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david - 4-17-2004 at 06:52 PM

:bounce: I was wondering if anybody new of the quality of Cedar wood over Spruce. I know that Adel mentioned that you can't get good Cedar wood anymore but does that mean that it's still better than Spruce:shrug: If you guys had a choice what would you go with? Thanx as always,
David.

spyros mesogeia - 4-18-2004 at 01:35 AM

Dear friend,
I personally use and like the spruce,and exactly the aged german spruce......
I like the sound of it more than cedar[katran]
Regards
Spyros

nadir - 4-18-2004 at 04:07 AM

I personally have a cedar soundboard on my oud (Syrian) but the Turunz has a German spruce... I have to say, out of the ones that I have, the German spruce is better. But I also agree that if one wanted excellent cedar, one could find it! :applause:

Cedar or Spruce

rivo - 4-18-2004 at 10:12 AM

Hi David,

There is some major difference between cedar and spruce in sound output, cedar is generating smooth quite and no distortion sound, so it's good for any player likes to play alone for himself or within few people around, spruce is generating very loud sound with some distortion in high notes, so it's preferred for most of professional players, and I agree that it's very hard to find it now, also it's rarely request by any player.

Dr. Oud - 4-18-2004 at 11:18 AM

The cedar available today (Thuja Plicata) is not the same species as the Lebanon cedar (Cedrus libani) used by previous generations of oud makers. There is no comparison in structural or tonal characteristics.

Spruce species are varied and available in many grades: USA Sitka (Picea Sitchensis), Canadian Engleman (Picea Englemannii), German (Picea Excelsa, the same species as found in most european countries). Actual German spruce is becoming rare and expensive while the quality is diminishing. Many luthiers are using Engleman spruce as a viable alternative.

Ronny Andersson - 4-18-2004 at 01:19 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Dr. Oud
The cedar available today (Thuja Plicata) is not the same species as the Lebanon cedar (Cedrus libani) used by previous generations of oud makers. There is no comparison in structural or tonal characteristics.

Spruce species are varied and available in many grades: USA Sitka (Picea Sitchensis), Canadian Engleman (Picea Englemannii), German (Picea Excelsa, the same species as found in most european countries). Actual German spruce is becoming rare and expensive while the quality is diminishing. Many luthiers are using Engleman spruce as a viable alternative.


Richard, you are indeed correct about the cedar. The Lebanon cedar is so easy to recognize. The oud Nadir had built in Syria has not a soundboard of Lebanon cedar. Aleppo pine is a wood that sometimes is called for cedar.