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I recently read a discussion in the archive of another forum where someone asked about using monkeypod for the back and sides of a guitar. It was suggested that monkeypod would be a poor choice because of it's instability and light weight and porous nature. I found this discussion after I had built a guitar out of monkeypod veneer I laminated using epoxy resin. The laminate gained stability and stiffness (and some mass) from the resin and made a fine sounding guitar. It made me think that there may be other woods that could be improved by laminating.
I have been laminating BRW and other dense woods for years and think they make fine sounding instruments, I'm now thinking low density veneers when laminated could also be used.

Jeffrey Yong won a best sounding guitar of the show award some years back with a monkeypod guitar. I think it was the show that LMI used to sponsor. Clearly the person dissing monkeypod had no idea what they were talking about.

https://youtu.be/ZV4yX_W3o5E


But if you can build good sounding guitars with laminated wood parts that's great.

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"Building guitars looks hard, but it's actually much harder than it looks." Tom Buck

+1 I might add that Jeffery's guitar at the show also had a monkeypod top unlike the one in the video.

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Ken Franklin
clumsy yet persistent
https://www.kenfranklinukulele.com

I played Jeff's Monkey Pod guitar and it sounded fantastic. Not laminated, solid Monkey Pod.

Hope you are doing great Steve!

Just as the "double sides" folks frequently have to address the common belief in the market that only cheap, imported guitars are laminated promoting laminated, small Luthier built instruments would likely be a very long walk on a very short (and biased) market's pier.

I'm sure that a laminated instrument could sound great if built by someone who knows how to hot rod the thing but that market perception can make or break an already very tough go for small builders.

PS: For years Martin produced kits with laminated sides as well.

There are plenty of high end luthiers laminating backs and sides. Ervin Somogyi is a good example.

Somagyi definitely laminates most of his sides as he prefers the added stiffness. I haven't seen him laminate backs though. Is that something you've seen in his work? I've only laminated sides so far and I agree with him that stiffer sides are better. I'd have a pretty hard time laminating BRW backs though as you'd lose the wonderful scent of the wood.

Have a listen through this video again...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdXEzIo6IDc

Trevor adds mass to the sides of his instruments with steel blocks to get the sound he wants. You can also add mass by laminating sides. So as long as what is on the outside is in line with people preferences, you're fine.

Towards the end of the video, Trevor talks about "live" and "non-live" backs. The same thinking applies. If you've decided you don't want the back to be part of the sonic equation, you can laminate it out of more or less whatever you like. Once a back is dead, it's dead.



These sides are 8mm thick. The guitar sounded pretty great to me.

nigel

http://www.theluthierblog.com

Laminating BRW veneer still keeps the weight within the limits for "live backs", but for the smaller guitars (size 1) I build I usually go with non live backs and use 5 back braces like Martin did in the "New Yorker" period.
I stopped in the local lumber yard and was astounded at how much exotic wood prices have risen, and once common timbers are no longer available.