Acoustic guitars with a cedar top. Flickr Commons image via FD
This is a list of acoustic guitars that use a cedar top.
We're not ranking or reviewing these guitars, but simply using this page as a reference to list acoustic guitars that have a cedar top. The most common tonewood used for acoustic guitar tops is spruce with cedar a distant second place.
Note that when we're talking about cedar tonewood and acoustic guitars, we're almost always talking about only the top piece.
Cedar usually isn't used for other parts of the guitar which means you'll be working with a solid cedar top piece and a different kind of tonewood for the back and sides.
We'll start by covering some basics about cedar tone wood.
About Cedar Tonewood
Cedar, being the second most common tonewood behind Spruce (though Spruce is used far more), is less dense and produces a somewhat darker tone.
This tends to create less volume, which isn't as ideal for people who do a lot of heavy strumming or intense picking patterns. It's more in line with softer styles like finger picking and lighter playing, though some just prefer the sound of cedar, regardless of playing intensity.
Cedar tonewood produces richer overtones, but not as much projection/volume, making it perfect for fingerpicking styles. Flickr Commons Image via Sarah Elizabeth Altendorf
To summarize, here are some of the tonal characteristics:
- Darker
- Airy and lighter
- Less volume and less intense
- More overtones
- Softer resonance
For these reasons, guitars with a cedar top are commonly sought after in classical guitars and are commonly paired with nylon strings.
Acoustic Brands that Typically Use Cedar
As a consequence, the brand we noticed use a cedar top most often was Cordoba, which is a guitar builder that makes a lot of classical guitars and instruments. Following behind Cordoba was Taylor, Godin, and Takamine.
Almost every major acoustic guitar manufacturer has at least a handful of acoustic guitars with a cedar top.
The most notable omission from our current list would be Martin. They seem to avoid cedar, in most cases, though the Englemann uses it for its back and sides.
Pricing Considerations
Most acoustic guitars with a cedar top are more expensive because they almost always use a solid top. Laminate pieces typically aren't made of cedar because cedar is not as readily available as something like mahogany or spruce. Thus, when cedar is included, it's not going to be the cheap/laminate version.
You'll be looking at roughly $1000 on the low end and $2000 on the high end, though it can vary widely depending on a number of other factors.
For example, the Breedlove Pursuit and Seagull S6 are both popular acoustic guitars with a cedar top that both cost less than $600.
The Breedlove Pursuit and Seagull S6 are both priced around $500.
The problem with establishing a typical price for cedar acoustics is that there are so many other factors contributing to cost. Your price range will depend on the brand and additional features you choose to target.
Affiliate Disclaimer
The links we've used are partner links to Sweetwater, which help support our site without costing you anything extra. Please keep in mind that the point of this list is to inform and to provide a resource for people to find acoustic guitars that have a cedar top. If you buy through our links, that's helpful, but the point is to provide a reference. Enjoy it either way.
The List
We've separated these guitars by the most common brands and then left a section for "other" brands that only have a few cedar examples. If you notice something we've missed, feel free to drop it in the comments section below and we'll add it.
Cordoba
Godin
Taylor
Takamine
Breedlove
Others
Anything to add?
Do you know of an acoustic guitar with a cedar top that we've missed?
If you do, drop a line in the comments section and let us know about it. We'll check it out and add it to the list if it fits the descriptor. Keep in mind, for guitars that have multiple, similar versions - like a cutaway and non-cutaway version - we've only listed those once.
The same goes for if there's a dreadnought and concert version of a single acoustic with a cedar top. Those only get listed as a single entry.
Also keep in mind we're looking for cedar tops, and not back or sides. Most of the time cedar is going to be a top piece tonewood.
The more we keep this list updated, the more useful it'll be to the community.
Thanks, everyone. See you in the comments.
Great post
Thanks a bunch.