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Hello
I'm wondering, if there's an not too difficult way to find out, if an Archtop Guitar is made with laminated or solid wood.
Mainly the Top of course.
I'd like to visit a seller of a Heritage Eagle 50 Archtop.
As far as I found out, that model has been built in both qualitys over the years.
Thanx & Greez,
Rainer
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04-19-2022 05:23 AM
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You could take a little mirror and look carefully at the grain through the F hole. If your guitar doesn't have binding on the F holes, you can see the laminations at the cross section made by the hole. If it is bound, the grain patterns on both top and underside should match perfectly. Look for characteristic streaks or little distinctive features on the top and see if they're carried through to the underside.
Another thing on a guitar with a built in set pickup is to lift the pickup ring up just a tad. You'll see a clear cross section of the top wood there. You'll know for sure.
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In addition to looking for physical evidence, I would think you can tell by the sound/tone.
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That could be tricky, on an instrument you don't know, in conditions that might not be ideal.
Originally Posted by Woody Sound
Laminate tops are supposed to cause less feedback with electric playing; this might be an easier test?
I had an old German archtop that was clearly laminate judging from the edge of the soundhole, but the wood was very bland and the grain on the inside and outside looked as if it could match. You really need a distinctive pattern that is likely to "carry through" the few mm the top is thick.
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Hi Rainer,
I suppose its the one offered on riccardo?
If yes, that guitar has no binding around the f-holes, hence it might be easy to judge whether the top (Mahagony?) is solid or not.
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All else equal, you often can, but there are several variables in play (e.g., wood species, top thickness, whether the solid top is pressed or carved, set-in vs floating pickup). There are lam top guitars that could fool you into thinking they're carved, and vice versa. Originally Posted by Woody Sound
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If it’s got a pickup on it, turn it up loud and if it’s solid top it will usually feedback more easily. Especially in the low end!
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In order to check whether the back of the guitar is solid, look for distinctive wood characteristics on the back and see if you can find them on the inside of the guitar in corresponding locations. For instance, if unique flame patterns or knots are on both the back and the inside of the guitar in the same spot, the back is most likely solid.
If the back is solid, then the top is also most likely solid, as I haven't seen any examples of guitars with solid back and sides with laminate tops.
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This:
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Do you mean a Heritage Eagle A50? If so that’s got a Mahogany top with Mahogany back and sides. They’re a stripped down Eagle generally with a Cream/Beige binding and generally come with a floating pickup and no headstock binding. Like this: Originally Posted by Rainer
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According to Heritage Guitars, all Eagle models (Eagle Standard, Eagle Standard Mahogany, Golden Eagle and Super Eagle are ALL made from solid wood construction. I'm not familiar with any laminate bodied Heritage Eagle, but who knows. Back in their first 30 years as a company, Heritage would build almost anything a customer desired...as long as they paid the custom upcharge. Originally Posted by Rainer
Here's an image of their Eagle models from the original Heritage catalogue:
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I've had several hollow bodies guitars with known laminate tops, thin and thick, that howled like crazy (mounted HB p/ups in all).
My sweetheart L5 CES does not. I've played blues gigs with it.
So, it's just hard to tell. Get out the mirror and flashlight.
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If it has set-in pickups, taking one out and checking for lamination in the cross-section of the top is the easiest way, especially if there's F hole binding. Otherwise, the top laminations can be visible in the F hole if there is no binding.
Sound is an indicator too, however I've had laminated guitars that sounded just as good acoustically, even better than some carved top guitars. It can be really hard to tell.
This is a bit more tricky, but the absence of a re-curve in the top arch can be a sign that it's laminated. I have seen laminated guitars that have what appears to be a bit of recurve in the arch, so it's not fool-proof either.
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I have wondered if, due to to consecutive sheets being used in the manufacturing process, what are the chances of top and bottom laminations being from the same tree with similar grain patterns? That would make you think that it is solid when it's not. Originally Posted by RJVB
Last edited by j4zz; 04-20-2022 at 02:04 AM.
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Thanx to all of you
Under the line it seems to be difficult, as I thought.
At least to get a 100% safe result.
For the Heritage it seem to be quite safe, asuming it's all solid, after your help.
Thanx again!
Rainer
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If the builder intentionally wants to match then it is doable. The odds of it happening by chance is miniscule. Originally Posted by j4zz
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You mean something like this ... so ... solid or laminate? Originally Posted by entresz
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[How about asking the Seller for the serial number, and then checking with Heritage?]
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Date Your Heritage | Heritage Guitars Originally Posted by marcwhy
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I wouldn't worry about it and go by the sound. Unless there is a significant price difference and you plan on selling.
My 575 was all solid, but much less resonant than the laminate 175 reissue.
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