Once upon a time an acoustic maker who spec’d out its instruments with the ‘all-solid woods’ merit badge to the forefront could be king or queen of the heap. But times have changed and conservation now rules the roost, meaning that now some of the six-string formulae of yore are considered to be all but invalid. We speak to luthiers all the time and many are saying that sometimes laminated sides are actually a very sensible idea, especially when you look at things from the point of view of structural integrity.
“Think of the body of an acoustic guitar to be a little like a drum,” one luthier told us. “You need a rigid frame with a resonant, flexible top to make it work.” Okay, we can see that’s a plan.
The big manufacturers have been at it for a while, too. Taylor offers ‘layered’ backs and sides, Martin uses ‘fine veneer’ and has taken the even more extreme route of using high-pressure laminate backs and sides on some of its lower-priced models. So, where does that leave us in the ‘all-solid woods’ debate now that we’re all being encouraged to be more ecologically aware? Well, there is another way. Traditionalists can still have all-solid woods if that’s what floats their boat. You can pay top dollar for the remaining supplies of the rare stuff, or you can choose your woods with one eye on the planet’s dwindling resources (and your own pocket) and act accordingly – which is what Cort is doing here. The Gold-OC6 wears its ‘all solid woods’ spec with pride, and nobody’s planet is going to end up devastated in the process. Sounds good on paper, but what’s it like in practice? Let’s test its mettle…
Esta historia es de la edición September 2020 de Guitarist.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición September 2020 de Guitarist.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Sonic Shaper
Electro-Harmonix revisits the effect that launched the company with the LPB-3 Linear Power Booster and EQ
Platinum Blonde
PRS has updated its Texas-voiced David Grissom signature amp with more features, lower wattage and a more approachable price tag
TAN LINES
Many of us regard straps as a bit of an afterthought, but to find one that matches the quality of a custom or vintage guitar, Rod Boyes of Pinegrove Leather can help
ELECTRIC STRINGS
Your tone starts with your strings - strike a balance between sound, tuning and durability with six of our favourites
DIFFERENT WINDS
While there's no end to repros of all the classic pickup styles, more and more pickup makers are mixing things up to move forward - Cream T is a good example
Long termers
A few months' gigging, recording and everything that goes with it - welcome to Guitarist's longterm test report
Top Guns
Chapman's new factory move coincides with a bit of a rethink. We track down the key players all around the world
the Wishlist
Dream gear to beg, borrow and steal for...
Reach For The Star
Earlier this year Guild reorganised its 70s-era Polara range. We spent some time with this mid-range 2024 model: a modern pawn-shop prize or a copy too far?
HIGH FLYER
Adrian Thorpe of ThorpyFX remembers the flight path - and turbulence behind Chris Buck's Electric Lightning overdrive/boost, named after a fighter jet and packing a bona fide valve