CEDAR vs SPRUCE! - Acoustic Guitar Tone Comparison!
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- Опубліковано 28 вер 2024
- Finding the right acoustic can be a seriously daunting task!
Today, hopefully I can help you narrow it down - It's Cedar vs Spruce!!
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Did you guys favour the Spruce or the Cedar top? Let me know!
Enjoy :)
Hmmm.....
Myself I like the Spruce top the best.
Usually a cedar guy, with a few exceptions. My flamenco guitar is spruce top on cypress sides/back, and it’s the best nylon string I’ve ever played, with a bell like timber.
I generally don’t like cedar on a shorter scale, because it gets too mellow.
I concur: The cedar is the favored wood for solo finger-style/classical acoustic; the kind of thing where it's just one person in a room... or maybe two, complimentary, acoustics playing together.
I think you've demonstrated why so many high-end classical guitars are made with cedar. Comparing the two is kind of like comparing sushi and barbecue. Both are awesome, but to be successful they function best when used in the right context.
That old travel guitar you demo'ed, with carbon fibre. :)
I'm amazed by how much more clarity and definition the spruce provides.
Both sounded great and a perfect demonstration of the wood qualities. The recording sounded amazing. I bet those new Austrian mics will be on many peoples radars
The correct answer is. "It depends" :) Spruce sounds much brighter and the Ceder sounds warmer.
BeardedBlues Dude nah spruce gang for life
What did Gordon Lighrfoot play? Spruce or Cedar? Whatever he played. I'll go with that.
Strange I thought the cedar was more bright than the spruce.
What its exact the opposite
To my ears the spruce was way brighter
Refreshing "Amazing Grace" brief instru with the Capo part.
Darrell you are one of the best reviewers. You play short chordal tones and riffs with each guitar. A lot of folks play one guitar too long and by the time they switch my ears have lost context. Your comparison was comprehensive without overwhelming me with one sound. And you play beautifully too.
The sound of the cedar made me immediately think of Medieval & Renaissance music, reminded me of listening to John Renbourn.
i love the tone of cedar. (and im not gonna be in a band so...)i mustve been in renaissance, past life
Thanks for the Vid and the Question. Spruce especially paired with a rosewood has such the familiar beautiful sound. Rhythm and melody, however I've fallen big time over Western Red Cedar. It just goes right through me. I've always liked a darker sound, or warmer, but this is special
Nice comparison! The spruce model looks pretty new. It'd be interesting to re-record the same clips in the same manner on the spruce model in a couple of years or so, with the aim of seeing how the sound changes with the age of the guitar
Great comparison, I agree with your assessment of the tonal characteristics!!
I'm also very interested in Furch as a front runner for my next guitar!!
I recently bought a Furch cedar/mahogany dread from their ‘Blue’ range, which is their entry point for all solid wood. The mahogany seems to me to maximise the characteristics of the cedar top as described in the video. Ideal for solo fingerstyle, and I’m very pleased with it.
Great comparison. Thanks!. Having played cedar for +50 years, I wanted to try something more "in-your-face, flamenco, raw, loud.....", ie. less subtle. I love the soft delicacy of the cedar, but sometimes my mood needs more ragged, earthy, more violent passion, as I go mental and do my crazy riffs with eyes shut!! Definitely, one of each.
Your ability to translate subjective sonic impressions and somehow quantify them into objective criteria is marvelous (subjective opinion 😁). You very much enable me to hear what you are hearing as you teach the differences. I get it! I pride myself in being able to maintain objectivity and avoid subjective influences, such as brand or hype. I throughly enjoy all your evaluations. It is clear that you strive to maintain an objective posture and transmit the “feeling” type information in a way that I can clearly understand. I feel like I’m rambling, but it is important to me that I express my recognition to you as positive feedback for your analysis. Thank you much Darrell for all you do! I always learn so much when I watch your vids, especially the comparison type vids. Thank you!
Spruce for me! Absolutely in love with my Seagull S6 Slim CH, solid spruce top and wild cherry body (the wood, not the color!), and love the satin neck too!
🇨🇦!!!
(BTW, you can partially “EQ” the wood tone by swapping string type. F.E. tried the D’Addario Original American 85/15, brought some warmer e rounded tone, dispite of a bit of mid-hi cutting and sustain loss.
Next swap, D’Addario Nickel Bronze, cant’wait to try them out!)
Very clear and interesting video! Cheers from Italy!
Great comparison. I've never seen TWO capos used at the same time. That was new. Now I"ve got to try it.
Hi Darrell do you plan to do a studio tour anytime soon? Would love to see some behind the scenes stuff!
Wow, I own a Furch with Spruce and Mahogany back. Great comparison! Love Furch's and Stonebridge. Great playing!
Lowdens are my favourite.
Best comparison of cedar vs. spruce tops I've seen. Thank you!
liked the cedar better. More full sound to my ears. Love the comparisons also. Thanks
As I was listening, the cedar reminded me so much of the tone of nylon strings. Darrell's summary at the end was spot on.
I personally enjoyed the Spruce higher on the neck/riffing and cedar lower on the neck/strumming. Both are fantastic instruments for their own purpose. BTW the thumbnail has the two headers over the wrong guitars. Great stuff as always Darrell!
I prefer the sound of cedar tops but I believe the esthetic is better with a Sitka spruce.
I have the same thing with mahogany vs rosewood back and sides. I prefer mahogany sound but Indian rosewood is so marvelously beautiful !
So my favorite sounding guitar doesn’t match my favorite esthetic guitar. That’s my forever dilemma but I will always sacrifice the look because sound is what this instrument is made for
I wasn’t prepared for the extent of the difference! In my head, I picture the cedar as my bedroom guitar (love the warmth), and the spruce for performances (love the projection). Great demo, Thank you.
The spruce was clear, defined and projected well. But man oh man the cedar was like hot cocoa on a cold winter day. Sweet, smooth and warm to the ears. Beautiful overtones with mids to die for. The spruce would definitely be great for a band to help cut through and the cedar fills that void for that intimate setting for a singer alone. Both outstanding instruments and would be happy with either.
Both are breathtaking as is your playing. Would give the nod to the spruce. Btw largely because of your videos I have Furch violet spruce and Furch indigo cedar.
I have seen several videos of this comparison but in my opinion you are the only one doing it right because you choose almost the exact same guitar , same size, almost all things being equal with the only difference being the top.
I think if you want to play with other people and do solos the spruce is the way to go because is brighter and stands out more, more attack but l as forgiving you make a mistake and people will clearly heard it .
While the Cedar has a warmer tone but more in the low profile side kind of round creamy sound .
I think is a matter of preference and what you want to do and with whom you are doing it.
At the end what matters is your dexterity and the sound that you can produce with your guitar and the sensation that you want to convey.
Nice video thanks for doing this.
I liked the cedar top. My sister had a cedar top nylon string guitar when we were kids. Always liked that tone.
Interesting comparison, thanks for sharing. I recently bought an Eastman AC222CE that should have come with a spruce top, however due to the tone (and color) I suspect it has a cedar top, the sounds was what stood out to me when testing the guitar, and after watching this video, I am convinced it is cedar.
I could have returned it due to the manufacturing inconsistency, however I really like the sound and the fact that it is probably a rare event to have an AC222 with a different top than the one in the specs.
Great comparison! Thanks!
I love the way the spruce guitar sounds, is a beautiful bright sounding guitar.
Cedar is so fat sounding and very very warm. I can't play very well but I ran sound for a friends band for around five years and yes I for sure can't hear them both and how the sound. You nailed it on the head I have a love for music and you channel lol thanks so much.
I was surprised at the difference and overall preferred the cedar sound.
Thanks for posting you are a skilled guitarist.
I’m a little late to the comments section here but I really feel compelled to weigh in, even if nobody reads my comments. Darrell, your playing is lovely, expressive, sensitive, accomplished and flawless. This comparison is one of the best I’ve seen yet. My overall impression is that both tops work very well, each in different applications. Cedar is a much softer wood than Spruce thus it is more responsive under a soft and medium attack. It has less headroom than spruce and thus breaks up under aggressive play, especially strumming and hard lead with a pick. A Cedar top, assuming it is braced well, cannot be beat for general fingerstyle, Celtic, arpeggiated melody, chord melody and songwriting. Spruce is stiffer thus imparts a more distinct and clear note differentiation. It is immediate, loud, has good headroom, holds up to picks and gets better with age. Cedar will age but not like Spruce. Cedar has tons of overtones and harmonics. Spruce is somewhat more direct and clear which makes it great for lead and rhythm. I own several of both and love them all for different reasons. Cedar tops are soft. They ding if you so much as look at them cross eyed. If that bothers you then buyer beware. I’m having a custom Lowden built for me, Cedar over Madagascar Rosewood. It was a difficult choice but ultimately Cedar won out because I felt it best represented the Lowden tonal character. If it was a custom Martin I might have chosen Englemann or Euro Spruce or maybe even Sitka. This was a really informative comparison but to my ear, admittedly very sensitive, the Stonebridge guitar was tuned off key by a few cents. That made the comparison a tiny bit skewed. Nonetheless it shows clearly the value of tonewood selection and that there isn’t one perfect combination. Well done!
Great post as always! I know why you bought 2, both sounds incredible! To my ears, the cedar sounds scooped in the mids, and the spruce opened up on the mids giving it alot of presence. Now, time for me to convince my “wifey” why we need more than 1 acoustic 😉 ...and 1 more 😁. Love the “Amazing Grace” lick!
LOVED your clean and tasty fingerstyle picking on both! I gravitated towards spruce from the first few strums and notes, I think. I like definition and as you said yourself, the spruce top cut through more. I get the full range argument when playing alone, but even there, I think I'm partial to the tone of the spruce top.
Another great comparison and helping to decide what to look for when going about gear shopping. Thanks a bunch!
Cedar is more mellow and warmer. Like with pianos, it is so much about what kind of music you play too. My preferences:
Test 1: Spruce
Test 2: Cedar
Test 3: Cedar
Test 4: Spruce (but only slightly; both are amazing)
Test 5: Cedar
Test 6: Equal - for different purposes
Spruce is much brighter/sharper and would be great for lead.
EDIT: wow, Darrell said pretty much the same I was thinking at the end. I'm not deaf!
Wow! Always thought spruce is what I preferred until now. I am going to have to get a cedar guitar.
Wow! Great comparison! I own this very same Stonebridge cedar top guitar. Sometimes, I wish I could toggle a switch and turn it into a spruce top guitar. What a presence with strumming!
Thanks Darrell, another excellent video. I could also hear the difference and agree that cedar top is not as bright as the spruce. Thanks for the context of where each top excels. Until watching this comparison I was leaning towards a spruce top. Now I'm thinking cedar as its definitely a warmer tone wood and I really enjoy finger style and don't need to cut through against competing instruments. Once again Darrell thanks.
I've got a Furch Blue Gc CM (Cedar top, Mahagony bottom and sides) and yeah I enjoy playing fingerstyle on it. I find it well balanced
Thanks for being with us, Martin! 🙏🏻
Thank you so much for doing an acoustic video. Would you consider to do more acoustic videos, please?
I heard spruce becomes more and more mellow as the guitar gets older (but it takes 20 years or so !) and cedar reaches its best sooner and keep being warm from early playing to ages. A more experienced luthier could tell. Of course this seems to be for high end guitars. My preference goes to cedar 'cause actually I own no spruce top guitar 😁 but having played some and I like them too. I agree the comments about context and style, so definitely, if possible, take one of each kind ! Sorry if this was already said, I'm lazy for checking all comments. Keep making music, guys, and stay safe. And thx Darrell, good vid; cheers.
Greetings from Serbia! Darell you're great, I've been following you for a long time. Great comparison of two guitars, I absolutely agree with you about what kind of guitar is better in what situation.
Completely agree with you Darrell...Cedar is MUCH warmer/mellower. Each has it's own taste/genre too tho! Gr8 vid!
Thanks that was a great comparison. Both give wonderful sounds, I lean more to spruce for playing. Thanks again.
This is a fantastic video (so is your playing!). I can hear why spruce is the top of choice, but that cedar tone is still so good.
Spruce gets warmer and better over time Cider levels off
Thanks for that brilliant review. I completely agree with your conclusion.
Great 👍 comparison! Well played and recorded...as usual! Thanks for this, now if I could only play like that..Cheers Mike in Nova Scotia.
Liked them both, but as a singer-songwriter when you strummed the cedar I started singing "Laughing" by the Guess Who...so that did it for me. Cedar. Great comparison.
I own over 37 guitars, but that’s not my point. My point is that I prefer Cedar over Spruce depending on the tunes that I’m playing. Blues, Spiritual, Covers in Rock, Crosby Still Nash or Zeppelin or Pink Floyd. It also depends on my moods... At the end of the day, it’s all good.
What was the point of the 73 guitars ?
@@kevin7rxxx346 It wasn't the point.
Spinman Corner it’s a boast from a guy saying he’s not boasting...wait your trump...good one
Yea not really
interesting... and playing in a group, on pop rock, aren't you too penalized by the cedar? Does it go well anyway?
I like the Spruce. I also prefer white binding. I like how you finished the phrasing of Amazing Grace on the second guitar. Mighty fine playing
Spruce definitely sounds brighter, period. I was expecting the Cedar sounding much rounder but I've been totally surprised by how it actually sounds : it has a so much fuller tone that can makes your whole chest resonate. But it does not however sounds round and warm as a root-ish Martin dreadnought would do, even if it got a spruce top.
This cedar top on that guitar sounds so nice and can express different feelings even in fingerstyle. I just fell in love with it, I need to get one now !
Cedar sound so soothing and smooth I love the cedar
Love the cedar. I want that Furch.
they both have unique tonal qualities I guess depending on the setting...spruce and cedar, two brothers in a family of tone
I ordered a left handed one of the spruce topped Furches from a shop in the uk.Unfortunately it took far too long to come from the factory that I gave up and got a Faith instead. Big mistake! Bye the way my wife thinks your rendition of amazing grace was beautiful.
If I was choosing for my taste it'd be the Cedar. Much warmer yet a full sound and loved the base response.
I have both. What I hear is Spruce is brasher and more dynamic, but both in a good good way. Cedar is so sweet and tender. Definitely has a thing that just is fun to play as a more mellow thing. My Cedar top guitar is my older less expensive guitar and thus I use it at the campfire and it just does not dissappoint. Totally love both
great video, thanks for making it! You executed it with perfection!
Wow. Overall, Darrell, I have to agree with your conclusions. I often don't hear much of a difference between guitars, but this time, it's quite noticeable. Cedar is warmer and fuller, but also didn't project quite as well, while the spruce is brighter and more sharp. I enjoyed what sounded like a Scottish bagpipe imitation from about 4:15 to 5:00. Both guitars sound great, but if I have to choose, I'll go with the cedar (I'm a bedroom guitarist, so no band mix to cut through).
Wow, not exactly what I expected. Certainly spruce sounds more nasally, while the cedar sounded breathy. I play finger style and love the spruce, how it resonates but you’re right, it needs taming as it can be quite harsh. When I bought it I played the exact guitar back to back, spruce top and either mahogany or rosewood back and sides and it was worlds apart. Might need a second acoustic after seeing this haha
Particularly liked the spruce top because of its brightness and rich bass. Cedar would be my second choice.
Thank you Darrell, for your beautiful, meditative Amazing Grace! I generally prefer spruce, having owned both cedar and spruce varieties. The cedar lows are very warm and resonant with these particular guitars, but as usual cedar really mutes the highs even with the high gloss finish on the Stonebridge. Still I really like both these models. Great review!
Great comparison. Agreed. Nice to know that distinction tnx ...
Nice work and I think you are also correct on the results. Thanks for sharing.
Spruce definitely cuts through and has that shimmer.
I'm a sucker for spruce and its brightness. I'd love an inside view of the bracing and its wood, too, because as I understand it, that can have an impact, too.
Like the cedar sound. Have a ibanez with spruce top, mahogany back sides and satin mahogany neck with rosewood fret. Sounds more like the cedar.
I agree. I prefer Cedar
I have a Tacoma C1C with a cedar top. I can't say I would have fallen in love with it if it were a spruce top.
Each type have their place. When i tried both in stores i preferred spruce as brighter clear tones while cedar sounded dead in comparison to my ear.
Thanks for the video. It's cedar all the way for me.
Both sound wonderful, but I like the warmer sound of Cedar better. I only have a Spruce top guitar now, guess I need a Cedar top now lol. Beautifully played man.
I like cedar for rhythm in a dense track. Seems to need less or no EQ. Spruce when you need an acoustic to stick out like a sore thumb. I have both for those occasions.
I'm amazed that there's that much difference.
Depends on what I’m playing. Generally it is indeed Spruce for flatpicking and Cedar for fingerpicking.
Damn i miss the intro already. It's as canadian as it gets and i love it.
thank you! Very educational video! I love it!
I wonder if mellow strings on the spruce guitar vs bright strings on the cedar guitar would sound. For example monel strings on the spruce and 80/20 bronze on cedar
I changed the eq by suppressing the mid-strong frequencies with strings on mine, actually i also put a fatter low E on, and it smoothed out (flattened) the eq and softened the (perceived) output a tiny bit.
It still projected the sound better than many spruce tops i have tried.
And i got what i wanted.
I bet you could tweak a spruce top too.
80/20 p-b was what i went with.
I believe that the rosewood back and sides contributes to the mellow tone in this vid.
Mahogany would be snappier.
Or even flatwounds on the spruce
Why not go the other way?
But that Enso ring though! 😁
I liked the cedar better. I have come to realize that I just don't care for spruce tops on a lot of guitars.
Thanks for the comparison. I personally love the cedar top
Cedars warmth was sweet for sure.
I only have one guitar so I’m glad I have spruce. I can get warmer tones with silk n steel strings.
But since I only have one, I’m glad it’s spruce.
Honestly, I’d probably still buy a second spruce and just have different strings on the two. I just don’t like buying a guitar that is really only good for one thing.
Spruce for sure Darrell. They both sound lovely so i'd be happy with either.
I personally like the spruce top better, it has that shiny, shimmery, defined sound. Somehow I got the impression that the individual notes on the cedar top get a but sucked up by the instrument and not really let out of it.
i have cedar mahagony OM from blue line . great axe, has bit fuller and bassier tone than the sitka walnut option is same category, and i do flatpicking on it as well and i am happy with the cedar
Cedar for classical. Spruce for flamenco or cedar for that matter. The back and sides also affect the sound too.
Agree the difference is noticeable.
I have a Cedar top guitar, I think it sounds much deeper and warmer and not as bright or “tinny”
preferred the cedar, sounded softer, warmer. i can see where you'd want that brightness of the spruce, though. and the spruce sure is pretty.
I love cedar for my classical guitars. I love it for steel string acoustic now too. Not as much as mahogany but this opened up doors lol
Thank you for an excellent video review. I'm considering purchasing a cedar top and was curious of the sound difference. I prefer the not as bright, but more full or mellow sound of a cedar. Good day!
you are correct man .thanks
Both James Taylor and Phil Keaggy play high end James Olson cedar cutaways for years when they could have chosen spruce tops. Poetically, I'm paraphrasing, sound of spruce is like two best friends from years ago meet up and have great time together reminiscing. Cedar is boyfriend girlfriend seeing each other after years apart and one giving a kiss on the other's cheek.
tone is one thing and all of us can hear it I believe... but the main difference is in dynamics. I chose to play cedar top guitar because it has greater dynamic range, you can play softly and also you can play hard, you can really modulate attack and volume - big value if you play rock and roll for example. It has more mid range and if you choose right strings it can really ring, certainly has big potential. Spruce is easier to get excited, so it is loud even when played softly. This is at least my own experience... what is your experience?
That warmer tone of the cedar 🤤
Yes, to me the Cedar looks better and sounds better. Have you done a review on the GUitar Fetish Xaviere Rich Tonewood Series Guitars?
Great video. I prefer the cedar, but as you said, it very much depends.
💯% agree with that!
Spruce was my preferred as it sounds brighter