Solid Spruce or Solid Cedar Top?

Question:I found an electric-acoustic guitar I really like, but there are 2 versions of it, one with a Solid Spruce top and one with a Solid Cedar Top. They are both exactly the same price and when I played them I cannot tell the difference. Which one should I buy and why? If you would like to know, I like rock.

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I found an electric-acoustic guitar I really like, but there are 2 versions of it, one with a Solid Spruce top and one with a Solid Cedar Top. They are both exactly the same price and when I played them I cannot tell the difference. Which one should I buy and why? If you would like to know, I like rock.

Cedar tops are said to give a dark, warmer, mellower sound good for fingerpicking or folk music, while spruce tops often tend to be clearer, "punchier", and brighter sounding, better for aggressive rhythm strumming and flatpicking. So that suggests to me that you'd be happier with a spruce top for rock playing. Even if you can't tell the difference now, as you play the guitar over time, the tone of the guitar will change and open up as the top gets "played in".

But there are different varieties of spruce, each of which has its own distinctive tonal qualities. If you know what kind of spruce is being used, you can get a better sense of how the guitar will sound after its been played in for a while: http://www.dreamguitars.com/tonewoods.ht...

Cedar has a warmer tone, popular with finger style players (Classical guitars have cedar tops). Spruce is louder with more high end, so in your case I'd get the spruce,

You like rock? Get spruce top.... The tone is much more clearer and that is what you want for rock. You don't want a mellow sound . Also, Cedar is soft and does not have the elasticity of spruce.
One final note, Spruce can withstand much abuse.

Hope the other posters read this and learn a little instead of stating anything from anywhere.

The cedar will produce a slightly mellower and deeper tone over time as it settles, whereas the spruce will be more bright in comparison.

Both are purely based on preference, but as a beginner, you probably are unable to distinguish such differences just yet.

Either will work just fine. Sprucetops are definitely more common, and it is a more durable wood so if you're not the careful type or you're scared of dents, etc., go with the spruce.

(Just a bit of side info: The tone of all acoustic guitars change over time as they are played. The vibrations and air movement cause the wood to eventually "settle in"..you can think of it as wine - it gets better with age..but only if you play it. Leaving it in its case will not do much. This is one of the reasons why many vintage guitars are sought after (aside from better build quality in the past), and if they are in great cosmetic condition, they're worth even more.)