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I'm getting ready to start my first maple build and would like recommendations for the type of wood to use for the soundboard on a curly maple dread. I have Adirondack, European Spruce, Sitka, Engleman, and WRC available. Thanks!

Alan

I recently helped a guy build a curly maple dread. He chose Engleman. It looked really nice with the maple - nice & white. I would use Engleman if I were doing another one

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John Ressler

Depends on the tone you want out of it.

Do you want the classic Gibson, bright sound like the J-200's had with the maple/spruce combo?

Or if you want a bit more of a mellow, woody sound use the cedar.

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I heard it 1000 times: cedar and maple is a great combination, but first ask yourself if you like the top to be darker than the back and sides. Myself I really don't like that at all

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Build log

To my ears, (and eyes) Englemann goes good with Maple.

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Thanks everyone. This is one my daughter wanted me to build. I probably would not have selected maple myself because I don't think that it would have the sound that I would want. However, after going through my stash of wood, the maple is what she wanted.
Although the WRC probably would have sounded better with the maple, she did mention that she wasn't very excited about having the darker colored top, as Alexandru noted.
Based on the feedback, it sounds like the Engleman would be a good match. Thanks!

Alan

What a great idea! A reason to buy more wood!

I'll let my wife know that it was your idea, not mine. She already thinks that I need to be committed to an institution with padded rooms for acquiring the stash of wood that I already have. Unfortunately, they would not let me have any sharp tools if that were to happen, so I keep trying to talk her out of it.

Alan, the padded room is crowded! We have no room for you in here! But, if your wife succeeds, please smuggle in a bandsaw.

Thanks,

Patient # 92871290200377

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Dennis Leahy
Duluth, MN, USA
7th Sense Multimedia

Here's a thought: Buy a figured, quartersawn Bubinga fingerboard and resaw it into 2 slices. Make that into a bookmatched wedge for the back of the guitar (4-piece back that looks like 3 piece, but holds symmetry.) Bind the guitar in Bubinga. Now, you'd have enough of the salmon/pink color that a Red Cedar top would not be the only element in that color-tone family.

Option 2: substitute Cocobolo for Bubinga, and use Cocobolo for the fingerboard and bridge as well.

Just trying to offer some aesthetic options to balance the Cedar, if you really would prefer the Red Cedar, acoustically.

Dennis

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Dennis Leahy
Duluth, MN, USA
7th Sense Multimedia

Dennis....that's a great idea! Even if she doesn't go for the WRC on her guitar, I think that I'll give this a try.

Thanks!

Alan

I just finished a birdseye maple guitar with a cedar top and cocobolo binding. I am including a few shots just to give you an idea of how close the top and sides finish out. The fingerboard, bridge and peghead overlay are from the same plank of cocobolo.

Wow, that's a beauty! I really like the look of the coco with the maple and the cedar (and the inlays, and the rosette).
Thanks for posting the pics!

Alan

I'm not sure I would recommend curly redwood for the top. I know it has been done, but it is inherently unstable.

However, I think a redwood top with maple is a GREAT combo. My avatar is just such a beast I built for my brother. Redwood sounds very close to WRC, and like WRC dents easily. So handle with care until it is pore-filled with epoxy. Otherwise, I have nothing but praise for it. The fact that it is cheap doesn't hurt a thing!

The Maple will take an aniline dye very well to give it a bit of warm colour.

Also, if you're really wanting to use the cedar and have the light colour of spruce, try White Cedar. It's not very commonly available but you can find it if you look. I use a lot of it for canoe building and pull out the best for guitar tops. You will need to use multi piece tops because the wood isn't usually available in the best cut at the dimension that guitars need for two piece tops. Well done you can't really tell.

I'm using some on a Bird's Eye Maple guitar right now.

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Thanks Douglas. Now that you mention using dye, my daughter has always wanted a pink guitar......
Maybe I won't mention that to her.

Maybe not! Until recently my daughter wanted hers to be green. And I would've done it, too!

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Perhaps you are right. It will be her guitar and if she wants it to be pink, I guess it should be pink. She already has an EIR/Bearclaw dread and Koa/European Spruce OM that I made for he, so perhaps something a little different would be good.
This project started off when she saw a turtle inlay on ebay (simple bronze MOP inlay) and wanted that for her "next" guitar. Now we're just trying to figure out what type of guitar to attach to the turtle.

I should have mentioned that in my experience, cedar and maple is a great combination acoustically. Much stronger than you would expect. Soooo, I think cedar is a good choice for you maple box.

John

Hijack warning -
What does western red cedar NOT go well with? I've heard so many complementary things about it and my favorite of the guitars that I've built is a WRC/Black walnut OOO steel string. I just love the tone - balanced mids, nice basses and clear trebles. Wonderful fingerstyle guitar.

Corky.
Nothing. Cedar goes great with everything.

Filipo.
Beautiful work.

John