powerpopper Posted March 16, 2009 Report Share Posted March 16, 2009 I'm guessing "AAA" means roughly "premium grade wood" but is there something more to it than that? Is the wood that goes on a J-45 Standard or Modern Classic simply "A" or "AA" wood? I have a couple of guitars that supposedly have a AAA Sitka Spruce top, but now my AJ has AAA Rosewood back and sides. Also, on a totally different note...are Adirondack Spruce and Adirondack Red Spruce anywhere near the same (one being red and the other not?...that was a joke)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jchabalk Posted March 16, 2009 Report Share Posted March 16, 2009 There's a link i'd seen at some point that i can't seem to dig up right now that spelled it out pretty well. I think you're basically correct, there's also something to do with the amount of figure in the grain. Someone else can probably give a better description... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayla Posted March 16, 2009 Report Share Posted March 16, 2009 Take a peek here for a discussion about grading (don't know how it compares w/Gibson's grading system), and here for a database of different tone woods. My understanding is that Adirondack Spruce and Red Spruce are the same thing, but as Skip James said, I could be wrong (then again, I could be right). Check here for details. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drathbun Posted March 16, 2009 Report Share Posted March 16, 2009 It comes from AAA TTTree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Modac Posted March 16, 2009 Report Share Posted March 16, 2009 All "Adirondack" spruce is Red Spruce....all Red Spruce is not necessarily grown in the Adirondacks, however. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLiveSoundGuy Posted March 17, 2009 Report Share Posted March 17, 2009 I didn't even know that the American Automobile Association were even making guitars. I wonder if they insure them as well? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclemac Posted March 17, 2009 Report Share Posted March 17, 2009 Oddly, or perhaps not, in the Adirondacks it's only called red spruce. It's all one species, listed in the Junior Woodchuck's Guide as "picea rubens." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksdaddy Posted March 17, 2009 Report Share Posted March 17, 2009 If a guitar has an AA top does that mean you can't drink and play it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GibsonGuy Posted March 17, 2009 Report Share Posted March 17, 2009 If it is AAAAA does it mean it's for people who like to drink and drive? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPDEN Posted March 17, 2009 Report Share Posted March 17, 2009 I've played my Adi topped acoustic in the Adirondacks, and it definitely sounded better... Must be the soil... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyK Posted March 17, 2009 Report Share Posted March 17, 2009 Taxonomists don't identify any tree as Adirondack anything. "Adirondack Spruce" is a guitar maker's reference. All it really says it is, "Spruce that comes from the Adirondack area of New York state." Primarily spruce coming from this geographic area is Red Spruce (recognized by taxonomists) but it could refer to Black Spruce or White Spruce or other related or even a hybrid variety. Epiphone referes to 'Select Spruce' tops. "Select' is a positive buzz word, that bespeaks, someone taking the time to select just the right lumber to make the top. 'Select' tops are laminate. 'Adirondack' is a term that bespeaks, back in the hills, serene, idyllic setting where many NewYorkers go and have gone to 'get away from it all'. It's an industry buzz word. Triple "A" grade is not a lumber grade, it, again, is a guitar industry term. Possibly just a buzz word. The only lumber, raw dimensions of wood, that use letters is plywood. Single "A" is about is a good as it gets. 'Red' either means the wood has a red hue or the trunk / bark is redder than say... black or white spruce. Individual trees and wood taken from different areas of a given tree will vary in coloration or shading. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksdaddy Posted March 17, 2009 Report Share Posted March 17, 2009 Maybe AA and AAA have to do with vertical-ness of the grain, number of grains per inch, all that. My Ovation Academy has a BASF top. Or maybe it's Dupont Select. Or Monsanto. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLiveSoundGuy Posted March 17, 2009 Report Share Posted March 17, 2009 There is a real nice article here that deals with tonewood grading. http://www.oldworldtonewood.com/about.html and here: http://instrumentmakers.net/LLcom/tonewoods/tonewoods.html While it doesn't deal so much with grading, here is a great read on a luthiers process in general. (I'll bet ksdaddy has already seen it.) Click through the links on the top left of the page. http://instrumentmakers.net/LLcom/tutorials/cumpianokoa/workshop001.html and here: http://www.parachodelnorte.com/RKReconstruction.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eeh1 Posted March 17, 2009 Report Share Posted March 17, 2009 For the serious answer. AAA would is only given to people that are good students. I got FFF wood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eeh1 Posted March 17, 2009 Report Share Posted March 17, 2009 hahahahahahaa I spelled wood wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksdaddy Posted March 17, 2009 Report Share Posted March 17, 2009 You're all set for ebay then! That's the only place you can find guitars with little fret ware. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyK Posted March 17, 2009 Report Share Posted March 17, 2009 Old World Tonewood Co. said it quite simply: "Spruce Tonewood Grading... Unlike the lumber industry, there is no standard for grading of tonewood. Our spruce is graded as "AAA", "AA", "A", and "B". I will say that very occasionally I will find a very outstanding guitar top that I must set aside as a "Master Grade". Some suppliers have expanded this older, perhaps more traditional, grade scheme where the highest grade is "AAA" to include 4A, 5A, even 7A, and so on! Because there is no standard, you must understand how each individual supplier grades. Otherwise, grading is of little objective use to you in selecting wood sight unseen. We prefer to stick with the "traditional" tonewood grading nomenclature." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted March 17, 2009 Report Share Posted March 17, 2009 Old World Tonewood Co. said ... there is no standard for grading of tonewood ... Our spruce is graded as "AAA"' date=' "AA", "A", and "B".[/quote'] Sounds countradictory to me. Bottomline: If you know what you should about musical instrument wood, you know that "AAA" has tight, straight, consistant grain and color, and when cut on the quarter it is well figured; "A" is more or less what a wood worker would call "clear grade" - clear of knots and more or less straight grain, after that, "A" is a crap shoot. Yes, there is no agreed upon standard certified by some sanctioning body, but everybody that works with these types of woods on a professional level knows the difference "AAA" and "A". BTW, Gibson has been getting sloppy when choosing neck wood - when it's a one piece neck, the grain should be completely straight and run in parallel with long axis of the neck. I've seen quite a few necks with grain running on angle completely off the neck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ballcorner Posted March 18, 2009 Report Share Posted March 18, 2009 It is the kind you get first thing in the morning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksdaddy Posted March 18, 2009 Report Share Posted March 18, 2009 At which point I forget all about guitars. For about five minutes anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suburude63 Posted March 18, 2009 Report Share Posted March 18, 2009 Hmmmm trees also. suburude All "Adirondack" spruce is Red Spruce....all Red Spruce is not necessarily grown in the Adirondacks' date=' however.[/quote'] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AustinNoName Posted March 18, 2009 Report Share Posted March 18, 2009 Sounds countradictory to me. Bottomline: If you know what you should about musical instrument wood' date=' you know that "AAA" has tight, straight, consistant grain and color, and when cut on the quarter it is well figured; "A" is more or less what a wood worker would call "clear grade" - clear of knots and more or less straight grain, after that, "A" is a crap shoot. Yes, there is no agreed upon standard certified by some sanctioning body, but everybody that works with these types of woods on a professional level knows the difference "AAA" and "A". BTW, Gibson has been getting sloppy when choosing neck wood - when it's a one piece neck, the grain should be completely straight and run in parallel with long axis of the neck. I've seen quite a few necks with grain running on angle completely off the neck. [/quote'] I know what you mean about seeming contradictory - but the way I read it is that the grading system is almost an internal issue, and subjective. One company's AAA may be another's A for example? I however have no prior knowledge of working with wood (my attempts to build bird boxes at school do not count -a right fiasco!!) however, but that's just the way I see the article. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted March 18, 2009 Report Share Posted March 18, 2009 I know what you mean about seeming contradictory - but the way I read it is that the grading system is almost an internal issue' date=' and subjective. One company's AAA may be another's A for example? I however have no prior knowledge of working with wood (my attempts to build bird boxes at school do not count -a right fiasco!!) however, but that's just the way I see the article.[/quote'] Yes. No one would cross up AAA and A, but I agree with you in that one company's AAA might be another's AA or a third's AAAA. There have been enough complaints (not just with Gibson) that the manufactures should get together, agree on standards and then authorize a sanctioning body to certify the grades. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyK Posted March 18, 2009 Report Share Posted March 18, 2009 ... manufactures should get together' date=' agree on standards and then authorize a sanctioning body to certify the grades. [/quote'] I'll second that. Until then I can offer my Epiphone FT145SB with AAAAAAAA+++ grade Spruce top for sale without any repercussions. If I were to offer her for sale, that is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksdaddy Posted March 18, 2009 Report Share Posted March 18, 2009 My Seagull has 'D' grade cedar on the top and the sides and back came from a pallet labeled 'wood'. And yet it's one of my faves. Kinda has a Band-Camp Michelle thing going on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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