Laminated vs solid wood guitars how to tell the difference by Randy Schartiger 

The most weirdest intro I ever seen

Yep! That's how to tell. Regarding the top (I know you know this) you can also look at the grain lines around the edge of the sound hole. Laminations will show up there too. Good job my friend.

Randy, I really enjoy your practical approach to working on guitars and thanks for all the great content.

0:00 my history teacher when he catches me on my phone in the middle of class

How true. There's more than one way to skin an Earle.... Great info Randy.l!

Thank you! Just bought a guitar and was wondering how to tell the difference. Simple, but accurate!

Very cool. Thanks, Randy. I'll check my grains.

Very informative! That's really interesting about the grain. Cool stuff!

Thank you for this, Randy!

+Randy Schartiger ... I just came across your channel today and I'm really enjoying your videos. You know what you're talking about and express it well. You have great advice and man are you cool! All the best Randy!

great video and very useful information, Randy! ThxUp!

That's so great to know those informations! Appreciated!

Very interesting! Thanks Randy

Another great info installment. Love these....

Do you have any videos on how to fix the bridge on an acoustic guitar

Yep good info man! wood grain front and back match is good!

Yes...I will definitely do all this next time I visit Guitar Center. ...mirrors, flashlight....camera.

what is the type of bracing on that guitar! is that scallop or just double scrape braces?

Thanks..this is critical information for all guitar buyers and owners to have.

Question.. Isn't it possible that even with that method for examining, it could still be laminate since they could cut the outside layers of the top and sides from the same piece of wood so grains would still match from inside and out?

What's Up Randy, I have a question about Martins HPL. I am really tempted to get a Martin DX1 that had a Solid Top but had HPL Back and sides. Have you had any or heard or any bad things about HPL? Would the HPL unglue if the guitar is exposed to heat, will it warp overtime like some people claim it does? Thanks

Great subject Randy! Maybe do one on one piece v scarf joint neck headstocks and the part where the neck meets the body. Also the different ways to attach a neck to a body. Love ya man! Thankz

Another great video, Randy. This is great info to know. I'll be checking out all my guitars for the signs that you just mentioned. I'm really curious to know now. Thanks, my friend. I really like having this kind of knowledge. The more of your vids I watch, the more I'm learning and I love that. Wish I knew all that I know now back when I first got interested in guitar. Better choices would definitely have been made on my part. Thanks again, my friend.

Thank you for this, but please be aware that Laser pens can seriously damage camera sensors.

I have a American made Martin DX1R model in my guitar collection and it has laminate sides and back but the top has solid spruce, in fact I have never seen or heard of a laminate top Martin, maybe other brand guitars have em. The cost of a laminate is cut in half at least but it has the sound of Martin for sure in my opinion . Thanks Randy

my friend thanks for the lesson today I realize something is wrong with some guitars when I look thru the sound hole and now I understand why. here in Puerto Rico they are selling laminated guitars like bread, to expensive and the persons don't realize what they are getting for that price, I make mistakes buying ones but learned from them now I'm more selective and goes with my budget. again thanks for your help. you are the one.

hi randy. thanks for another great video. i was wondering if the tightness of the grain matters in the quality of a acoustic guitar. i am specifically talking about the top. i have one guitar that has a wide grain, and it sounds good, but i never heard anyone mention grain before. i thought this would be good to ask while on this subject. thanks.

Great video, as usual!!!

Randy, always enjoy your videos. As mentioned in the comments...laminate does not mean bad, low quality instruments. The gypsy jazz guitars of extreme quality are 3 piece laminates, very light weight and powerful in sound.

Your voice and way of talk is so soothing.. Nice information.. New subscriber here👍🏻

As usual, Great Info Randy .... right on pal .. :)

Nice job with the camera work! Thanks

Thanks Randy !!

Another good one brother! Good idea to look in the hole if you're buying a guitar! Rock on!

Hi Randy, Thanks for the videos. I've got a question to ask. Do you feel that the sides of a guitar being laminate or solid wood makes any difference?

Great information, I've checked mine out to be sure of what I have. Just a couple of lammies the rest are solid. I liked the scalloped braces in your Blueridge. Have a great eveing:D!

I love your little singing dog.

Wow... I really learned a lot here! Thanks Randy! They need a BlueRidge BR-549! Remember?

GReat stuff, Randy! THX

Very interesting, Randy! Have a great Friday, Cristina

Hi Randy - good video, sir.

Great informative video, Randy! Thumbs up :-) Have a wonderful Friday and weekend ahead .....Jenny ♫

Hi randy got a question Yamaha has a blue Finnish inside there guitars solid top ply back and sides blue Finnish inside. Does that change the sound ???

THANKS FOR THE INFO!

It's a good point that tell straight if a guitar is laminated or solid built but it is completely possible to laminate a full sheet of laminated wood that will looks like a solid wood.

Awesome information Thanks

Great video.....good explanation.

The intro- instant sub

I came back to your video. I've bought an Eastman actg1 (travel) real nice size. The specs on the Eastman say the whole guitar is solid wood. The top is sitka spruce solid, I was able to tell (thanks Randy). The back and sides are sapele. So I can't tell by the grain 😳. Other websites say laminated sapele...how confusing... Mahogany and sapele are not as obvious to tell as rosewood...the grain is different for sure. How can I tell for sapele? Thanks my friend. 🎶🎶🎶

Hey Randy, love your style! What do you think about ebony fretboards vs other woods (specially rosewood)? I ask because I bought a taylor 114ce (I know it's probably a guitar that won't find much love in these comments but it just felt right for me :p) from 2008 and contrary to the newer models it doesn't have ebony...

Found your chanel just watching guitar channels. Liked it decided to subscribe. Another way to tell not always is price.

Good video, My guitar is solid cardboard all the lines match right up!!!!)))🎸🎸🎸👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼😊Hold on!!!

Can I ask a question. When we say if wood is laminated contained from many pieces of wood???? Or something other?????

and in the case of stain being really dark and hard to see the grain well, hear the sharp end of a needle to pin and touch it in an out of the way spot... If it melts........... works on a bone vis plastic nut & saddle and so on.... then theres the Serial number sites that tell when & what they are made of.... and theres Randy's method too.....Gettem Boy! I've used all of these since my first guitar in1962...

Okay!!! That was informative!!! I have some of each! Ha...the Martin D18 is solid all round, back top & sides. The Guild has a laminated back but the top is solid. Same with the old Framus. I have to talk to you tho'....the issue: skin a cat! Every day when I come in here to sit & watch, I have three of 'em follow me in. One on my lap, one on the back of the chair & one on the windowsill all watching. Big Randy & Q fans... Now...do you know how many furry little jaws dropped & eyes popped when you said 'skin a cat'? We need to discuss this...*wink* Might I suggest skin a rat? A turkey? A mongoose? Anything but a cat?? LOL! Thanks for another great video Randy...I never thought to check my guitars for this before, can you believe? Hope your weather is as nice as ours...just July in October! ~G~ ♪

Your vids are addicting.

I appreciate this video. I have a Zager guitar and they say it's solid mahogany. I'm going to check and see if I can be convinced. Enjoy your videos

i was told it is not certifiable because they can match plywood veneers back and face with similar grain patterns. I'm having this problem too. I found a knot on one side and the same knot on the inside.

Great info, I was wondering how you can tell! Here's my other question- if it's a laminate guitar, what kind of wood is underneath? I can't find this anywhere! Thanks!😍

Look in the sound hole, you can see the end grain on the top

Gonna have a look at mine now, check it out, hold on 😳

Hi Randy & Q ball Would be cool If you can tell us your story how you became a instrument technician ?

Bro, I laughed so hard with that intro. Why do I see myself in your shoes 20 years from now? Happy Happy Happy. Ok, gonna check out my Cort Earth series now...I thought it was all solid wood but tunes out the back and sides are laminate mahogany. well damn.

Practical and useful

Great Video here..as always.

I never even considered that a top would be laminated. A friend of mine gave me a guitar that someone had dropped something on the top and it had a sunken depression and the wood was pressed in at the Bass side lower corner of the guitar. I thought I could fix it by cutting the piece from the top by following the grain and then gluing it back together. It turns out that the top is laminated and the wood split on the inside between the plies of the laminate. The braces are well glued held on to the bottom layer and the top layer of the laminate separated. Is it worth even trying to fix something like that? and how would you go about fixing it? It is a Yamaha FG 335.

That looks helpful to figured out a solid rosewood body acoustic guitar but how do you tell a solid maple wood acoustic guitar body that has thick black lacquered color finish on the outside ?

so basically visually match the inside grain with the outside grain (?)

nice

OW! My eye!

Thank You

I thought for sure that my little chibanez would be plywood, but no, she's solid! Learned something today Randy, can take a few days off now?;) Thanks for the information my friend!

You can also look at the specs from Blueridge, saves a lot of time. Arnolds new vintage...RU-vid

But what's the difference between laminate and plywood? Could you tell it please?

Identifying the wood grain to see if the inside and outside match seems easy enough. I suppose if you have a cellphone that has a front facing camera you might be able to use that if you don’t have a mirror handy.

I've seen those tuners on Japanese highend acoustics.

Old-school Xbox @ 4:00...aaah memories

I agreed

Seeing you put the mirror in the guitar reminds me of my dentist sticking a mirror into my mouth and asking me to hold another mirror so I can see the condition of my teeth. Thx for the info! I'm gonna try it out next time I change my strings

I'm not 100% in agreement here because I have heard that it is possible to bookmatch laminates. I don't see that as being so difficult. However, my question is, why bother because it seems the savings would be little because of the increased time, tooling and labor. I also know that the Japanese made and used laminate bracing and I wonder if the two have been confused. I'm open to interpretation and opinions but I sure would like to know for certain one day.

man that guitar is very nice!!! hold owin!!! just druelled on my self and gotta check my draws lol

Good info Randy! That is a beautiful guitar.

niceeee

Hello Randy. Could you make a video tutorial showing how to control the humidity of a guitar? I live in an area that can go from -40 degrees C to 40 degrees C. This place is actually said to be as cold as the North Pole! Canada eh!

One got to have a good ear to recognize by the sound alone if its ply-wood or solid body guitars

Quartered,hung up, field boned and or simply run over by a bus are only ways I know to skin a cat

Beautiful as solid wood guitars are; if it had been a laminate back, it wouldn't have cracked.

So, the sound like what?

That metal flashlight is not doing the edges of that soundhole any good

So seeing the same grain inside and out does not automatically mean it is solid. It could still be a laminate. All wood acoustics are lighter weight than laminates. Manufacturers tell you if the guitar is solid wood or not. Easy enough to find out. Being laminate is not a bd thing for the sides at least, and to a lesser extent the bottom. Laminate is more stable than non-laminate. Laminate does not have to be cheap. You can have high quality wood used to make a laminate. The Gibson 335 etc are laminate construction, all maple. No issues with those. After all most of the sound comes from the top. So if you have a solid top, that is good enough for most mortals. People have ill-informed opinion on laminate vs non-laminate. Laminate does not have to mean inferior. Most of the guitars out there owned by ordinary folk are at least part laminate construction. The cheapest all wood guitars I have seen are Recording King. I bought a Chines made Andrew White, which is also all solid wood on sale for $500. Not a bad guitar overall. My Washburn parlor is laminate, cost half the price of the RK or Andrew White, and is pretty good to my ears. Rosewood laminate with an Adirondack top. Sounds sweet, and is very stable.

Why not just look at the end grain at the sound hole??

Hey Randy, I love your videos and I've learned a bunch from them. I want to do some mods to two of my acoustics and would like your advice. Would you mind giving me your email address to talk more in depth? Thank you

the cam wont focos cause its like a dungeon inair ,

So a smart company would make mirrored, bookmarked laminate inside and out.

finally the myth decoded thank you for very useful and in your face explanation

Makes sense to me mate. Did you just laser me? =D

One of the best sounding flattops I have ever played was a solid spruce top {VERY tight grain structure}, laminate body early Takamine from about 1973 or so. I believe the guitars top is much more important than the body. if you have a great top, the body will compliment it. But if you have a shit top, I don't care how good the body is, or what it's made of, you are going to have a terrible sounding guitar. I have also never seen a solid woods body that did not have a solid top also. If your top is laminated, you can bet the body is too. A manufacturer is not going to go to the expense of putting a laminated top {cheap} on a solid woods body {expensive}. Spruce and cedar are a fraction of the cost of rosewood, maple and mahogany. Grain structure in the top woods has an effect on the sound too.

What's wrong with video? It will stop, leaving a "picture", but the audio continues normally.

I have not doubt that my guitar is laminated, at least the back and sides: it HAS to be, at its price point.. But I'm going to watch this anyway, and check that and the top. Let's see how we do . . .