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#1
04-10-2009, 02:51 PM
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How can I tell for sure if my guitar top is solid?
Hey everyone,
Is there a way to figure out if the wood on the top of a guitar is really solid or laminate? (Like is there a way to find out, like a hands on way... not looking the guitar up on the internet?) Thanks everyone!
__________________
-MrTaylorN Guitars(in the order the were purchased): -2008 Alvarez PJ85SCDVS(installed with a Pezio UST and a mini condenser mic. Duel systems are awesome!) -2000 Washburn OE-30: Orange -1977 Yamaha G-65-1: Natural -1967 Stella H-912: Maroon Sunburst -2002 Stagg C510: Natural -1996 Epiphone DR-100: Sunburst My YouTube Videos My MySpace 
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#2
04-10-2009, 02:53 PM
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Quote:
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#3
04-10-2009, 03:27 PM
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Just elaborating a little more: As you look at the EDGE of your soundhole, you should see grain lines penetrate all the way through if the top is solid. If you see something that looks like a sandwich of some sort, it's laminate. One little trick that some laminate builders use is to PAINT that inside edge so you can't see anything. Paint means laminate...or anything covering up that inside edge probably means laminate. (I had an Ovation once that put a plastic ring inside the soundhole.)
I hope this all makes sense. Telling whether the top is solid is a lot easier than judging the back and sides.
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#4
04-10-2009, 03:31 PM
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Yea I'm pretty sure the sides are solid mahogany but it said "select"spruce top and it looks to be solid.
__________________
-MrTaylorN Guitars(in the order the were purchased): -2008 Alvarez PJ85SCDVS(installed with a Pezio UST and a mini condenser mic. Duel systems are awesome!) -2000 Washburn OE-30: Orange -1977 Yamaha G-65-1: Natural -1967 Stella H-912: Maroon Sunburst -2002 Stagg C510: Natural -1996 Epiphone DR-100: Sunburst My YouTube Videos My MySpace
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#5
04-10-2009, 04:25 PM
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Take a saw and cut across the grain until the guitar is in two pieces. then look at the exposed edge of the top. From there it should be obvious, even with a painted sound hole.
Or, just look the specs up on the internet 
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#6
04-10-2009, 04:42 PM
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Generally, 'select' Spruce is another name for laminate. Usually solid Spruce tops are listed as ''Solid Spruce Top''.
__________________
Baby #1.1 Baby #1.2 Baby #02 Baby #03 Baby #04 Baby #05 Larry's songs... …Just because you've argued someone into silence doesn't mean you have convinced them…
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#8
04-10-2009, 05:06 PM
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You know the builder and the model?
Look them up on-line and see what it says about the construction.
__________________
"Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best." Henry Van Dyke "It is in the world of slow time that truth and art are found as one" Norman Maclean,
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#9
04-10-2009, 06:24 PM
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Give us the make and model and we may be able to help.
Some guitar makers will add an S to the end of the model like Yamaha FG-730S, when the guitar has a solid top. If you want to know if the sides are solid, just pull the end pin out of the guitar and look in the hole. You will see there if it's solid or laminated.
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Happiness Is A New Set Of Strings L-20A
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#10
04-10-2009, 06:41 PM
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-Here's a close up of the soundhole on my guitar. You can see how the grain lines run from the top, through the soundhole edges. If yours looks a little rough or layered, then it's a laminated top. But just as LJ said, if they use the term "select" when desribing the top, most likely it's laminated.
 L8R, Matt
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#11
04-10-2009, 06:45 PM
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I was going to say if the back and sides are solid then the top would be 99.99% solid. I have never seen a lam top with solid B&S. I have seen the othjer way around though. And yes select usually means laminate but the pics look like sold.
__________________
2010 Taylor 816CE 2012 PRS P22 Black Gold Wrap Around.
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#12
04-10-2009, 07:35 PM
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VickRamono, what makes you think the back and sides are solid? There's really no way of knowing just by looking at it, since there will be no free edge of the back and sides that you can inspect. What is your guitar's make and model? If we had that info it would be very easy for us to check for you. From what you've told us, i'm 99.99999% sure your guitar is all laminate. "Select spruce" definitely means laminate. If it was solid, the manufacturer would make that obvious to you in no uncertain terms. And there is no such thing as a guitar with a laminate top and solid back and sides. It's much more difficult and more expensive to build with solid wood - why would any luthier in their right mind waste good wood and hard work by slapping on a laminate top?
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#13
04-10-2009, 07:48 PM
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What makes you think that the sides are solid? Just curious......
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#14
04-10-2009, 09:33 PM
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woops did not catch that!  I was also curious as to why makes him think it is solids back and sides.
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2010 Taylor 816CE 2012 PRS P22 Black Gold Wrap Around.
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#15
04-10-2009, 09:37 PM
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Well I watched your vids and looked at your sig/guitar in vids. If you're referring to the Epiphone DR-100, then I would say yes, then whole guitar is laminate.
But the videos were great! If you can do that well with a lammy, I'd say it's time to upgrade my friend  http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/p...ar-?sku=518569
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2009 Taylor 714ce Spring Ltd. 2006 Taylor GS Maple 2003 Taylor 414-R Fall Ltd. 2009 Martin LX1 2008 Yamaha FG720s
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