Englemann Spruce: Picea Engelmannii
Englemann spruce, native to western North America is a white to ivory color; the grain is straight and even. It is relatively softer and less stiff than the other spruces and produces a sound that is rich in harmonics, making for a warm and responsive tone with good sustain. Englemann spruce is well suited for finger picking, soft strumming and a generally light attack on steel-stringed soundboards. Engelmann is often more expensive than Sitka due to the lower yield from its smaller logs and because most logs have a spiral-grained structure that renders them unsuitable for proper quarter-sawing. Engelmann is considerably lighter in color than Sitka spruce, lighter in weight, and usually less stiff, resulting in a slightly lower velocity of sound. Engelmann also tends to exhibit a weaker fundamental tone, although it produces a noticeably broader and stronger overtone component. It is therefore a good choice for players who require a richer, more complex tone than can be obtained from most Sitka tops, particularly when the instrument is played softly. The downside is that Engelmann tops can have lower “headroom” than Sitka tops, which is to say that clarity and definition are often sacrificed when the guitar is played loudly.