Cedar or Spruce？How can I identify them in my guitar？ (Full Version)

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Message

hxwhf72752003 -> Cedar or Spruce？How can I identify them in my guitar？ (Sep. 23 2025 6:45:16)

Hi guys! How are you? I bought a Francisco Barba days ago. I have been looking for a Barba for a long time and finally got one from Japan.

The seller told me it was made of spruce one but looks like cedar. I like both, but I can't identify which wood was used on my Barba.

BTW, I would like to know why Barba is regarded as one of the best flamenco guitars?



Echi -> RE: Cedar or Spruce？How can I identify them in my guitar？ (Sep. 23 2025 15:33:47)

It does look like spruce. If you have doubts, just place a source of light inside the box as Cedar does not let pass the light through it.
They are very nicely made traditional guitars.



hxwhf72752003 -> RE: Cedar or Spruce？How can I identify them in my guitar？ (Sep. 24 2025 5:37:19)

Wow! I will try it. Thank you Echi[:)]



Arash -> RE: Cedar or Spruce？How can I identify them in my guitar？ (Sep. 24 2025 11:24:32)

quote:

ORIGINAL: hxwhf72752003

but looks like cedar.


Also keep in mind that spruce can sometimes strongly change color over the years by sun light , playing, etc. to a more honey like color in older guitars , from its original creamy white color. You should examine more the grain lines, silking, etc. and compare those instead of color. Those are more sharper, straight and more contrast with spruce.



Ricardo -> RE: Cedar or Spruce？How can I identify them in my guitar？ (Sep. 24 2025 12:12:50)

its cedar obviously.



Ricardo -> RE: Cedar or Spruce？How can I identify them in my guitar？ (Sep. 24 2025 12:16:50)

Just kidding.[:D]

In Guitarreros de madrid encyclopedia, he is given credit for following the style of Sevillano Manuel Gutierrez (a friend of Torres, with early surviving instruments from the time of Planeta etc.) He focused on flamenco guitars hence he was popular with the big name guitar players near Sevilla. He did not have a tradition, he worked in his dad's shop with ebony, much like Jeronimo Peña Fernández. He built his first guitar from German pine sap (instead of spruce top).



hxwhf72752003 -> RE: Cedar or Spruce？How can I identify them in my guitar？ (Sep. 24 2025 16:40:20)

My luthier friend also told me this. He asked me to take a picture of the guitar in a normal light. And here is the photo.

It looks more like spruce this time. It looks so different in the two pictures.[:D]



hxwhf72752003 -> RE: Cedar or Spruce？How can I identify them in my guitar？ (Sep. 24 2025 16:45:03)

Thanks for your introduction! I know many guitarists in Sevilla playing Barba. Nino de Pura, Juan Campallo, Joselito Acedo and so on. I reckon he is a creative luthier. His creativity in aesthetics impresses me.[:D]



JasonM -> RE: Cedar or Spruce？How can I identify them in my guitar？ (Sep. 24 2025 19:29:36)

Congratulations how do you like it?

I thought it looked more like Spruce because of the figure/fleck produced by the quarter sawing of the wood. I didn’t know about the light shine through test though!



estebanana -> RE: Cedar or Spruce？How can I identify them in my guitar？ (Sep. 25 2025 11:17:30)

Shame on you Ricardo. It’s obviously ‘Supruso’ since it came from Japan 🇯🇵



estebanana -> RE: Cedar or Spruce？How can I identify them in my guitar？ (Sep. 25 2025 11:20:59)

You can include the photo in your post by checking the box at the bottom of the upload window called ‘Embed picture in post’



Images are resized automatically to a maximum width of 800px



hxwhf72752003 -> RE: Cedar or Spruce？How can I identify them in my guitar？ (Sep. 25 2025 12:05:22)

Thanks Jason, I like it! The sound is crispy and it has a bouncing feeling when you play it. I will upload a video soon[:)]



hxwhf72752003 -> RE: Cedar or Spruce？How can I identify them in my guitar？ (Sep. 25 2025 12:07:55)

Hahaha. Japanese players will love this "Baruba" guitar[:D]

Also, thanks for your help with adding the pictures in the post.[:)]



hxwhf72752003 -> RE: Cedar or Spruce？How can I identify them in my guitar？ (Oct. 5 2025 14:16:52)



Here is the video of my Barba.



Ricardo -> RE: Cedar or Spruce？How can I identify them in my guitar？ (Oct. 5 2025 14:43:58)

Very nice!



Arash -> RE: Cedar or Spruce？How can I identify them in my guitar？ (Oct. 5 2025 17:06:03)

Fantastic playing and the guitar sounds lovely



silddx -> RE: Cedar or Spruce？How can I identify them in my guitar？ (Oct. 5 2025 17:21:38)

Super!



orsonw -> RE: Cedar or Spruce？How can I identify them in my guitar？ (Oct. 6 2025 11:18:35)

You and the guitar sound very good!

Thanks for the inspiration. I admit I never play Guajira- only if a dancer asks. It's been years, by now I've completely forgotten how.

Did you learn that directly from Juan Campallo? (He sounds great on his Barba blanca, though these days he mainly uses a negra I think by Antonio Marin.)

Or maybe you learnt from a youtube video? e.g.




hxwhf72752003 -> RE: Cedar or Spruce？How can I identify them in my guitar？ (Oct. 6 2025 23:31:35)

Hi, orsonw. You are right. I learned this falseta from this performance. This is my favorite baile performance of Guajira[:D]

BTW I also like Alegrias performance of this group.



estebanana -> RE: Cedar or Spruce？How can I identify them in my guitar？ (Oct. 7 2025 5:23:20)

quote:

ORIGINAL: hxwhf72752003



Here is the video of my Barba.



That’s great, do you know letra and the footwork?



hxwhf72752003 -> RE: Cedar or Spruce？How can I identify them in my guitar？ (Oct. 7 2025 7:43:24)

Yes esteban. I know how to accompany Guajira cante and baile. But Paula Comitre's Guajira is the next level[:D]



rombsix -> RE: Cedar or Spruce？How can I identify them in my guitar？ (Oct. 7 2025 11:35:56)

quote:

Yes esteban


OMG just had a revelation.

Of my now nearly 20 years on the Foro, I've been thinking Stephen's alias is "This banana" the whole time. I just realized it stems from Esteban which is the Spanish version of Stephen.



Ricardo -> RE: Cedar or Spruce？How can I identify them in my guitar？ (Oct. 7 2025 11:57:05)

yes, the number of "Esteban" autocorrects I had to re-correct is staggering.



hxwhf72752003 -> [Deleted] (Oct. 7 2025 13:30:56)

Post has been moved to the Recycle Bin at Oct. 7 2025 13:31:12



hxwhf72752003 -> RE: Cedar or Spruce？How can I identify them in my guitar？ (Oct. 7 2025 13:32:42)

I just forgot the real name of Stephen, so I called him Estaban. I thought it was rude to call him Estabanana, maybe[:D]



orsonw -> RE: Cedar or Spruce？How can I identify them in my guitar？ (Oct. 11 2025 10:30:18)

quote:

Paula Comitre's Guajira is the next level


She is good. I've seen her live, she transmits. For me some of her contemporary dance influence is a bit studied/affected/basic.

I prefer the wildness of Rocio Molina's Guarija (often guajira is too light for my taste). Her contemporary influence is a more embodied and deeper rooted personal expression.




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