Reply To: Custom 50th FTC

#1105
tadol
Senior Moderator

    Well, I wish everyone were a lot closer – I’d be very happy to let people try out my maple FTCs, one in sitka, and one in cedar. Both old ones, although I don’t think theres much changed with the new ones. I will say that the cut or “edge” one gets with a maple guitar can get a bit excessive with a cedar top – Extremely responsive to fingerstyle, but almost a distorted overdrive with a pick and some strumming. A flavor that would not appeal to many as an “only” guitar, but a very interesting voice if one can justify having a few guitars – no problems with that here – and I need to point out that SCGC had not had a lot of experience with cedar when they built this one. So at this point, they have much more experience with it, and could probably thickness and brace it to allow more of an aggressive strumming style. But I still wouldn’t recommend it.

    The sitka top is a very nice combo – its got more balance, but still with the unique edge and voice of the FTC, and still very much a maple guitar. I very briefly tried a mahogany FTC, and I wish I could say I really remember it well, but it was very different from the maple, yet still had the presence of the FTC. I would be concerned with koa on a carved shape like that – at least highly figured koa – I just don’t know how it would be structurally, but I’m sure Richard has the expertise to do it if desired.

    For myself, I am hoping for one in rosewood, with probably a Euro top – and I can only guess what it might be like. Hopes are high, but I just don’t know what its going to gain (or lose?) with rosewood instead of maple –