Skip to main content

What Is a Spruce Top on a Guitar?

Guitar tops can be made from several types of wood. Having an understanding of what a spruce top on a guitar means allows you to evaluate different guitar models expertly. The type of spruce used will affect the overall tone production and you should be aware of these effects on tone before making a decision. The richness of tone and physical characteristics of the instrument are greatly affected by your choice of materials. Understanding these differences will make your buying experience less stressful.

Spruce Top

Most guitars tops are made of spruce, which provides an ideal balance between the flexibility and strength of the wood and the overall weight. Using a wood that has too much mass will put unnecessary strain on the musician who has to hold the guitar during a performance. Also, using materials that are weak would require the performer to be more careful not to break the instrument. The top must be strong since the strings create tension that pulls upon the wood. Using a weaker wood results in premature breakage.

Wood Types

The type of wood used affects the tone production of the instrument. The two most common types of wood are spruce and cedar. Spruce produces more volume and better defined high notes with a bass that is clear, but not booming. Cedar produces a more mellow sound in comparison and has more effective low, bass tones. You should not select a wood based on the appearance of the guitar. Each spruce instrument will have a slightly different sound, due to the nature of the wood. The different grain widths, the degree of flexibility and the overall thickness of the wood contributes to the sound.

Grain Type

The size of the grain on the spruce guitar top also affects the instrument resonance. The size of the grain can be determined simply by looking at the spacing between the grains on the guitar. A narrow grain will produce more powerful high tones and subtle low tones. A medium wood grain delivers a fairly balanced tone with highs and lows both compromising a small amount of power, in exchange for an even tone production. A wide grain creates resonant bass notes.

Sitka and Red Spruce

Sitka and red spruce each lends themselves to different characteristics and tones. Sitka spruce is more commonly used for guitar tops and has a penetrating tone that is effective and clear, but is also thin and lacking in density. In contrast, the red spruce has a denser and richer tone color, but it also adds physical weight to the instrument. Red spruce tops provide a more consistent, balanced tone throughout the register and dynamic range of the instrument.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

List of Musical Techniques and Their Meanings

Musical techniques are the building blocks of any basic music training. These techniques allow performers to improve their coordination and develop accuracy through repetitive daily exercises. Musical techniques progressively build upon previously learned techniques. Scales Scales form the basis for other musical techniques. Student may study major and minor scales as well as modern scales, such as the whole-tone and octatonic scales. A scale consists of patterns of half steps and whole steps. These whole steps and half-step arrangements will be different for each scale. Scales are musical techniques that can help a performer to play faster and more accurately, and make learning new pieces easier. Chords Chords require knowledge of major and minor scales. Chords come in several different forms that affect the sound. Triads consist of three notes spaced a third apart and classified as major, minor, augmented and diminished chords. Seventh chords build on triads and have an additional no
Post a Comment
Read more

Why Claude Debussy Never Cared About Music Theory

  Claude Debussy was born on August 22, 1862. So, I felt writing a blog post to celebrate would be appropriate. Debussy was a revolutionary composer who challenged the conventions of Western music. He was influenced by the impressionist painters, the exotic sounds of gamelan music, and the symbolist poets. He created a musical language that was expressive, colorful, and atmospheric. One of the most remarkable aspects of Debussy's music is his use of harmony. He did not follow the rules of tonality and functional harmony that dominated the music of his time. Instead, he used modes, scales, chords, and parallel movements that created a sense of ambiguity and fluidity. He also experimented with timbre, texture, rhythm, and form to create musical images that evoked moods and emotions. Debussy's music can inspire us to think outside the box and explore new possibilities in our own compositions. We can learn from his innovative techniques and his artistic vision. We can also apprecia
Post a Comment
Read more

Musical Instruments That Make Animal Sounds

Common orchestra instruments are capable of animal sounds. Instruments throughout history have replicated and imitated animals. From Beethoven to Bernstein, composers have sought new and interesting uses for traditional orchestra instruments. The temptation to recreate nature through musical sounds comes in both literal and abstract ways. Learn about instruments and animal sounds they make so that next time you hear one, you will be able to identify what instrument is making the sound. Lion's Roar As its name suggests the lion's roar makes a sound very similar to a lion roaring. Taking a bass drum and puncturing a hole in the head of the drum accomplishes this. A rope extends and pulls through the drum creating a sound that is very similar to a lion roaring. This instrument is so accurate it is often used in film scores and to indicate the roar of a lion in orchestral scores. Trombone The trombone is capable of imitating the sound of many animals. The glissando technique involv
Post a Comment
Read more