Guitar Body Materials

SlopeSoarer

Just a quick question regarding guitar body materials. When a guitar specifications says (for example):

Top: Solid spruce top
Back & Sides: Mahogany back & sides

Is it safe to assume that the back and sides will be laminate rather than solid tone woods?

stimpsonslostson

Generally yes.
If the back and sides are solid it tends to be something that the manufacturer would shout about.

BahHumbug

if you're talking about a mass production manufacturer, then they would tend to shout about solid woods, as @stimpsonslostson says.  If you're talking about a small workshop/luthier operation then they're much more likely to be using solid wood throughout.

SlopeSoarer

Thanks... makes sense to me: )

tralfamadan

I've seen a recent example (think it was a Takamine) in which the spec said solid top, solid back and mahogany sides - or something to that effect. In this case the sides were laminate but its an easy assumption to think that if the back is solid then the sides will be too.

Although as I understand it, Laminate sides aren't the end of the world on an Acoustic.