Official Luthiers Forum!

being laid up with a brken collar bone , i thought i would take this opportunity to plan my next build, ad a question arose: is engleman a good wood for classicals? i have seen some peoples view on sitka and adi for classicals but not engleman.

i realise that ultimately this is a try it and see thing, but i would like to see if i can learn from some one elses experiences

thanks
Jonny

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"Anything that happens, happens. Anything that in happening causes something else to happen, causes something else to happen. Anything that in happening happens again, happens again. Though not necessarily in that order." Douglas Adams

Go for it, Englemann is great.

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Laurent Brondel
West Paris, Maine - USA
http://www.laurentbrondel.com/

I'm finishing one right now so I 'll let ya know in a couple weeks. I know it's going to sound great though, the thing vibrates and comes to life in my hand when some one is simply talking from across the room

As I understand it, Engleman is as close as N. America comes to Euro Spruce.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Engelmann is great for classicals. I've built all of my classicals so far with either euro or engelmann and, while euro is great, I'm mostly sticking with engelmann these days primarily because it is a lot easier to come across really top quality engelmann than similar euro (and it's much less expensive). All things being equal I MIGHT prefer euro but I'll take top quality engelmann over pretty good euro any day.
-William

For classical guitars, the vast majority of builders use either Engelmann or European Spruce. Very few use Sitka or Adi, mainly because of their weight . You can't go wrong with either Euro or Engelmann.

Good luck

Pat

thanks just what i wanted to hear, you guys are great!

tar

Jonny

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"Anything that happens, happens. Anything that in happening causes something else to happen, causes something else to happen. Anything that in happening happens again, happens again. Though not necessarily in that order." Douglas Adams

It's great top wood!
But as with every top wood -selection is very important.
A shitty piece makes it much harder to make a good-great guitar of!
Cut(runout)/weight/are very important!
mike

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Mike Collins

It's great top wood!
But as with every top wood -selection is very important.
A shitty piece makes it much harder to make a good-great guitar of!
Cut(runout)/weight/are very important!
mike

_________________
Mike Collins

It's great top wood!
But as with every top wood -selection is very important.
A shitty piece makes it much harder to make a good-great guitar of!
Cut(runout)/weight/are very important!
mike

_________________
Mike Collins

I've used Sitka for Spanish guitars and found it to be excellent. Took a while to break in but then it opened up with clear metallic trebles all the way up and down the neck.

Sorry guys!
saying it 3 times was more than enough!!
Whew!!
Getting old !!!!!!
mc

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Mike Collins

Mike ,
Please note Forum Rules which states "Be nice, no cussin and enjoy!".

Thanks,
René

is engleman a good wood for classicals?

Hi Johnny,
I found this exerpt from the Acoustic Guitar Magazine ~

Tapping Tonewoods, by Dana Bourgeois

How the Selection of Species Helps Define the Sound of Your Guitar

Acoustic Guitar Magazine, March/April 1994

Why is it that different woods are used for acoustic guitars, and how do these woods affect the sound of the instrument? In the past, there was less opportunity for confusion on this issue, since most guitars were made of mahogany, rosewood, maple, ebony, and spruce. But with the dwindling availability of traditional tonewood, particularly those cut from old-growth forests, major manufacturers and smaller luthiers have been compelled to consider the use of alternative species of tonewood - some of them common and others decidedly uncommon. This article looks at the strengths and weaknesses of the woods most commonly used today for tops, backs and sides, fretboards, and bridges.

The most common alternative to Sitka is Engelmann spruce, another domestic western species. Engelmann is often more expensive than Sitka due to the lower yield from its smaller logs and because most logs have a spiral-grained structure that renders them unsuitable for proper quarter-sawing. Engelmann is considerably lighter in color than Sitka spruce, lighter in weight, and usually less stiff, resulting in a slightly lower velocity of sound. Engelmann also tends to exhibit a weaker fundamental tone, although it produces a noticeably broader and stronger overtone component. It is therefore a good choice for players who require a richer, more complex tone than can be obtained from most Sitka tops, particularly when the instrument is played softly. The downside is that Engelmann tops can have lower "headroom" than Sitka tops, which is to say that clarity and definition are often sacrificed when the guitar is played loudly.


I hope this ofers you a little insite for your project, but rember,..
Experience,.. is the greatest teacher of all.

Woodwitch1

Engelmann tends to be less dense than other spruces, with a commensurately lower Young's modulus along the grain. This means that you need to leav it a little thicker to get the stiffness you need, but the top ends up being lighter in weight, since the Young's modulus varies linerly with the density, and the stiffness goes as the cube of the thickness. You do need to be careful, though: some of the densest tops I have are Engelmann. You really do have to go by the piece rather than by the species.