Top Materials

The following woods are the most frequently requested tonewoods.  We typically use one of the spruces for soundboards, although we have made guitars with mahogany or koa tops. We do not build guitars with cedar tops for reasons of durability/longevity.  Please inquire about use of other materials.
adirondack spruce top on model F12

Adirondack or Red Spruce

Well over 90% of our guitars are built with Adirondack Spruce tops. Red spruce has virtually all of the best qualities of the other species. It offers a strong fundamental, lush complex overtones, and a unique

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german spruce on model G

German Spruce

Similar to Engelmann, though generally harder, German spruce is richly complex in tonal color. It has long been considered among the finest tone woods available.

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Engelmann Spruce

A white spruce growing along the spine of the Rocky Mountains, Engelmann Spruce is creamy white in color and softer than Sitka. It lends overtones to a guitar, creating a voice of great warmth and tonal

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Sitka Spruce

Sitka is the stiffest spruce and the strongest for its weight. It emphasizes the fundamental of a note more than its overtones, making a guitar which is clear and loud, with excellent sustain.

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