An interesting observation

bluesfreek · #1 03-21-2019, 06:41 AM

While playing my 1976 Morris dread (bought used) I was having a closer look at it and discovered that it's not a solid top. It's actually a three piece laminated spruce top. Instead of the usual seam running up the middle of the top my guitar has two seems running up the lower and upper bouts of the top making it three separate pieces of wood.

I discovered the seams while the guitar was sitting out and when the light hits it at an angle you can see them quite clearly. I then checked the edge of the sound hole and sure enough it looks like another three very thin pieces of wood sandwiched together making the top.

This totally makes sense to me now since the top on this guitar has no cracks or bridge bellying and is basically in perfect condition for a 43 year old guitar. I doubt the previous owner humidified it. In fact it looks like it was hardly played over the decades. Even though it's an all laminated (back & sides are rosewood) guitar it's lightly built it sounds awesome and plays like butter.

stormin1155 · #2 03-21-2019, 08:41 AM

Lots of Japanese and Taiwanese guitars from the late '60s to early '80s used laminated wood and sound great. Yamaha's FG line from that era are famous for their great sound. I have several of those and a '73 laminate Yamaki that rival the sound of my solid wood guitars. Alvarez laminates from that era are also good examples.

DanleyJ · #3 03-21-2019, 08:45 AM

Not too many of us Morris owners out here but I find your particular guitar interesting. I've tried to find information on older Morris guitars and there is very little available. I even emailed the current Morris and they basically told me they had no history on my MV-705 (1983?) model. Mine is also laminated rosewood back and sides but does have a solid spruce top that has turned a gorgeous shade of orange over the years and has enhanced the sound of the guitar. But my only complaint is there is very little midrange to it. It plays well and sounds pretty good for a lammy but does not compare to my D-18. So, it's pretty much retired and does not get much play time any more. But it was my main guitar up until a couple of years ago when I joined this forum and got the bug to expand my collection (dang forum!). It has sentimental value since it was the guitar I was playing when I met my wife 32+ years ago so it's staying in the family if only as a wall decoration.

mercy · #4 03-21-2019, 08:58 AM

Theres a difference between laminated and joined. 2,3,4,etc tops or backs or even sides are joined edge to edge like your 3 piece top the way I read what youve said. Laminated is one veneer put on top of another. This kills sound the previous one doesnt.

stormin1155 · #5 03-21-2019, 09:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mercy

Theres a difference between laminated and joined. 2,3,4,etc tops or backs or even sides are joined edge to edge like your 3 piece top the way I read what youve said. Laminated is one veneer put on top of another. This kills sound the previous one doesnt.

If I am reading the OP correctly, it has a 3-pieces of laminated wood joined to make the top. And these old Japanese laminated guitars sound quite amazing for being laminated, so no, it doesn't seem to kill the sound.

Not all laminates are created equal. There is a difference between a layer of spruce stuck on a couple layers of crappy filler wood, which is what we often associate laminated with, and layers of spruce or other good tone wood sandwiched together.

bluesfreek · #6 03-21-2019, 09:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mercy

Theres a difference between laminated and joined. 2,3,4,etc tops or backs or even sides are joined edge to edge like your 3 piece top the way I read what youve said. Laminated is one veneer put on top of another. This kills sound the previous one doesnt.

Yes, I wasn't clear. It is three pieces of laminated wood "joined" together to make the top.
As I mentioned when I checked the edge of the sound hole I can see the three very thin pieces of wood veneer sandwiched together which would indicate it's laminated.
It certainly hasn't killed the sound since the guitar sounds and looks great.

bluesfreek · #7 03-21-2019, 10:17 AM

Here are some pics of it. Hard to see but I think you get the idea.

Here's the rosewood back. It is also three pieces joined together.

Christian Reno · #8 03-21-2019, 03:34 PM

Not doubting your observations, but it seems like they were making the job much harder laminating the top woods, and then joining three laminated pieces into one top. Laminates can be made to sufficient size with almost no incremental cost so this is a bit odd.

bluesfreek · #9 03-21-2019, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Christian Reno

Not doubting your observations, but it seems like they were making the job much harder laminating the top woods, and then joining three laminated pieces into one top. Laminates can be made to sufficient size with almost no incremental cost so this is a bit odd.

Yes I agree and not only did they do that but they also included a nice abalone inlay around the sound hole and the edge of the top following the binding.