how would you spruce things up?

I was wondering who has played any mando's with sitka spruce tops, and if you have, was thier a consistant characteristic you found in them? What are some of the top builders using, and Why?

[Spruce]

A good percentage of Gibsons are Sitka, including mandos from the 'teens onward...

Same with all the Flatirons....

Most Webers too...

Lots of small makers, too....
Monteleone used a lot of Sitka...

Lots of others...

Actually, if you think about all the mandos that have ever been made in the States or the Orient in the past 90 years, a good chunk of them (what, 95% or more??) are Sitka.

Hell, Engelmann wasn't even available commercially 'till '78, and Red Spruce that was specifically milled for instruments didn't hit the market till '89 or so...

You could get it (and Gibson apparently did in the 20's), but probably only in the form of lumber rescued from a sawmill...

[Dfyngravity]

i think the gibson f-9's have sitka spruce tops if im not mistaking.

Thanks for the info thats good to know. The mando I'm having built has a very old sitka top. I cant wait to hear what it will produce.

Any other opinions on this subject?

[Spruce]

"The mando I'm having built has a very old sitka top."

Old Sitka is actually not all that rare...
I cut up a tree the other day that had 40 grains-per-inch for 24 inches, then widened out a bit for the inner foot of wood....

So, it was over a thousand years old...

[Dale Ludewig]

I've made mandos out of both sitka and red spruce. I can't tell any difference sonically, although I'm probably graduating slightly differently between the two. But I do that by ear at the end and I graduate differently on any two pieces of wood. I know some people think you've got to have red spruce, but I think that's just popular opinion at this time.

Dale Ludewig

[sunburst]

Dale,
I think you're right. I use mostly Sitka and Red also, But I think I can tell a little difference.
A couple of years ago I built two identical ones except that one was Sitka and one was Red. I finished and strung them at the same time and took them to a festival where I got lots of mandolin players to play both and tell me which they liked better.
I didn't tell anyone which was which. As expected, some liked one and some liked the other, but a small majority prefered the one with the Sitka top.

Is sitka a wood that generally takes a while to open up or maybe not quite as long?

[sunburst]

I think Red spruce takes a little longer to open up. My Sitka mandolins sound older newer than my Red spruce ones.
I suspect there may be more potential in some of the Red spruce ones tho.

Keep in mind that other builders might not have the same experience or conclusions.

There are other kinds of spruce and other good top woods also.

I heard its hard to find quality adirondak, And some of the sitkas available are better quality unless you really run into some good red spruce. is this true?

[Mario Proulx]

Mandolin sized red spruce is readily available, in any quality.

[Dale Ludewig]

Sunburst- about sitka seeming to open up quicker, I think I agree. My experience, and it is only that, is that red seems to take a little longer to open up. On the other hand, (hopefully) when an instrument of mine is finished, it isn't in my possession long enough to personally find out.........

Ive heard some great sitka instruments.

[iampeterfonda]

Hey Demetrius,

My BRW is Sitka. You Should check out Ben's page on woods:

Ben's Wood Page

On that page he talks about the punchy quality of Sitka and the ability to play forcefully while maintaining clarity. I think that my instrument is characterized by those statements, don't you?

Clayton

Hey Clayton,

Oh no doubt, your BRW definetely has the punch while still maintaining that clarity. I didnt know that was sitka. Thanks for the tip.

[Luthier Vandross]

Sitka sounds brightish, use Red Spruce, the uglier, the better, as far as color goes.


M