What's the best sounding laminate guitar you can remember hearing?
 

A few years ago I went to visit my dad in Oregon. At his church on sunday the guy was playing a Crafter. Very pretty looking guitar and for being plywood I was really impressed with the sound.
So, what plywood guitars have stuck out in your mind as sounding particularly amazing?

The Yamaki Deluxe 12-string that I had in the '70s.

For me, it was a 1970's Alvarez Yairi DY-85. Very nice guitar.;)

Bob

I didn't realize the Yairis were laminates? Aren't they solid wood now? I had a non Yairi alvarez that I liked alot too. Sold it to help fund my first Taylor. It was a nice guitar, but I won't ever regret that decision :)

It varies over the years, but most of them are laminate back and sides. You have to watch the specs closely. They never say "laminate", but they do omit "solid" unless it is.

Gotcha. Good to know, thanks.

My Takamine F349, all laminate mahogany, made in Japan. I bought it used, now knowing if it was solid or not. I just knew it really sounded good.

All-laminate: Yamaha FG-180
Part-laminate: Martin OM-1

My understanding is that Yairi doesn't use a cheap layer sandwiched between "pretty" veneers. If you buy a laminate Rosewood Yairi all the layers are Rosewood.

The best laminate guitar I have ever heard (and own one) are the voyage-air guitars.

Bring it on my motorcycle.

That's interesting. I wonder why. If they're going to go to the trouble of making an all rosweood laminate, why not just go solid rosewood. Is the cost difference that great?

I hear these mentioned on here quite frequently. I'd never heard of them before though. Maybe I should seek one out and give them a go.

Maybe because it's easier to bend. The Swedes do lots of shaped laminates. Lay down the layers of wood and glue, put in mold and allow glue to dry...

What's really weird is that they go to the trouble to make sure the inside and outside layers of laminate are identical.

I think Yairi does it for durability w/out sacrificing too much tone. Alvarez contracted Mr. Yairi to build their high end line of guitars back in the 60's and maybe because the guitars were being shipped overseas it was a way to minimize the danger of damage due to the environment on the trip over...I'm speculating, though.
The newer Yairis that are all solid wood have an "M" in their nomenclature to designate "Masterworks"...(DYM95). The older all solid Yairis are a little harder to determine without some research.

I've wondered about that myself. From the descriptions I've read, seems like the process of making the laminated b&S can be pretty involved. Why is it so much cheaper than using solid wood?