First I have to confess I found out about a video on another guitar forum. In the video a Martin 000-X2 is cut in half to show the interior construction. But after watching the video, I have one major question..
1) The Youtube reviewer says the HPL back and sides are "AKA plastic or essentially plastic." Is that right?
The reviewer also on Youtube answers a question from somebody by saying, "It’s (talking about HPL) just solid plastic now. Not sure it was ever anything different."
I doubted his answer. But then I went to the following site ... and now I still don't really know what Martin HPL ... not the HPL used in construction ... is actually made of, but it does sound as if the wood percentage is very little.
In fact, one sentence on this page cites "
"Also, by adding some sawdust filler, he (American chemist, Leo Baekeland in 1896) obtained a plastic material with a very deep color. In 1907, he was named after his own name Bakelite, and he applied for and patented it. This is the predecessor of today’s high-pressure laminated decorative panel HPL."
and a later passage cites the "plasticity" of the material.
"Finally, in the 1950s, based on previous research by scientists, modern HPL materials were first commercialized in the United States. This material is very revolutionary, it is different from traditional composite panels, and some other materials. Its plasticity and insulation make it a wider range of applications;"
The article is
https://martinguitarsstore.com/what-...martin-guitar/
It just makes me wonder what Martin HPL is actually. Is it more closely akin to plastic than I thought? And ... does it really make a difference?
Oh, yes the video:
It's on Youtube. I keep forgetting the rules here. Can I post it or just give directions or what? The guitar company is not a sponsor here.