Pressed Solid Spruce- What Does This Mean?

[neuroscan]

... so, now we can potentially resolve the issue of what a "solid pressed top" is - at least for Peerless guitars. There is a youtube video of someone converting his Peerless Monarch to a set-in humbucker, something which I also consider (but wouldn't dare to do myself, but rather leave it to the professionals):

Given that there is now a hole in the top of his Monarch, I asked him to inspect the wood to see if "solid pressed" is really one piece, or (as some people here surmised) just newspeak for laminate. The answer seems to be that it's definitely one piece of solid wood, pressed into shape.

Thanks to Mr Frederiksson for being so courageous and taking a drill and jigsaw to his guitar!


N.

[2bornot2bop]

... so, now we can potentially resolve the issue of what a "solid pressed top" is - at least for Peerless guitars. There is a youtube video of someone converting his Peerless Monarch to a set-in humbucker, something which I also consider (but wouldn't dare to do myself, but rather leave it to the professionals):

Given that there is now a hole in the top of his Monarch, I asked him to inspect the wood to see if "solid pressed" is really one piece, or (as some people here surmised) just newspeak for laminate. The answer seems to be that it's definitely one piece of solid wood, pressed into shape.

Thanks to Mr Frederiksson for being so courageous and taking a drill and jigsaw to his guitar! N

Thanks for that! I'd been curious if it was a laminate top, and if I was a betting man I'd have bet it was a laminate because I can't get mine to feedback even sitting less than 6' from my amp!

[nopedals]

There are a lot of guitars out there with advertising copy that simply says "solid" (so you know they are not carved) with floating pickups. The intent, I think, is to persuade buyers that these are credible acoustic guitars, when they are not; you are better off with an ordinary pickup mount, etc., to prevent feedback.

There are carved spruce top electric guitars that have thick tops, sound posts, bracing, etc. to minimize feedback and avoid cracking, etc. These do not have credible acoustic sound, either, although the construction method affects the electric tone. In other words L5CES and L5C are carved top guitars, but are on different planets in terms of acoustic sound.

The affordable carved top guitars are well known (Loar and Eastman). If you want a reasonably priced acoustic guitar, buy one of those.