Martin Blackwell Guitars - Spruce versus Cedar | Two guitars compared

[@StevenBrener]

They both sounds so beautiful (of course, it has a lot to do with the performer) - love the clarity of the spruce version but the warmth of the cedar one sounds so rich.

[@futuredirected]

Beautiful playing. The Spruce is a Megaphone, while the Cedar is an Echo. I hear all the squeaks from position changes on the Spruce. The Cedar absorbs them. I always try to eliminate the squeaks in my playing, so maybe I’ll try a Cedar.

[@payambehtash7124]

that might be because of your style of playing. try lighter touch specially while changing position

[@futuredirected]

@@payambehtash7124 Everyone squeaks, except Jazz players using flatwounds or Classical players using nylon or similar. I just noticed that the cedar top didn’t transmit the squeaks as much as the spruce.

[@knifetothebass1642]

I can really hear both woods in the cedar top. It’s warm like cedar and clean like spruce at the same time. The spruce top also has a warmth to it that a %100 spruce wouldn’t have. Both are amazing.

[@Guyhart]

Both instruments sound absolutely fantastic but my favourite for all the pieces was the cedar because it was softer and sweeter. The spruce may just need a bit more playing in though. I look forward to hearing more!

[@patrickdunavan9113]

The spruce sounded out clearly on each note...crisper, each note sounding more "independent" than on the cedar. The cedar blended notes with a fuller, more rounded layer and seemed to project more of a sound-rainbow of tonality, whereby the spruce was more projecting of a notes happy to stand on their own. My preference...both!😀...Cedar for the soft, romantic pieces like "Recuerdos..." where notes blend together in warm wave. The spruce is better for demonstrating technical skills,with each note resounding its importance as did the one before and the one following...such as heard in a piece by Bach.

[@baroquelute]

First, congratulations on your video, the explanatory side is extremely well done and the video editing is impeccable. I've always loved your playing and your sound, and it's a real charm to hear you with these 2 Martin Blackwells in your hands. In my opinion, I much prefer the spruce guitar; the sound is more clear, defined and bright. There's that magical glow that surrounds the treble notes and the bass has more bite. In addition it will continue to gain in sound as it ages... If you have the opportunity, keep this guitar; it would be a pleasure to hear you play it again! Cheers,

[@evantaucher]

Antoine, thanks for your kind and thoughtful comment! I’ll be keeping it, no worries :)

[@timothymills733]

I prefer the spruce instrument. The cedar sounded lovely, but primarily higher up the neck. The difference for me was the Brouwer piece where the notes on the A string on the cedar sounded a bit congested, where the spruce instrument on that piece sounded great.

[@kimberleedray]

I wasn’t even aware of the woods used for classical guitars-super interesting! A pleasure to listen and learn 🙏🏻 I can hear properties in the spruce guitar that illuminate the reason it’s the standard wood for violin tops!

[@johnw5564]

Great video and thanks for sharing this Evan! I like both instruments. It maybe an unfair comparison since the cedar has had more time to break in and spruce tops generally take a little time to open up. I wish I could hear them in person and would love to hear what you think as well. Was the cedar significantly louder than the spruce? Do you have a preference for either instrument?

[@HairyHu]

I prefer the cedar top one, because it is mellower and it is more suited for classical guitar music.

[@whateutube]

They both sound wonderful. I’ll have both :)

[@dodoguitar2415]

Cedar guitar is sooo beautiful on Granada, out of this world beautiful 👍🏽. I have Richard Howell’s (Australian luthier) with spruce top, and sounds as bright as Martin Blackwell’s, just love both!

[@Blasthoff]

Very good job of comparing!! Of course, there are variables when listening to a video but the differences are distinct. Both sound very nice!! If I owned both my choice would vary with what my heart felt at the time on a particular piece. Each guitar had its own expression. Both were beautiful in their own way. It would be almost like choosing one child over another to have a preference, which would be an unfair assessment!

[@RCMguitarexpert]

Spruce is softer and slightly brighter high tones, I like both.

[@johnmcgurran2084]

Very nice to hear Canadian made instruments, beautifully played. It’s a big question for me as I look at Saers guitars, complicated by the French polish vs lacquer option. I’m heading to spruce which I believe will be more generally delightful. It’s a classical guitar but will play all sorts of music. Plus my old Alhambra has a cedar top.

[@mariuspessah2991]

Dear Evan Let me see which wine do I like better Chateau Mouton Rothchild or La Tache ? They are both great wines with obviously different flavors but I love both . Yes I hear the sound nuances between cedar and spruce but I love both .I would honored to own either one of them . Blackwood is master luthier as you Evan are a fabulous guitarist .

[@ivanguban7143]

I personally like deep sound, I call it as ‘angry sound’ with singing trebles, especially when a guitar tuned in open D and cedar top has it all. I wish you would compare double top Canin’s guitar with Blackwell.

[@EvenStarMN]

Wow beautiful sound, playing, instrument. All in one.

[@tony89718]

I’ll take one of each please.

[@abbytickell187]

I prefer the darker more romantic sound of the cedar. Get both if you can.

[@davidadelaide]

The velvet sound of the cedar did it for me.

[@tomb374]

first off that was some pretty slick editing.. each instrument had a great sound to it but the cedar over spruce top to me sounded cleaner and more refined with a more somber tone

[@evantaucher]

Thank you!!

[@iandouce4982]

Hi Evan. Many thanks for a fascinating video. They are both fantastic guitars. Overall I prefer the sound of the cedar top guitar for all the pieces you played. There is no doubt that the spruce has a slightly brighter sound but to my ears there is not much in it. Ultimately I think it comes down to personal taste. The warm mellow tone of the cedar in the middle and lower registers does it for me.

[@evantaucher]

Thank me for sharing, Ian!

[@jonathanjaynes4237]

Spruce is louder with quicker attack but cedar is much warmer, rounded and balanced. Good job. What's price of each?

[@evantaucher]

Hi Jonathan, thanks for your comment and kind message. Neither are for sale.

[@steveb9325]

Love them both!!! I'll take both🙏😀

[@evantaucher]

Haha; right?!

[@CBedoyaGuitar]

Amazing instruments, Evan!

[@evantaucher]

Thanks Carlos!

[@gtrmusic69]

Personally I prefer your other main guitar, Walter? Not a fan of bass heavy guitars that in addition have a wolftones on the F#'s and sound nasal to boot. Not musical at all. Volume isn't worth losing music over it. They also both sound boxed in whereas your Walter does not. That being said the spruce, to my ears, sounded like it had more clarity in both bass and treble. I'd probably walk away with that one my self if I could get over the above problems, but that Walter... Your playing is very nice. Thanks for the comparison.

[@jamievillasenor]

Love the cedar

[@stephenoliver2837]

Both are absolutely beautiful! Both are balsa inner core? The spruce was definitely brighter, more distinct. I'd love to hear them compared after the spruce has broken in some. :)

[@evantaucher]

Thanks Stephen! Yes - both balsa inner core, but spruce has nomex in the upper bout, and balsa in the lower

[@livan3365]

Great playing and guitars! Just wondering, how do these guitars sound with nylon (non carbon) strings? Would they sound less clear and seperated? Cheers

[@evantaucher]

Maybe, but not significantly. Thanks for the kind words!

[@DaBinChe]

I still prefer the Cedar top, more rounded smoother warm sound. Spruce still brighter sharper crisper ringyier.

[@ChristianWan]

I like the cedar top more for it sounds more natural to me

[@nicoeffem3483]

The cedar, to me, has a warmer tone most evident in the top registers.

[@theredtree7493]

idk personally i think i prefer Spruce for blues. The sound is more brighter and sharper while in the other hand Cedar is more like deep, mysterious and warm.

[@ecclesiastesgathering1384]

Having spruce beneath the cedar actually damages the sonic delays of the cedar. The spruce with cedar beneath it actually sounds better than spruce alone as it is like the cedar corrects the spruce's overly fierce trebles, as in high-cut. In my opinion the spruce with cedar beneath is the winner. But it would be interesting if you could make a solid cedar vs spruce with cedar underneath.

[@evantaucher]

Hi there, I'm not sure how you can be so certain, when some of the best luthiers in the world are not certain on this subject. Besides that fact, I actually misspoke in the video (and subsequently corrected in the description) that the Cedar top guitar actually has cedar underneath, not spruce.

[@ecclesiastesgathering1384]

then it would be the opposite of what I describe as I was analyzing on pure audio sounds. @@evantaucher

[@ecclesiastesgathering1384]

Kudos to your tenacity in making a balance comparison.

[@mitsuhiroiwasaki6717]

Same!!! lol

[@ScareDe2]

ah that 0,0001% difference

[@jeffreagan2001]

Once again I cannot tell the difference.

[@PcBguitarLibrary]

Literaly a month of youtube keyword searching" spruce vs cedar" and only now does your video pop up????? sorry. Im very angry,.youtube gives me the same half dozen videos every keyword search and not yours even when your title is exactly as i type. For some unknown reason now, youtube just gave me a new group of unseen "cedar vs pine" videos after literaly the 50th search.