You may be asking yourself, "What's the deal with Adirondack Spruce?" Or "Why are Adirondack tops so expensive?" And "Is it worth it?" Adirondack Spruce is a variant of Red Spruce that grows in the Adirondack region. Relative to other types of Spruce, Adirondack Spruce is extremely strong and stiff, and it consistently rates at the top in strength-to-weight ratio. As a top wood, it produces robust output and a wider dynamic range than other woods. In the prewar era, both Gibson and Martin discovered Adirondack Spruce was an exceptional choice for guitar and mandolin tops. Because of that, the most influential and historically consequential guitars were all originally built with Adirondack tops. It's no surprise that—even today—Adirondack yields better results with prewar templates. In the wake of WWII, Adirondack Spruce became much more scarce. While it's great for guitars, Adirondack Spruce is also an ideal choice for constructing bi-planes. After it was harvested aggressively during the war-era, for many years there wasn't enough Adirondack available to support guitar building. Nowadays, there are trees mature enough to cut guitar tops, but these younger trees simply can't match the sound of genuine old-growth Adirondack Spruce. Players and collectors expect to pay a premium for an aged Adirondack top, and they usually get what they pay for! Until now! Part of the new "Tonewood Reserve" series, the Recording King RD-328 is an affordable, good-looking dreadnought with a solid aged Adirondack Spruce top and solid Rosewood back and sides. As the story goes, Recording King was able to purchase a stash of Adirondack that has been curing for over 30 years. The result is a guitar that produces powerful, refined tone—and the price on these is borderline absurd! Body Shape: 14-Fret Dreadnought Top: Aged Solid Adirondack Spruce Back & Sides: Solid East Indian Rosewood Top Bracing: Forward-Shifted X, Sitka Spruce Neck: Mahogany, 1-piece Neck Profile: V Neck Joint: Dovetail Fingerboard Material: Rosewood w/ MOP Dot inlays Scale Length: 25.4" Nut: Bone, 1-11/16". Tuning Machines: Open-gear w/ Butterbean buttons Bridge: Rosewood Belly w/ Bone Saddle For players that need the power and volume only a dreadnought can provide, the RD-328 delivers, and it still packs warmth and vibrancy of fine aged tone woods. All at a fraction of the price of a vintage instrument. *Please Note: the mandolin pictured is a Telluride Music Co. stock image. While Recording King guitars are very consistent, there may be a few cosmetic differences, especially in the wood grain. If you would like a picture of the guitar that will ship with your order, please contact us.*
