The advantage of the close-grain in old growth Douglas Fir is that the differences between doing it right and doing it wrong aren't as pronounced as with the wider growth rings of 2nd growth wood. Most other species of Fir are similar.
Douglas Fir will show you how to use a turning tool, and it is an excellent wood for turning if you do it right. It will give a smooth polished surface when making a good shearing cut with the bevel of the tool on the wood and letting the tool seek its own bite to make a clean shaving. However, when the tool forced into the wood or when the bevel gets off the surface, it will leave the worse surface with the most grain tear-out of any wood. The reason this is important is that it doesn't sand well at all.