bluespiderweb -> RE: Do back and sides tonewoods make a difference on laminates? (Mar. 29 2017 21:50:36)
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I looked up your term Madera contrachapada, and it seems to mean just plywood. Instrument woods, even laminated back and sides use real instrument woods for the outer skins, and if anything, the inside surface of the back and sides that the strings and soundboard (top) send sound waves to, at least have some bearing as to being reflective or absorbing, in different amounts by the characteristics of porosity and density of the various woods used, I would imagine. So I believe you are not hearing tone based on just what is inside the laminations, but what at least reflects sound on the inside of the guitar. I do find it difficult to believe that the outside of the laminated woods would do much for tone, however. Though flexibility of the whole lamination might have some small effect on tone, but probably not a lot. I think more that the top has so much more to contribute to the tone, in combination with the inside laminated woods that a builder uses. In other words, a Rosewood laminated back and sides that have Rosewood for the inside and outside layer being the same wood, will sound differently from say for instance, a Mahogany laminated guitar, with the same top and model guitar. Of course, if you are looking at models that are very cheap, with a laminated top as well, then all bets are off, and any kind of wood may be used, as a laminate that is just cheap and easy to produce (just say laminated Linden wood, and Catalpa neck for example). I would not go there, at all, if you are shopping for a guitar. At least you should get a solid top model to get past the worst of them, and maybe the more recommended or popular ones, and at times a recognized manufacture like Yamaha or other more well known one will be a better choice if you cannot spend a lot of money. But sure, buy what you can afford and what speaks to you, if you are shopping with your ears and trying individual guitars by playing them yourself. That helps so much, instead of internet buying. That works some of the time, but certainly not all the time. Then there is the fact that no two guitars sound exactly alike, even in standardized mass production guitars, let alone handcrafted instruments. I recently bought a Yamaha CG162S and was able to play another of the same model at a George's Music here in the US, and the one I took home blew away the other same model guitar. So, no doubt, many factors contribute to the tone, and the back and sides woods, either laminated or solid woods, makes some difference, but certainly not all. Even what strings you use alters the tone, or comparing the same model with fresh strings or old strings can be very critical to the tone you hear when comparing guitars in the stores, or makers shop even. I know that here in the US, some music stores are not keeping their inventories properly maintained very often, including adequate humidity levels and changing strings when they start sounding dead. So all of this has a direct effect on tone, and your impressions when you pick one up to play and compare with others at the same shop, or even a different shop with the same guitar. At least I have found this on my most recent trials looking for the right guitars.
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