hendrix2430 Posted April 4, 2005 Report Share Posted April 4, 2005 Hi, I was wondering if any of you made an electric out of spruce? if so, was it the whole body or just the top? What are the tonal properties of a spruce top/whole body? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sepultura999 Posted April 4, 2005 Report Share Posted April 4, 2005 If I am wrong about this, someone correct me please... I think someone on this forum has used a spruce top on their guitar. Try using the search in the In progressed and Finished section. You're better off to get it as a top, instead of the whole thing. From what I have heard, the best grades of spruce are getting harder to find. Yamaha made a solid body electric nylon guitar using an alder body with a spruce top. For some reason they took it off the market after a year or two. The tonal properties I am sure would be the same, however don't expect it to be amazing as an acoustic . From what I have read sitka spruce has the best velocity of sound and produces more sustain than any other guitar top. I would love to build a guitar made of mahogany with a sitka spruce top, mahogany neck and ebony fretboard...mmmmmmmmm ebony. If this doesn't help, try using google. -Jamie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marksound Posted April 4, 2005 Report Share Posted April 4, 2005 Well, you could ask Ted Nugent. Ted Nugent’s 1962 Gibson Byrdland Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suregork Posted April 4, 2005 Report Share Posted April 4, 2005 I'm in fact building a Les Paul right now with a mahogany body and a spruce top. Spruce is very soft, so I would suggest using a pickguard or anything to protect the top. I will let you know how it sounds when it is done! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ibreakemineedtobuildem Posted April 4, 2005 Report Share Posted April 4, 2005 I think Hyunsu used a spruce top on a guitar on this forum didn't he? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crafty Posted April 4, 2005 Report Share Posted April 4, 2005 Parker uses solid spruce for the Fly Artist, Nylon, and Bronze guitars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigdguitars Posted April 4, 2005 Report Share Posted April 4, 2005 I have used sitka spruce for guitar bodies. Resonates very well. Has that acoustic semi hollow body tone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erikbojerik Posted April 4, 2005 Report Share Posted April 4, 2005 A guy named Heath over on the USA Custom Guitars forum built a jazzmaster with a solid spruce body (after building one out of wenge...talk about contrasts...). The consensus was that it was pretty bright-sounding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
selmac Posted April 4, 2005 Report Share Posted April 4, 2005 its a wench to finish though every time you touch it it gets a dent in it. and the finish isn't that durable. its a softwood so it is extremely easy to work with though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ooten2 Posted April 5, 2005 Report Share Posted April 5, 2005 Myka's Dragonfly has a spruce top. I just LOVE this guitar!! http://www.mykaguitars.com/instruments/017/default.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hendrix2430 Posted April 5, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 5, 2005 I talked to my owner of local wood shop, who specialized in spruce, and he recommends a whole body out of spruce...however he did mention it was really soft. How about painting the guitar and adding layers of poly to strenghten it? www.bois-lutherie.com By the way, i'm considering building a PRS type guitar (semi hollow) out of it. No F holes though. I'm torn between a basswood-spruce top or spruce-spruce top...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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