Sitka spruce

The commonest soundboard spruce of the modern era, from the wet coastal forests of Alaska and British Columbia.

Picea sitchensis grows quickly in very wet, mild coastal conditions, which gives it a wide range of densities and the broad grain that most factory tops show. It seasons easily, behaves predictably and is available in quantity, so it has been the default steel-string top for decades. It is commonly described as even and balanced, with a slightly warmer and sweeter top end and less raw volume than Adirondack, which makes it forgiving in a first-quality instrument. The drawbacks are variability and softness: a light piece can sound flabby, and the wood dents and can split if the instrument dries out.

Example: Most production acoustics leave the factory with a Sitka top, and a well-graded piece handles both delicate fingerstyle and a firm strum.

typical use: Soundboards on the great majority of steel-string acoustics.

Sitka spruce

See also