Official Luthiers Forum!

Hi All,

Quick question. I am using Red spruce for my top/back bracing for my first build (will be gluing on the back braces in next day or so, then carving). There has been much discussion wrt bracing materials recently - but how does Lutz stack up to red spruce and/or sitka?

Thx!

Glenn

Lutz is a hybrid!
It works great!
Stiff & lite in weight!
Rings like a bell!
Plus Shane from High Mountain Tonewoods cuts it right!!!!!!!
What else could you want?

Plus you have to remember-
size of braces,height and width-thickness of back-size of box-top bracing and flexibility----etc......


Sorry if that sounds terse!
Mike

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Mike Collins

It all depends on the piece of spruce you have in your hand.

There can be stiff Lutz spruce and floppy red spruce of the same dimensions. No two pieces of wood are the same.

Generally though, the red and sitka spruces have been used for many years as brace stock with great results. Lutz should be no different.

Also, there's considerably more to be attributed to the builder than any of the woods used to build the guitar. A great builder can use poor quality wood and still build a good sounding guitar. An inexperienced builder can use the best materials and still have a poor sounding guitar.

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My Facebook Guitar Page

"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson

I've used Lutz, hand selected and delivered right to my door by Shane, no less, on my last two guitars. The stock was incredibly stiff and the sillking was so hot, I felt bad about hidding it inside the guitar! Ha!

Like Mike and Rod mentioned, it's more about the shape, carving and tunning...

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I'd like to be able to prove, just for once, that money wouldn't make me happy...

Don't be a klutz - use Lutz......

Seriously it should be great.

Hey Glenn,

John Greven prefers Red Spruce from Old Standard for braces with Lutz Spruce being his preferred top wood these days. Michael Greenfield, a very high end builder, prefers Lutz for his tops AND braces these days. I think in general, I said IN GENERAL, Red Spruce will be a little denser than Lutz, but it really depends on your building style. For someone like me, I couldn't probably see the difference, while guys like John and Mike, who are pulling that last 1% out of the materials, can notice the difference and choose materials based on their processes and experiences.

There.....not much help at all really....

Shane

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Canada

Now there's a slogan for you! It's brilliant! Oh, Shane?...

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I'd like to be able to prove, just for once, that money wouldn't make me happy...

Alain!! You calling me a Klutz??...

Hey, I will be in Ottawa in a couple of weeks....not sure about my evening schedule though.

Shane

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Canada

Thanks for the replies! I assumed lutz would make fine bracing - thought I would ask to make sure

Glenn

Hey Shane ..if you are in Ottawa on Friday May 2nd, Tommy Emmanuel is playing at the Dominion Chalmers United Church, 355 Cooper St. Its presented by the Toronto Fingerstyle Guitar assoc, of which I am a main sponsor .. I will be there displaying guitars, so drop around !!!

We will all be in Montreal the night before (May 1st), and then in Toronto on the 3rd and 4th.

The Toronto shows are almost sold out, but the other two have seats avail.

As for the thread topic .. I have done seven guitars up in the last couple weeks, all braced with lutz except for the one adi top. The backs are all done in lutz.

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"