Laminate top vs. Solid Top Acoustic Guitars

[Buck62]

Generally, solid tops sound better. But there are exceptions to every rule and there's laminate top guitars out there that sound incredible. My Yamaha FG-335II was one of those guitars. Unbelieveably great tone for an all laminate git. A tusq saddle and some 80/20's were just icing on the cake. You can also make the "tone is in the fingers" arguement, as a great player can make an average guitar sound wonderful.

[guildfire]

 

Generally, solid tops sound better. But there are exceptions to every rule and there's laminate top guitars out there that sound incredible. My Yamaha FG-335II was one of those guitars. Unbelieveably great tone for an all laminate git. A tusq saddle and some 80/20's were just icing on the cake. You can also make the "tone is in the fingers" arguement, as a great player can make an average guitar sound wonderful.

 

 

Agree, but the finger thing. Never understood that.

[frailer5]

Have two 70s Yamahas. One Crafter (newish) solid top (cedar). I pick them up in rotation. They all sound good. It's been said, (and I'm no expert), that the Japanese were doing something right in the 70s with laminated tops. Prominently Yamaha, but also makers like Terada. I can see why some may see some truth in this. But these shouldn't be compared to el cheapo low-end stuff, which are inevitably laminated, of course.

 

FG-150J

FG-202

Crafter GA-7 (Grand Auditorium size)

[seagullplayer77]

I don't think anyone would instantly write off all laminate-top guitars. I've played a few that sound good. I've also played a few that sound bad. But I've also played a few solid-top guitars that sound bad too .

 

There are both advantages and disadvantages to a laminate top. They're more stable than solid tops, so they stand up to changes in temperature and humidity better. They also tend to be more robust, so you can be a little rougher without having to worry about damaging the top. Laminate tends to be stiffer than solid wood, which is both good and bad. Laminate doesn't vibrate as freely, which typically translates to a loss in tone and/or volume. On the other hand, it's more feedback resistant than solid wood. Laminate tends to be cheaper as well. Not necessarily a good thing or a bad thing, but I figured I'd mention it .

 

One of the major benefits of solid wood is that it's able to age with time. The more a solid wood guitar is played, the better it sounds. In theory, anyway. This doesn't happen with a laminate guitar.

 

If you're planning on upgrading to a higher-end acoustic, chances are that everything you'll look at will have a solid top as a bare minimum. Many will have solid back and sides as well.

[sfarfsky]

Keep them both for 20 years and then tell me which you prefer

[Grant Harding]

Many players won't be able to tell the difference, but a very good player can draw a much better sound out of a solid instrument - which is why they all use them.

 

For 90% of players it's irrelevant though, so price and durability become overriding factors.

[guildfire]

 

Keep them both for 20 years and then tell me which you prefer

 

 

Ok, I will get back to you then.

[SpaceProg]

 

Keep them both for 20 years and then tell me which you prefer

 

 

I might not prefer the solid top due to the changes, if they're not the changes I'd want sonically.

[Tartanlad]

Keep them both for 20 years and then tell me which you prefer

 

I also think maybe ? You wont like the solid top guitar when the sound has changed..and after all when you buy a guitar you buy it for the sound mainly

straight away although also looks.. And if you like that solid top sound newly bought then say 20yrs down the line it may not have that same sound ?

 

Also whom wants to wait for say 20 yrs until their guitar sounds ? Certainly not me could be long gone by then

Sorry not trying to have all feeling down lol

 

So whats wrong with a laminated top if im led to believe they sound the same all the time and dont change their sound through age..

as you do buy the guitar and try them out for sound so if the laminated guitar sounds best for you newly in store

then it doesnt really change with age so whats the big deal ?

 

Personally i think it's up to each individual as to what they prefer

 

But if a Lam-top sings to you when buying in a store or where-ever yer going to buy the guitar

then thats the guitar for you..same goes for a Solid top guitar..

 

Same goes i believe if the Guitar which sounds gd to you is say a Solid sitka spruce top with laminate back/sides

or whatever.. all to their own tastes

[butthreeleftsdo]

 

Keep them both for 20 years and then tell me which you prefer

 

 

My 1977 Yamaha FG340 sounds every bit as nice as my HD35 and my pastor's HD28, both of which are less than 5 yrs old. Not bad for an almost 35 yr old guitar, in my book.

[guit30]

I have a student who plays an Alvarez RF8, and it really resonates nicely, I had a Yammie 12 string from 71 and it used to sound great.

[recordingtrack1]

I've never owned a lam-top guitar. I've played a few that I thought sounded very good. Play (and buy) what you like.

[Grant Harding]

 

My 1977 Yamaha FG340 sounds every bit as nice as my HD35 and my pastor's HD28, both of which are less than 5 yrs old. Not bad for an almost 35 yr old guitar, in my book.

 

 

Wow!

[SpaceProg]

Anything's possible in the weird world of organic materials.

[T.B.]

Laminate top versus a solid top acoustic guitars, purchase the one that sounds good to you. It's that simple . . . . .

 

It makes me wonder why Yamaha can't build the same type of laminated guitars -of the 60's and 70's- that many rave about?

[Annoying Twit]

 

It makes me wonder why Yamaha can't build the same type of laminated guitars -of the 60's and 70's- that many rave about?

 

 

Possibly because laminate guitars are seen as "cheap", and too many people would just buy a solid top guitar for the same price, even if the laminate guitar is better.

[Grant Harding]

Laminate top versus a solid top acoustic guitars, purchase the one that sounds good to you. It's that simple . . . . . It makes me wonder why Yamaha can't build the same type of laminated guitars -of the 60's and 70's- that many rave about?

Because it's all a big urban myth. The people that rave about them are doing so because they're LOUD guitars and have boomy bass. The next step after crashing out a couple of big loud G chords is to go on the internet and state that "old Yammie Lammies" sound as good as or better than a Martin HD28. They don't. It's not subjective. They sound "good enough" in many situations - mostly bashing away to drunken yellers.

 

I agree that people should pick a guitar that works for them, but just because your Pinto gets you from A to B that doesn't mean it's every bit as good as a Ferrari. If you can't drive a Ferrari any better than a Pinto, then that's probably the car for you.

[Verne Andru]

My son has gotten the acoustic bug so we went into a music store yesterday to check some out. Tried a few and ended up comparing a few Yamaha's. Their $150 laminate sounded surprisingly good. Then tried an FG700S solid top and it sounded just a bit better. Then the FG750S which sounded a bit better than the 700. So, to my ears, there was a noticeable improvement in tone but I was very impressed with the sound of their el-cheapo laminate.

 

It's interesting to note that the original Maccafarie/Selmer gypsy jazz guitars used by Django and others [because of their volume, among other reasons] were all laminate builds.

[Grant Harding]

 

Possibly because laminate guitars are seen as "cheap", and too many people would just buy a solid top guitar for the same price, even if the laminate guitar is better.

Given the variations in woods and construction, it's EASY to make a {censored}ty guitar with a solid top. That's what they're now doing with budget guitars - using solid tops that should never have made the cut and pushing them as "Solid Top". Agree that in the under $500 category it just comes down to finding the best of the lot, no matter what they say it's made of.

 

I'll play anything that sounds amazing, but I've definitely never heard a full lammie that comes even close to any of my nice guitars. I've had 2 old Yamaha FG180s and a bunch of other stuff from the early 70s that sound pretty good (AND LOUD!!!), but they lack midrange punch and have no subtlety to their sound. They're perfect for drunken parties and the beach.

[guildfire]

 

My 1977 Yamaha FG340 sounds every bit as nice as my HD35 and my pastor's HD28, both of which are less than 5 yrs old. Not bad for an almost 35 yr old guitar, in my book.

 

 

My FG 340 sounds pretty damn good too, but I wouldn't put in even close to my D55. But then again, it doesn't need to be that good. I am happy with it as is.

[butthreeleftsdo]

 

I've seen a lot of old guitars recently that were in appalling condition. In a pawn shop, I found a 12 string Japanese made Kimbara. But it was in astonishingly poor condition. Top massively warped, grand canyon action, and the bridge lifting. Thought it a bit cheeky anyone expecting money for that. It puts me off buying older instruments, the thought that might happen. My Yamaha C40 has the start of a warp on the top, but it hasn't affected intonation yet.

 

 

Here's a little writeup I did on my Yamaha with a couple of pics. I just got it a couple of months ago. Funny thing is that I bought one similar to it in 1977, but kicked myself since for selling it. This one just dropped in my lap, so to speak.

 

http://acapella.harmony-central.com/showthread.php?1323070-My-old-Yamaha-FG340&p=41693966&highlight=#post41693966

[Chordchunker]

 

were all laminate builds.

 

 

Not the tops..

 

"Almost all Selmer guitars were made of laminated Indian rosewood with walnut necks and an ebony fingerboard. The tops are solid French spruce, what defines the sound of the guitar the most (besides the player)."

 

http://www.paulvernonchester.com/SelmerMaccaferri.htm

[Yamaneck]

 

Because it's all a big urban myth. The people that rave about them are doing so because they're LOUD guitars and have boomy bass. The next step after crashing out a couple of big loud G chords is to go on the internet and state that "old Yammie Lammies" sound as good as or better than a Martin HD28. They don't. It's not subjective. They sound "good enough" in many situations - mostly bashing away to drunken yellers. I agree that people should pick a guitar that works for them, but just because your Pinto gets you from A to B that doesn't mean it's every bit as good as a Ferrari. If you can't drive a Ferrari any better than a Pinto, then that's probably the car for you.

 

 

Another asshole heard from.

[Yamaneck]

Laminate top versus a solid top acoustic guitars, purchase the one that sounds good to you. It's that simple . . . . . It makes me wonder why Yamaha can't build the same type of laminated guitars -of the 60's and 70's- that many rave about?

 

Because 40+ year old laminates, are aged. ( NOOOOOOOOOO! NOOOOOOOO! THEY CAN'T AGE! ONLY SOLID WOOD CAN AGE!!!!!!!!)

 

Beg to differ. As do many others.

[Neal]

Regarding the sound, the back and sides make the least difference. I believe there was an experiment by a well known classical guitar builder that made the sides out of paper mache' or something like that to see the difference, and it was negligible.