The buying advice is to play what sounds best. This wood is full and responsive. I think a lot of these solid wood models were made just to make guys transitioning from the flatop/archtop world feel better about buying a Selmer type guitar. Used for: Soundboard. Photo credit: suvajack (Flickr: Cebu – Alegre Guitar Shop and Factory) [CC BY … Like with a good red wine, time will define your ultimate choice between solid vs laminate wood acoustic guitars. Another factor that influences sound is whether the wood used in your instrument is constructed from solid pieces of wood or from wood laminate. And unlike laminate wood, solid wood has a tendency to get better with age, meaning that the tone will open up even more over the […] November 17, 2018 Reply. Laminate gets a bad rap in my opinion because it is indeed a cheaper option. In closing all laminated means is 2 or more pieces of wood glued together. If you are looking at purchasing your first guitar or are on a budget you probably have come across the term, layered or laminate body. One truth: We make very, very good-sounding laminate guitars; just play them and tell me they’re not. Laminate wood does not make for the best tone, especially for tops. While in many cases solid wood is the preferred tone option, laminate instruments can still sound absolutely brilliant. Laminate is a marketing-friendly term for plywood. Laminate is. One of the widely recognized distinguishing features of a premium or professional-grade acoustic guitar is the use of solid wood panels for the top, back and sides. But they can't come close to the sound of a solid wood Martin. Though not having the depth of Rosewood, it offers a much broader tonal response than mahogany. This is what you get with solid wood that you cannot get with laminates. Resonant properties are improved with solid top guitar versus laminate. Working in a guitar shop the easiest way for me to tell if the top is solid is look down the neck and at the edge of the sound hole. At that point, in my opinion, I don't think solid vs ply top will make any significant difference. Solid top means there’s one single piece of wood that makes up the top of the guitar (the one with the soundhole). I've had two laminate Martins in the past, a 000 from the old Road Series, and a Cowboy 2. Cocobolo It wouldn't be as big of a deal if the sides and back are laminate. HPL, or High-Pressure Laminate materials are becoming more commonplace in guitar construction. In this post, we’re going to discuss laminated guitars, how to spot them, are they really that bad, and what you need to know if you’re buying a solid or laminated instrument. The glue probably renders the wood's characteristics irrelevant, even assuming the laminate is all rosewood. But arguably the most important component is the top wood; in this article, we'll delve deeper into the debate of solid tops vs. laminate tops. Read on for the full lowdown! As a guitar construction material, there are a lot of advantages. This is frequently used as an acoustic guitar soundboard - especially on nylong string guitars - and has a warm, soft, open sound with beautiful overtones. That guitar looks like it has a center block like some ES-335s, or at the very least a substantial block under the stop bridge unit. Pros. a solid wood top WILL feed back more amplified. Used for: Back/sides. In fact, when buying a budget guitar, be leery of a solid top. The sound is generated by the vibration of the top, and a laminate (plywood) top does not vibrate as freely as a solid piece of wood. If you’ve been playing guitar, or even looking into buying a guitar, for any length of time surely you’ve come across the topic of solid vs. laminated acoustic guitars. A solid piece of wood is able to vibrate considerably more freely than laminate wood. It would be easy if it were this black and white all the time, but the unique experiences and needs you have will determine what materials will be suited for you. Guitar players who truly care about the sound of their instrument– and its nuances– will seek out solid wood guitars. The Guitar Wood – Solid Wood or Laminate Wood In this post, I’ll show you some knowledge about Solid Wood and Laminate Wood. General rule of thumb for me is, If i have a hard time seeing plain grain, it a lam.. also Google the model. Let’s weigh the pros and cons of laminates. Another truth: No matter what type of outside veneer we put on them, the sound changes very little if at all. Construction, hardware, neck shape - the list goes on. You've heard of "babying" a guitar; maintaining a solid-wood acoustic means treating it much the same as a small child. Laminate instruments often have very attractive looks as the most visually appealing piece of the wood is chosen as the external layer. It will not get better with age like solid wood, but if it sounds great now, it will always sound that way. But first, I have to say that though the woods will has more effect on the quality sound of guitar however that not mean you just choose a guitar which made of quality wood and you will best sounds. By Ken Searcy A lot has transpired through the years in the debate over acoustic guitars in the area of laminate versus solid wood construction. This is a review of my recently acquired Solid Top Acoustic Guitar Takamine EG440SC vs my 23 Year old acoustic all laminate Yamaha :-) In general, solid wood is best, especially with regards to the guitar top, or soundboard. There are $30,000 laminate guitars and $500 solid wood guitars, and both can sound great. It is not a secret that the type of materials and craftsmanship affect the quality, durability, sound and price of acoustic guitars. I've owned many guitars with solid woods and many that are laminate and as I've weeded down my collection to a more manageable size I've found that I've invariably chosen the solid-wood guitars over similar laminates--in fact, I now own only one laminated guitar, a custom ES-355 that is quite excellent, but not necessarily better than one of my solid-wood CS-356's. a solid wood top will sound richer acoustically, especially if it is not cut into for a pickup. Martin Guitars, in particular, have a line made partially, or almost completely, from HPLs. A lot has transpired through the years in the debate over acoustic guitars in the area of laminate versus solid wood construction. The sound of your acoustic guitar is a team effort. The "solid vs. laminate" question is very, very very common on guitar forums and the answer about sound quality is "it depends." A friendly and well-meaning fellow at a music store told me that if I really wanted a good sounding guitar I've better get something made of solid wood and not laminate wood. There are some bragging rights involved in … OK, so instead of an ES-175 I now wanted an L-4, except that they didn't make those anymore (at that time). Laminate consists of thin layers of wood pieced together, and it is commonly found on entry level ukuleles. Chances are, the wood was poorly chosen, poorly aged, and poorly handled. Laminate VS Solid Wood Acoustic Guitars We’ll explore some personal preferences and some instances where it’s obvious what type of guitar you’ll need. There is no point spending a lot of money on a guitar that does not offer you durability. So before you run out and buy a solid wood guitar just for the sake of having a solid wood guitar you'd better play a lot of both and see which one you like the sound of or you could be very disappointed with your $1500+ guitar. I have a solid wood SEAGULL acoustic guitar and i am now going through my second round of the neck bending and needing to pay $80 to get it fixed. If you see grain running though it, its solid. Solid vs Laminate. In every belief there’s a small lie (see what I did there). Right now every string vibrates against the neck and is pointless to play. Laminate tonewood isn’t as resonant as solid wood. As a general rule any instrument under $199 is likely to be layered/laminate. Low price. A laminate with, say, a thin top, small bridgeplate and scalloped braces might [move] more air vs an all solid wood guitar that is built like a tank. 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