Richard Monroe
Well-known member
When I was recording my first CD, I needed a classical guitar for a session guy who was flying in with 2 electrics. I bought an Epiphone Selena signature guitar, used, which was adequate for the one cut we needed it on. I ended up trading it to my brother, who had an old Yamaha G65A, which had been leaning in the corner collecting dust for 20 years or so. Intended as a cheap student guitar, it was made in Taiwan about 1972. It is entirely laminated- back, sides, and top. I think that the general belief of luthiers was, and is, that the glues and cross-grain laminations would prevent such a guitar from absorbing the finish, so it would never get that vintage sound mojo, and would always sound like a cheap plywood guitar. Well, they were, and are, dead wrong! When it came into my hands, after I scraped off about 4" of dust and pet hair, I found that the neck had separated from the body at the heel, and I had to have the neck reset. Fortunately, the neck remains straight, and the intonation is excellent. What shocked me is that it has gained that vintage sustain, and the richness of tone that you associate with a truly vintage axe. I think the only reason it survived the dents, gouges, abuse, and neglect it suffered was *because* it's made out of plywood. You can find these on line for $200 or less, in much better condition than mine, but I don't know if this one was the one in a million they made right, or whether they are simply great guitars that no one loves because they heard it was laminated, and just presumed that it sucks. One thing's for sure- I'll be using it, among other instruments, on my second CD. As I've often said before, anyone can buy a $5,000 guitar that doesn't suck. Walk into a big music store and wave $5,000. It may not be the guitar you need and it may be wrong for you, but it probably won't suck. It takes luck, skill, and perseverance, to find a $100 guitar that doesn't suck.