Requesting a Lesson on Spruce Types

[F312]

I do limit myself to a small soundhole whiff. You wouldn't need an airport dog to sniff it out.

 

[adorshki]

I do limit myself to a small soundhole whiff. You wouldn't need an airport dog to sniff it out.

 

[mavuser]

As I delve deeper into acoustics and archtops I’m seeing more distinctions that I don’t understand. Today’s ignorance is spruce.

I’ve seen mentioned (likely not an exhaustive list):

Spruce
Engelmann Spruce
European spruce
German spruce
Adirondack spruce
Sitka spruce

Please help this aging rocker understand the benefits/drawbacks of each and feel free to fill in any I’ve missed.

Thanks!

i believe German and Adirondack are the same as Engleman.

i like sitka!!

 

[AcornHouse]

i believe German and Adirondack are the same as Engleman.

i like sitka!!

No, they’re not. While Adirondack and Italian and German are called red spruce, they are distinctly different. (And Englemann is completely different.)
Adirondack is Picea rubens
Italian, German, and Carpathian is Picea Excelsa o Picea Abies (and the location has an effect on the final product.)
Englemann is Picea englemannii

Species matter. When I was doing bonsai, many years ago, a senior member of our club always insisted that we know the latin species name, because vendors could call a tree species any popular name they wanted, but the Latin, you can’t fudge.

 

[adorshki]

No, they’re not. While Adirondack and Italian and German are called red spruce, they are distinctly different. (And Englemann is completely different.)
Adirondack is Picea rubens
Italian, German, and Carpathian is Picea Excelsa o Picea Abies (and the location has an effect on the final product.)
Englemann is Picea englemannii

Species matter. When I was doing bonsai, many years ago, a senior member of our club always insisted that we know the latin species name, because vendors could call a tree species any popular name they wanted, but the Latin, you can’t fudge.

Gotta admit I used to think Engelmann must be European simply due to the name, was surprised when I found out it's actually native to western North America.

Was used on the 50th Anniversary D55's out of Corona.

 

[SFIV1967]

i believe German and Adirondack are the same as Engleman.

Back to school for you! Read all the links posted on page one...
And like this: https://letstalkguild.com/ltg/index.php?threads/for-all-you-wood-geeks.206676/post-1938568

Ralf

 

[AcornHouse]

Back to school for you! Read all the links posted on page one...
And like this: https://letstalkguild.com/ltg/index.php?threads/for-all-you-wood-geeks.206676/post-1938568

Ralf

I still have one set left of Val di Fiemme Italian Spruce.

 

[F312]

No, they’re not. While Adirondack and Italian and German are called red spruce, they are distinctly different. (And Englemann is completely different.)
Adirondack is Picea rubens
Italian, German, and Carpathian is Picea Excelsa o Picea Abies (and the location has an effect on the final product.)
Englemann is Picea englemannii

Species matter. When I was doing bonsai, many years ago, a senior member of our club always insisted that we know the latin species name, because vendors could call a tree species any popular name they wanted, but the Latin, you can’t fudge.

Now I'm confused with the add on of; (and Carpathian is Picea Excelsa o Picea Abies) Please clarify, Picea Excelsa o

 

[AcornHouse]

Now I'm confused with the add on of; (and Carpathian is Picea Excelsa o Picea Abies) Please clarify, Picea Excelsa o

Picea abies is the taxinomic name for most all of the European spruces, and they are all, technically, Norway Spruce. In the tonewood world, where they are grown has an effect, so that’s when you get German, Italian, Carpathian, etc. (I’ve never seen any used for tonewood actually come from Norway.) Picea excelsa is a subspecies of Abies, commonly used for the German and Italian varieties.
In the map, the green areas are where Picea Abies grows naturally, the gold is where it’s been naturalized.
https://www.conifers.org/pi/Picea_abies.php

 

[The Guilds of Grot]

I'm still trying to wrap my head around how Gary had no idea that spruce was a "pine/evergreen" tree! Have you never seen a blue spruce tree in a front yard?

I guess you really are new to acoustic flattops!

 

[AcornHouse]

 

[GAD]

I'm still trying to wrap my head around how Gary had no idea that spruce was a "pine/evergreen" tree! Have you never seen a blue spruce tree in a front yard?

I guess you really are new to acoustic flattops!

Sometimes things just don’t click for me. I can remember as a teen being absolutely gobsmacked when I realized that the word afternoon meant after noon.

 

[SFIV1967]

Picea excelsa is a subspecies of Abies, commonly used for the German and Italian varieties.

Actually not, it's not a subspecies. Picea excelsa is only a synonym for Picea abies. Picea excelsa is an obsolete scientific name, a so called illegitimate name.

Ralf

 

[fronobulax]

Actually not, it's not a subspecies. Picea excelsa is only a synonym for Picea abies. Picea excelsa is an obsolete scientific name, a so called illegitimate name.

Ralf

<veer>

It bothered the heck out of me when they started reclassifying dinosaurs. Everything I knew is now wrong
</veer>

 

[GAD]

<veer>

It bothered the heck out of me when they started reclassifying dinosaurs. Everything I knew is now wrong
</veer>

Right? That's a brontosaurus, son.
No it's not - it's a brachiosaurus, dad.

Also veers never end.

 

[walrus]

<veer>

It bothered the heck out of me when they started reclassifying dinosaurs. Everything I knew is now wrong
</veer>

Right, like telling me Pluto isn't a planet any more!

walrus

 

[donnylang]

Sometimes things just don’t click for me. I can remember as a teen being absolutely gobsmacked when I realized that the word afternoon meant after noon.

Similar to when I realized the word haphazard is not “haph”-hazard, as in half-assed.

 

[chazmo]

Ooh, mispronunciations and malapropisms are my favorite types of funnies. One of my favorites is "wheel-barrel". Never heard the "half-hazard" before Donny! That's a good one! Totally understandable (just like wheel-barrel ).

I think we might need a new thread for this one!!!!

 

[chazmo]

Right, like telling me Pluto isn't a planet any more!

walrus

Hehehe. And it never was.... apparently!

 

[chazmo]

I still have one set left of Val di Fiemme Italian Spruce.

Hey, Chris,

Any chance of a full pictures of this beautiful set? That looks pretty rough-hewn. Is that how the wood sets typically come from the distributors?