[font=trebuchet ms]Maple has quite a bit more density than spruce, so it 's heavier for the same thickness, and it sounds brighter. Both of those characteristics can be adjusted for in the design and construction. I've only played one maple-top acoustic (a Seagull I think) and I remember it having a very articulate sound. No mushy chords with that one. Maple should also improve with time and frequent playing. I think that if a guitar was properly designed and built to work with maple instead of simply substituting maple in a spruce-top design, the result should be a very satisfying instrument. I think Simon Patrick also offers maple top guitars. IIRC, both companies are based in Quebec. As with any guitar, you should arrange to play the actual instrument before you part with your coin.[/font]