adorshki
Reverential Member
You're welcome!, Guild's modeling system can be a little confusing at first, especially for newcomers. It gets worse when we try to explain that they even changed the model numbers for a while, the "F50" became "JF65" and the F50r became "JF55". SO if you're considering "used", you could add those to your list and they'd be late '80s-'90's Westerly builds.Yes, I am a "strummer." And I really appreciate the fine points on the F50/F50R differentiation.
Right. A couple of things to bear in mind: on "cheap guitars" it's the laminated tops that are "tone dampers". Backs and sides don't have anywhere near as much effect on resonance/volume as the top except by their shape, as previously explained.I notice the arch back is a "laminate" and my mind immediately jumped to the laminate that is found on cheap guitars. But I imagine this is not the case here.
Guild doesn't know what a laminated top is (except on some archtop jazz boxes, there's your clue for what the steam press was originally used for), and all their flat-top acoustics are always solid tops. (unless I've forgotten an oddball)
In the case of F50's (and D55's) it's always going to be at least AA or AAA sitka spruce (grading itself is actually highly subjetive even at etht afctories. Some folks say Guild's "AA" might well be somebody else's "AAA"). Sides are solid as well on those.
The outside sheets are (or "were", at least) normally 2 consecutive sheets from a single block sheeted for the purpose by a furniture veneer maker, so their grain patterns are virtually identical. I've actually seen a new member refuse to believe his arched back was laminated because the grain patterns matched inside and outside.Is it several layers of maple laminated together for strength which is needed because of less bracing on that curved surface?
Funny story: When I was new to the brand with my D25, I didn't realize the back was laminated until one day while admiring the grain I realized it was "backwards" on the inside...:laughing:
I was actually impressed since I already knew lamination is an inherently strong construction. A few years later when I joined here one of the guys who used to work in Westerly told me that technically that would have been considered a construction error.
The center sheet is usually something lighter/cheaper, poplar is one I remember being mentioned by Hans Moust.
They're glued up and then steam pressed in that special press.
The strength actually comes from both the lamination of layers and the arch shape itself, the stress gets evenly distributed over the form.
In the same thing that makes it almost impossible to crush an an egg inside your fist.
It's also virtually impervious to cracking from excessive dryness.
In a flatback, the braces actually serve to keep the 2 sides properly lined up (flat), otherwise that glue bond at the center seam and at the sides is all there is.
The inner layer of laminate has virtually no effect on "tone", that's created by the way the sound bounces off the interior surface, whether maple or mahogany, imparting that tonewood's influence on the reflected frequencies.
That might also explain why rosewood is so rare in archbacks, it might be a bit of overkill compared to how it enhances a flatback's reflective characteristics.
Oh by the way, I'd probably be considered primarily a strummer too, but boy an arched back can put a lot of oomph in your scales too!
My F65ce by the way is a very shallow (3" deep) maple archback, more of a mini-jumbo outline. I made an unenhanced living room recording with a buddy who borrowed my D25, I got to play leads "for once".
Played it back for another buddy who asked what I was playing the F65 through (it's an a/e).
He was kinda surprised when I told him it was unplugged.
They're less common than F50's/ D55's but if that size thing is a concern, you might want to keep 'em in mind:
http://westerlyguildguitars.com/guitars/f65ce.html
:wink:
Last edited: