Vintage Fern Top Wood

[Darryl Wolfe]

Gibson used both Red and Sitka Spruce. Style 5 got red until they changed way later than ferns of the '20's

[uncle ken]

Sitka is ID-able under varnish/lacquer, using a 30x hand-lens...
It is the only species that one is able to ID in this manner...

I remember using a hand-lens at a couple Loar gatherings--maybe 20-25 instrument total over the years--and never encountering Sitka...
But I've never done the same with mid-30's Ferns...
(A's yes, with quite a few Sitka encounters)...



So-ooo, this query is answerable, or at least we can answer the question "is Sitka present?"

You looked at my '34 fern at one of those gatherings and said it was red for sure.