The sound of an acoustic guitar consists of many things: the design of the instrument, the shape of the fingerboard, fittings, and so on. One of the most important components most musicians consider the top deck of the guitar.
In this article, we’ll look at the difference between a top deck of solid wood acoustic guitar, like all Taylor guitars, and laminated wood. What is the top deck of an acoustic guitar? Wood has always played one of the most important roles in the sound of acoustic instruments.
And if the sound of, for example, an electric guitar consists not only of the nature of the tree, but also of the type of pickups, then when it comes to acoustic guitars, wood rules the ball.
The fingerboard, cover and body of the acoustic guitar can be made of different types of wood, combining with each other. The basis of the sound of an acoustic guitar is set by the upper deck: as you can guess, this is the part of the guitar that you see in the first place, and the part of the guitar that is in direct contact with the strings: it is the upper deck that transmits vibrations.
The top deck also has springs and a socket: things that have a big impact on the sound of the instrument. Acoustic guitar makers use a variety of woods to make the upper decks of their instruments, from traditional spruce and cedar to exotic mahogany or koa. In addition, the upper decks can be divided into two large groups: solid wood decks and laminated wood decks.
For example, the Taylor brand uses only an array for the upper decks of its guitars, but there are different guitars in “Music”, so we will talk in detail about laminate decks. What is a solid wood top deck? The upper deck of solid wood is most often a deck made of one solid piece of wood. Such materials are carefully selected based on many criteria. You can distinguish the upper deck from solid wood on the socket: since the socket was cut directly into a single piece, you will see a characteristic pattern of fibers on the edges.