Adirondack - Worthy Upgrgrade?

[HHP]

I don't know why people get so nutty about wood. How the thing sounds is far more about who built than it is a matter of what they built it with.

[mattmoo]

Just wondering where this thread went so bad.

I read all the time and just post once in a while, usually in little spurts for a week or two.

Somehow positives for Adi were interpreted as, "everything else is crap".

I love a good Sitka guitar. When I find one that can compete or compliment my other two guitars, I'll buy it. Love a small bodied Hog Top too, as the blues never sounds so good to me as on one of those.

Anyway, to my ears there is a quality in Adi that I prefer to all other woods I've heard. It does not mean there are not tremendous guitars made with other tonewoods. There are. Thousands and thousands of them.

[Russ C]

Originally Posted by mattmoo

Just wondering where this thread went so bad.

I read all the time and just post once in a while, usually in little spurts for a week or two.

Somehow positives for Adi were interpreted as, "everything else is crap".

I love a good Sitka guitar. When I find one that can compete or compliment my other two guitars, I'll buy it. Love a small bodied Hog Top too, as the blues never sounds so good to me as on one of those.

Anyway, to my ears there is a quality in Adi that I prefer to all other woods I've heard. It does not mean there are not tremendous guitars made with other tonewoods. There are. Thousands and thousands of them.

I don't see where it's gone bad either. Maybe it hasn't.

The OP asked whether Adi is a worthy upgrade. I think posters have tried to answer that - which may involve giving positives found in other timbers or recognising different aural perspectives that don't value so much what Adi has to offer.

I reckon the opinions expressed on this forum have been delivered with more knowledge and maturity of late.

[D35burst]

Originally Posted by Edmond

I sure hope it's worth the upgrade because I will be coming home to a D-18 Adirondack in about a week or so. I knew I wanted a D-18 but wasn't sure if I was going to spend the extra coin or not, decided I would go hard or go home so I went with Adirondack.

Cool, looking forward to your first impressions

[mattmoo]

Originally Posted by Russ C

I don't see where it's gone bad either. Maybe it hasn't.

The OP asked whether Adi is a worthy upgrade. I think posters have tried to answer that - which may involve giving positives found in other timbers or recognising different aural perspectives that don't value so much what Adi has to offer.

I reckon the opinions expressed on this forum have been delivered with more knowledge and maturity of late.

I'm just reading it differently.

Inherent to the original question there is an implication of, "better". That is where the trouble starts.

A few years back there was a much talked about certain wood. I'm not going to mention it by name, as there is someone out there making guitars with it, or owning a fantastic guitar with it, and I'm certain there are fantastic guitars made with it. So I was curious and because it is fairly rare, in a year I found only 3 examples locally to sample. 3 is a small sample, but my opinion of it was not positive. And a year or two later people stopped talking about it. The next new wood was being discussed.

When I said that Adi is not hype, that is more or less what I was getting at. There is magic in a well built Adi topped guitar. To my ears, nothing else sounds as good. With the right build, it is a worthy upgrade.

But, I'm already planning for my next guitar to be Sitka, so it is not an all or none thing, or an, "only Adi will do thing".

[cke]

Originally Posted by Edmond

I sure hope it's worth the upgrade because I will be coming home to a D-18 Adirondack in about a week or so. I knew I wanted a D-18 but wasn't sure if I was going to spend the extra coin or not, decided I would go hard or go home so I went with Adirondack.

Congrats! It will be a great guitar!

My advise is never play it side by side with a Sitka topped model. Not because there is anything wrong with your choice, but if the difference isn't radical it will play with your mind

[Russ C]

Originally Posted by mattmoo

I'm just reading it differently.

Inherent to the original question there is an implication of, "better". That is where the trouble starts.

A few years back there was a much talked about certain wood. I'm not going to mention it by name, as there is someone out there making guitars with it, or owning a fantastic guitar with it, and I'm certain there are fantastic guitars made with it. So I was curious and because it is fairly rare, in a year I found only 3 examples locally to sample. 3 is a small sample, but my opinion of it was not positive. And a year or two later people stopped talking about it. The next new wood was being discussed.

When I said that Adi is not hype, that is more or less what I was getting at. There is magic in a well built Adi topped guitar. To my ears, nothing else sounds as good. With the right build, it is a worthy upgrade.

But, I'm already planning for my next guitar to be Sitka, so it is not an all or none thing, or an, "only Adi will do thing".

That's fair. I think I'm agreeing with you when I acknowledge that some people jump to defend their choice or taste or even just this guitar shaped object they own, and I'm not immune to that.

One of the greatest a-ha moments a person can have is to see something for the first time the way someone else sees it - or hears it. That's my main interest in trying to communicate perception of guitars and tone woods. I've certainly learned a lot reading other player's views.

The whole tone thing is fascinating I reckon. I remember as a kid thinking Gibson electrics were magical - I'd heard something on the tele that seduced me and I found it in every Gibson I heard after that, 'til I got one. Then I heard something magical in these "thin, tinny" (my perception at the time) Fenders - an a-ha moment. I've remained a Fender player.

Funny .. if I try to make an analogy, I'd put my Sitka Martin in the Gibson camp and Adi Martins I've considered buying in the Fender camp.
Maybe the analogy doesn't work, or I just disagree with myself.
I can see I have far too much time on my hands.

[mattmoo]

Originally Posted by Russ C

That's fair. I think I'm agreeing with you when I acknowledge that some people jump to defend their choice or taste or even just this guitar shaped object they own, and I'm not immune to that.

One of the greatest a-ha moments a person can have is to see something for the first time the way someone else sees it - or hears it. That's my main interest in trying to communicate perception of guitars and tone woods. I've certainly learned a lot reading other player's views.

The whole tone thing is fascinating I reckon. I remember as a kid thinking Gibson electrics were magical - I'd heard something on the tele that seduced me and I found it in every Gibson I heard after that, 'til I got one. Then I heard something magical in these "thin, tinny" (my perception at the time) Fenders - an a-ha moment. I've remained a Fender player.


Funny .. if I try to make an analogy, I'd put my Sitka Martin in the Gibson camp and Adi Martins I've considered buying in the Fender camp.
Maybe the analogy doesn't work, or I just disagree with myself.
I can see I have far too much time on my hands.

I get your Martin Gibson/Fender analogy.

I had a moment when I, "got" Adirondack. I bought my first Collings in 2002 or so. An OM1AC. After a year it still had that new thing, and Collings are not the most open sounding out of the gate to begin with (most of them, but I've only owned 8). Anyway, sold it to a friend who loved it to death and played my other guitars. Two years later I'm at his house and play that thing. My god, I was just floored. Amazing lows and bell-like trebles. It turned into a monster. And so began a quest to find one that good. And, with one exception I sold quick due to a too thick neck, I vowed to keep a newer Adi guitar for at least 3 years.

Nothing better than buying a used one, as you save some money and get a listen to it's true voice.

My ultimate goal now is to get down to just one guitar, but I do not think it is possible.

[Russ C]

Originally Posted by mattmoo

I get your Martin Gibson/Fender analogy.

I had a moment when I, "got" Adirondack. I bought my first Collings in 2002 or so. An OM1AC. After a year it still had that new thing, and Collings are not the most open sounding out of the gate to begin with (most of them, but I've only owned 8). Anyway, sold it to a friend who loved it to death and played my other guitars. Two years later I'm at his house and play that thing. My god, I was just floored. Amazing lows and bell-like trebles. It turned into a monster. And so began a quest to find one that good. And, with one exception I sold quick due to a too thick neck, I vowed to keep a newer Adi guitar for at least 3 years.

Nothing better than buying a used one, as you save some money and get a listen to it's true voice.

My ultimate goal now is to get down to just one guitar, but I do not think it is possible.

Sounds like good advice. I wish you luck finding the one, but I too think it might not happen - you'd need to stay the same and that may just be asking too much .. but enjoy the trip!

[mattmoo]

Originally Posted by Russ C

Sounds like good advice. I wish you luck finding the one, but I too think it might not happen - you'd need to stay the same and that may just be asking too much .. but enjoy the trip!

Agree. The one that rules them all simply does not exist. But, I only have two now, and those two can cover all the needed range for my pretty narrow style.

It will be four years this November since I bought a guitar, which is pretty good for me (I had terminal GAS there for about 6 years).

Keep Pickin!

[Edmond]

Originally Posted by D35burst

Cool, looking forward to your first impressions

I sure will. Less than a week to go before I finally get to play the guitar I've had on my mind for the past 6+ months. LOL.

Originally Posted by cke

Congrats! It will be a great guitar!

My advise is never play it side by side with a Sitka topped model. Not because there is anything wrong with your choice, but if the difference isn't radical it will play with your mind

That's good advice but I think I will be okay because I'm not really the type for what if's. I made my choice and that's it. It was pretty tough deciding whether I should've gone with the sitka or adi. I took a few days to think it over, watched a lot of You Tube videos and finally decided that if I'm going to get this guitar, I need to go all the way.

There are also members here who I PM'd and asked questions, they were all very helpful and played a part in my decision process.

In the end, I ended up going for the adi because I didn't want to get the sitka and then think "maybe I should've spent the extra $ for the adi."

[Michael Watts]

Adirondack is a wonderful soundboard wood in the right hands. Here are some examples:

Froggy Bottom M Deluxe Adi over Mahogany



Bashkin Placencia "Great Wave" Adi over Braz



Greenfield G4.2 Adi over ABW

[Monty116]

Originally Posted by D35burst

Has anybody out there gotten rid of a guitar because they were'nt happy with the characteristics of Addi and favored Sitka?

Yes, I had a custom Bourgeois 00 built last year with an Adirondack top/mahogany back and sides. I never warmed up to the tone--it always sounded "tight" to my ears and lacked the warmth and complexity that I've found with sitka in smaller bodied guitars.

On the other hand, I have an Adirondack topped Hooper D-18 that sounds phenomenal and is great for flat picking and Bluegrass. I've come to believe that different types of tops work better for different applications or body shapes. At least in my experience.

[00045]

I don't think it's an upgrade. It's like Rosewood vs. Mahogany etc, Rosewood is more expensive but not an upgrade, it's different. I generally prefer Sitka tops on Maple or Brazilian RW back and sides or German Spruce with Brazilian RW.
I do love Adi tops with Mahogany and Indian RW. It really comes down to personal taste.

[fuman]

Originally Posted by WoodBlues

I have a Larrivee D-05 with a Sitka top and a Boucher 000 with an Adirondack top. Both guitars sound amazing to me.

This said, the Boucher is extra sweet.

I played on of those Boucher 000's and, man, are you right about that. I happen to love Adi, but it really does depend on the guitar and the luthier. The Adi-topped Taylors I've played have been among the best-sounding Taylors I've tried, and on Martins I think they sound fantastic. One of the best-sounding guitars I've ever played was a Goodall 12-fret with an Adi top. That guitar made ME fell like I was vibrating.