whiskywill
Established Member
I know there are several instrument makers on here but please don't all rush at once. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Acoustic-Guit ... SwB-1Y4n4-
A special opportunity.
- Thread starter whiskywill
- Start date
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novocaine
Established Member
I always thought a tonewood ply was more than 2 thin veneers and a substrate, but I guess I'm wrong.
I also didn't realise that B&Q sold tonewood.
I also didn't realise that B&Q sold tonewood.
profchris
Established Member
Now, now ... Looks more like the material i bought from Buildbase, 3.4mm hardwood ply at £12 per 8 x 4 sheet.
From which i just made a decent sounding tea chest bass, so it's not entirely unmusical stuff!
From which i just made a decent sounding tea chest bass, so it's not entirely unmusical stuff!
selectortone
Still waking up not dead in the morning
Plywood was used in the ladder-braced Gibson J-160E that John Lennon and George Harrison used on many of The Beatles' recordings from the early days right up through Sgt Peppers and beyond. As a "tonewood" it is completely useless, but for certain recording applications it sits in a mix really well. Beatles afficionados call it the "ping".
The Beatles used their J-160Es both mic'ed (microphone aimed at the soundhole) and plugged into a guitar amp (they were fitted with a P-90 magnetic pickup, microphone aimed at the amplifier). The intro to "A Day In The Life" is a good example of a mic'ed J-160E - not very "acoustic guitary" at all but sits in the mix perfectly.
Having said all that - if you're building a "proper" acoustic guitar avoid like the plague! :mrgreen:
The Beatles used their J-160Es both mic'ed (microphone aimed at the soundhole) and plugged into a guitar amp (they were fitted with a P-90 magnetic pickup, microphone aimed at the amplifier). The intro to "A Day In The Life" is a good example of a mic'ed J-160E - not very "acoustic guitary" at all but sits in the mix perfectly.
Having said all that - if you're building a "proper" acoustic guitar avoid like the plague! :mrgreen:
profchris
Established Member
Laminates for proper instruments are quite different from ordinary ply, and range in quality from poor to very good indeed. Kiwaya make an all laminate ukulele which costs as much as a Martin and is of comparable quality - i believe the laminate costs them more than solid wood.
Decent laminates are used for many inexpensive (ie better than merely cheap) instruments because they have consistent properties. This means they can be built to plan, rather than requiring individual attention as solid wood does because even consecutive slices from the same billet can differ substantially.
Laminates can also be preferable for performances sometimes - they move less with heat and not at all with humidity, so you don't need to retune constantly. Plus they have a narrower dynamic range so are easier for the sound engineer to mic up.
All that said, solid wood allows a greater complexity of sound and range of response if the builder is good. The artisan builder can't get hold of instrument laminate, and why would you want to as solid wood gives you the chance to produce something individual and special.
Decent laminates are used for many inexpensive (ie better than merely cheap) instruments because they have consistent properties. This means they can be built to plan, rather than requiring individual attention as solid wood does because even consecutive slices from the same billet can differ substantially.
Laminates can also be preferable for performances sometimes - they move less with heat and not at all with humidity, so you don't need to retune constantly. Plus they have a narrower dynamic range so are easier for the sound engineer to mic up.
All that said, solid wood allows a greater complexity of sound and range of response if the builder is good. The artisan builder can't get hold of instrument laminate, and why would you want to as solid wood gives you the chance to produce something individual and special.
thetyreman
Established Member
I wonder how it compares to Brazilian rosewood? I think I'm going to replace my vintage martin back and sides with this ply
Ttrees
Iroko loco!
African blackwood is what I think your referring to ...It is a true Dalbergia aswell.
No mention of double sides or nomex in the talking of advantageous recording benefits in ply guitars
Who actually builds with laminates ....for the amount of time it takes.
I seen ply advertised on eBay back when I was buying stu-mac stuff ...
I suspect its all still there
No mention of double sides or nomex in the talking of advantageous recording benefits in ply guitars
Who actually builds with laminates ....for the amount of time it takes.
I seen ply advertised on eBay back when I was buying stu-mac stuff ...
I suspect its all still there
