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258 Part V: Gearing Up: Outfitting Your Arsenal Construction
A guitar’s construction determines whether it’s an electric solidbody guitar
or an acoustic archtop. Different construction methods use different materials
and require a different build approach. So you wouldn’t evaluate a solidbody
the same way you would an archtop, even though both may exhibit
excellent workmanship.
In the following sections, I show you some characteristics to look for in your
guitar and what those mean.
Solid and laminated wood (acoustic guitars only)
Acoustic guitars are made of wood, but that wood varies in construction:
Solid-wood construction means that one piece of thicker, high-quality
wood is used, instead of laminated wood. Solid-wood guitars sound
better but are more expensive — upwards of $1,000.
With laminated wood, you get thinner pieces of lower-quality wood,
which are glued together and then covered with a thin veneer of higherquality
wood. Laminated wood instruments are cheaper, but you sacrifice
a little sound quality.
In an acoustic guitar, the top is the most important factor in producing
sound, so if you’re trying to save some money, buy a solid-wood top guitar —
the top is solid and the back and sides are laminated. You can find a wide
variety of acoustics constructed this way at around the $350 mark and even
slightly less.
Unless you really know where to look, it can be difficult to tell whether the
guitar uses solid or laminated wood. Always check with the salesperson or
consult the manufacturer as to the guitar’s specific configuration.
Tops and body caps (electric guitars only)
With electric guitars, the top is less critical to the sound but can add to the
expense if a cap is used. A cap is a thin layer of fine, decorative wood with an
attractive grain pattern. Popular cap woods include flame maple and quilted
maple. Fine-quality wood tops usually come with clear, or see-through, finishes
to show off the wood’s attractive grain pattern. Solid, opaque colors
don’t have that natural-wood look to them but can be cheaper. A guitar with a
cap, especially one of fancy wood, will cost more than a guitar without a cap.
And the cap doesn’t contribute to the guitar’s tone, so it’s just an aesthetic
consideration (which doesn’t mean it’s not important).
TEAM LinG