Wide Grain Sitka vs Tight Grain Sitka?

[conway]

Who knows about the sound difference's if any? I know adirondack is wider grained than german but have a similar sound. Let me know what you know.

[knockwood]

http://frets.com/FRETSPages/Musician/Guitar/ToneWoods/tonewoods1.html

 

Scroll down a bit to "IF ALL OTHER THINGS ARE EQUAL"... but bear in mind that they never are...

[conway]

For your information: The tight grain is a higher treble while the wide grain has a better mid range and bass. Put that in your pipe and smoke it. If its any good then share some with the rest of us. While your high go to the bank and make a wide grain deposit for me. You can do what ever you want with the tight grain.

[moctzal]

 

For your information: The tight grain is a higher treble while the wide grain has a better mid range and bass. Put that in your pipe and smoke it. If its any good then share some with the rest of us. While your high go to the bank and make a wide grain deposit for me. You can do what ever you want with the tight grain.

 

 

?

This post puzzles me.

[Freeman Keller]

It is my understanding that prized Adi (aka Red) spruce on some of Martin's best old tops was pretty wide grained. And the tops that I've seen on the Authentics are all wide (and pretty ugly) - but they are also adirondack.

 

But are you asking about sitka (picea sitchensis) or are you asking about german (picea spp)? Frankly, I'm not sure these old ears can tell the difference and I have no experience with german (or alpine or carpathian, all called eurpean spruce), so I've selected my sitka totally on appearance - tight grain, lots of silk, and maybe some bearclaw. I bang the hell out of it with my Strobo clipped on and do the best I can to voice it, but mostly its how it looks.

 

my vote - bearclaw

 

edit to add - it puzzled me too, but so did the original question. Is Conway asking about tight/wide grain sitka, or comparing sitka to german to adi? Or is it a troll?

[bbarkow]

I don't really understand the question either....but here goes.

 

My Gallagher has mahogany back and sides, and a very wide, straight-grained Sitka top. I think that the wide grained top is a perfect match for the mahogany.

 

I don't know if it's mainly the top, or if it's the construction - but it's one of the few dreads I've played that you have to mute at the end of a tune because it rings too long.

[Dave W.]

 

For your information: The tight grain is a higher treble while the wide grain has a better mid range and bass. Put that in your pipe and smoke it. If its any good then share some with the rest of us. While your high go to the bank and make a wide grain deposit for me. You can do what ever you want with the tight grain.

 

 

 

That article was written by Frank Ford, and while sound and tone are subjective, his credentials dictate some serious consideration. In any event, unless I am missing something, that was a pretty rude response to an honest attempt to answer your question.

[J45dale]

A lot of the Martin fans say that stright,tight grains towards the sound hold, which slightly widen out toward the outer edges of the guitar, makes for the best balanced, Sitka top, tonewise. I agree. But I also agree with Freeman Keller, I like the looks of fine silking,and a bearclawed top. Some do, some don't.

Dale.

[Freeman Keller]

 

That article was written by Frank Ford, and while sound and tone are subjective, his credentials dictate some serious consideration. In any event, unless I am missing something, that was a pretty rude response to an honest attempt to answer your question.

 

 

Ditto. Here is another person who is somewhat respected in the luthier community and his thoughts

 

http://www.esomogyi.com/tonewoods.html

 

But I'm also interested in what Conway thinks. What are your experiences with different top woods and grain structures in your guitars?

[kwakatak]

 

For your information: The tight grain is a higher treble while the wide grain has a better mid range and bass. Put that in your pipe and smoke it. If its any good then share some with the rest of us. While your high go to the bank and make a wide grain deposit for me. You can do what ever you want with the tight grain.

 

 

???

[Queequeg]

the microscopic cellular structure of wood is made up of cellulose (hard and crystaline), and hemicellulose (random & amorphous). If we think of the cellulose as the grain and the hemicellulose as the unstructured sap, sugar or glucose, the glue between the grain. It is the hemicellulose that absorbs water in wood. There remains for a long time after the tree is cut an elasticity with respect to this wood grain structure. As the guitar is played the vibration causes the molecular structure of this soundboard, particularly with the hemicellulose to align itself in sympathy with this vibration, thus, vibrate even more, or at least more easily and less randomly.

This would explain why laminates (with layers rotated 90

[conway]

So you like a tight grain rather than a wide grain.

[Freeman Keller]

So you like a tight grain rather than a wide grain.

 

I do for it's appearance, but look at the wide grain on this $40K D-28A (of course it is adi)

 

[Queequeg]

 

???

 

 

Could be a troll.

More likely just a bad case of PUI

[Queequeg]

I do for it's appearance, but look at the wide grain on this $40K D-28A (of course it is adi)

 

Always cutting corners.

I wonder how much more you'd have to spend to get some nice tight grain on that guitar?

[Freeman Keller]

Always cutting corners. I wonder how much more you'd have to spend to get some nice tight grain on that guitar?

 

Yeah, and the crappy old braz on the back LOL

[EvilTwin]

I played Guild's "Bluegrass" guitars with red spruce tops (first guitars I've had a chance to play with this famous top wood), and I was pretty surprised by how wide the grain was. Darn bassy, too. But there were probably other design factors that helped bring out the lows.

[guitarist21]

 

Put that in your pipe and smoke it.

 

 

And people wonder why we can't solve the world's diminishing tonewood supply. Its because people are smoking the tonewood!

 

Ellen

[tim Mcknight]

 

the microscopic cellular structure of wood is made up of cellulose (hard and crystaline), and hemicellulose (random & amorphous). If we think of the cellulose as the grain and the hemicellulose as the unstructured sap, sugar or glucose, the glue between the grain. It is the hemicellulose that absorbs water in wood. There remains for a long time after the tree is cut an elasticity with respect to this wood grain structure. As the guitar is played the vibration causes the molecular structure of this soundboard, particularly with the hemicellulose to align itself in sympathy with this vibration, thus, vibrate even more, or at least more easily and less randomly. This would explain why laminates (with layers rotated 90

[Queequeg]

Tim, you're the luthier & I don't pretend to be an expert on this but as it was explained to me, & to use your graphic visual aid, all those IIIIIIIIIIII help to align an otherwise amorphous blob of hemicellulose.

Good to see you back on the forum again, Tim.

[tim Mcknight]

Hey, thanks for the welcome back. I am usually in here once every week or two mostly in lurker mode

 

It has been my experience that many of the "master grade" or {AAAA & AAAAA visually graded} tops tend to be less stiff (on average) but there are always exceptions to the rule. I wish we could get the guitar playing public to understand that just because a top has wide grain or some interesting coloration it doesn't mean that it is an inferior top. Many of the best sounding tops I have used are less than pristine in appearance but they ring like a chorus of angels.