Random Cedar question??

What kind of cedar are you allergic to? The "cedar" found in cedar chests, closets and such is Eastern Red Cedar or more properly Eastern Juniper, Juniperus virginiana. The cedar used in guitar tops is Western Red Cedar, Thuja plicata. Quite different trees, not closely related.

And then there are the true cedars from the Old World, of the genus Cedrus...

Yeh, but what variety is Random Cedar?

Cedar.

Your guitar is Seguall S6 ?

Curious. So far I haven't met any cedar that I get along with. I think I'll go the safe route and pick a different guitar. Thank you so much for taking the time to answer!!

-j

Strange, I really can't imagine anyone being allergic to a certain kind of wood, but not other closely related woods....

But if you can't get on with cedar, try mahogany, spruce, teak, whatever - personally, I can't imagine ever buying another guitar with a rosewood fretboard - I've tried maple, and wow, do I like it! But like everything else to do with guitar....

No two guitarists are the same - every guitarist has to find the wood that works for him/her. Some people love the mahogany body of an LP - others love the Alder, Ash or Poplar bodies of a Strat, with a choice of Maple, Ebony or Rosewood fretboard.

Purists will tell you they can tell the difference between guitars made of different woods - I'm slighly sceptical, there aren't that many people with good ears. Seen the charts lately? I think tone's all in the fingers, or the modelling amp!

And can someone PLEASE tell me why Gibson don't make LP's with a maple fretboard?

:D :D :D

vic

If I couldn't do Cedar, I'd go with Koa. You can also find redwood tops. A very fine adirondack spruce sounds good too, sometimes almost as warm as cedar.

Well, Eastern Red Cedar and Western Red Cedar aren't any more closely related to one another than they are to the various spruces or redwood. Only the names are similar, the trees and their woods are very different.

I have an older Washburn made entirely from "Mountain Ash," a hardwood. There's no tree known as Mountain Ash, but there are several kinds of hard ash and it's one. I think the braces under the top are spruce, though.

There are mahogany topped guitars, or sapele, which is similar. No conifers involved.

We always get big outbreaks of "Cedar Fever" here between December and March, though the actual offenders are Ashe Junipers, not "Cedars".

In any case, it's the pollen that causes the allergic reaction. I never heard of anyone being allergic to the wood itself.

cedar as a top wood is mellower sounding than spruce. if you cannot abide cedar, but like the tone you could try mahogany. that would be a beautiful top wood also.

Not necessarily so, my wife is so allergic to woods of various types that she can't drink wine because of the way it is aged.

Not necessarily so, my wife is so allergic to woods of various types that she can't drink wine because of the way it is aged.

Well that's a new one on me.

I'm an outdoorsy person; the thought of being allergic to wood (which wouldn't be seasonal like pollen) makes me quiver. :o

Hmm that's why she can't drink wine? I wonder if that's my problem. I always have to take allergy meds before drinking so I can keep up the breathing thing. I guess I could just quit drinking???? :cry:

I'm very outdoorsy myself and it isn't much fun being allergic to everything, but like the drinking it hasn't stopped me yet. I'm more worried about the guitar aspect because while manageable outdoors I don't spend hours with my arms wrapped around trees like I do guitars. Ah, no worries though. Like I said I'll just find a new crush.

Thanks everyone for your replies.

I'm very outdoorsy myself and it isn't much fun being allergic to everything, but like the drinking it hasn't stopped me yet. I'm more worried about the guitar aspect because while manageable outdoors I don't spend hours with my arms wrapped around trees like I do guitars. Ah, no worries though. Like I said I'll just find a new crush.

Thanks everyone for your replies.

Have you thought about guitars with no wood of any kind?

wine has tannins in it.( tannins reside in wood. ) my sister in law has strong reactions to tannin. she stopped drinking wine.

perhaps you too are alergic to tannin...and maybe not guitar wood.