Official Luthiers Forum!

Hai I need help to choice for Accoustic soundboard...
the back and side I choose Mahogany also neck, what about soundboard?? I have engelmann spruce and Western Red Cedar..
thank's...

Depends on what you like. Both are acceptable.

_________________
Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

What are you building? Steelstring, dread, OM, ?? classical?

Corky, I'll build steel string, like L-OO or OM or Martin O size with some modifications;
rather long neck, narrow body depth maybe 2.5" to 3" with electric, what you think??

Harry,

That's pretty narrow - why so narrow? My guess is you'll lose some base with a body that narrow - but maybe that's your intention. Anyway, Englemann and WRC can both be used for that type of guitar, but you'll have a different sound for sure. Ultimately it's up to your own preference.

Of course every piece of wood is different, but assuming that both tops are "average" whatever that means, the WRC will open up much sooner than the Englemann. It's softer too, almost certainly, so it will dent more easily. As for sound quality - I'm sure I'm opening a can of worms on this, but at least to my ears, the WRC-topped guitars have had a "brighter, more strident" tone, a bit less complex, if you were to describe them in negative terms, I'd call it almost a metallic ring to it.

With Englemann, it's a spruce, and will likely bring more of a traditional sound to the guitar.

Finally, the WRC takes a dent very easily - you'll want to be very careful if you build with it.

okay thank's Corky, it's open new horizon to me...

Don't mean to high jack the thread. But how do you guys think and addy wenge dread would sound?

George Lowden has found a modicum of success mating cedar tops to mahogany backs and sides.

Me, I'm curious about a recent spate of examples of cedar-topped flamencos (blancas with cypress back and sides).

_________________
Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu

If I had only two tops to choose from and was building a 0 or 00 size guitar, I would choose the top that was less stiff along the grain. For an OM or bigger I would choose the top that was stiffer.

Steve

I would choice the top based on the basic sound you're looking for. Do you want the crisp sound that spruce offers or the warm sound the cedar offers. Both combinations will make nice sounding guitars if you know how to use them...

_________________
My Facebook Guitar Page

"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson