Official Luthiers Forum!

Hi everyone!

First of all, I have to say i'm in a lutherie school, it's my 2nd year, and after an electric bass and an soprono Uke, i'm working on my first classical (Torres / Sitka on EIR, with Mahog neck). Next year, we'll have to make both an acoustic and another classical. So i'm now planning the wood for those two.

The acoustic will be an OM with curly maple B&S (wich I already have), with curly maple neck, and FB/Bridge/bindings in ebony. So i'm really stucked with the choice of my top. I ordered an Adirondack top, wich cost me a lot... The grain is realllllly large and not straight. So, after getting the grain straight, I won't be able to do anything else than a parlor with it. Also, some buddies told me that Adi on maple, in a OM form would be really too clear and brittle, so, I think I'll go somewhere else. Also, I would like to work 3 different kinds of top for my 3 guitars in school, to gain maximum of knowledge on different species.

So, what would you recommand me for this om top, if I want a nice clear sound but that is still well balanced and sustained..?

By the way, my final classical will be redwood on koa, mahog neck. Any commants or suggestions about it?

I know that's all a matter of taste, but it's more like a poll, i'd like to have your opinions and experiences...

Thanks a lot!
Francis

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Francis Richer, Montréal
Les Guitares F&M Guitars

cedar is a good top for maple the cedar gets the tinness out of the guitar.

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John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

I've used coarse grained, second growth Sitka & Engelmann with bigleaf maple & have been pleased with the results. Haven't tried Cedar yet, but it should work well.

Depends a bit on the maple. Euro or bigleaf is soft and warmer, sugar is hard and "brittle". I'd recommend German spruce for fullness, clarity and pop.

It was my first guest, in term of sound. But, Maple B&S, Maple Neck... not sure that's the look i'm looking for...

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Francis Richer, Montréal
Les Guitares F&M Guitars

My last guitar was a local Maple and Sitka parlour. It's a combination I wouldn't hesitate to use again. Being a parlour, I don't know if well balanced would apply to many. More of a raw, and very punchy sound. It did have great sustaine and sigh, I miss it. Gone to a good home though and I'm looking forward to doing another.

I don't think there's a combination that would sound bad but I'd like to try an OM with Cedar. Although I'm not sure if there's any left. I may have used the last of it re-topping my apartment block.



Cheers,
Danny

I have a Larrivee Pete Anderson OM, maple with sitka, and I like the sound of it. It cuts through a bit more in the mid-range, in a good way if that's what you're looking for. It's not brassy or tinny, though. I think I've played one of their maple/sitka parlors in a shop before and remember liking it.

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Jonathan Kendall, Siloam Springs AR

I'd do a chocolate cedar top with Koa bindings. I'm building a Cedar/Maple tenor uke which should work too. If you want to go with a white colored top, then I'd use Englemann Spruce since it is the closest to Cedar in sound. Good luck!

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Tracy
http://www.luthiersuppliers.com

European Maple and German Spruce +1 on that combo. I have played several 00-OM sized guitars over the last couple of years, that were both warm and complex, with just enough pop and decay to make them different than anything else. Good sounding combination.

Tim

Thanks everybody! I think my choice will end on emgleman or german spruce!

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Francis Richer, Montréal
Les Guitares F&M Guitars