All solid wood acoustic guitar worth it?

Question

Going to buy an all solid wood guitar for $1000. Before I commit to it I’d like to know if you think it’s worth it? I understand all wood guitars require more maintenance. I live in Los Angeles so I guess it’s pretty dry here compared to other places.

Do you have one and do you regret the purchase?

Answer 1

All solid wood guitars have the *potential* to sound better than laminate or solid topped guitars. Since all wood construction is typically found on high end guitars, they usually do sound better. Unlike laminate, no two pieces of solid wood are exactly the same (grain, density, etc). Guitar manufacturers take great care to grade the solid wood for consistency, but there can be slight variation in tone, even on identical models. For this reason, you really should try the guitar before buying, and compare it to any others in the store. That will also answer a lot of your "is it worth it" questions. You'll be able to see and hear the quality of the guitar for yourself. You can't do that online.



Most of the guitar's tone comes from the top. That's why you see so many intermediate range guitars with solid tops. The back and sides *do* color the tone, however. That's why you see different woods being used...it's not just cosmetic. And of course, the effect is more pronounced with solid wood than laminate.



All wood guitars don't require any more maintenance than cheap guitars. They only require the same care you *should* be giving your all laminate guitar. Humidity (low or high) can cause problems with all guitars, but solid wood bodies are a little more sensitive to it. If you live in a dry climate, simply keep a humidifier in your guitar case. Guitars are happiest at 45%-55% humidity.



The short answer is that people wouldn't pay top dollar for all solid wood guitars if they weren't worth it. Try a few in person and compare to some solid topped guitars. If you can't tell the difference, it isn't worth it.....to you.

Answer 2

It's worth it if you like the guitar. I've had loads of all solid acoustic guitars. They're not guaranteed to be better sounding than laminate back and sides because everyone has their own taste in what sounds good. My 87 Guild D15m has an arched laminate mahogany back. Due to the arched back and the aged woods i think it sounds better that a lot of expensive all solid guitars I come across and it's built like a tank. unless you have your heart set on a particular guitar, go play a few in store. X series Martin's and 2 series Taylor's sound and play great and they both have laminate back and sides.

Answer 3

I agree you should first go to a large guitar store and strum the guitars first for you might find one that has a great tone for 200 dollars......

Answer 4

It's totally worth it, although actually it's the top that most importantly needs to be solid wood. The back and rim (sides) can be laminate without making much if any difference to the sound.



In the LA area you might try going to McCabe's in Santa Monica. It's a fantastic store. You should also look at Eastman acoustic guitars; in my opinion there's no better bargain around right now. They're hard to find but worth the effort. There's a dealer locator on their web site.



>>I understand all wood guitars require more maintenance.<<



That's just not so.