How Top Woods Are Graded
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- Опубліковано 12 сер 2024
- A Grade Sikta? A+…AAA? What do these letters tell you? We're demystifying top wood grading today on Alvarez TV to give you more tools to choose your new favorite guitar. We have two guitars in today's episode, both solid top Sitka Dreadnoughts…very similar, but also very much not the same. Why do we use different Sitka for different models? And what are those differences? We're discussing how top wood is graded on today's episode.
Jump to…
0:00 Driving Song (Intro Jam)
1:30 Sitka, Silking, and Cut on the Quarter: Hold On, We're Getting Technical
5:44 AD30 vs. AD60: Here's What's Different
8:42 Structural Integrity & Tone
13:36 Demo: AD30
14:14 Demo: AD60
Dee is playing an Artist AD30: alvarezguitars.com/guitar/ad30.
Chris is playing an Artist AD60: alvarezguitars.com/guitar/ad60.
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I just bought a used AD60L and it is an amazing guitar and the top has the most amazing silking. I was shocked to find such a fine top on such an affordable guitar. Thanks Alvarez for making great guitars from the best materials.
I could listen to Chris talk the finer points of guitar building all day.
So could we.
Very cool discussion and showing of the various woods.
Cheers!
Thank you, Nadav!
I have a 2007 Alvarez Master Series MD95. I was living in San Diego and the Sitka Spruce top surface split on me from the bridge to the heal. I sent the guitar to Alvarez to repair. They placed two diamond shaped wood pieces under the top surface and glued across the crack. It was out of warranty, so I had to pay a small amount. Now, depending on the humidity, the crack can be felt sometimes. The MD 95 still sounds wonderful and it’s a beautiful guitar.
Great video!!! See my other comment. I forgot to mention that the 5A Adirondack Spruce top on my Hsienmo Custom Shop Grand Auditorium is a $500 MARK-UP vs standard Sitka Spruce, and it's solid Honduran Rosewood back & sides is a $600 MARK-UP vs solid Indian Rosewood back & sides on the same model. The 5A German Spruce top on my Hsienmo Custom Shop Grand Auditorium is a $100 mark-up vs AAA Sitka Spruce.
I do love the Yairi guitars, and in my opinion, the block-in-top string pegs with separate bridge as a system is hands down, the very best innovation ever put on the top of an acoustic guitar. The string ball ends and the pegs have more direct contact & energy transfer with the bridge plate and top, not to mention neither the in-top-block nor the separate bridge can ever pull off of the top, thanks to the tall and ultra-steep string angle across the saddle & bridge. Instead of "pulling on the bridge", it pulls the bridge straight downwards into the top, creating even more energy transfer. GENIUS. The late, great Mr. Yairi was a true bad ass among Master Luthiers. Pertaining to ultra-high quality spruce tops, both of my Hsienmo Custom Shop guitars are as good as it gets. My Hsienmo medium jumbo with single florentine cutaway has a 5A German Spruce top, with solid wild Indian Rosewood back & sides, while my Hsienmo Grand Auditorium with single cutaway has a 5A Adirondack Spruce top with solid Honduran Rosewood back & sides. Both tops have the medullary rays ( "silking" ) that are very visible over their entire surface, from end to end, and side to side. These guitars are phenomenal for playability, tone, and resonance. But I still plan on (hopefully ) buying an Alvarez Yairi, and a Hosen/Maestro guitar, to round out my acoustic arsenal. With so many awesome factory acoustic guitar companies today, we truly are living in the golden age of luthierie.
Very detailed explanation of tonewood
My MD60BG has silking all through the top. It's very beautiful to look at too. Again, I'm not a huge mahogany guitar fan but I love the sound of this one.
Great to hear…thanks for tuning in 👍
The difference in the flexibility of the wood is amazing :O
My second favorite guitar after my Alveraz Yairi fym60hd I'd my Furch red cedar padauk om. It has nice silking across the entire top.
I enjoy these segments on what goes into making a guitar. I have a 1990 DY-77 Yairi and it has been a wonderful sounding and playing trouble free instrument. How about a video of the Alverez and Yairi factory/workshop tour. I think it would be fascinating to see the guitars being built.
I would like to suggest offering some Alverez and Yairi accessories on the website, or with these You Tube segments. I would love to purchase some t-shirts or hats with the Alverez and Yairi logo on them. Maybe a guitar strap and picks too. Something to consider to help to get the Alverez name out there and create another revenue stream.
Thanks Steve for these great thoughts, and happy to let you know (on the down-low) that these are all already in progress. We'll keep you updated! 👍
This is such a lovely channel
Thanks for the love, @kaushal suvarna. 👍
Very interesting and enlightening.
Thank you, Barry 👍
great informative presentation on Sitka wood grading …. please consider an article on Adirondac
Thanks for the feedback, James! We'll pass that along.
Wowww , I love the sound that you have
Thanks @OMLART. 👍
I just bought an ADM66CEAR…how would the mahogany top be graded? Very interesting video!
I have a Alvarez MD80, sounds wonderful. It has Englesmann spruce, whats the difference with Sitka? The guitar is also very light. I as thinking about selling it, but maybe it is a gm, what is your opinion?
A few weeks ago, I bought a used AD710 (which is from what I have been told, a model designed for Guitar Center). Is the AD710 similar to an AD60 or is there another model that it is closer to construction wise?
I am a fan of Alvarez and Yairi guitars since 1995. I have had several and they sound great. I do have one major problem. My masterworks 60 dread had the bridge pull up which in turn caused the top to split. This was my very best sounding Alvarez. Unfortunately, They luthier wanted more to repair the guitar than it cost me new. Have you any recommendations.
Hi Richard, thanks for reaching out. Have you contacted our service team? Please write to info@alvarezguitars.com for support.
You can really hear the difference between the two models
It was a fun comparison to do. 👍
Alright
Ok.