Official Luthiers Forum!

Who out there is building using laminated sides? What wood specie are you typically using for the inside and how thick do you prefer it to be?

Thanks in advance.

Natalie - LMI

Check with John Bogdanovich. His guitars all have laminated sides. Others do too, I just don't know who.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Good idea!

Natalie

I build some guitars with laminated sides, but I do it a bit differently than most. I use the same wood species for the inner laminations as the outer.
Why do you ask?

I've done a bunch. I typically use the same species if reasonable to do so, or something that bends well, is stable, and looks at least close if not. .06-.07" is typical for inner and outer layers which makes a very stiff rim.

I do as John Bogdonavich does. I thin to ~.65-75 and then laminate with a lighter wood (usually Yellow Cedar or Mahogany 2 ply). The sides are very very stiff and hold their shape well.

Steve

With the darker woods--EIR, any of the ebonies, ziricote--I use EIR, On lighter woods like sapele or the mahoganies, I use sapele, mahogany, even cherry. In all cases I generally use material from .06" to .07". Are you planning on offering inside lamination material at LMI, Natalie?

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michael propsom
www.propsomguitars.com

I try to keep the mass of my sides relatively consistent so, with rosewoods and other dense woods, I like to use cypress, yellow cedar, etc. With less dense woods like mahogany I like to use denser hardwoods.
I usually go with about 1.5mm for the outer lam and 1-1.5mm for the inner.

I use 1 mm (3-layer) baltic birch ply for the inner layers. Very stable and bends easily with the outer layers grain square to the direction of bending. Typical composition : inner 0,6 mm mahogany veneer +3 x 1 mm birch ply + outer 0,6 mm walnut veneer giving a very stiff and stable rim with a total thicvkness of approx. 4,5 mm.

Double sycamore .070 sides .140 or combos of dbl walnut .100 plus .022 veneer or 1/8in sides or .122 using a brown urea type veneer glue with 1/2 hr open time.

We are considering carrying thinner sides for laminations. To begin with we would only stock East Indian Rosewood at .065". This would be some fall down from our lower grade material, but defect free.

Thanks for the feedback.

Natalie - LMI

This would be awesome, Natalie. From what I've read, I know others have done two .040" layers, usually with East Indian to match with darker woods and Mahogany to match up with the lighter.

I've been at around .050 for the inner and .060 for the outer. Same species but a lower cosmetic cheaper grade on the inside. A double side Mahogany/Lutz OM with a BZ bridge has been my favorite model.

It would be great to be able to get cheap lower grade woods for the inner laminations. If it was offered around .060 it would obviously have to be offered sanded as there would be little leeway to sand out saw marks post delivery.

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It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

They will be offered sanded and clean.

Thanks,

Natalie

Love that idea!!!

Sounds like most use thicker but mine are always right around .035 or so for a total side thickness of between .07-.08. Sanding down from .06 would be no problem.

I almost exclusively use mahogany/spanish cedar/walnut for the inner layer.

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Burton
http://www.legeytinstruments.com
Brookline, MA.

Do you have a projected date when you will be offering the rosewood lams?

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michael propsom
www.propsomguitars.com