Members dan_plus_o Posted July 15, 2011 Members Share Posted July 15, 2011 Hello, I am trying to decide between getting a Simon & Patrick Songsmith or a Woodland Spruce. Checking the specs on their site, they have exactly the same specs. I tried the two in a music store the other day but still can't decide between the two. So, aside from the difference in finish, what is the differences between these two guitars. The Woodland Spruce is around $80 more. What makes it worth the $80 more? I did notice the woodland spruce not sounding as bright, but that may have been because it had older strings. The woodland spruce had been sitting out on the floor but the Songsmith was straight out of the box. I am thinking about going back and trying them out again but will see if I can get the Woodland Spruce restrung with new strings. Before I go back and try them out, I would like to know what the differences are and why the Woodland Spruce is $80 more. Just looking for anything to make my decision easier. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members seagullplayer77 Posted July 15, 2011 Members Share Posted July 15, 2011 Dan, you're right. The specs are exactly the same, right down to the body and neck measurements. As for the price difference, my guess is that S&P probably uses slightly better wood for the Woodland model. The burst finish will hide imperfections in the top better than a natural finish will, so they can afford to use a cheaper grade of wood for the Songsmith. That said, the difference in the grade of wood is purely cosmetic and won't affect the sound at all. AA spruce and AAA spruce will sound the same, but AAA spruce looks nicer. FWIW, the Woodland model also has a pickguard, which figures to be a couple extra dollars in materials and manufacturing. Bottom line: buy whichever guitar you like better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dan_plus_o Posted July 16, 2011 Author Members Share Posted July 16, 2011 Thanks for replying! I will have to play them a bunch more and decide which I like better then. Which one do you think looks nicer? I know which one I think looks nicer but wouldn't mind hearing anyone else's opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Howie22 Posted July 16, 2011 Members Share Posted July 16, 2011 Well, if you are asking for input on the cosmetics, I think I like the Woodland better. I'm not a big fan of that Godin sunburst thing that they put on the S&P and Seagull guitars. That being said, I don't like the soundhole design on the Woodland, either. I recently bought a much older S&P guitar. It's a beautiful playing and beautiful sounding guitar. When I emailed the company with the serial number, they said it was a solid cedar top with laminate mahogany back and sides. I guess it's age (16 years or so) have really opened it up. My luthier told me it did not look like cedar, but the lines in the wood looked like spruce. So, I'm not sure what it is. My point? It's a fantastic guitar. I bought it on the cheap, and have dumped a bit of money into it to get it into playable shape (brace repair, new bone saddle, fret redress) . For what I've spent on it now, I probably could have just bought a new one, but it wouldn't have the sound and character of this guitar! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members seagullplayer77 Posted July 16, 2011 Members Share Posted July 16, 2011 Well, if you are asking for input on the cosmetics, I think I like the Woodland better. I'm not a big fan of that Godin sunburst thing that they put on the S&P and Seagull guitars. That being said, I don't like the soundhole design on the Woodland, either. I'm inclined to agree. As a general rule, I don't like sunburst finishes on acoustics. And I also like having a pickguard, so the Woodland model appeals to me. FWIW, the soundhole inlay looks identical on both models to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Howie22 Posted July 16, 2011 Members Share Posted July 16, 2011 FWIW, the soundhole inlay looks identical on both models to me. You are correct. My poor wording, I guess. I just meant that it was the one thing I really didn't like about the Woodland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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