Semi-Hollows with Solid Wood Sides with Laminated Top/Back...Is this a Heritage Exclusive?

[Gitfiddler]

Are the H535 and 555 constructed of SOLID wood sides along with LAMINATED top and back? I thought that was the case. That is the design of the H550's body. The 550 is a great design and wonderful 'jazz box' style guitar for live playing due to its resistance to feedback.

 

Is that unique to Heritage semi-hollow guitars or are there other makers producing similarly constructed guitars?

 

Are the lam. top/back ES175 and ES335's also SOLID sided?

 

What are the advantages to SOLID wood sides vs. LAMINATED sides for semi-hollow gits.?

[tulk1]

Whew, Git!! You came in just under the 5 question per post limit. Would hate to have aroused Admin from his deep sleep yet again this week.

 

Not sure on the off-brands on the solid or lam sides. But from seeing the way the 535s are constructed I'd have to guess that the other guy's guitars are solid sides as well. I know my 2000 Millie, which is an arched laminate top and back has solid sides. Which, of course, is nothing more than an opportunity for me to mention that guitar.

[Gitfiddler]

Yea, sorry for the multiple question post, but after lusting after a model 550 for over a year, it just struck me that it has solid sides. To me that makes it the perfect giggable jazz/blues/rnb/rock box.

 

The rest of my post can be tossed aside.

[Millennium Maestro]

Whew, Git!! You came in just under the 5 question per post limit. Would hate to have aroused Admin from his deep sleep yet again this week.

 

Not sure on the off-brands on the solid or lam sides. But from seeing the way the 535s are constructed I'd have to guess that the other guy's guitars are solid sides as well. I know my 2000 Millie, which is an arched laminate top and back has solid sides. Which, of course, is nothing more than an opportunity for me to mention that guitar.

my Millies are all solid carved tops, I dont believe there is any ply on theses guitars...which is one of the Big reasons I am such a fan. They are alot more resonant!

 

M.M.

[tulk1]

my Millies are all solid carved tops, I dont believe there is any ply on theses guitars...which is one of the Big reasons I am such a fan. They are alot more resonant!

 

M.M.

 

MM, according to Marv they made a few lam tops with arched lam backs when they were first experimenting with the model. And I happend to have one of the lam models. Now my Millie NFH is a solid carved top. No ply there at all. But the SAE is definitely laminate.

[Thundersteel]

Would hate to have aroused Admin from his deep sleep yet again this week.

 

Yeah--you don't want to get the Admin in a grouchy mood!

[Spectrum13]

Millie sides are cut from one block of wood to shape including the supporting section for the bridge and tailpiece. Nothing is steamed and bent or placed in a mold form. While I don't know if the semi's sides are solid or laminated, they are bent to shape. As far as the tops being "pressed", it's much easier to assemble... being you have a solid center block with a piece of spruce on the top and bottom of the block needing to perfectly fit the profile of the top and back. A pressed top & bottom being uniform, make assembly much easier than carving the tops and bottom and custom conturing each piece of spruce to fit the carve. Few semi's use a solid carved tops and back Collins and couple of custom builders charge $$$. My MIJ Edwards 355 uses solid woods. It's very heavy.

[tulk1]

Aha!! Found the pic. Thanks to Mark (mars-hall) for loading the Millie SAE into the Rogues Gallery. I'm too lazy to load my own images. Anyway, here is a close-up of the laminate top in my Millie SAE. Would have loved for it to be a solid carved top. But alas, I'll take it as is.

 

[Andy R]

I can't really imagine that solid sides would sound any better or worse, or be any more or less stable, than laminated ones. The Milli construction, on the other hand, makes a lot of sense.

[Gitfiddler]

This thread was originally started because of the Heritage (dealer) ads that tout the solid rims of their 535/555 models. That lead me to check out the 550's construction, which also has that same feature. I can't say it is any better or worse than laminated sided semi-hollows, but each 535 and 555 I've played seemed more substantial and more musical than other makes. I can only assume that a 550 would be similar, only more full due to it's larger body.

 

Millies are cool too, but they are a different animal, and one that I have yet to experience first hand.

 

If a semi-hollow guitar is musical or toneful, then I tend to want to play it more. Some semi's are dead unless plugged in. The Heritage's seem to have that special something, plugged or unplugged. But then maybe it's really the headstock design that give it that special something, and nothing to do with the solid sides.

[Andy R]

Don't get me wrong, I am a believer. Heritage semis, in my opinion, are far more lively sounding then their overweight, overpriced cousins!