Acoustic Question

[Tweaker]

I've posted this question in times past in the acoustic section of this forum but also on other acoustic forums with no response. It doesn't technically apply to Epiphone as I'll explain later, but for the question's sake, it will apply.

Suppose Epiphone was building one of their acoustic guitars with a laminate top. One...is it plausible for the laminate to have a solid spruce core with veneers on top and bottom? Two...would having that solid top core add more to the sound and tone of said acoustic guitar than a guitar that has a typical laminate top?

The reason I ask...I've been examining my Ibanez acoustic (exotic wood series) and the top is clearly a veneer, but upon closer inspection, the "core" of the laminate top appears to be solid spruce...you can see the grain lines going all the way through the core all the way around the sound hole. Does this seem bizarre to anyone else? On all other laminate tops I've seen, the top is pieced together, almost as if plywood or particle board, with a veneer slapped on top.

Thanks guys...I apologize for this not directly relating to Epiphone, but I'm extremely curious as to what you guys think!

[g8tr]

I would think that anytime you have an acoustic that a solid top would give more tone, both of my Epi acoustics have solid spruce tops. Adding a veneer for strictly cosmetic purposes is like painting a guitar, I wouldn't think it would help with resonance, and could impair it if the veneer started to separate from the solid wood.

[Tweaker]

So all the glue they use on a veneer doesn't quite have the same affect as all the glue they use for making laminate tops?

Interesting. I'll post pics later today so y'all can see what I'm looking at here.

Thanks for your insight!

[SteveGangi]

Now I'm geting curious, as to whether I would notice or hear a difference. It's probably very subtle.

[Tweaker]

Pics coming soon, gotta go take an accounting final real quick

[Tweaker]

OK here are some pics:







You can pretty clearly see the grain lines on the core of the top.

I've never seen a veneer on an acoustic solid top before! Is this weird to anyone else?