Good guitars with laminate bodies

[geordief]

I was thinking of looking for a good quality pure acoustic guitar with mainly laminate construction.

I wasn't considering a laminate top -just the sides and I suppose the back and maybe the neck.

I know Martin do these .Are there other manufacturers that do this well?

Would there be much point in looking for second hand or would the difference in price perhaps not be that significant ?

Thanks in advance for any advice

 

[agent_zed]

I've heard it said that the best way is to play it. Does it matter if it's a £50 guitar made of whatever found at a carboot/yard sale etc if it sounds and plays like you want it to. You could spend £5000 and get a guitar you don't like playing.

Whilst it's not an acoustic and is in fact a Bass, my Bass has a laminate body and I love the way it feels and plays, I would not swap it for anything. You could offer me Lemmy's rickenbacker and I'd still say no.

 

[kbold]

Many K. Yairi guitars use laminates.
The laminates they use are high quality woods, not the sort of laminate you buy at the local hardware store.

Yamaha have a reputation for make good sounding laminate acoustics.

 

[Milspec]

Seagull....that is all you need to know.

Seriously, Seagull guitars are mostly laminate back and sides, but they do it very well. They project better than most guitars out there and have a broken in tone right from the start. I own several Martins and Takamine guitars, but I still play my old Seagull Rustic Entourage about as much. It was the older version with the short scale...I don't think Seagull offers a short scale anymore, but really great instruments.

 

[Chiogtr4x]

The Martin DX, and 000X Series ( the dreadnought or 000 size ) with their solid Spruce tops, HPL bodies, and Stratabond necks, Richlite bridges & fingerboards- ( all alternative materials & construction, I know) are actually very well-made and sound great.

Just like Fender being able to put that great 'Fender clean amp' tone into their cheaper, SS amps, Martin knows how to put their great guitar tone across their budget lines.
( yes, I'm a Martin fan)

Also, just about everyone makes a 'solid top, laminated mahogany, with pickup, and cutaway'...
Alvarez, Ibanez, Yamaha, Takamine, Recording King, import Guilds, Eastman, Martin, Taylor

- not the same I know, but I have a fantastic-sounding and playing $200 Oscar Schmidt Classical, that is all-laminate, including the top. Go figure!
(I record simple instrumentals with it, for kicks)

 

[toomuchfun]

A very interesting question, but the OP didn't reveal an important point, why? Please let us know your thoughts on why you are limiting your search.

I have nothing against guitars with laminate back and sides, and would honestly have a hard time in blind test saying which guitars are of solid or laminated construction. I own some guitars with laminate construction that sound real fine, but never really put that question in the equation to buy or not, my ears make that decision.

There may be many reasons why, I can only think that a guitar with laminate construction is less prone to cracking vs one of solid construction. If I wanted one for camping or other outdoor activities I'd consider a Martin with HPL (high pressure laminate, or plastic in plain speak) back and sides. But that doesn't mean the top or sides won't crack if abused.

There are guitars with laminated necks, I have a '49 Epi Emperor with a 7 piece maple/walnut neck, but the rest is solid.

Give us a little more information and we will be glad to help you spend your money.

 

[brookdalebill]

Yamaha.
All day.

 

[Mike Eskimo]

Eastman

Farida

Some Recording Kings


All these brands are spotty as hell and vary widely so if you can’t play the guitars before you buy , skip em.

Plus - one thing sooooo many of the otherwise good import brands do is over-finish their guitars . Easier to do thick urethane than thin.

 

[Chiogtr4x]

Eastman

Farida

Some Recording Kings


All these brands are spotty as hell and vary widely so if you can’t play the guitars before you buy , skip em.

Plus - one thing sooooo many of the otherwise good import brands do is over-finish their guitars . Easier to do thick urethane than thin.

I've never played one, but because everything I buy is cheap I'd probably go for the Farida J-45 copy,
because I could never afford a Gibson. And I love the sound and play of a J-45. ( The few I tried, w/ that shorter scale), and that classic, understated look!
I figure Elderly Instruments is going to carry decent quality on their Imports.

But right now I can't even afford strings! ( that will get better,- Spring gigs are coming back!)

 

[telemnemonics]

Yamaha for sure, more of their cheaper guitars sound fine than any other brand.
I like older Washburn (RW back & sides/ solid spruce top) but like any acoustic budget managing you need to hunt.
Also they all end up needing some fretwork.
Plus I shave the bracing to liven them up, but they are pretty darn good already.

 

[Freeman Keller]

In general there are three levels of acoustic guitar construction - all solid woods (top, back and sides), solid top, laminated back and sides, laminated top, back and sides. The thinking is that the top is the sound producer and should be the best piece of wood possible within a certain budge or price point.

In general you can tell from the advertising hype that the manufacture uses, they will proudly use the word solid when they can, they may say something like "solid spruce top, mahogany back and sides" (they will be laminatedd).

In general a stiff but light top is desirable, however too light or thin can run the risk of cracks. A laminated plate is much more stable and is less affected by humidity swings. Many people feel that its not as important for back and sides, some listening test indicate that people honestly can not tell what kind of wood the back is made out of (Keller puts on flame proof underwear).

OK, so in general construction is an indicator of the "quality" of a guitar, all solid woods are "better" than laminated b&s which is better than laminated top. Not always true, there are some very high quality guitars build with laminations (classicals for example) and in fact there are some amazingly good inexpensive laminated guitars. Some people don't call them laminated, Taylor's wording for the 100 series is "layered" (back and sides, they have solid tops).

The iconic Yamahas from the 1970's were largely laminated and they have almost a cult following (they can be problematic in other ways but lots of them sound damn good. I own one .

As far as current new guitars most manufactures lower priced instruments are probably laminated. Some may not be wood from trees, Martins HPL guitars are examples. I played a Martin Junior 000 last night that is solid mahogany (or sapele) top and laminated back and sides. I felt that it was kind of lackluster unplugged but sounded fine thru the PA system in the little cafe we were in.

So short story, laminated woods can be an indicator of a price point guitar, but shouldn't be the only determination about how is sounds. Laminations can be a good thing if the guitar will be subject to humidity swings or otherwise "abused". It might be a very good choice for a gigging guitar, a travel or "camp fire" guitar or one that will sit out on a stand.

As always the only way to tell is to play it.

 

[Dukex]

Taylor
Martin
Yamaha
Godin/seagull
And many, many others...

 

[Chiogtr4x]

I was thinking of looking for a good quality pure acoustic guitar with mainly laminate construction.

I wasn't considering a laminate top -just the sides and I suppose the back and maybe the neck.

I know Martin do these .Are there other manufacturers that do this well?

Would there be much point in looking for second hand or would the difference in price perhaps not be that significant ?

Thanks in advance for any advice

This is today's MF Stupid Deal offering
A budget guitar but has the 'right stuff', and the Mitchell's I have played were fine- just a goofy name, IMO

Stupid Deal of the Day | Musician's Friend

Musician's Friend adds a fresh Stupid Deal of the Day every day. These deals are in limited quantities so act now to get the best deals across every instrument category.

www.musiciansfriend.com

 

[Monoprice99]

Ovation Applause was my choice, the bowl eliminates wood altogether, just a laminate Sitka Spruce top and wood(s) for the bridge & neck.

 

[srblue5]

I've tried out a few guitars by Lâg from their Tramontane series (T70, T88), which I believe all have solid tops and laminate back/sides. They sound and play really nicely to me and are quite affordable. I'd like to get one so I can do more acoustic gigs without fretting (pun intended) about taking out my more expensive acoustics (especially in the harsh winters here), but the Lâg's are hard to find locally without ordering sight unseen.

Last summer, I tried out a friend's Guild acoustic, which was one of their new affordable Far East-made lines. It had a solid top with laminate B&S and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't seriously considering one for myself.

Part of what holds me back from buying a laminate guitar is wondering whether I'm better served saving up for a slightly less affordable all-solid wood guitar that will mature over time and inspire me to keep playing it. Then again, other than a Gibson J-160E (which I love for its unique "cardboard" sound) and a cheap Yamaha acoustic that I briefly owned, I haven't really spent a lot of time with a laminate body guitar so I don't know how I'd like the sound over time.

Apparently Bert Jansch used a laminate body Yamaha for the later part of his playing career and having played Martins, higher-end Yamahas, and other custom builds, I'm sure he was quite discerning about his acoustic sounds. The laminate bodied Yamaha did the trick for him.

 

[Milspec]

When you think about it, most of the sound is from the top with the rest from the back of the guitar...probably 80-20 ratio would be my guess. The sides really contribute very little other than structural, so a laminate (done well) will not lose anything and be far less prone to cracks down the road. I would start with the type of top wood you desire and shop from there.

If it was me shopping today, it would be Seagull, Yamaha, and Takamine brands as they all make excellent guitars using laminate.

 

[Filmosound 621]

Part of what holds me back from buying a laminate guitar is wondering whether I'm better served saving up for a slightly less affordable all-solid wood guitar that will mature over time and inspire me to keep playing it.

100%

do not buy a POS Laminate guitar unless you want to take it to a camping trip and use it
as a canoe paddle.

 

[Filmosound 621]

When you think about it, most of the sound is from the top with the rest from the back of the guitar...probably 80-20 ratio would be my guess. The sides really contribute very little other than structural, so a laminate (done well) will not lose anything and be far less prone to cracks down the road. I would start with the type of top wood you desire and shop from there.

If it was me shopping today, it would be Seagull, Yamaha, and Takamine brands as they all make excellent guitars using laminate.

just say no to laminate guitars.
I just bought a laminate back and sides Parlor guitar.
what a nightmare with a vibrating top and the rest of the guitar feels all dead.

I bought a second parlor now, all solid, world of a difference, a real instrument.

 

[Milspec]

just say no to laminate guitars.
I just bought a laminate back and sides Parlor guitar.
what a nightmare with a vibrating top and the rest of the guitar feels all dead.

I bought a second parlor now, all solid, world of a difference, a real instrument.

The key is the top...always go with the solid top, but laminate back and sides are fine if done well. One would be hard pressed to notice the difference between an all solid vs a solid top with laminate back and sides. In fact, there are some really great Takamine guitars out there being played by legends that were solid tops only....Springsteen, Glenn Frey, etc.

 

[geordief]

A very interesting question, but the OP didn't reveal an important point, why? Please let us know your thoughts on why you are limiting your search.

I have nothing against guitars with laminate back and sides, and would honestly have a hard time in blind test saying which guitars are of solid or laminated construction. I own some guitars with laminate construction that sound real fine, but never really put that question in the equation to buy or not, my ears make that decision.

There may be many reasons why, I can only think that a guitar with laminate construction is less prone to cracking vs one of solid construction. If I wanted one for camping or other outdoor activities I'd consider a Martin with HPL (high pressure laminate, or plastic in plain speak) back and sides. But that doesn't mean the top or sides won't crack if abused.

There are guitars with laminated necks, I have a '49 Epi Emperor with a 7 piece maple/walnut neck, but the rest is solid.

Give us a little more information and we will be glad to help you spend your money.

Lots of interesting replies.As to my own particular interest have played a M340-bs Ibanez (Dreadnought) for the past 45 years

M340

The M340 is a Maple series acoustic guitar model introduced by Ibanez for 1978. It was crafted in Japan. The M340 features a dreadnought body with a spruce top on flamed maple back and sides with a high gloss finish and a black and white binding. The round soundhole has a black and white acrylic...

ibanez.fandom.com

and was happy to just get it fixed when the intonation went a bit awry and was disappointed when the luthier was unwilling to do too much as he said it had deformed too much so that a new neck was needed and he was disinclined to recommend it.

I got it back with a decent improvement but it is at the limit now and any more bending of the neck cannot be adjusted again (they told me)


I think it may actually be all laminate from the listing above but it always sounded good to me(I think I always assumed it had a solid top but maybe I was wrong)

When I couldn't get that guitar repaired as I wanted I got the idea of a solid wood construction and so bought a Fender Paramount PM-3C

Fender PM-3C

PM-3 Triple-0 All-Mahogany with Case, Natural EARTHY AND ORGANIC An expansion of the Paramount Series acoustic guitars, the PM-3 Triple-0 NE, All-Mahogany, Natural combines simple styling with an organic finish to create a highly responsive instrument. Carefully crafted for superior tone, high...

itmusic.ie

(I wanted 2 guitars anyway -one for standard tuning and the other for open tuning)

It was 000 sIze and I was disappointed when it arrived as it was a bit quiet-but I thought when I bought it (online) that it was an affordable all solid guitar and that a comparable Dreadnought would have cost a lot more.

I was going to sell it some 6 months later but when I picked it up I found the sound had improved and so I still have it (even though I still hardly play it -I play the old Ibanez Dreadnought that I still like despite its apparent all lamination and one buzzing fret)








I