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  #1  
Old 12-27-2011, 09:07 AM
laocmo laocmo is offline
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Default Laminated top question

Recently bought a “Stupid Deal of the Day" Great Divide LD-1SB for $69. Had heard that it was a surprisingly nice guitar for its normal $179 selling price. Couldn’t resist trying it at that give away price considering it came with with free shipping. I was indeed surprised. Exterior workmanship and factory setup was top notch. Interior, normal few glue smears as is expected in a less expensive mass produced import. With its laminated back and sides I expected a less than high end guitar sound. Here I was surprised. It is actually louder and more resonate from bass to treble than the high end guitar I sold a year ago from which it, and many like it, was copied. Looking for a reason I took the strings off, made some measurements and took a bunch of close-up photos of its interior. The laminated top is very thin and all the braces are light weight and very nicely scalloped.

So my question is, has a thin top and light weight scalloped bracing solved the laminated guitar construction problem? The five year old high end guitar I sold had non scalloped bracing and sounded dead in comparison to this GD dread. Can scalloped bracing make that much difference, and if so, has any luthier been brave enough to try it with a thin laminated top? The supply of top grade spruce would certainly go a lot further if made into laminate that sounded good. I’ve played enough great sounding late model guitars with laminated back and sides and solid tops that I’ve already concluded that the laminated back and sides is of minor importance in a good guitar’s sound. Purists will disagree, but I hear what I hear in ab-ing them in large guitar stores.
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Old 12-27-2011, 10:25 AM
Bax Burgess Bax Burgess is offline
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(Not an expert) I have an all-laminate $75 Johnson OM that is lightly built - if there are any scalloped braces, they are hidden behind the cross braces - and has nice glow/sustain. Compared directly to a Goodall OM and a Santa Cruz OM it lags considerably in bass and doesn't quite match up in the midrange brio, but that upper sweetness does nicely. Not directly compared to the super two, it's darned satisfying.
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Old 12-27-2011, 08:49 PM
RussB RussB is offline
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I bought one of those guitars too. It needed a fret dress and I made a new saddle & nut. It really is amazing how loud and clear it is. Where many solid wood tops "lose it" when you play them aggressively, this guitar just keeps on going. Lots of headroom.

That guitar will get no cred at this website, though
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Old 12-28-2011, 03:03 AM
sachi sachi is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RussB View Post
That guitar will get no cred at this website, though
Why not? From what I've seen, folks here celebrate any good guitar, regardless of price. I for one am delighted to hear that the Great Divide guitars offer good sound for the $$.

Another good option appears to be the Rogue guitars – I've noticed that a lot of people recommend them for the cash-strapped.

Good sound is good sound, laminated bits or not.
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  #5  
Old 12-23-2014, 02:31 PM
laocmo laocmo is offline
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Default Great Divide LD-1SB guitar

Some more on my keeper Great Divide LD-1SB guitar. I eventually replaced the cheap hollow plastic nut with a standard Martin micarta, perfect fit, perfect string spacing. And the plastic saddle with bone. Then I added the large 3-transducer, JJB under the saddle pickup system, with 20 mm piezo 330 pickups. It is now an amazing sounding dreadnought. And all for less than $130.
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Old 12-23-2014, 02:40 PM
printer2 printer2 is offline
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Lot of wood out there to make solid tops out of. I picked up five tops for under $10 each, problem with them is the color is not even across the top. I am guessing people will buy a laminated top sooner than one with a streak across it. Mind you, paint it and then they will buy it.
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