Sycamore or rosewood??? Ordering mine next Monday..

[E. Chiasson]

Next Monday, I'll be ordering a Yamaha CPX8 (rosewood back & side ) or maybe a CPX8SY ( sycamore back & side ). I really don't know which one to get and nothing in stock to A/B compare. I already tried the CPX8SY which is a bit more expensive and I wonder if it is neccessary to pay the extra money for the sycamore model. I prefer the natural look of the CPX8 but the sound factor will prevail. This guitar will be mainly used for recording. No gig.

Which one would you choose ? Rosewood or sycamore ? I tried to get some help on the Harmony Central a couple of days ago but no one answered.

If I don't get any informative answer to this thread, I'll probably go with the SY model. The drawback for me with the SY line is the colors available but I really like their sound and neck. I just wonder if the CPX8 is just as good for recording. Thanks for your help.

E. Chiasson

 

[Light]

If you are looking for a more traditional acoustic guitar sound, go with the rosewood. I have never used Sycamore, and I have never heard anyone saying anything good about it. Of course, I have never heard anyone say anything bad about it, but considering some of the freaks (luthiers) I hang out with, I am sure one of them has tried it. If they had liked it, they would have said something.

You are more likely to get a good response on this at the Luthiers Corner, over in the Acoustic Guitar Magazine forums.


Luthiers Corner


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

 

[E. Chiasson]

Thanks Light, I followed your incations and join the accoustic guitar forum.

By what I could read so far , sycamore is in the maple family and it has to be solid wood in order to be efficient . Plywood doesn't stand at all in that cathegory.

The top of the CP8x and CP8XSY are solid spruce but no mention of solid rosewood or sycamore.

According to the salesman, 80% of his customers would choose the SY model on an A/B try out . I'm still not yet convinced that sycamore sounds so much better than rosewood does. After all, I've no incation showing a rage for sycamore and rosewood essence in comparison seems to keep the favor.

Thanks again for your comments and also for the tip to the luthiers discussion board.

E. Chiasson

 

[lpdeluxe]

I owned a Ric 366 Convertible (November 1967) for a number of years: this is a 360-style "semi-acoustic" (not my description) 12-string with a comb that converted it into a half-vast 6-string. It had a lovely flamed sycamore back and I was told that Ric bought a large supply of that wood and retooled in order to make electric guitars from the boards. I have never seen a sycamore acoustic, though, I'm just throwing this out for what it's worth. It's a close grained, very pale wood that looks like fiddleback maple but is much lighter. I doubt that it contributed much to the Ric's sound which sounded exactly like every other Ric 12.

 

[E. Chiasson]

Thanks lpdeluxe,

I ordered a Yamaha out of L serie . It is called LJX6C. It is totaly hand made, solid Engelmann spuce top, solid rosewood side and back .

 

[turnitdown]

I have never heard of Sycamore on an acoustic.. (or electric)
What are it's tonal characteristics??