my martin actually has a veneer on it... they call it "photographic mahogany." basically, they compress wood fibers into a 1 piece back and sides. but it doesnt look like wood, so they put the plastic veneer on top. it feels like formica to the touch, but it does look pretty much like real wood. (it has a solid top though, and a nice one at that.) my school has a couple of fenders in the music room that just look bad. and i know they don't have similar veneers and are made of the traditional laminated wood. blah.
How is laminated wood cheaper to construct guitars from than solid wood?
cos they can use cheaper grade wood to build it. they can also use wood with blemishes and whatnot
It's actually more about cosmetics than anything else.
It's tough to get FAS grade woods of any length in bulk. It's very expensive. By going with laminates they can get common grade 1 or 2 stock and not worry about minor cosmetic imperfections.
"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side." -- HST
