Veneer Tops

[602a]

Probably a dumb question but does Heritage ever use a veneer top on any models?

[MartyGrass]

If you mean laminated, they have quite a few guitars built that way.

 

The Prospect, H535, H550, and H525 are all examples.

 

The laminates are cheaper to make, more resistant to feedback and more durable.

 

The granddaddy of all laminates is the LP of course. But that doesn't count.

[big bob]

Probably a dumb question but does Heritage ever use a veneer top on any models?

Yes they will do a veneer top on a 137 and 137 dc, brents old 137cd has a veneer top I think Kate's does too.

[MartyGrass]

So is this a maple veneer instead of a cap?

[GuitArtMan]

So is this a maple veneer instead of a cap?

That should be a solid carved chunk of maple. Contrast that with say and Epiphone (or many of the imports) where the top me be a beautiful flame maple but it's only 1/32" or 1/64" thick and laminated on top of plain maple.

[skydog52]

Always thought they were maple caps on solidbodys.

[602a]

Cool Thanks. Looking at some tops you know they can't be one piece. Even if they are bookend cut.

[MartyGrass]

Once again, I learned something from you guys.

[SouthpawGuy]

My understanding is that a veneer is the term used for a non carved, i.e. flat, top like Brents custom 137DC. And that a cap is a maple top that is carved like a 150 or 157 ?

[FredZepp]

I thought that Brents 137 Custom was a veneer top.

 

The flat top solids are veneer when maple over mahogany, I believe.

 

Edit... I see that I am late with this comment..

 

and had the wrong model number also.. sheesh..

[Genericmusic]

Interesting, very interesting I just learned something too.

[tbonesullivan]

there's nothing really "wrong" with a veneer. I'm not sure you'd call the archtops like the 535 and prospect "veneered". They are more correctly called laminated. When I think veneer I think a thin, 1/8 inch maximum layer of wood for visual appeal. Hamer standards, often the most sought after, only have a flamed maple veneer when they have the flamed top. the original "sunburst" guitars were the same way. Eventually they started using a carved maple top, like on the H150/H140/Etc and that evolved into the studio.

 

Now, some makers (like hamer/carvin/etc) put on closer to 1/4 of an inch or more of figured wood when they are doing a top on a flat top guitar.

[barrymclark]

My understanding is that a veneer is the term used for a non carved, i.e. flat, top like Brents custom 137DC. And that a cap is a maple top that is carved like a 150 or 157 ?

Veneer refers to a thin layer of wood (usually aesthetic) on top of the main body and doesn't refer to the carve or lack thereof on the body. You really see veneer work on headstocks. There may be a veneer of ebony on a maple or mahogany headstock.

 

T-Bone beat me to it.

[Tim]

there's nothing really "wrong" with a veneer. I'm not sure you'd call the archtops like the 535 and prospect "veneered". They are more correctly called laminated. When I think veneer I think a thin, 1/8 inch maximum layer of wood for visual appeal. Hamer standards, often the most sought after, only have a flamed maple veneer when they have the flamed top. the original "sunburst" guitars were the same way. Eventually they started using a carved maple top, like on the H150/H140/Etc and that evolved into the studio.

 

Now, some makers (like hamer/carvin/etc) put on closer to 1/4 of an inch or more of figured wood when they are doing a top on a flat top guitar.

I love solid tops. They have a sound all their own, BUT, I have no issues whatsoever with "laminated" tops...hell, the ES 175 is laminated and it sounds wonderful. The argument is that you can play solid tops unplugged and they sound pretty good...while laminated tops have less "push". I rarely play unplugged, so, it makes little difference...I choose guitars for their mojo, and every guitar is just a "little" different. I have a 550 (laminated) and a 575 (solid) and I dig 'em both!!

[koula901]

Yes they will do a veneer top on a 137 and 137 dc, brents old 137cd has a veneer top I think Kate's does too.

 

X2. Exactly right. I ordered my H 137 with a veneer top on it - you pay extra for that. I thought a veneer was different from laminate, though. Maybe someone here could clear that up.

[H]

Katy, a laminate is several very thin layers of wood glued together and often cross-grained for strength/stability. A veneer is a thin layer of a (usually) decorative wood on the surface of another material which supplies the structural and/or tone element required.

[brentrocks]

The 137 Dlx is a veneer top. It's just there to "dress up" the top without changing the overall tone of a 137 which is a mahogany plank at heart . To the best of my knowledge, that is the only guitar Heritage makes that way and it is a new model. Pauls 137 Dlx is the first one ever built for the public.

[DetroitBlues]

Here's some stuff I found about doing vaneers... I had an old Aria Pro I almost put a veneer on...

 

http://www.projectguitar.com/tut/veneer.htm

[koula901]

My understanding is that a veneer is the term used for a non carved, i.e. flat, top like Brents custom 137DC. And that a cap is a maple top that is carved like a 150 or 157 ?

 

Except that the veneer is much thinner than a maple carved top.

[JackBaruth]

The "other" guitars I collect are Electras, made for St. Louis Music by Matsumoku (and others) in Japan from the early Seventies

through 1985.

 

Many of their early Les Paul copies have an arched laminate flame top with an actual cavity beneath them. They are awfully loud when strummed. By 1977 they were doing a maple cap like a traditional Les Paul.

[koula901]

The "other" guitars I collect are Electras, made for St. Louis Music by Matsumoku (and others) in Japan from the early Seventies

through 1985.

 

Many of their early Les Paul copies have an arched laminate flame top with an actual cavity beneath them. They are awfully loud when strummed. By 1977 they were doing a maple cap like a traditional Les Paul.

 

Hmm . . . wonder if the 'G' brand has caught wind of this.

[NoNameBand]

So is this a maple veneer instead of a cap?

 

To my knowledge, they do NOT Veneer over Maple tops like the Asian guitars. This is how they get a Flame maple top on a $300.00 guitar. Heritage does not cut those corners.