thebigyin Posted August 27, 2018 Share Posted August 27, 2018 Morning Folks, I have an old Japanese Columbus P Bass early 70s I have had it many years....its made of plywood but sounds and plays well enough...I was a tad disappointed when I found out it was plywood....but recently I have just had one of my Acoustics a Yamaha FG180 (Nickon Gakki) red label serial number dates it 1970 so another vintage model....I took it to John Le Voi a great luthier for a re-fret and minor cosmetic repairs and found out this was laminate too...but sounds great....just wondering what your thoughts are on plywood......John told me there is nothing wrong with plywood and if the laminates are slightly off from each other and the grains not running in same directions they will never split....he told me they sound just as good as solid tops.....think I was just surprised after owning these instruments so long to find out they are ply especially been made in Japan in the early 70s....but apparently this is quite common...cheers Bob. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted August 27, 2018 Share Posted August 27, 2018 If it sounds ok it is ok. If it looks ok that's even better. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leonard Smalls Posted August 27, 2018 Share Posted August 27, 2018 My Wal is sort of made of plywood... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebigyin Posted August 27, 2018 Author Share Posted August 27, 2018 13 minutes ago, EssentialTension said: If it sounds ok it is ok. If it looks ok that's even better. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebigyin Posted August 27, 2018 Author Share Posted August 27, 2018 14 minutes ago, EssentialTension said: If it sounds ok it is ok. If it looks ok that's even better. Aye sounds and looks good Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NancyJohnson Posted August 27, 2018 Share Posted August 27, 2018 16 minutes ago, EssentialTension said: If it sounds ok it is ok. If it looks ok that's even better. Pretty much this. There's a ton of gear snobs that wouldn't be able to identify the difference between a plywood bass from the 70s and a £15k Fodera. During my mid-teens, I owned a Columbus Jazz copy; I listened to some old cassettes from that period recently and it sounded fantastic. Don't be disappointed that yours is made from plywood. If it floats your boat and sounds how you want it to, then great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebigyin Posted August 27, 2018 Author Share Posted August 27, 2018 1 minute ago, NancyJohnson said: Pretty much this. There's a ton of gear snobs that wouldn't be able to identify the difference between a plywood bass from the 70s and a £15k Fodera. During my mid-teens, I owned a Columbus Jazz copy; I listened to some old cassettes from that period recently and it sounded fantastic. Don't be disappointed that yours is made from plywood. If it floats your boat and sounds how you want it to, then great. Thanks to be honest I only found out it was plywood because it is naturally very reliced now been nearly 50 year old and I was doing some work on it and noticed it....and it was my snobbery that made me feel a tad down....but its got something about it and a lot of sentimental value. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted August 27, 2018 Share Posted August 27, 2018 There's fine line between plywood and some high-end multi-laminates. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted August 27, 2018 Share Posted August 27, 2018 Well with ply sometimes it goes one way, and of course some times it goes another ... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Bay Posted August 27, 2018 Share Posted August 27, 2018 10 minutes ago, BigRedX said: There's fine line between plywood and some high-end multi-laminates. This ^^^^ and there is a big difference between high quality ply and cheap as used in newer often Chinese made stuff. Quality ply is stable, strong and light. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FinnDave Posted August 27, 2018 Share Posted August 27, 2018 It's not plywood - it's a carefully built alternating-grain laminate of painstakingly chosen tone woods. 1 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyTravis Posted August 27, 2018 Share Posted August 27, 2018 57 minutes ago, EssentialTension said: If it sounds ok it is ok. If it looks ok that's even better. If it tastes good - you’re onto a winner 😉 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete.young Posted August 27, 2018 Share Posted August 27, 2018 John Levoi knows his stuff. The FG-180 was legendary in its day for being a great sounding guitar for not much money. I think Paul Brady used to play one. If it sounds good, I wouldn't worry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doomed Posted August 27, 2018 Share Posted August 27, 2018 Same as everyone else is saying if it sounds ok and isn't de-laminating why worry. After all don't many cab manufacturers go to great lengths to highlight the quality of the plywood/laminated wood they use, always stressing how void free/dense/better than everyone else's their laminate is? If it's not broke... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HazBeen Posted August 27, 2018 Share Posted August 27, 2018 (edited) As the above, nothing wrong with a bit of plywood if it sounds good (it even rhymes). It has similar connotations as basswood, often associated with cheap and crap basses, but Ernie Ball uses it for their Bongo's which are neither crap nor cheap. Edited August 27, 2018 by HazBeen 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebigyin Posted August 27, 2018 Author Share Posted August 27, 2018 Thanks for the replies folks....its nearly 50 year old Bass....made in Japan, all original still. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted August 27, 2018 Share Posted August 27, 2018 How has no one said this yet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DBerriff Posted August 27, 2018 Share Posted August 27, 2018 Not directly relevant, but I found this interesting: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xTxbP7M5i2c 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted August 27, 2018 Share Posted August 27, 2018 11 minutes ago, DBerriff said: Not directly relevant, but I found this interesting: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xTxbP7M5i2c That was great viewing and a bit of an eye opener. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebigyin Posted August 27, 2018 Author Share Posted August 27, 2018 30 minutes ago, DBerriff said: Not directly relevant, but I found this interesting: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xTxbP7M5i2c Brilliant.....thankyou for that link very interesting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickA Posted August 27, 2018 Share Posted August 27, 2018 I Quote I used to dream of owning a Columbus .. had to make do with a Grant Jazz Bass copy instead. Kind of dead sounding even after I'd replaced the pickups and put an ebony finger board on it. But when I decided to strip the sunburst lacquer to make it look like a Wal (I was 20 FFS) I found el cheapo plywood encasing a blockwood pine core, so no wonder really. I guess it all depends on what the laminate is made from. If it's all hardwood then probably works better than solid Ash or Alder .. which seem to be quite popular ;¬) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted August 27, 2018 Share Posted August 27, 2018 2 hours ago, HazBeen said: As the above, nothing wrong with a bot of plywood Very uncomfortable when one sits down, however. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HazBeen Posted August 27, 2018 Share Posted August 27, 2018 1 hour ago, Rich said: Very uncomfortable when one sits down, however. I must correct a type-o Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bolo Posted August 27, 2018 Share Posted August 27, 2018 Laminating woods is an old trick to make average wood good, or good wood great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted August 27, 2018 Share Posted August 27, 2018 Here are two photos of bass guitars that I post every time the topic of the suitability of plywood as a "tone wood" crops up. The first is by Jens Ritter who knows a thing or two about making bass guitars. And this one is by Baz Extravaganza. Unfortunately his site full of his interesting and sometimes very eccentric bass guitars has gone, I was able to save the images of the basses that interested me. IIRC this particular bass was made entirely out of plywood bought from his local DIY superstore. Other than to fill any of the voids revealed by the shaping process, and apply a very basic finish I don't think anything further was done to the wood. The result was an excellent sounding and playing bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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