help with top wood

[searam]

Cheers to all! While I have been a member for a while, I have never posted anything. But, I sure could use everyone's expertise! I am going to have a jumbo built for me this summer. I love the look of cedar and redwood, but I would like to know what tonal differences each might give. I also intend to have the top be "mastergrade" as I hear that the top is most important and the back/sides only colour the sound. Help, please?

[Dr.Dirk]

JB told me that Redwood tends to bring out a little more bass than Cedar. I ordered a beautiful L25 with Alaska Cedar top, but still dream of a Redwood topped guitar - it is a beautiful wood!
As far as the back and sides sound influence are concerned I would say it is a good bit of coloration which contributes essentially to the overall sound.
Mahagony tends to be warm and big sounding while rosewood can be a little more complex in tone at times. Cheers!

[Loki]

I love my cedar topped Avalons - but would have to admit to having lust for a redwood topped one, which I personally hear as being 'cedar on steroids'

... but having said that ---- some of the incredibly tight and dark Alaskan cedar over a dark walnut body, ummmmmmmmmmmm

That's just me though. What kind of music and style do you foresee your instrument mainly being played in?

It is, after all, going to be for you.

[searam]

Thank you! I have to say that the Alaskan dark cedar is gorgeous! I am leaning, though, to Redwood. As great as Avalon's are, I don't think you could make a mistake with any wood combo!

[Redwood Lover]

As my name says, I love Redwood. It is simply awesome.

[SimonC]

Or you could get a red cedar top like mine

[Loki]

On reflection I think that the key decider is in what the guitar is going to be played for, and how.

For a reasonably controlled fingerstylist I think that there is a warmth and lyricism in a really good cedar top that is hard to go past.

For someone who is into the 'Celtic' style, both fingerstyle and rhythmic or melodic strumming, the additional bass, power and 'headroom' before being overtaken by heavy driving which redwood will give you is outstanding.

There is, I think, a tendency to dismiss spruce as somehow "too common" to be really good. No doubt some of it, on low end instruments isn't great, but at the other end of the scale top quality spruce on a quality instrument can be fabulous. It's probably also the best for a big banjo killing guitar.

You pays yer money and you take yer chances!

(or like me you are weak willed and buy Avalons in different woods and sizes)

Whatever choice you make, good luck to you, and I personally believe that you will get an instrument which will surprise a lot of Martin and Gibby owners.

[Dr.Dirk]

I think spruce is a phenomenal wood as a soundboard and good old spruce tops are hard to beat. it can be very bright just as a cedar top can be a little harsh.

As for Martins and Gibsons I think they stand for their own and of course it is all a matter of taste. I would never sell my D-18 for anything as it sometimes just delivers the sound I want - and it is a very good instrument for recording.

On the other hand I would never prefer my D-18 when I do some DADGAD fingerpicking that I do with my L25 - no comparison!

Sometimes I wonder what would be the perfect L25 compliment in the Avalon range - an L12, maybe ?

[singlereed]

I have certainly had a lot of pleasure out of cedar topped guitars and on several buying expeditions over the years have preferred it over spruce. Never tried redwood, though.

[searam]

Thanks for all the wonderful help everyone has given me! One of the "works of art" I am considering having built is now a redwood-topped J320E, with figured EIR. Oh, I have a couple of videos already on the Avalon "favourites" site. I just filmed an original, Celtic instrumental and my own arrangement of "Greensleaves" that should get through editing by mid-March. Maybe Jim, after seeing my D201E, will add these two to the mix. Wonderful chap! They are under searam1, or Sean Robert Ramuno. Thanks again for all the help. Looks like redwood wins!