelated trees. As far as my own building, my guitars with California Redwood tops have been the most successful. Basswood is also one of the most suitable wood species for hand carving in our factory. In the end a good guitar is a good guitar, regardless of the woods used. The linden tree (also commonly known as basswood or lime tree, despite being unrelated to the fruit bearing bush of the same name) falls within the Tilia genus, a group of around 30 species of trees native to the Northern hemisphere. A lot of controversy surrounding basswood stems from the fact that it varies in quality. Maybe they don’t project as directly or clearly but can fill a room with lots of sound. Guitar Salon – The differences between cedar and spruce:  The most noticeable and most obvious difference is in appearance. "TWOOD" ID number: 20543752 VAT: 106151110 Activity Code: 4673. Paul Reed Smith Guitars, PRS Guitars, Steinberger Guitars,Fender Guitars, Kramer Guitars, Ibanez Guitars, ... Basswood aka Linden: Tilia americana. ... you can expect a small compromise in the cosmetics of the wood in exchange for a great value. Depending on which Majesty you’re referring to in John Petrucci’s signature collection, it may have basswood and it may not. Although engelmann logs are generally smaller but there still seems to be high quality cuts out there. Of course, not all Lutz is going to be great wood; you can never make absolute statements about a species of wood. I think it’s pretty well agreed upon that spruce tends to sound a bit crisper, with better separation and definition. Traphagen on European Spruce: “Clear bell-like sound with a full tonal color pallet. Guitar Building / Instrument Making, Wood Turning, Boat Building, Outdoor Construction, Timber Framing and more: Lumber Grades: Quartersawn: Other Trade Names: European Spruce, Austrian Red Spruce: Austrian Red Spruce Lumber Pricing. Both woods can make great guitars. Many guitar enthusiasts agree that it’s well matched with humbucking pickups because basswood produces a lot of the same frequencies that pickups easily recreate. But please let me know about Italian Spruce, Adirondack Spruce, etc.. Western Red Cedar: These large diameter trees can produce excellent cuts with straight grains. It often takes some time to adapt the appropriate right hand follow-through to compliment each wood. Eric Monrad on topwoods:I build  soundboards with both spruce (European and American) and cedar. differece ? Maple, European Ukulele Backs and Sides. Basswood is also one of the most suitable wood species for hand carving in our factory. Laminate guitars, on the other hand, can be made to acc… Payment secured by: 4A Grade: Usually the European spruce we carry is from the Alps of Switzerland, but from time to time we have German spruce, Italian, and Ukranian spruce. But between Cedar(s) and Spruce(s)… lots of overlap and lots of fine-sounding instruments out there! Other members of the genus include the rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus), phalsa (Grewia subinaequalis), durian (Durio spp. The American Linden is … It is well known that cedar fences last longer than spruce fences. If you are at a party with a bunch of gorgeous women and the subject of "Wood" comes up. You indicate your consent to this use by clicking “I Agree” or by continuing to use this website. Cedar bears a distinct, pleasant odor and is slightly more porous, which may contribute to a faster responding sound. European Spruce or German Spruce: Considered one of the best tonewoods of all, at least, traditionally speaking. The genus occurs in Europe and eastern North America, but the greatest species diversity is found in Asia. Cedar may be less prone to warping bc its oils sustain its structural integrity during dry conditions, a situation that’s akin to “fracking” where the earth surface integrity is compromised. It may seem louder to the player but in large halls spruce often carries better, perhaps because of its clarity. Basswood is a very full-bodied sounding tonewood, and it especially makes sense for us to utilize it when adding elements like maple tops to give the instrument the overall package for more cut and brightness. Several players have commented on their balance and richness of overtones. Solid wood guitars do not contain laminated (layered) wood, so as an example if you own a solid top acoustic Martin D18, the top is all solid wood, not layered in any way.
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