Adirondack - Worthy Upgrgrade? - Page 7

markcrawford · #91 07-01-2014, 08:00 AM

the best sounding guitars I have played (for what I want to hear) have all had adi tops except for one (german top). May be coincidence. Maybe not.

00-28 · #92 07-01-2014, 08:07 AM

Sounds like Red Spruce works best for you. .... Mike

David-NJ · #93 07-01-2014, 10:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by D35burst

Seemingly more often lately, many of the guitar stores are brining in standard line Martins or custom Martins with Adirondack tops.
Is the recent resurgence due to renewed availability or demand?
Do you guys think its worth a couple hundred extra for the contemporary Red Spruce tops?
Are you happy with yours?
Cheers!

FWIW, I placed a Martin Custom Shop dreadnought order last week (nothing too fancy; just wanted an acoustic cutaway) and they spent quite a lot of time with me on the phone directly. Their opinion was that it was in no way worth the additional cost for an Adi top, but they'd be perfectly happy to take my money and do it. To paraphrase, that's pretty far down the list as far as what makes a difference in terms of tone. Get your bracing just right, and placed just right, and bridge plate just right, and string break angle just right, long before you worry about Sitka vs Adi.

Sesop · #94 07-01-2014, 12:01 PM

Not hype. I thought it was. Then I played one. Then I bought one. Then it aged. Now I can say with certainty, not hype.

piscator · #95 03-10-2015, 09:08 AM

Quote:

FWIW, I placed a Martin Custom Shop dreadnought order last week (nothing too fancy; just wanted an acoustic cutaway) and they spent quite a lot of time with me on the phone directly. Their opinion was that it was in no way worth the additional cost for an Adi top, but they'd be perfectly happy to take my money and do it. To paraphrase, that's pretty far down the list as far as what makes a difference in terms of tone. Get your bracing just right, and placed just right, and bridge plate just right, and string break angle just right, long before you worry about Sitka vs Adi.

Sh..eeeesh! What would they know about it! Adi has that magical, angel bite tone quality. The crisp bark of a cold slap to a unicorn's rump!

T268 · #96 03-10-2015, 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jarlaxle

For what it's worth, for Taylors adirondack braces are a VERY desirable (not to mention popular) upgrade, not the top, just the braces. I am considering a custom Martin build but don't think they have this as an option.

Having a custom built with adi braces and Lutz top along with walnut b/s. Will be a bit of a witches brew, but it could be a remarkable brew. Here's hoping...

teleamp · #97 03-10-2015, 10:36 AM

In all honesty (and not to offend), if you have to ask, no...

Adirondack/red spruce is for more volume, and needs to be driven harder IMHO.

Through internet hyperbole it has become a marketing buzzword.

If you play lightly and delicately it is is not for you... If your struggling hard to be heard and play with a heavy pick hand, you might benefit from it, this is my opinion based on my personal experiences.

teleamp · #98 03-10-2015, 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David-NJ

FWIW, I placed a Martin Custom Shop dreadnought order last week (nothing too fancy; just wanted an acoustic cutaway) and they spent quite a lot of time with me on the phone directly. Their opinion was that it was in no way worth the additional cost for an Adi top, but they'd be perfectly happy to take my money and do it. To paraphrase, that's pretty far down the list as far as what makes a difference in terms of tone. Get your bracing just right, and placed just right, and bridge plate just right, and string break angle just right, long before you worry about Sitka vs Adi.

At least they were honest....

Silly Moustache · #99 03-10-2015, 12:30 PM

Just for starters - Adirondack is "red spruce" from a specific geographic part of Eastern North America. Red spruce is not all "adirondack".

Red spruce grows as far north as Nova Scotia, and as far south as the Carolinas.

We have seen that many Far Eastern guitars have become available with Adi spruce, and this may/may not be "new growth". Certainly the one Blueridge I owned for a short while had exceeding wide growth rings.

Most of my guitars are sitka topped, but made by very good makers.

I have two similar guitars - one a 2003 with Adi top, and another a 2007 model with Sitka top.

The Adi top has always sounded "nasal" to me, and the sitka topped one was my favourite ......until I made the following video which seems to indicate that the Adi top has "more", but I still think it sounds funny.

Having said that, if I EVER decided to have Uncle Bill build me a custom made 12 fret dreadnought, I would probably opt for adi, ($1000 upcharge) but I'm not sure of the logic.

Then, of course I'd have to consider whether to have a "cooked" or "raw"

These are my two guitars, compare, put your opinions on if you wish ...and then we can get back to arguing about it some more.

.

Hey_day · #**100** 03-10-2015, 12:31 PM

Played a bunch of different spruce adi and sitka at different levels. The only ones that stand out to me as a great sounding top was an older greven L00v i owned that had a vintage gibson sitka top and the Allison Dread i have now with the german top. I think, German is a nice mix of it all and I really love the tone.

Jasper64 · #**101** 03-10-2015, 01:26 PM

It is gonna be awhile but I am ordering an HD 35 with a torrified adirondack top with maybe a few other little tidbits. Thanks Ted!

zabdart · #**102** 03-10-2015, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by D35burst

Seemingly more often lately, many of the guitar stores are brining in standard line Martins or custom Martins with Adirondack tops.
Is the recent resurgence due to renewed availability or demand?

Probably a little bit of both. The spruce forests of the Appalachians, especially the Adirondack range, were harvested almost to extinction in the first two decades of this century because demand for the lumber was so high. Then the Interior Department stepped in under FDR and reforestation began. It took about 75 years for trees to go big enough to carve guitar tops out of their trunks.

piper_guitarist · #**103** 03-10-2015, 03:24 PM

I think it's like everything else - great for some, not so great for others. As someone who has a rather light touch Adirondack probably isn't the best choice for me, but if you need a lot of headroom Adirondack is a great choice.

GibbyPrague · #**104** 03-10-2015, 03:29 PM

99% of guitarists, even here on the AGF would not be able to tell difference between same guitar model in Adi or Sitka.

Hence, no, not worth it except for bragging rights.

DanR · #**105** 03-10-2015, 05:25 PM

The best sounding Gibson acoustic (for my taste) I have ever played was an adi/red spruce topped AJ. Not long ago, I played an adi topped dread (it was either a Collings, Santa Cruz or Bourgeois- I can't remember which brand) and it was no better sounding than my sitka HD-28 Martin (they were all played/compared the same day at the same store). I don't know if that proves anything, but that was my experience.