GL-36 help

[mclovin]

I've had this gl-36 for along while now, curious if it has a solid top, what kind of wood is on the back and sides, where it was made, what year was it made, what kind of wood is the saddle made from, just basically everything! Love this guitar! Plays and sounds great.......anyone?

[charles]

Photos will be needed (ones of the head stock & sound hole label will help with the era and country of manufacture; photos of the rest will help with wood identification), but off the top of my head I would make a guess the guitar is made from:
- Top: spruce
- Sides & back: likely mahogany, back may be rosewood depending on the build (will need photos to be sure)
- Bridge piece should be rosewood. Saddle is likely bone, but will need to see photos

For tips of posting photos, see: http://www.eldegas.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=49

[mclovin]

ok Charles. will post soon

[mclovin]

ok, how do you post pics, dang?

[charles]

ok, how do you post pics, dang?

For tips of posting photos, see: http://www.eldegas.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=49

Use Imgur or Photobucket and post the IMG tag those sites provide.

[mclovin]

[mclovin]

[mclovin]

hope that worked, that was a pain

[charles]

hope that worked, that was a pain

I fixed the IMG links in your posts.

[charles]

MIJ (Made in Japan), 1970's
Top is spruce
Back is rosewood
Can't see sides, but it is likely rosewood
Neck is mahogany

[Barry]

Lovely guitar. I can see why you like it a lot!
Based on the serial prefix and the headstock design, I'd say this is a Guild replica. You may want to do some research under that brand and see if you can come up with a model match.

[charles]

Ah yes, I forgot to mention - it is a copy of a Guild acoustic. (GL- models are Guild copies)

[mclovin]

Is there no way to narrow the years down a bit? Early 70's late 70's? I am also thinking that the back and sides are Brazilian Rosewood? Would make a big difference. The back is in 4 pieces, so I am figuring that laminate in those days are actual wood, not High pressure laminate or compressed wood fibers like they make today?? The bridge looks like Ebony, just going by how dark it is and it has no wood grains at all. Those Japanese luthiers are great. Happy to have something from Japan since it will be a ghost country soon once fukushima destroys it. I recently bought a Yamaha FG-180 Nippon Gakki MIJ and Yamaha says the whole thing is laminate. You would swear on your mother it was solid wood, nothing like bookmatched laminate! All solid wood laminate! Best sounding guitar I ever heard, better than martin or taylors that I've played, total sonic.

[charles]

There is really next to no information that has survived on the brand that helps narrow down the years of manufacture. All we know are certain 'eras' of manufacture. The serial numbering system does not help since the company themselves seem to have used it sparingly, and no information pertaining to it exists.

When it comes to info on these old El Degas guitars, you kind of have to take what you can get.

The sides and back are likely solid rosewood, and may be Brazilian. I'm not 100% on that, but better wood was much more plentiful on those days even in replica/knock-off brands.

[mclovin]

it's definitely 3 pieces when you look inside, probly 2 piece on the outside, so 5 piece back. Brazilian Rosewood for sure. But laminate meaning thin pieces of actual Brazilian rosewood, so solid wood does apply, it's not the HPL high pressure laminate of today with wood fibers glued together with a big sticker of wood grain on the back. Some of the most expensive guitars in the word are made this way. Ramirez has a guitar made the same with real wood laminate for nine thousand. That's why Yamaha made em this way, they sound better....go figure. A friend has a $2700 Taylor and he can't fathom why my El Degas and my Yamaha FG-180 are almost twice as loud, especially the Yamaha is creepy sonic, full bottom end and loud.