imperialbari
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 24, 2010
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I very well understand that there are reasons for using laminates in some ukes.
Some woods like spalted maple don’t have the structural strength needed for a stable uke body. The addition of one, or more likely 2 layers of stronger wood, with one layer having the grains across the uke body, adds strength.
Laminates also allow for woods of lesser cosmetic quality to be used in the inner layers under a thin layers of quality wood even with a standard uke wood like mahogany. Thereby keeping prices down.
Some woods like koa are expensive and are stretched by being used in thin layers on top of layers of more standard woods.
But which woods are used for the inner layers?
Are brighter sounding and very responsive woods like spruce used to counteract the dampening effect of lamination?
Are the sound properties of rhe inner layers part of the sound design of an instrument?
I have a solid mahogany O’Nino from Ohana, which I like, so I won’t use it for some experiments with alternative stringing that I am considering. So I might buy the O’Nina from the same maker. The O’Nina is made of laminated willow for top, sides, and bottom. The photos I have seen are beautiful.
Any knowledge here about which wood is used for the inner layers of the laminate?
Klaus
Some woods like spalted maple don’t have the structural strength needed for a stable uke body. The addition of one, or more likely 2 layers of stronger wood, with one layer having the grains across the uke body, adds strength.
Laminates also allow for woods of lesser cosmetic quality to be used in the inner layers under a thin layers of quality wood even with a standard uke wood like mahogany. Thereby keeping prices down.
Some woods like koa are expensive and are stretched by being used in thin layers on top of layers of more standard woods.
But which woods are used for the inner layers?
Are brighter sounding and very responsive woods like spruce used to counteract the dampening effect of lamination?
Are the sound properties of rhe inner layers part of the sound design of an instrument?
I have a solid mahogany O’Nino from Ohana, which I like, so I won’t use it for some experiments with alternative stringing that I am considering. So I might buy the O’Nina from the same maker. The O’Nina is made of laminated willow for top, sides, and bottom. The photos I have seen are beautiful.
Any knowledge here about which wood is used for the inner layers of the laminate?
Klaus