Birch backs and sides on f-5

[bgmando]

I play mostly a standard F, however, I go on jags with grandpa's old 1917 A-1, which I think is birch back and sides with red spruce top.

I really love the old A's sound. But it's made me curious.

What would a birch F with red spruce top sound like? Anybody heard one?

[Greenmando]

I believe birch would sound the same. Maple has been accepted because of the grain and figure.

[Christopher Standridge]

You should ask Oregon Bluegrass Association president, Josh Cole. I made him an F5 with red spruce top and birch back to match his 1917 gibson A. He loves it. It has plenty of zing and punch but that nice darkness and warmth that comes from the birch. I used reclaimed sunken birch though. I like red maple but that birch is something else. I just finished an oval-hole A with 13.875 scale length that just smokes.
Here is a shot of the birch...

[Ken]

I really like birch and have used it on a couple of instruments (mandolin and mandola) Attached is the back of an oval hole A with (in my opinion) nice figure. Tone wise both the instruments I've used birch on sound great (again my humble opinion) and I think it compares very favorably to maple. For what its worth I've also used cherry a couple times and think its pretty good too.