Members leftync Posted June 25, 2006 Members Posted June 25, 2006 I was wondering: are there any guitars with laminate back and sides that play and sound better than all solids? i like the low maintenance of laminates (with solid tops) but wonder if some guitars like blueridge, epi masterbuilts, etc. are always better.
Frets99 Posted June 25, 2006 Posted June 25, 2006 Just kidding! I used to be down on all laminates. Y'know, If God had wanted there to be laminate guitars, he would have made a laminate tree!!!! But I have heard some exceptionally good tones from laminates. I'm no expert but I have to believe that the best solid wood guitar would sound better than the best laminate guitar but you could take that laminate to the beach, yo!!
Members Rada Posted June 25, 2006 Members Posted June 25, 2006 The only part of an acoustic that needs to be solid is the top.... All solid wood is completely irrelevant to tone in my opinion....I've played all laminate A&Ls that sound better than some all solid ones What people tend to forget is that just because a guitar is all solid doesn't mean the WOOD is going to be great You have to play before you judge a guitar with laminate back and sides....because it could easily sound better than that all solid boutique guitar
Frets99 Posted June 25, 2006 Posted June 25, 2006 Originally posted by Rada The only part of an acoustic that needs to be solid is the top.... All solid wood is completely irrelevant to tone in my opinion....I've played all laminate A&Ls that sound better than some all solid ones What people tend to forget is that just because a guitar is all solid doesn't mean the WOOD is going to be great You have to play before you judge a guitar with laminate back and sides....because it could easily sound better than that all solid boutique guitar Truth! And you can take that to the bank! As soon as you come back from the beach...
Members catdaddy Posted June 25, 2006 Members Posted June 25, 2006 Originally posted by leftync I was wondering: are there any guitars with laminate back and sides that play and sound better than all solids? i like the low maintenance of laminates (with solid tops) but wonder if some guitars like blueridge, epi masterbuilts, etc. are always better. My Seagull and S&P both have laminated back and sides. I've yet to come across a Blueridge or Epi Masterbuilt that I like better in either tone or playability. Not that I dislike Blueridge or Masterbuilt guitars. They're fine instruments but not as nice as my Godin built guitars IMO. Here's a recording of my S&P in action: http://media.putfile.com/Norwegian-Wood-83
Members JasmineTea Posted June 25, 2006 Members Posted June 25, 2006 Martin 1 series. I'm still lamenting the fact that they've discontinued most of the models. The top and back is solid, the sides are lam. I have the 000 model and I could'nt be happier. The thing sounds incredible. I know a dealer who sells Martins exclusively, he's got a shopful of Martins, can have any model he wants. He owns one Martin, it's a 000-1. No {censored}.
Members kwakatak Posted June 25, 2006 Members Posted June 25, 2006 For the longest time I only played a guitar that was laminated, even the top. It was kind of liberating to not have to worry about its care and feeding so much, though I did test it out with leaving it out during long hot summers and frequent car trips. As far as technique goes, I never worried about dinks or bumps and the occassional "ker-blang" off the edge of a solid-wood piece of furniture. In fact, I'd beat the thing like a drum and tune the strings in all different crazy tunings (like F# F# D G D D) and not give it a second thought. One word of warning, though. That kind of torment is cumulative. I had to lay down some money to keep my guitar in one piece. That being said, while there is a definite advantage to the tonal qualities of guitars with solid wood construction I think that a lot of it is psychological. For example, I think a lot of folks think that laminates are better because they're not as inhibited to truly test the instrument. OTOH, when you go into a shop and pull down a $1500 solid wood guitar with the saleperson hovering over you I think that you tend to hold back and handle the guitar with kid's gloves. I'm guilty of this behavior myself since it took me a couple fo weeks to get used to my Larriv
Members Cldplytkmn Posted June 25, 2006 Members Posted June 25, 2006 i don't own any laminates, but i wouldn't say i have a problem with them... if the right one wandered by, i might invite it in... my take on the issue... there are great guitars being built with lams, there are {censored} guitars being built with all solid... this doesn't mean that lam is every bit as good as solid, but what you sacrifice may not be enough to overcome the difference in durability/ease of maintenance and price... just my opinion...
Members Hudman Posted June 25, 2006 Members Posted June 25, 2006 One of the oldest debates in acoustic guitar circles. I don't think it matters if the sides are solid or laminate. IMO the most important woods on a guitar are the top wood and back wood. Both are designed to vibrate. Laminates tend to be more stiff than solid wood and therefore fail to vibrate as freely. Of course, the bracing of a guitar plays a huge role in how a guitar sounds and vibrates. I'm sure there are builders that have utilized technology to design bracing systems that maximize the tonal quality of laminate guitars (including the ones with laminate tops).
Members 1esotericguy Posted June 25, 2006 Members Posted June 25, 2006 I vote: sides don't matter for sound. But for resale value...maybe - since this 'all solids' thing isn't going away and woods are only getting scarcer. I think marketing wise for selling used gear, it's gonna matter more and more in the next 15 years. Look at the price of Brazillian solid guitars.
Frets99 Posted June 25, 2006 Posted June 25, 2006 Personally, I think it'd be cool to be buried in a laminate coffin.... with cool gold hardware and mother of toilet seat binding!!! Wonder what that'll sound like????
Frets99 Posted June 25, 2006 Posted June 25, 2006 Originally posted by 1esotericguy Look at the price of Brazillian solid guitars. How many is a brazillion??? :eek:
Members babablowfish Posted June 25, 2006 Members Posted June 25, 2006 Anyone in Mass. or New Hampshire who wants to find out just how great a laminate can sound can come by and play my Yamaha FG340 - or just read the ecstatic reviews on HC.
Members JasmineTea Posted June 25, 2006 Members Posted June 25, 2006 I recall bjorn fjord mentioning some high-end boutique builders who use lam sides.
Frets99 Posted June 25, 2006 Posted June 25, 2006 Originally posted by babablowfish Anyone in Mass. or New Hampshire who wants to find out just how great a laminate can sound can come by and play my Yamaha FG340 - or just read the ecstatic reviews on HC. You must bring the guitar to me!! :D
Members babablowfish Posted June 25, 2006 Members Posted June 25, 2006 You must bring the guitar to me!!
Members 6942 Posted June 25, 2006 Members Posted June 25, 2006 I'm laminate in daylight.But SOLID WOOD at night!!! Now you KNOW I'm refering to my guitars, right? :De
Members DonK Posted June 25, 2006 Members Posted June 25, 2006 The Selmer Maccaferri's played by Django were laminated. It's funny how all the modern botique replicas seem to insist on using solid wood, though. So, let me get this straight.... A vintage Selmer will cost you a fortune, and will be laminated. A modern botique copy will cost you a fortune, but will be solid. A lot of early (and very high-end) classical guitars were laminated. One difference though was that the grain on all plies were parallel, compared to the modern cross-ply technique where the grain on adjacent layers runs perpendicular.
Members DonK Posted June 25, 2006 Members Posted June 25, 2006 The Selmer Maccaferri's played by Django were laminated. It's funny how all the modern botique replicas seem to insist on using solid wood, though. So, let me get this straight.... A vintage Selmer will cost you a fortune, and will be laminated. A modern botique copy will cost you a fortune, but will be solid. Which would a dedicated Django player buy? The vintage laminated model, of course. A lot of early (and very high-end) classical guitars were laminated. One difference though was that the grain on all plies were parallel, compared to the modern cross-ply technique where the grain on adjacent layers runs perpendicular.
Members theGOOCH Posted June 25, 2006 Members Posted June 25, 2006 I kind of like the idea of having the best of both worlds. Tough laminate back and sides and a solid soundboard.
Members Kap'n Posted June 25, 2006 Members Posted June 25, 2006 It is wholly possible for a well made laminate guitar to kick butt on a solid-wood guitar....made of {censored}-wood. Once you start talking serious instruments, though, I doubt it's possible for a laminate to sound even as good as a Rainsong, much less a hand-crafted and tuned instrument.
Members Andrewrg Posted June 25, 2006 Members Posted June 25, 2006 No doubt that all laminate guitars can sound good. The difference is in the fact that a good sounding all solid wood guitar is likely to continue to improve tonally.The laminate will probably sound the same in ten years as it does now.
Members Burningleaves Posted June 25, 2006 Members Posted June 25, 2006 Originally posted by leftync I was wondering: are there any guitars with laminate back and sides that play and sound better than all solids? i like the low maintenance of laminates (with solid tops) but wonder if some guitars like blueridge, epi masterbuilts, etc. are always better. From what I have read here and there, It seems that a guitar with laminated back and sides can aid in feedback reduction on electric acoustics.
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