Any good veneer top guitars? Art&Luthrie

Subject: Any good veneer top guitars? Art&Luthri
From: GUEST,dejavu
Date: 26 Oct 04 - 07:39 AM

I am new at guitar playing so I have been in the market for one. I wanted to spend about $200 - $300 for a guitar. I went to a local music shop where they sell canadian made guitars such as Seagul and Art&Luthrie. I picked up the Art&Luthrie and was impressed with the satin finish design and cherry veneer color. It sells for $189.00. for another $110.00 the store wanted to sell me the Seagul 6 folk which has a solid spruce top. He stated the seagul was a bit deeper in sound and if I could afford it, buy it. I am wonderring if I should return the Art&Luthrie for the segul? any thoughts? I was planning on taking lessons with my daughter, 14yrs., and if she keeps it up I would give her the Art&Luthrie and then I would buy the Seagul at that time.

Subject: RE: Any good veneer top guitars? Art&Luthri
From: Big Mick
Date: 26 Oct 04 - 10:08 AM

I would recommend the solid top. To your ear, it won't make much difference now. But two factors will cause you to wish you had. First, your ear will become much more discriminating as you go. Second, the solid top, as it ages and the wood fibers hollow out, will give a much richer sound. In other words, it will improve with age.

Seagulls are an extraordinary value for the money, in most cases. Be sure to play a number of them and choose the one that "speaks" to you. Best to do this in a practice room where there isn't sympathetic vibration from other instruments.

All the best,

Mick

Subject: RE: Any good veneer top guitars? Art&Luthri
From: Willie-O
Date: 26 Oct 04 - 10:54 PM

Are you in Canada, and in any case, what city? I'm sure we could offer some advice on where to look and what for...the Seagulls are one option for sure, and I second Mick's comment. Solid tops will please your ears much longer...

Subject: RE: Any good veneer top guitars? Art&Luthri
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 27 Oct 04 - 08:37 AM

The only thing I would add to these comments is to get someone else to demo the various guitars, while you listen from the front.
I always find a guitar sounds very different from the front as from behind.
Then as Mick says, choose the one that "speaks" to you....you'll know when it does......

Subject: RE: Any good veneer top guitars? Art&Luthri
From: Sandy Mc Lean
Date: 27 Oct 04 - 03:12 PM

You will find several other threads here on the subject. Allow me to say "this about that".
Godin guitars (aka la-si-do) are great value for your dollar. They make Norman, Seagull, Simon&Patricik, Godin, & Art&Luthrie brands.
If you have a laminate top Art&Luthrie that is properly set up it would be a fine learner. However you can purchase a solid cedar top Art&Luthrie for just a bit more. My daughter has one of these and both the sound and action are great. If you have a friend who plays you may want to ask for help when selecting one as no two guitars are the same.
The lower end Seagulls are great value but often not any better than the cedar topped Art&Luthrie. You may do well to use what you have for learning. When you have it mastered the upper end Normans and Seagulls can put to shame many guitars costing three times as much. However, I live in Canada, so the price may be higher in other parts of the world.
                Sandy

Subject: RE: Any good veneer top guitars? Art&Luthrie
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Oct 04 - 08:52 PM

When heat is applied to the fingerboard for a neck reset in 10-20 yrs, the solid top guitar will not have the risk of delamination like the laminated top guitar will. Solid top guitars are easier to repair. Laminated tops very risky at least.

Subject: RE: Any good veneer top guitars? Art&Luthrie
From: Gypsy
Date: 28 Oct 04 - 10:48 PM

You need to hear the guitars..........don't look at them for pretty just yet. Have someone else play, with yer eyes shut, and make yer decision from that. If they are comparable, then you can go for pretty.

Subject: RE: Any good veneer top guitars? Art&Luthrie
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Nov 05 - 12:40 PM

I know this is an old thread, but want to say that when I was looking for a 12 string 'for fun'...tested everything out there up to $700CAN, and ended up with a $200 Art&Luthrie Cherrytop...I've had it for 2 years now and it still sounds as great as when I first pulled it from the wall. Many jams my Gibson j-200 and J45 stay in their cases and that started 12string gets the business!

Subject: RE: Any good veneer top guitars? Art&Luthrie
From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker
Date: 20 Nov 05 - 01:06 PM

i got an A&L cedar about 6 years ago
[£200]

i think its the solid top,
too be honest i'm only about 99% sure of that..???

i chose it after auditioning many mid budget and pricier acoustics,

because its sound is warmer and not so 'hi fi' sterile.

sounds good to me for more 1970's 'rock' style rythm chord strumming
and riffs...

[errr.. think in terms of AC/DC, Stones, Free, etc..]

but then, i'm not a fingerpicker..

Subject: RE: Any good veneer top guitars? Art&Luthrie
From: GUEST,paul
Date: 17 Feb 06 - 02:44 PM

I have an Art&Luthrie. How do you maintain and care for it?

Subject: RE: Any good veneer top guitars? Art&Luthrie
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 17 Feb 06 - 08:44 PM

Fist, call them by their proper name

Art & Luth-e-rie

Subject: RE: Any good veneer top guitars? Art&Luthrie
From: number 6
Date: 17 Feb 06 - 09:04 PM

The low end Garrison's are also quite exceptional.

sIx

Subject: RE: Any good veneer top guitars? Art&Luthrie
From: Once Famous
Date: 17 Feb 06 - 09:23 PM

There are Epiphones out there made to Gibson specs with solid spruce tops in the $200-300 range. These guitars have many, but not all of the decent specs of their American made Gibson cousins.

The quality control has greatly improved on these.

Subject: RE: Any good veneer top guitars? Art&Luthrie
From: number 6
Date: 17 Feb 06 - 09:31 PM

They have MG ... case in point the Epiphone Masterbuilt.

sIx

Subject: RE: Any good veneer top guitars? Art&Luthrie
From: Anonny Mouse
Date: 18 Feb 06 - 12:58 AM

I think the Epi "Masterbuilts" are in a different pricing ballpark than their laminate brothers...but I've read some good reports on 'em. That Godin lineup is really decent bang fer the buck...but I'm not sure even their best models are solid wood back and sides...maybe wrong on that. I tend not to like cedar topped gits as much as spruce; a bit to mellow sounding for my likes and cedars a lot softer wood so it will ding up more easily...great for finger-picking tho. But I wouldn't take a cedar git to a bluegrass jam y'know?

I assume the veneer/lam top issue was settled back th'ar last fall. Gotta agree with all who recommended a solid top for all the reasons they wrote.

Subject: RE: Any good veneer top guitars? Art&Luthrie
From: Cluin
Date: 18 Feb 06 - 05:11 PM

It's also my experience that a solid top guitar will "print" better if you have to play into a microphone for recording or performing purposes. The laminate top may sound fine to your ear, but the microphone will really show up the difference in sound quality.

Subject: RE: Any good veneer top guitars? Art&Luthrie
From: number 6
Date: 19 Feb 06 - 03:02 PM

Interesting point Cluin ... I've heard that laminate bodied guiars 'print' better in recording.

Anonny .. the Artist Model Seagulls (top line) have solid tops, and solid backs, the sides are laminated.

sIx