ADIRONDACK versus SITKA SPRUCE

Both of these timbers make great soundboards on flat top acoustic guitars. They have had popularity at different times in history heres the story so far.

Adirondack or Red Spruce was very popular piror to WWII. It is found on a lot vintage acoustic guitars. The high weight to strength ratio made it useful in the construction of aeroplane wings during the war. The ratio is what makes it so prized amongst guitar Luthiers. After the war most of the good trees were gone, and what is still available, has cosmetic flaws. If you can put up with this it still makes great sounding guitars especially if you want a new guitar with that vintage sound.

This scarcity led to the use of Sitka Spruce as the number one guitar top of the big guitar Luthiers. It is found on most guitars. If you step into some guitar shops like I have and ask to play an Adirondack you will often be greeted with a puzzled look from the shop assistant. The easiest way to get you hands on one is to play a vintage instrument or have a custom guitar built.

SITKA SPRUCE

Source: Western North America

Colours: Pinkish white to Light Brown, silky, even grain

Tonal: Good balance, clarity and resonation, bright, crisp

Suitable: Steel Strings sound boards, hard flat picking

ADIRONDACK (RED) SPRUCE

Source: North America

Colours: Irregular grain, creamy white, little silking

Compares: Engelmann

Tonal: Strong, clear. Brilliance of Sitka/warmth of Engelmann

Suitable: Flat picking,

Andrew Ellis is gaining recognition for his world class guitars. Andrew has made guitars for many full time professional musicians. He has been asked to export to Europe, America and Canada. All instruments are made from the finest materials and a high standard of workmanship.

www.ellisguitars.com

In The News:


pen paper and inkwell


cat break through


How to Remove DRM from WMA - Is It Legal and Worth the Effort?

Technically, it's illegal to remove DRM from WMA protected music.... Read More

Formal Highland Attire: The Correct Wearing of the Kilt; the National Dress of Scotland

We don't simply wear a theatrical costume; we wear the... Read More

Surf Waves With Jack Johnson

Lately I've been listening to some pretty cool music by... Read More

What Works Best in New Age Piano Improvisation

Many students want to know how to improvise. What they... Read More

Bang on Your Drum All Day Long - Without Annoying Your Neighbors!

Bang! Bam! Bang! Have you always wanted to play the... Read More

Piano Lessons and Perfectionism

Are you a perfectionist? Does every note have to sound... Read More

Self-Expression Without Criticism

When I was 9 years old I played the Saxophone... Read More

Music & Intelligence: Will Listening to Music Make You Smarter?

Will listening to music make you smarter? Will learning to... Read More

Is Your Child Capable of Composing Music? Maybe the Next Mozart?

We've all heard of them. Child prodigies who begin composing... Read More

Form - Giving Shape to Your Music

Do you ramble on endlessly with your improvisations? If so,... Read More

How To Change Your Guitar Strings

Changing your guitar strings might make you feel a litte... Read More

Musical Improvisation Basics - 8 Vital Things To Remember

This article discusses 8 vital things to remember as improvisers... Read More

How to Compose Using ABA Form

ABA form is like a musical sandwich. You have the... Read More

Your PC Is An Awesome Singer... If You Let It!

As an amateur songwriter, who struggles with a computer far... Read More

Music: Uniting Nations, Dividing Generations

Cultures around the world since the beginning of time have... Read More

Warner Music Executive Payments

"In human life, art may arise from almost any activity,... Read More

Music Downloads: Free & Low Cost Ways For Musicians To Get Their Music Known All Over The World

Music downloads are highly compressed audio files transferred onto a... Read More

Why Play Guitar?

As a full-time guitar instructor, I am constantly faced with... Read More

Rhapsody Music Downloads Part II - A pleasant experience?

Welcome back to Part II of Rhapsody Music Downloads! I... Read More

How To Write A Song

Did you ever wish that it was your song playing... Read More

Dont Go Tubthumping

I have always had a big problem with my addiction... Read More

Downloading MP3s Made Easy

The MP3 movement started out with a huge audience of... Read More

Buying A Guitar

There are many things to consider when buying a new... Read More

Home Run Gigs

Are you still playing your heart out to small audiences... Read More

Review: Coheed and Cambria - Second Stage Turbine Blade

Ever wonder what would happen if you mixed the progressive... Read More

Music as Therapy?

Frustrated in a gridlocked?Job got you stressed out?The children have... Read More

Performing, Whats the Big Deal?

Performance anxiety is not something that only happens to musicians,... Read More

Eminem: A Social Commentator

In an interview given to Musik Magazine in 2000, Eminem... Read More

Mp3s ? The Future of Music?

Mp3 music is audio that has been digitally encoded and... Read More

Review: The Bled - Pass the Flask

Released in 2003, Pass the Flask turned this little quintet... Read More

RIAA Files Second Wave of Lawsuits

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has launched a... Read More

An Interview with Jon Bon Jovi ? 100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Cant Be Wrong

The idea originated with singer Jon Bon Jovi. Jon kept... Read More

How to Make $30,000 with Your Music Before Years End

As an independent musician and/or recording artist, if you did... Read More