Identify top wood

[msb100712]

Can anyone help possibly identify this top? I'm told it's Italian Cedar, or Spanish Red Cedar, by the luthier in France. ??

[TheGITM]

From the color it certainly appears to be cedar. As to which specific variety of cedar? I don't think you can tell that from photos, and it may be difficult even with a physical inspection.

[jim1960]

Are you doubting the luthier's word?

[gr81dorn]

Looks like pretty typical western red cedar. I don’t think Spanish red cedar is a thing. Spanish cedar looks nothing like that.

[msb100712]

Yes.
I am saying what dorn is saying. I may buy the guitar but I don't want a hardwood top.

[TheGITM]

Originally Posted by msb100712

Yes.
I am saying what dorn is saying. I may buy the guitar but I don't want a hardwood top.

That is definitely not a hardwood top.

[Jeff Scott]

Originally Posted by msb100712

Can anyone help possibly identify this top? I'm told it's Italian Cedar, or Spanish Red Cedar, by the luthier in France. ??

This luthier in France, did he/she build the guitar?

[OddManOut]

Originally Posted by TheGITM

That is definitely not a hardwood top.

It doesn't look like hardwood to me. Softwood cedar or dark spruce I would guess. Spanish cedar looks more like mahogany.

That bridge has a glue ring along the belly side. You might ask for a history of the guitar if you've not done so already.

[Tim McKnight]

Originally Posted by msb100712

Can anyone help possibly identify this top? I'm told it's Italian Cedar, or Spanish Red Cedar, by the luthier in France. ??

Its difficult to tell where wood came from unless the sawyer provided a specific history to the luthier and the luthier supplied CITES paperwork to the recipient of the guitar. From your pictures it appears to be very similar [looking] to our domestic Western Red Cedar and for all we know it could be? Its not unusual for wood suppliers in the US to ship wood to the EU or for EU suppliers to ship their wood to the US. I can write with certainty that it's definitely not Spanish Cedar as that is an open grain wood which the wood pictured is certainly not.

[Malcolm Kindnes]

It looks like western red cedar to me, its certainly not Spanish cedar.

[printer2]

Western red cedar.

[redir]

Two of the pics look like Redwood while the other looks like WRC. It all depends on the lighting.

[AE-19]

Originally Posted by TheGITM

From the color it certainly appears to be cedar. As to which specific variety of cedar? I don't think you can tell that from photos, and it may be difficult even with a physical inspection.

Apparently he is, at least questioning it.

[twangman51]

To me it looks like aged Sitka spruce

[koolimy]

I would put my money on it being Western Red Cedar. I have worked with Spanish Cedar, and that does not look like Spanish Cedar at all. Note, Spanish Cedar is closer to Mahogany, not Cedar.

I think the telltale sign is the tight, straight grain. I have only seen that tight, straight grain in Softwoods like Spruce, Cedar or Redwood. I have not seen such patterns in hardwoods like Mahogany, Spanish Cedar, or Maple. So my inclination is that it's a softwood.

Given that it has a reddish, pinkish color, it looks like Western Red Cedar. Of course, it could be a died or aged Spruce. But WRC is naturally pinkish like that so I would incline more towards WRC.

Also, Europeans and even French luthiers have become prominent users of WRC. Some of the best known classical guitar makers such as Ramirez, Fleta, and Friederich (French maker) prominently use Western Red Cedar on their guitars, so it is very common to have a French guitar that is made w/ WRC.