The top — the soundboard — is the most important single component in an acoustic guitar's tone. It is the primary driver: the strings transfer their energy through the saddle and bridge into the top, which amplifies and shapes that energy into the sound you hear. Everything else — back and sides, bracing, finish, tonewoods throughout — responds to and colours what the top initiates. And the two most common soundboard species — Sitka spruce and Western red cedar — are genuinely, meaningfully, audibly different from each other. This guide tells you exactly how and why.
The Two Species: What They Are
SITKA SPRUCE (Picea sitchensis)
Sitka spruce is the dominant acoustic guitar soundboard species in the world, used on the majority of steel-string acoustic guitars produced at every price point. It grows along the Pacific coast of North America from northern California through British Columbia and into Alaska — the largest of the spruce species, reaching heights of 90 metres. Its combination of stiffness, low density, and strength produces a stiffness-to-weight ratio that is exceptional for a soundboard material. Most acoustic guitars you pick up in a shop will have a Sitka spruce top.
WESTERN RED CEDAR (Thuja plicata)
Western red cedar grows in the same Pacific Northwest forests as Sitka spruce, though it is botanically unrelated (cedar belongs to the cypress family, not the pine family). It is softer, less stiff, and more immediately responsive than Sitka spruce. Cedar was traditionally used for classical guitar tops — where its warmth and touch sensitivity suited nylon-string playing beautifully — before migrating into steel-string acoustic production. Today it is the second most common soundboard species and a popular choice across all guitar types.
The Tonal Difference: Specific and Measurable
| Characteristic | Sitka Spruce | Western Red Cedar |
|---|---|---|
| Initial Brightness | Bright and clear — strong treble presence from new | Warm from the start — immediately full and dark |
| Midrange | Balanced — present but not dominant | Rich and warm — forward and full |
| Bass | Tight and defined — punchy rather than boomy | Full and round — warmer low-end character |
| Dynamic Range | Wide — responds well from very soft to very loud | Moderate — blooms beautifully at low to medium volumes |
| Responsiveness | Requires some playing force to open up fully | Responds immediately to the lightest touch |
| Projection | High — cuts clearly in ensemble contexts | Moderate — more intimate and personal |
| Ageing | Brightens and opens dramatically over years of playing | Starts warm and darkens further — less dramatic shift |
| New guitar feel | Can feel slightly stiff at first — improves with playing | Plays and sounds immediately warm and open |
| High-volume playing | Maintains clarity — handles aggressive picking without breaking up | Can lose clarity under very hard strumming |
| Colour (visual) | Cream to pale yellow — lightens slightly with age | Reddish-brown to amber — darkens attractively with age |
Responsiveness: The Most Practical Difference
Of all the differences between cedar and spruce, responsiveness to light playing is the most practically significant for everyday players. Cedar tops vibrate freely at lower playing forces — a light fingerpick across a cedar-top guitar produces a full, warm tone immediately. The same light touch on a spruce top may feel slightly underpowered, particularly on a new instrument that hasn't been played in yet.
This single characteristic explains why cedar is the preferred soundboard for:
- Fingerstyle guitarists — the immediate response to light touch rewards delicate technique
- Classical players — cedar has been the default classical guitar soundboard for decades for exactly this reason
- Singer-songwriters who play quietly — the guitar responds without requiring aggressive right-hand technique
- Players with lighter picking attack — cedar makes light players sound confident
- Recording in quiet environments — cedar produces a full tone at lower physical volumes
The Ageing Difference: This One Surprises Players
One of the most discussed differences between spruce and cedar is how they age under playing — and it runs counter to what most players expect. A new Sitka spruce top is relatively stiff and may feel slightly underwhelming in the first weeks of playing. With consistent playing, spruce tops open up dramatically — brightening, gaining projection, and developing tonal complexity over months and years. A well-played 20-year-old spruce-top guitar almost always sounds better than a new one of identical spec.
Cedar starts warm and immediate — but its ageing trajectory is less dramatic. Cedar tops darken tonally rather than opening up, developing a deeper, more mellow warmth with age rather than the spruce top's characteristic brightening. Both ageing processes are beautiful. They are simply different.
💡 The Implication for Buyers
If you try a new spruce-top guitar and it feels slightly bright or stiff, play it for six months before judging it. New spruce tops are commonly described as "needing to be played in" — the tone improves measurably with consistent use. Cedar tops don't need this — they sound immediately full from the first play. If you need to be impressed immediately, cedar may suit you better as a new guitar purchase.
Spruce Varieties Beyond Sitka
Sitka is not the only spruce species used for guitar tops — and the alternatives each have meaningful tonal characters of their own:
| Spruce Species | Character vs Sitka | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|
| Sitka Spruce | The baseline — bright, strong, wide dynamic range | Most production guitars — all price points |
| Adirondack (Red) Spruce | Stiffer, louder, more complex — pre-war golden standard | Premium and vintage-inspired builds — Martin, Collings |
| Engelmann Spruce | Softer than Sitka — warmer, cedar-adjacent in responsiveness | Mid-range and boutique builds — bridges gap to cedar |
| European (German) Spruce | Clear, balanced, traditional — classical and boutique steel-string | Handmade and boutique acoustics — luthier preference |
| Lutz Spruce | Natural hybrid of Sitka and white spruce — warm-bright balance | Some Taylor and Seagull production models |
Cedar Varieties
| Cedar Species | Character | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|
| Western Red Cedar | The most common — warm, responsive, reddish tone | Seagull, Taylor, Larrivée, many Canadian builders |
| Port Orford Cedar | Stiffer than Western Red — approaches Sitka responsiveness with cedar warmth | Classical guitars, some boutique steel-strings |
| Spanish Cedar | Lighter, very warm — used more for necks than tops | Classical guitar necks, some boutique builds |
Genre Guide: Cedar or Spruce?
| Genre / Style | Recommended | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Bluegrass / Flat-picking | Spruce (Sitka or Adirondack) | Needs projection, clarity, and high dynamic range for aggressive picking |
| Fingerstyle acoustic | Cedar or Engelmann spruce | Immediate response to light touch, warm note separation |
| Singer-songwriter | Cedar or Sitka | Cedar for warm intimacy; Sitka for wider tonal range and projection |
| Folk strumming | Either — personal preference | Cedar for warmth; Sitka for brightness and projection |
| Classical / Nylon string | Cedar (traditional) | Immediate touch response suits classical right-hand technique |
| Blues | Cedar or mahogany-topped | Warmth and vocal midrange suits expressive blues playing |
| Recording (studio) | Both — depends on desired character | Cedar for immediate warmth; spruce for dynamic versatility |
Famous Cedar-Top Guitars
Seagull S6 Original Cedar | ~$449
The guitar that introduced many players to cedar tops. Canadian-built, all-solid cedar top with wild cherry back and sides. The S6 Cedar produces immediate warmth that surprises players accustomed to spruce — particularly at lower playing volumes. An exceptional value that has been in production for decades with consistent quality.
Taylor 322ce | ~$1,999
Taylor's mahogany-body Grand Concert with a cedar top — a combination that produces exceptional warmth and intimacy. V-Class bracing applied to a cedar top produces excellent intonation alongside the cedar's natural touch sensitivity. The most technically sophisticated cedar-top acoustic at this price point.
Famous Spruce-Top Guitars
Martin D-28 | ~$2,799
Solid Sitka spruce top, scalloped X-bracing, East Indian rosewood back and sides. The definitive expression of what a spruce-top acoustic can be — bright, full, dynamically responsive, and tonally complex in a way that improves over decades. The reference standard for spruce-top acoustic guitar tone worldwide.
Martin D-28 Authentic 1937 | ~$6,999
Adirondack spruce top — the original pre-war species — with forward-shifted scalloped bracing, hide glue construction, and premium-grade tonewoods. The most tonally extraordinary spruce-top acoustic in current Martin production. Adirondack spruce's superior stiffness-to-weight ratio produces projection and dynamic range that Sitka cannot match.
🌟 FEATURED BUILDER: Byron Custom Guitars
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Every production guitar is built to a fixed spec. Byron Custom Guitars is where that ends — every instrument is handbuilt to order, with every detail specified by you.
- Top wood — spruce or cedar, standard or premium grade, your choice
- Back and sides — rosewood, mahogany, maple, koa, or exotic species
- Body shape — dreadnought, parlor, jumbo, OM, slope-shoulder, and more
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Making the Decision
Choose Cedar if you...
- Primarily fingerpick with a light touch
- Want immediate warmth from a new guitar
- Play folk, classical, or singer-songwriter material
- Record quiet acoustic sessions at home
- Prefer a darker, warmer tonal character
- Want a guitar that sounds excellent from day one
Choose Spruce if you...
- Strum or flat-pick with moderate to heavy attack
- Play bluegrass, country, or high-energy folk
- Perform live and need projection and clarity
- Want a guitar that improves dramatically over years
- Play across multiple styles and need tonal versatility
- Want the brightness and sparkle of the standard acoustic sound
Final Thoughts
Cedar and spruce are not a quality hierarchy — they are different tools for different musical purposes. Cedar is immediate, warm, and forgiving of a light touch. Spruce is dynamic, bright, and rewards both subtlety and power. The best way to choose is to play both — ideally the same body shape with the same back and sides in each top species — and trust what your hands and ears tell you. Your playing style and the music you make will always give you the answer if you listen to them.
At Byron Custom Guitars, cedar and spruce tops are both available as standard options — including Adirondack spruce and premium-grade Western red cedar for players who want the finest available material. The choice is yours.
👉 Specify your top wood at ByronCustomGuitars.com
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