Laminated guitars

[GaryH]

If a guitar sounds good to my ear, and feels good in the hand, I don't care if it's plywood or not.

Every Taylor 114 I've played didn't work for me, but the 214s I find to be very decent instruments. I'm not sure of the differences.

I like Aria laminates pretty well. The laminate parlor I have now sounds really good to me, and well worth the $75 I paid for it.

[Mr. Scott]

Originally Posted by fazool

if the build quality and the geometry are all identical, different body woods will contribute a little bit the the sound of a guitar. This comes from three factors (I think):

1) the reflectance properties of the surface of wood to bounce sound waves off the surface and contribute to internal resonance, Helmholtz effect etc.

2) the flexibility of the wood to absorb internal sound waves by moving (like a flag moves when hit with wind gusts). This movement absorbs some sound and this will happen at varying levels for different frequencies.

3) the wood's internal damping which will change how much sound is absorbed when transmitted around the body, itself.

On paper....or rather, in my mind.....I think these are reasonable factors.

The question is not "do they affect the sound?" but "how much do they affect the sound?"

To make things more complicated #3 is actually a contributing factor in #2 and #1 and each may have differing levels of effect for varying frequencies and based upon geometries etc.

This follows nicely with a video I saw on Youtube by Will's Easy Guitar which, if I followed the argument properly, maintained that it is the shape and dimentions of the instrument which create a "signature" sound. He was talking about solid-bodied guitars but claims that a Strat sounds like a Strat because of its shape rathe than the material from which it is made.(it was part of the "tonewood" debate!). I think there is something in this but am not an engineer so I can't back up my thoughts with the necessary maths. I also think it is aplicable to acoustic guitars- we only have to listen. But because acoustics rely so much on wood choices for their sound it is more difficult to say what causes the change in sound from one instrument to the next. For instance, can we hear the difference between an all-solid-wood guitar and a laminate?

[guitar george]

Originally Posted by Mr. Scott

This follows nicely with a video I saw on Youtube by Will's Easy Guitar which, if I followed the argument properly, maintained that it is the shape and dimentions of the instrument which create a "signature" sound. He was talking about solid-bodied guitars but claims that a Strat sounds like a Strat because of its shape rathe than the material from which it is made.(it was part of the "tonewood" debate!).

In another Forum I read that the shape of an electric guitar had almost no effect on the sound and it was all to do with the electronics.

[dgt178]

....since many of you seem to be heaping the love on laminates....please feel free to send me your all-solid "cast offs".......

[Theleman]

I could be wrong but not all solid top or solid bodied guitars sound same.

Because I got this vintage 70s EKO Ranger 6 guitar recently, and it looks like a solid top guitar. But when I peek into the sound hole, I can see the top is single layer, but very thick. It's a solid top but very thick wood.

When played, the EKO sounds definitely quieter, subdued, controlled and tight sounding just like laminated guitar. But it is nice. It is mellow and can hear the aged wood through the tone.

Compared to that my S101 all solid top guitar. It has thinner single layer spruce top, and rose wood back and sides. It is built lighter than the EKO, and it sounds deep deep low, and big sounds and open. I have had it since 2012, not sure when it is made new. But I can see it has aged from the top darkening colour and sound too already.