CEDAR vs SPRUCE! - Acoustic Guitar Tone Comparison! 

Did you guys favour the Spruce or the Cedar top? Let me know! Enjoy :)

The correct answer is. "It depends" :) Spruce sounds much brighter and the Ceder sounds warmer.

100% agree. I liked the Cedar more but can see how the Spruce would be king if playing with other instruments.

I'm amazed by how much more clarity and definition the spruce provides.

Personally I preferred the cedar but... I was flabbergasted at how I could hear the differences. I had heard they were different but wow I'd never heard them back to back like that. That was very educational for me. Thank you.

Both sounded great and a perfect demonstration of the wood qualities. The recording sounded amazing. I bet those new Austrian mics will be on many peoples radars

I like the cedar one better. It definitely has a warmer, fuller sound.

I like all your videos, but THAT was the most informative I've heard so far, answering a question I've had for a long time. Thanks, Darrell!

These are both such beautiful guitars! Thank you for this upload it really helped me choose my guitar 🙌🏻

That is an absolutely beautiful rendition or piece of a rendition of amazing grace. Sounding so amazing on the cedar guitar too!

Darrell you are one of the best reviewers. You play short chordal tones and riffs with each guitar. A lot of folks play one guitar too long and by the time they switch my ears have lost context. Your comparison was comprehensive without overwhelming me with one sound. And you play beautifully too.

If Stradivarius would have had access to American Red Cedar, I guarantee he would have used it on most of his violins!

Refreshing "Amazing Grace" brief instru with the Capo part.

great video, thanks for making it! You executed it with perfection!

One of the best demos I’ve heard. Thinking of trying the warmer sound of cedar. I play mostly finger style. Thanks again. Great playing.

Great comparison, I agree with your assessment of the tonal characteristics!! I'm also very interested in Furch as a front runner for my next guitar!!

Thanks for the comparison, Darrell. Excellent playing and presentation, as usual. Of course both tops have their unique sound characteristics. I am in the market for a cedar top, and I really appreciate the sound samples!

Great comparison! Thanks!

The sound of the cedar made me immediately think of Medieval & Renaissance music, reminded me of listening to John Renbourn.

Hi Darrell do you plan to do a studio tour anytime soon? Would love to see some behind the scenes stuff!

This guy does the best comparison videos. Hands down.

not only do I prefer the sound of the cedar but I think it looks magnificent too. thanks for this well recorded video with those fantastic Furch guitars - can I ask is there a great difference in the pricing of the two?

The differences were noticeable and your demo definitely helped bring these out! I wasn’t expecting to hear such a distinct difference; agreed with you. I confess to having a cedar preference (and hence mahogany) rather than the brighter flatter spruce - even for strumming.

When doing comparisons like this, I'd really love to see a Fourier Transformation to see where the resonances are different. Not sure if you're set up for that, but if you could, I think that would give more concrete explanations than "bright" or "round".

Interesting demo. such a big difference in sounds. I agree with your conclusions and I think I prefer the cedar (which means I'll now have to buy one!)

well done comparison review!

Great comparison. Thanks!. Having played cedar for +50 years, I wanted to try something more "in-your-face, flamenco, raw, loud.....", ie. less subtle. I love the soft delicacy of the cedar, but sometimes my mood needs more ragged, earthy, more violent passion, as I go mental and do my crazy riffs with eyes shut!! Definitely, one of each.

I am classically trained. I play classical guitar and in the classical world that has been a struggle whether to choose a cedar top or a spruce top. You actually nailed the obvious characteristics of the two Woods

Thanks for the Vid and the Question. Spruce especially paired with a rosewood has such the familiar beautiful sound. Rhythm and melody, however I've fallen big time over Western Red Cedar. It just goes right through me. I've always liked a darker sound, or warmer, but this is special

What a really great comparison video! I am looking to buy a Furch and this has helped to understand which top I prefer. I really didn't think I was going to hear such a big difference. For me, I prefer the chime and shimmer of the spruce if I had to pick one.

It is quite insane how wood can really bring out the tone in a guitar! Great shootout here!

Very nice video. I have been mulling over this topic for some time. . Still can't decide. Video was helpful but will have to play both and then choose.Thanks

Nice comparison! The spruce model looks pretty new. It'd be interesting to re-record the same clips in the same manner on the spruce model in a couple of years or so, with the aim of seeing how the sound changes with the age of the guitar

Great comparison video! They both sound great! I think I lean slightly towards the spruce in this comparison. I like cedar tops more when they are paired with mahogany back and sides usually.

LOVED your clean and tasty fingerstyle picking on both! I gravitated towards spruce from the first few strums and notes, I think. I like definition and as you said yourself, the spruce top cut through more. I get the full range argument when playing alone, but even there, I think I'm partial to the tone of the spruce top. Another great comparison and helping to decide what to look for when going about gear shopping. Thanks a bunch!

They both sounded great, but the depth and richness of the cedar top just blows me away. I love it. Now I've got to get me an acoustic with a cedar top and a rosewood body. My wife will be so happy lol.

Great 👍 comparison! Well played and recorded...as usual! Thanks for this, now if I could only play like that..Cheers Mike in Nova Scotia.

I can hear similarities and differences depending on what you’re playing with each guitar. At the end of the day it comes down to the one you like. Love your presentations and playing. Thank You.

Out of my Acoustic guitars I usually go for the cedar. It often sets the mood for and music I write. Always when I play Gordon Lightfoot music I'll use cedar. When I for an audience it will usually be spruce. Has the projection and sound I like for that type of venue. Thanks DBG 👍

Great video Darrell and amazing "Amazing Grace" Thank you!

Spruce for me! Absolutely in love with my Seagull S6 Slim CH, solid spruce top and wild cherry body (the wood, not the color!), and love the satin neck too! 🇨🇦!!! (BTW, you can partially “EQ” the wood tone by swapping string type. F.E. tried the D’Addario Original American 85/15, brought some warmer e rounded tone, dispite of a bit of mid-hi cutting and sustain loss. Next swap, D’Addario Nickel Bronze, cant’wait to try them out!) Very clear and interesting video! Cheers from Italy!

To my ears, cedar always sounds a bit muddy due to the abundance of overtones. Of course, not all guitars are created equally, and it often depends on the bracing technique and wood thickness. However, I generally prefer the more fundamental tone which spruce has to offer.

Great player, great teacher, and yet Darrell you are so humble and without ego. Love your videos and their subjects but this channel is great because of your character, good on you mate regards Tom Adair.

#1 - I liked them both, cedar was a little warmer which I liked. #2 - I think I preferred cedar here #3 - higher up the neck when you hit that barre, I liked the cedar better #4 - OMG THE SPRUCE! It sounded just like the bagpipe you would hear that from, though the cedar wasn't far off from it, I'll take the spruce here. #5 - chord I think I will give it to the cedar, but for the single notes I liked the spruce. Look wise, I liked the cedar better, but I think I will agree with your closing arguments for sure. I think I want a cedar top box now :)

Thanks for that brilliant review. I completely agree with your conclusion.

Spruce for me! The cedar sounded a little too muted, less sustain and lacked the 'bell' like clarity of the spruce. Great comparison though 👍

Excellent video! Very helpful!

Best comparison of cedar vs. spruce tops I've seen. Thank you!

Thanks that was a great comparison. Both give wonderful sounds, I lean more to spruce for playing. Thanks again.

I wasn’t prepared for the extent of the difference! In my head, I picture the cedar as my bedroom guitar (love the warmth), and the spruce for performances (love the projection). Great demo, Thank you.

Another great video Darrell, I'd love to see you do a review on the new Orangewood solid wood acoustic electric guitars.

Greetings from Serbia! Darell you're great, I've been following you for a long time. Great comparison of two guitars, I absolutely agree with you about what kind of guitar is better in what situation.

thank you! Very educational video! I love it!

Thanks so much for your excellent videos!! I ended up purchasing the Furch Yellow Master's Choice yesterday and it is incredible!! The Cedar Rosewood combination is exactly the sound I was looking for! I also played a Blue Master's Choice and it was also a wonderful guitar, just a little different than my tonal preference, but still a guitar I would be very happy with! Since this was my dream guitar purchase I went ahead and got the Yellow (also preferred the LR Baggs Anthem Stage Pro and the Hiscox case is a heck of a nice extra) but for other folks looking for that Cedar Mahogany sound I highly recommend the Blue. Furch has something extra in the resonant qualities of their guitars. I happen to also be a fan of Breedlove, I have one of their ECO Discovery S Concert Cedar Mahogany guitars, and tried their Redwood Rosewood Premier yesterday as a comparison. While it was a great guitar, the Furch had a bit more of that tonal quality I was looking for.

I definitely like the spruce top even though I've always preferred cedar. Interesting review. thank you for doing it. I think I'm going to have to check out Furch.I wonder what the price range is on these two guitars. Can you tell me what the model numbers are. thanks Ken

As I was listening, the cedar reminded me so much of the tone of nylon strings. Darrell's summary at the end was spot on.

Spruce would sound better in most mixes, especially a dense mix.

Nice work and I think you are also correct on the results. Thanks for sharing.

This was a fantastic comparison, Darrell. I really like how you narrowed it down to just chords and notes. I happen to be in the market for a Furch guitar and am trying to decide if I should buy the Cedar top or Spruce top. Your video is perfect. Since I have other acoustic guitars for strumming I'm going to go with the Cedar top for fingerstyle.

Your ability to translate subjective sonic impressions and somehow quantify them into objective criteria is marvelous (subjective opinion 😁). You very much enable me to hear what you are hearing as you teach the differences. I get it! I pride myself in being able to maintain objectivity and avoid subjective influences, such as brand or hype. I throughly enjoy all your evaluations. It is clear that you strive to maintain an objective posture and transmit the “feeling” type information in a way that I can clearly understand. I feel like I’m rambling, but it is important to me that I express my recognition to you as positive feedback for your analysis. Thank you much Darrell for all you do! I always learn so much when I watch your vids, especially the comparison type vids. Thank you!

Great shootout! Given the comments of how each tone wood might perform in a mix, it’d be great to have another similar shootout that does exactly that: puts each of these in a mix on rhythm in a few different styles to give a better sense of how they’d perform in real-world situations.

Great video again, and a very nice mic 😊❤

Both guitars are very beautiful! The spruce has a sparkly magic that takes it for me

Perfect video! Im looking to get myself a good acoustic and wasnt sure on which wood would suit me best. Just wondering, as a brazilian viewer, have you ever tried a Tagima guitar? If so, how was your experience?

Thanks Darrell, another excellent video. I could also hear the difference and agree that cedar top is not as bright as the spruce. Thanks for the context of where each top excels. Until watching this comparison I was leaning towards a spruce top. Now I'm thinking cedar as its definitely a warmer tone wood and I really enjoy finger style and don't need to cut through against competing instruments. Once again Darrell thanks.

I love the sound of the cedar top on finger picking. Smells good too!

Hey Darrell, I love them both! Those are great guitars! Perhaps it's not the "correct" amp to use for acoustic guitars, but could you do a video on the best acoustic set up when using the H&K GMD 40?

My first little guitar was cedar top. I loved that mellow muted tone. Good for someone not too accurate at picking.

I personally enjoyed the Spruce higher on the neck/riffing and cedar lower on the neck/strumming. Both are fantastic instruments for their own purpose. BTW the thumbnail has the two headers over the wrong guitars. Great stuff as always Darrell!

Thank you so much for doing an acoustic video. Would you consider to do more acoustic videos, please?

Thank you for an excellent video review. I'm considering purchasing a cedar top and was curious of the sound difference. I prefer the not as bright, but more full or mellow sound of a cedar. Good day!

Great review, thanks!

Great video and clear comparrison. Solved my last problem in picking a new acoustic guitar. Ceder top itizzz

I have a Seagull Entourage with cedar top and cherry back and sides. I previously owned a Seagull with spruce top and mahogany back and sides. There is a difference. I can't say for sure if the cedar changed what I heard and consequently what I played, or if own tastes in what and how I played changed, probably both, but I have been able to do just about everything I did with the cedar top and more that I could do with the spruce top. The cedar does tend to "hit the wall" sooner when hitting things harder. You get what I think of as "acoustic overdrive" sooner where you get that kind of break-up of tone from heavier strumming/picking. While spruce tops can handle that heavier hitting before "breaking up", it has been, in my experience, not as advantageous in the grand scheme. I wish more guitars were offered with cedar tops. Loudness isn't so much an issue if you're mic'ed up or playing in a band mix. Just tweak your amp/PA/pedals. Nuance when an acoustic guitar is soloing or by itself is more important, something that cedar tops do better.

Wonderful comparison--the best I've seen. I wonder whether mahogany back & sides would soften the edge of spruce for finger style. Any thoughts?

While I couldn't hear a difference in the cedar vs mahagony you did in on one of the videos, this time I did hear a difference, I love the cedar. Its voice has more character, like some EQ was applied, a more interesting sound.

You can use both in any situation. I've recorded with both. If the mix is 'denser' as some put it, you use the right mic and positioning, mix accordingly. An acoustic will not get lost in a mix if you know what you're doing, regardless of what the top of an acoustic guitar is made of!

I like the Spruce. I also prefer white binding. I like how you finished the phrasing of Amazing Grace on the second guitar. Mighty fine playing

Loving the cedar tones ❤️

Interesting comparison, thanks for sharing. I recently bought an Eastman AC222CE that should have come with a spruce top, however due to the tone (and color) I suspect it has a cedar top, the sounds was what stood out to me when testing the guitar, and after watching this video, I am convinced it is cedar. I could have returned it due to the manufacturing inconsistency, however I really like the sound and the fact that it is probably a rare event to have an AC222 with a different top than the one in the specs.

Wow, I own a Furch with Spruce and Mahogany back. Great comparison! Love Furch's and Stonebridge. Great playing!

the best comparison! this is how comparisons should be done: short identical pieces + genuinely good mic

I was surprised at the difference and overall preferred the cedar sound. Thanks for posting you are a skilled guitarist.

Great post as always! I know why you bought 2, both sounds incredible! To my ears, the cedar sounds scooped in the mids, and the spruce opened up on the mids giving it alot of presence. Now, time for me to convince my “wifey” why we need more than 1 acoustic 😉 ...and 1 more 😁. Love the “Amazing Grace” lick!

Great comparison. Agreed. Nice to know that distinction tnx ...

Best comparison video, especially the clear single-note comparisons. I prefer the warmth of the Cedar.

Hi Darrell. First off, thanks for all your videos. You have become THE guitar reference for me, and obligatory viewing every time you release one. Regarding this comparison, I prefer the spruce sound by far, but in fairness, the closeup shots of the necks revealed what appear to be older and slightly worn strings on the cedar guitar. Is that so?

Trouble is, although Spruce sounds much brighter here, after a couple of years of playing it will sound mellower whilst the Cedar only changes minimally (this based on my numerous acoustic, classical, and flamenco guitars). Indeed I've had Spruce (Sitka) turn so dull after a few years that it is unplayable: Cedar, however, still sounds almost the same as new.

The cedar is definitly warmer, huh, I didn't think I'd be able to hear that! Cool!😁💖

I love the sound of the spruce overall just more my style I guess thank you I love your channel.

liked the cedar better. More full sound to my ears. Love the comparisons also. Thanks

I do have my cedar acoustic guitar (first guitar ever that I own). It sounds fuller, deeper & warmer while I play percussive fingerstyle guitar

Great job on this one

My sincerest apologies if you mentioned this in the video and I didn’t catch it, but if I recall you had your Stonebridge for some time before this video and the spruce guitar was fairly new. I feel that this can definitely contribute to how good the guitar sounds as I prefer them “played in.” As always great video!

Your assessment is perfect. Just dependent on when and how one uses the instrument. Both perform great for a need. I would use cedar as no competition with other instruments to cut through in my world.

Both are breathtaking as is your playing. Would give the nod to the spruce. Btw largely because of your videos I have Furch violet spruce and Furch indigo cedar.

Great job!!!

Nice comparison. I have both spruce and cedar on my acoustic steel guitars and I by far like the warmer sound of cedar. Same thing on my classical acoustic cedar all the way.

good and straight forward video 👍👍

Big differnece! I agree with what you said about brightnes, warmth and so forth. Exactly what i hear too. I like them both. I have guitars with cedar, spruce and mahgony tops for differnet purposes.