Why did the maple guitars have to use pressed laminate Maple for the backs?

[richt54]

I'm seeing a JF65-12 for sale from 1996 and the back is pressed laminate maple for the back. The sides are solid maple. I'm completely ignorant about the characteristics of woods for building guitars, I do love the sound of maple. I had a Northwood 000-80 flame maple which sounded so good. But why wasn't the maple made of solid wood for the back like the sides?

 

[fronobulax]

I'm seeing a JF65-12 for sale from 1996 and the back is pressed laminate maple for the back. The sides are solid maple. I'm completely ignorant about the characteristics of woods for building guitars, I do love the sound of maple. I had a Northwood 000-80 flame maple which sounded so good. But why wasn't the maple mad of solid wood for the back like the sides?

30 seconds of search says the JF65-12 is supposed to have an arched back. It is a lot easier to have an arched back by bending a laminate. Indeed the right kind of nitpicker might claim that a solid arched back is properly called carved.

 

[richt54]

30 seconds of search says the JF65-12 is supposed to have an arched back. It is a lot easier to have an arched back by bending a laminate. Indeed the right kind of nitpicker might claim that a solid arched back is properly called carved.

The sides are curved. So what’s the difference? And what dictates the need for the backs to be arched?

 

[Guildedagain]

Indeed the right kind of nitpicker

Plenty of nitpickers.

Arching the back produces more volume, and no production instrument is going to get a carved back.

Arching. Great Curves!

Musings on violins, violas, cellos, and bows from luthier Andy Fein and the musicians at Fein Violins.

blog.feinviolins.com

 

[fronobulax]

The sides are curved. So what’s the difference? And what dictates the need for the backs to be arched?

Arched back guitars tend to be louder and project farther compared to flatbacks. Some people prefer them.

One difference is that the techniques for bending a side and bending a back are different and the former do not scale well to the larger sized piece of wood needed for a back. When dealing with a factory, bending is cheaper and more consistent than carving.

 

[richt54]

Plenty of nitpickers.

Arching the back produces more volume, and no production instrument is going to get a carved back.

Arching. Great Curves!

Musings on violins, violas, cellos, and bows from luthier Andy Fein and the musicians at Fein Violins.

blog.feinviolins.com

So, Guild built the RW JF55-12 to be quieter? The cost due to carving I understand. But it doesn't answer the question as to why the JF65-12 couldn't have a flat solid wood back? Ok more volume. Why not make a RW version with an arched back?

laminate back and sides

I wonder why Guild chose to use laminate back and sides on so many of their acoustic flat tops. Was it a cost factor? Easier to produce? I think it would make a stronger guitar and not as prone to cracking but how does it affect the tone? Does anyone know the answer or have some thoughts.

letstalkguild.com

Mr. P has lots of interesting takes on this. So I will leave it here from 2006

 

[davismanLV]

You'll notice all the flat backs have braces. One way to eliminate that is strength from an arch which is inherently stronger!! So solid one-piece arched back = stronger with no bracing, more volume and projection. It's not a money saving thing in this case. In fact it may cost a bit more. So that's why....

 

[Guildedagain]

Guild built the RW JF55-12 to be quieter?

No, flatback is the norm.

The archback was built to be louder.

 

[Guildedagain]

Why not make a RW version with an arched back?

They do.

'96 DC5E

 

[davismanLV]

Oh and not ALL maple backs are arched. My eyebrows are arched a tad right now.....

 

[Guildedagain]

And what dictates the need for the backs to be arched?

In the past people went to a seer for advice, I'm not sure what they do now.

 

[Guildedagain]

It's the same basic concept as this, but more nebulous.*



* (of a concept or idea) unclear, vague, or ill-defined.

 

[West R Lee]

Great questions really. I'm with Tom........strength, to eliminate the need for back braces, and increased volume. Those would be the reasons, and the D5 posted earlier, that was a version of a rosewood Guild arched back, I just couldn't remember the model.

West

 

[wileypickett]

Guild also made the F50 (maple, unbraced arched back) and the F50R (rosewood, flatback).

 

[kitniyatran]

If you can find the opportunity do a back-to-back comparison with a Martin d18 and an Arched back spruce top Guild d25. Very similar guitars, about $1,000 difference in price, and the laminated Arched back on the d25 versus flat solid mahogany back on the Martin. Then you'll know the difference

 

[West R Lee]

I would also assume that being laminated, much like plywood, the lamination offers much greater strength, and possibly allowing it to conform to a press better and to do it without cracking, but that's all speculation on my part.

West

 

[Guildedagain]

D25 archback might be "one louder" than D18, but good luck swinging a trade.

My neighbor's 50's D18 with wear. I was playing it once years ago at his place, and I got "inspired" as he says - with concern - something like "What are you doing to my guitar?" We have different styles of playing, I guess his guitar had never played anything from Diary of a Madman, etc...

 

[spoox]

Didn't Epiphone make arched back flattop acoustics? You know, before their former employees Guilded together to form Guild?
(thanks Willie's American Guitars!)

 

[Boneman]

In flooring they call laminate “engineered hard wood”, so they could say the “arched back is made of engineered(insert wood of choice)”, which I believe it technically is.

 

[bobouz]

Didn't Epiphone make arched back flattop acoustics? You know, before their former employees Guilded together to form Guild?

Yes indeed. In 1949, Epiphone changed the specs on the FT-79 (which in 1958 under Gibson ownership became the well-known Texan model), with the new specs featuring laminated maple back & sides, and an arched back. So yes, the arched back on a flattop predates the existence of Guild.

The bottom line here is that the arched & laminated maple back is simply one of many design options. Another design used frequently in the ‘40s was the pressed solid arched top or back (as opposed to carved or laminated), and the use of mahogany as well as maple. Guild has also had a number of models with arched & laminated mahogany backs, including the jumbo JF-4 (‘92-‘95).