I bought a cheap acoustic to be my travel guitar (I'm far too scared to take my nice one out in the real world), and I just assumed it would have a laminated top since I only payed $200 canadian for it, but I'm not so sure after inspecting it. It's a S101 Stanard model d241c2p. I looked online for info about it but S101 doesn't have it on their website and couldn't find that model anywhere, and the other comparable guitars on the S101 website just say "spruce top" etc, no mention of solid or laminated.
So...looking at the soundhole doesn't reveal any layers or anything and I dunno whether I should put a humidifier in it, any suggestions?
Laminates tend to be cut square round the soundhole edges. Solid tops have smooth curved edges so you can see the woodgrain all the way through. Other than that, it's not easy to say.
CAD 200 is GBP 99. You might get a solid top for that money in the UK, but it's unlikely. I paid GBP 200 (CAD 400) for my last solid top accoustic, second hand.
Best,
A :-)
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Also, if it just says spruce, assume it's laminated. Solid tops almost always get trumpeted for marketing purposes.
"Things may get a whole lot worse/ Before suddenly falling apart"
Steely Dan
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Alan: The sound hole edges are rounded, and I bought this second hand from a pawn shop who got about 20 of them brand new in the box from some "place", so it might have been more expensive... It sounds very nice for a cheap guitar though. It was hanging in the pawn shop without a humidifier long enough to collect dust without the top cracking, so it's probably okay to not have a humidifier in it...hmm...
Primeta: I haven't been able to find any information about this model, so I'm not sure what the advertisizing blurb would say.
Thanks for your help Alan & Primeta! I'm off to try and figure out a Don Ross song in a wacky alternate tuning now. :D
The curiousity is understandable, but if it plays and sounds decent, it really doesn't matter. Moveover, if it's going to do duty as a travel guitar, you might even hope for laminate, as it will better survive the physical and environmental abuse.
-=tension & release=-
Primeta's right. If it says "Spruce," "Real Spruce," "Select Spruce," "Very Finest Hand Picked Select Spruce," anything that doesn't contain the word "Solid," it's not. And I agree, a solid spruce top would be a drawback for this kind of service. More fragile, and more sensitive to humidity changes.
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The old test was to burn it. If it burnt slowly and gave off a lot of smoke, it was laminated :lol: :lol: :lol:
I started with nothing - and I've still got most of it left.
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The old test was to burn it. If it burnt slowly and gave off a lot of smoke, it was laminated :lol: :lol: :lol:
ROTFL :shock: :D
John M
:lol:
There have been guitars ruined by over-humidifying. As you say, if it was alright in the pawn shop, it should be okay. Humidifiers are best kept for extremely dry climates or when you have the heater turned up full blast. Even then it's best to measure the actual humidity levels first.
"Things may get a whole lot worse/ Before suddenly falling apart"
Steely Dan
"Look at me coyote, don't let a little road dust put you off" Knopfler
My yahama classical catches all sorts of spots when i play it , or keep it in gig bag and i go mad wiping them off :evil:
