The Epi site states that my AJ-220SCE has a solid top and ..."Select Mahogany back and sides" ....I realize that select means it is not a solid wood guitar, but the definition of SELECT MAHOGANY has not been given...Does this mean my guitar is constructed of multiple Mahogany pieces glued together to form the back and sides?...or is there some kind of cheaper filler other than mahogany in … At first strum I was hooked. Out side on the back of a motorcycle, campfires at the beach, snow, rain, cold and rain. So when you take your guitar around a lot and maybe want to play it at a camp-fire late at night, it’s the right choice to choose such a laminate wood guitar. The Buying Decision. Though I can’t confirm that. Though to be fair, on most guitars it would be hard to make out the difference in tone when used as back/sides wood. Construction, hardware, neck shape - the list goes on. Having read everything on laminate vs. solid wood guitars I thought if I only had a solid wood top this would of never happened. I honestly feel that guitars with laminated back and sides - when done right - can sound as good as solid wood. While layered woods won’t produce quite as complex a sound as solid woods, they allow us to blend exotic looks with climate-resilient construction. Acoustic Guitar Tonewood – Back & Sides The wood used to form the back and sides of an acoustic guitar sound chamber does a lot more than simply look good and create an enclosure. A lot has transpired through the years in the debate over acoustic guitars in the area of laminate versus solid wood construction. So I thought all laminated back and sides guitar will say laminate whatever before describing the wood used. Laminate wood Top. January 11, 2018 at 8:00 am. Can you hear that big of difference? The guitar is mahogany back & sides, which is a bit amorphous, so not easy to tell. High priced guitars are all solid wood. How important is to have an all-solid guitar in terms of sound quality. It's really not a bad idea. If this is not enough, you can always check the producer's website, or contact them. The top isn’t laminated, and it ages. Laminate vs. The buying advice is to play what sounds best. Laminate tops will have seams between each layer of wood that are parallel to the top. A guitar over $500 should be have a top, back and sides made of solid wood. Mid priced guitars and most entry level high end guitars (Martins, Matons etc.) Luthier-made guitars are all solid wood (all around) I only know of two luthiers in California that suggest . The "solid vs. laminate" question is very, very very common on guitar forums and the answer about sound quality is "it depends." While a Spinal Tap None-More-Black colour is popular, HPLs for guitar use will often have a wood-grain pattern printed onto that ‘decorative’ layer we mentioned earlier. Some guitar companies try to get away with using laminate on as high a priced guitar as they can. It won’t lose sound — you can scratch that off your list of worries and start worrying about your sugar intake or something. I started with jazz on an Ibanez AG, a bubinga laminate. The Carolina had much more sustain, more complex individual notes, more depth to its tone, and just an overall 3-dimensonal sound whereas the 000X1 has a more 2-dimensional sound. Hi, Quick question: Two solid spruce top guitars are identical in every way except one - one of the two has solid rosewood back and sides, while the other has laminate rosewood back and sides. It is not helped by the inter-webz wisdom suggesting that there were both laminate and solid woods used in the early models, and apparently Gibson identifying one guitar as laminate, which turned out to be solid ! My particular opinion (and the idea that Martin has used) is that the soundboard of a guitar, the top, should be a solid piece of tone wood, but you can use laminate/HPL to construct the back, sides, and even neck of the guitar to make the best of both. I agree solid is generally preferable,and is essential on the soundboard,but on back and sides I find the Indian rosewood laminate is also very desirable in a well made guitar. But now that I have a job, and the money to buy the gears I've always wanted- I don't have a band, and rarely do I have the time and motivation to play. Anyway, the difference in sound between a solid and a laminate is big, if you confront the guitar with any other in the price range 200-300$ (in that price range usually all guitars are solid-top) I think you can hear by yourself the difference. An all-solid guitar will age better because of the backs and sides aging, but your guitar will improve. This doesn’t mean that all laminate guitars are bad. Is this all due to the solid back and sides vs. the laminated back and sides? Avi says. Sound Characteristics of Mahogany Whether you get Honduran Mahogany (probably more commonly referred to as Tropical Mahogany these days because it is sourced from a number of Central and South American countries now), or African Mahogany, the sound … Higher-end solid top guitars usually cost $500 or more. The main reason is cost- A luthier-made guitar may start at $3000 or more. as long as the top is of solid wood. Of course, build quality is always #1. Just FYI, the Taylor 300 series is all solid woods, and does not have laminate back and sides. Until I picked up a Taylor 320, solid hog top with Sapele laminate sides and back. On an acoustic guitar, the sides and back are designed to act like the outside of a drum - the top of the guitar is designed to vibrate like the skin of a drum. Do solid back n sides really make a difference? Consider Climate. Hi. In thinking about the physics of guitars/ukes, laminate back & sides will not detrimentally impact you, I think. The back and sides of an acoustic guitar is arguably the most important part when trying to decide on a wood type. Being that this wood will make up roughly 65% of the guitar it is going to have a very significant impact on the tone of the guitar and thus is often referred to as the tone wood. Solid wood sides and back will definitely resonate better- and a way to demonstrate is checking out a maple back/sides vs. a mahogany body for changes in tone. There are $30,000 laminate guitars and $500 solid wood guitars, and both can sound great. Read on for the full lowdown! If laminate back/sides didn't matter, none of the high-end guitars would use solid woods. have solid wood tops but laminate or composite back and sides. If you can find a vintage solid Brazilian rosewood backed guitar, you are a lucky man. for most non-professional players to not dwell too much on the sides and back of the instrument . I'll most likely get a Simon & Patrick, they all have solid cedar or spruce tops, with the cheaper guitars having laminate back and sides. Back then (until now), I only had a cheap guitar and have always wanted to upgrade when I have the money. I can hear a difference, but this case where the Taylor and Blueridge models construction is so similar that difference all solid wood buys you tonally is very small. But with Dupont and US Made Dell Artes I haven't noticed as big a difference between solid vs laminate. In my experience from other guitars with laminate back/sides, the type of laminate does make a difference – but in this case apparently not. The more rigid and stable the sides and back are, the better the guitar will project, and like others have stated, the more durable it … Very helpful I'd say generally I prefer laminate back and sides for Selmer guitars, but sometimes I'm surprised, like with the Latcho Droms. The cheapest guitars are usually laminated all over. Martin Guitars, for instance, have widely embraced HPL materials and offer a number of models where some — or even all — of the back, sides, or top are made from HPL. Hey, I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this. 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. But laminated wood is less prone to humidity and temperature changes. They don't lie. ... although I am feeling a little guilty about this decision since I Just Killed a Beater Guitar. I do hope to play these two side by side soon, to see for myself. That's exactly what I was thinking, buying used to sell later. I'm looking to upgade my beginner acoustic guitar to something more respectable. Many models are made with one piece body tops and laminate sides and backs. A guitar over $300 should have a solid top with the back and sides made of laminate and a guitar under $300 is likely to be all laminate. The sound of your acoustic guitar is a team effort. While laminate guitars are not made with solid pieces of tonewood, they are able to be made to look like solid pieces of wood. Top will be solid no doubt. Now I know that is not the case after seeing some ads for my guitar describing the back and sides as "laminated". The solid top and back really vibrate together for a satisfying sound, probably assisted by the body’s Mazner wedge, which is deeper than a dreadnought on the treble side and narrower on the bass side. Through eliminating or amplifying different frequencies produced by the strings, these tonewoods can have a considerable effect on the overall tone generated by any given guitar. I've seen some with solid tops, but laminate sides and back, and then solid sides and back. Reply. Laminate also holds up well to temperature change, humidity change, and physical abuse much more than it’s solid top counterpart. Meaning my Maton would have been described as "laminated Queensland Maple" back and sides. ... To determine what the back and sides are constructed with you need to first look at the back of the guitar. As any musician knows, wood is a fickle thing, and depending on where you live, taking care of your guitar can take some time investment. I don't own a Gibson acoustic (though I'm dying for a AJ), but have owned a classic Guild with solid rosewood back and sides, and a Larrivee with solid mahogany back and sides. Going to provide a few videos comparing two guitars that are virtually identical except one has solid back and sides an one has laminate back and sides. Solid … That said, just be wary of a guitar over $300 that has a laminate top. The solid wood models are consistently better then the laminates. Several considerations will influence a buyer when deciding whether to buy a spruce top or a solid top guitar. I went to classical study as I got more serious about music, and I acquired a Cordoba with a solid spruce top, solid rosewood back and sides, and, as you pointed out, the acoustic sound was harmonically rich, compared to the jazzbox. Obviously the price range between the two is dramatic. to my ears I thought the Taylor sounded better. You might lose some harmonics that solid back & sides provide, but I doubt many would truly notice; this minutiae is far more important for professionals than most of us enthusiasts. 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