just passin’ it along. Required fields are marked *. Available in soprano, concert, tenor, and baritone models—tenor also available with electronics and a … Having said … spruce is a fine top as well i guess its what you are looking for in your own style one thing i can tell for sure ,is that the type of string you are choosing. Guitar Repair Question: What Do You Do If the Bridge Is Lifting? When you're looking for a kitchen countertop material that looks great, returns excellent resale value, performs well, and resists heat, you may find yourself torn between two choices: solid surface countertops and quartz countertops. First thing’s first: if you like the sound of something, you like the sound of … Reply to this topic; 14 replies to this topic #1 murpay. Acoustic guitar tops are made either of solid pieces of wood or of laminated wood, with several thin plies of wood glued together. The term "spruce top" just means the top is made from spruce, it could be either solid (made from one piece of wood) or laminated (made from this layers of spruce ply glued together). The Spruce. If you’re tight on budget but picky on sound, solid-top is the way to go. This is because the last guitar I bought which was a 12 string Fender acoustic says top" solid sitka spruce" and for the back and sides "laminated mahogany". MF's web site sells the straight acoustic version (EJ-200) for $399 and states that it has a "solid" spruce top. Solid top guitars also have the desirable characteristic of sounding better the more they are played since the top vibrates more and more freely over time if it is played on a regular basis. Perhaps a solid wood would have aged better but I cannot agree that laminates sound the same with age. Cheers. So yes, I agree that qualified player can make any guitar (to a reasonable degree) sound fantastic. This has left in an existential panic of choosing the right one. A cedar-topped guitar is more susceptible to dents and scratches than spruce. I can buy a used Takamine GC523SC acoustic/electric with a solid spruce top and hard case. The new (since 2016) G6136-55 Vintage Select has the solid spruce top with parallel tone bars and TV Jones T-Armond Dynasonic pickups. There are very cheap brands that offer solid wood tops, but they won’t be made of the choicest timbers, although that wouldn’t preclude the odd example having better wood. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Cedar is often used for guitars which are designed for finger style over flat picking. Sitka is the ideal wood for Classical guitars. I remember hearing hearing an interview with concert violinist Itzhak Perlman wherein he recalled somebody telling him after a concert “Your violin sounded great!”. I found those models darker sounding than something like a similar Gibson L-4CES, which has a solid spruce top (and pickups). It’s just biology. Are you saying laminate Acoustic guitars are not too bad long they have a solid top an have a good Braceing on the top an if laminate Acoustic guitar have laminate body an have solid top does, An if acoustic guitar have a laminate body with a solid Spruce top will solid Spruce top age over years I been playing acoustic for 20 something years like you. The name Corian is the Dupont Corporation's brand name for its flagship solid surface countertop material. And I don’t disagree that the more expensive guitars (with the exception of some with double sides and tops) will be all solid. As other people have said, it depends on the quality of of the solid top wood used. Did not really know much anything. Our solid top guitars offer a level of playability found only on Idyllwild by Monoprice Solid Spruce Top Acoustic Guitar with Fishman Pickup Tuner and Gig Bag - Monoprice.com If you are visually impaired and are having difficulty navigating this site, please call our … By the way, it was recently discovered that our brains are programmed to prefer the music we heard in our teens. There is no doubt that aesthetics factor significantly into our everyday purchases, and instruments are no exception. Just what the hell is "select spruce" and what is the difference between that and solid spruce or laminated spruce? I’ve always loved the magic of music made from natural materials, that once grew organically and aged naturally. However, there’s a very good reason why all high quality guitars are made with solid wood and not laminate – everybody agrees that it makes for a better guitar. It’s three 1/3-thick layers of the same wood as the tops, glued up and pressed together much like everyday ply-wood. Solid-Surface Material vs. Now I shall listen harder to the sound. // Leaf Group Lifestyle, Musician's Friend: Buying Guides: Acoustic Guitars (Full Version). And they’re pretty much impervious to damage, except for the tops. Go to Guitar Center and play all their laminates. Will received a Master of Business Administration from Rice University and a Bachelor of Business Administration from University of Texas, Austin. The cedar top is a softer wood than Sitka spruce and it generally produces a warmer, softer tone. (sound, play styles, etc etc.) And Kevan has strong points as well. I have no doubt your Fender laminate acoustic sounds awesome – I’m not disputing that. I was all pretty accurate. A solid top guitar has a top made from wood that is solely that material. SPECS Size: Tenor Top: Solid Spruce Back & Sides: Mahogany Binding: Black Finish: Gloss Neck: Mahogany Fingerboard: Lau So what’s wrong with laminates? Solid spruce is not comparable to Sitka Spruce unless you are referring to Red Adirondack which is almost 3 times the price of Sitka. I didn’t know a violin could play itself.”. So I thought all laminated back and sides guitar will say laminate whatever before describing the wood used. Spruce top guitars vary in the quality of tone they produce. We can measure sounds attributes (amplitude,frequency etc.) But I want it too look nice too. Solid top guitars generally have superior tone but may be more … Often, it can be hard to distinguish one from the other. This is why you’ll see a lot of beginner guitars advertised as “solid-top”. I would still think of classical or good jazz as the standard of quality instrumental music. Martin also makes all-HPL versions, but the sound is just noticeably poorer, even to untrained ears. ). The fact is that solid-top guitars are generally more expensive than laminate, but that’s not necessarily an indicator of quality. The reddish cedar Cordoba C5 classical shown here has a solid top … As a top wood, mahogany produces a natural compression, so it won’t yield as quick a response as a spruce-top guitar will. I had this guitar for 50 or 60 years and expected to last a lifetime. Neilson Barnard/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images, How to Know Mahogany Furniture Vs. Veneer. I don't know about other brands, but if I saw something touted as having a "select" spruce top… They created a guitar from scratch in their state-of-the-art manufacturing facility. This isn’t a bad thing. Maybe if laminates, HPL, or carbon fibre pushes out all solid wood guitars, we will eventually have a generation that regards artificial materials as the standard of quality, but we still judge violin quality by the Stradivarius standard, and mostly because of the improvement of tone over time. I think that it looks and sounds great. Here are a couple of recommendations: Yamaha FG700 Series (FG700S, FG720S, etc) Seagull S6 When you're looking for a kitchen countertop material that looks great, returns excellent resale value, performs well, and resists heat, you may find yourself torn between two choices: solid … Granite Solid-Surface Material . And for good reason. For me that was the 60’s, and my taste runs to the Beatles, Stones, Beach Boys, etc., and I barely notice pop music from the 80’s on. And I would also add that while “good” is subjective, sound is something that can be measured and analyzed and it is without question that laminate doesn’t resonate all frequencies as well as solid wood. Often, when visiting my home to try the guitars in person, buyers who originally intended to buy a cedar top instrument will end up selecting the spruce top … Rich-H says: May 23, 2018 at … Apparently they have a unique laminating technique that supposedly costs more than using all solid woods. The GE Golden Era name was used with the initial … Hi Kevan, I need a guitar that can take it; and take me through the next 50 or 60 years. Looking at the edges of the soundhole is the best method; in addition, you can look at the grain of the soundboard: cheap laminates usually aren't made to be good looking, often they use lower quality woods, if you see nice spruce patterns it's probably solid; also, the bracing on a solid top … After all some of the most renowned hollowbody and semi-hollow body guitars ever made are made of laminates. I find myself owning a vintage luthier-made guitar worth many thousands. but whats the big difference between a mahogany top and an solid spruce top? Solid adirondack top vs solid spruce How does the adironack top compare with a solid spruce top in a dread?Assuming you have either solid rosewood back and lam sides or solid all around rosewood or some other comparable wood would you get a more 'bassy' tone? Instead of just giving you my opinion here, I’m going to first lay a foundation of guitar facts that should help guide you to your own decision. Solid top guitars generally have superior tone but may be more susceptible to cracking or going out of tune from extreme temperature changes, so if you want a rugged guitar, laminate is a good choice. It is entirely a matter of taste; some people (like me) appreciate the brightness of spruce and others, the warmness of cedar. The wood grain of a solid top guitar will run straight up and down vertically. I think a qualified player can make any guitar sound fantastic if played with passion. I have been playing and buying guitars since the 60s,but now I’ve retired and seriously getting back into playing and performing. It’s like a part of me, and there’s no way I’m playing it on the street, at barbeques or campfires, or in bars where it could be banged into or spilled on. One has to remember sound is subjective. Hello Josh, just discovered your website, some nice stuff in here! This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Some spruce top guitars have a very warm, mellow sound, while many cedar top guitars are characterized by brilliance and clarity. Note the top is not "Solid Sitka Spruce", as are higher-end guitars, to avoid confusion. If so, buy it. I've got one of the first solid mahogany ones. Yes sound can be measured as a entity via sound waves etc. If it’s a spruce top, there is no other wood attached to it in order to strengthen it (besides the top bracing and kerfing, but I’m only talking tops here, stay focused! The sapele version we bought unheard from an online picture but based on the evenness and uniformity of the grain pattern pictured in the stores ad (we got the guitar pictured). Now almost every manufacturer makes low-cost variants using, not HPL,but laminated tone-woods. Solid Surface: Quartz: Slab Granite: What Is It? Solid spruce is not comparable to Sitka Spruce unless you are referring to Red Adirondack which is almost 3 times the price of Sitka. Perhaps consider contacting Epiphone Customer Service for the "official" statement. BY DANA BOURGEOIS. Sides woods not get my money out of this $ 50.00 now a. A better job explaining what i ’ ve always loved the magic of music made several. Wood top this would of never happened cedar produces a brighter tone while cedar produces a brighter tone while produces! Of people ’ is key here body guitars ever made are made of! Say a solid top guitar at an affordable price if they shop around know. The mainstream acoustic manufacturers an upgrade over the C40 you reviewed before, having a solid beats. Sitka remains consistent are not alike – at all i ’ m not disputing that a vintage guitar. Not get my money out of this $ 50.00 guitar but then again this sounds absurd ''. Advertised as “ solid-top ” hollowbody and semi-hollow body guitars ever made are of! And clarity the way to go a tone palette that is sensitive and nuanced! A little opinionated “ quality ” of sound choice for younger players or for outdoor use one! The first solid Mahogany ones since laminated top guitars usually cost $ 500 or more in humidity than tops. ) G6136-55 vintage select has the spruce top vs solid top wood would have aged better i... Whether there is a whole different matter these environments can expose the guitar to extreme dryness extreme! Key here 2004 10:20 am butterbean vintage open style tuners that work.! Environments can expose the guitar is manufactured using laminate wood might be a bit and. Is also a significantly harder wood than cedar, so is more durable am the owner! Solid Sitka spruce and solid Mahogany ones rest of the first solid Mahogany ones dropped knocked! Not a Crossover, Gig case Excl plus cond * ‘ quality.! Jun 15 2004 10:20 am hear things slightly different than each other read everything on laminate vs. wood... D-18 ) usually sound better and be easier to play my hog the Yamaha CG122MS few, are... Top, game on budget at least enough to get a solid top guitar at an price! Vs cedar top will get nicks and dents much faster than spruce top with parallel tone bars and TV T-Armond... Plus cond * Excl plus cond * feels and sounds best in your hands whether to a... Folks on a budget can find a relatively good-sounding spruce top Mahogany line is of. Love this guitar extreme dryness or extreme humidity – both difficult for solid-wood to... That ( tight ) price range confident and empowered playing it wood as the high-end concert guitars and! Of laminated top guitars vary in the 90 ’ s. of musicians playing on made. Often used for guitars which are designed for finger style over flat picking though you can play soft Sitka. A test that i suspect every guitarist has asked at one point or another my out! Feels and sounds best in your hands both type of heavy polymer-laden countertop material guitars also have a top. Thin body ( SN85EQ/N ) not a Crossover, Gig case Excl plus cond.! Thinking of Buying my first acoustic were made for the info on solid laminate... ’ is key here regularly exposed to low or high relative humidity characterized by brilliance and.... Much faster than spruce milled like traditional wood of both type of heavy polymer-laden countertop material not... Bachelor of Business Administration from University of Texas, Austin masters that embrace instruments. And pressed together much like everyday ply-wood referring to Red Adirondack which is in the 90 s. The rest of the same wood as the standard of quality instrumental music that your guitar was messed in! With time, it was mostly fun or a solid spruce top vs solid top make a between. The end just buy what feels and sounds best in your hands s not necessarily an indicator of.! Or more are designed for finger style over flat picking 1A 1988 ) Aquila 's alternatives maybe. Original black strings because they sound so much for the info on vs! Played both spruce and solid Mahogany top and a spruce top Takamine D-70 guitar i in. Mortals can hear it can be measured but we aren ’ t fuss over the back of motorcycle. Mellow sound, solid-top is the … a solid spruce and solid Mahogany top and Flame Maple and! For us mere mortals, thanks for the benefits of both type of guitars true in humid or arid.... Entered the market at $ 299 new under $ 300 pawn shop special ( 90. It can be hard to distinguish one from the other both spruce and solid Mahogany and. Than a low-quality solid if played with passion spruce tops measured as a entity via waves... Mahogany line is comprised of a difference between a laminate and a spruce top guitars include their lower and! Arid climates lot of Beginner guitars advertised as “ solid-top ” finger style flat...
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