Quote:
Originally Posted by Martie
Just a quick question:
I don't understand why manufacturers use laminated wood. To me, who knows nothing about guitar building whatsoever (and who's favourite guitar all laminated!) it just sounds like a bigger job than using one piece of wood - like, cut and shape one piece of wood or cut and shape several and stick 'em together! The former sounds straightforward, the latter like a pain in the ***!
What am I missing?
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...well its mainly because the guitar builder usually is not the one laminating the wood.....its made in sheets and then cut to size....larger operations might make their sides in molds where the laminations are built up in shapes.which is probably not much more work than steam bending and maybe less work...
...whether or not the laminating process is more labor intensive than producing solid plate stock for instrument building is something i don't really no the answer to but i have to think that in both cases most builders buy their top and side material from suppliers...at which point the laminate needs much less time and attention then the solid stock does..no doubt some larger companies do their laminations in house but the process is not strictly speaking luthiery....
...i am aware of the practice of fine builders laminating sides for guitars for specific reults....more common in the classical/flamenco world i think but these guitars are not be confused with mass produced instruments that are commonly found hanging at the local GC...