Official Luthiers Forum!

I've seen some different names for cedar in shopping for some tops. Strawberry cedar, rainbow cedar, and others. Is this just simply describing the colors or are there actually different types of cedar and in most opinions, are they typically suitable to use as tops?

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Kyle

I buy cedar and lutz spruce from a guy who gives descriptive names to the wood he sells. This is helpful to me so that if I like a top, I know what to reorder. I am waiting for my first chocolutz top right now but my favorite top is called Curly Bear. I like to keep it simple. I am sure you and I are thinking of the same guy. The best prices are available at his weekly auctions. If you pick and choose from what he has to offer, he is your guy for top wood.

I primarily build Harp Guitars and he cuts HG sets for me. He has many loyal customers.

Michael

Steve:
The cedar most commonly used for guitar work is Western Red Cedar. The only other descriptive name I find helpful is Sinker Cedar which is WRC that has been underwater a long time and has taken on some darkening in color. To me all these other names are just hype by a wood supplier who to my understanding has very limited guitar building knowledge. I don't bother trying to understand his hype and I don't think there is a grading system used to describe his wood. I buy from reliable dealers such as listed on the OLF. Hope you get some good Cedar.
Tom

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A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!

Some people name their guitars, Mario at Sprucetone wood names his trees. I guess it's part of his business model. Tonewood grading has a lot of variation from seller to seller, but usually grades on cosmetics from "A" grade to "Mastergrade". Unless you know the seller you still don't know what to expect. I've been happy enough with the few pieces of wood I bought from Mario's ebay auctions (years ago).
Most of the western red cedar I use I resaw from the lumber yard stacks I pick through, but I mostly use it for dulcimers rather than guitars.

There is a fair amount of variation in the physical properties in Western red cedar. As you might guess, the elevation and micro-climate are the determining factors. The lower-elevation coastal cedar is usually light tan in color and heavier. There is a sub-category of WRC known as Inland Cedar which comes from further inland in BC. It has more color variation than the coastal cedar, ranging from pink to chocolate, and is less dense.

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Stay with the happy people.
--Reynolds Large

Thanks for the replies. The price is pretty good on a couple of the pieces that I was looking at so I may just give it a try and see what it looks like. I have a feeling it may be inland cedar like TRein talked about. Thanks again.

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Kyle

Nothing wrong with Mario's wood. Great stuff in fact.
He's not a luthier, I don't believe, but he knows how to split billets and saw sets with no runout.
You don't have to be a luthier to saw wood.

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Old growth, shmold growth!

I went for a few less expensive WRC tops some years ago. They looked ok but when I received them they were just plain floppy, as in not stiff at all. I ending up using them for salmon planks.

So, I would say know your source. A lower price might be a good deal but it might just be a waste of money.

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Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

Off quarter?

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John