1/2” vs 3/4 cabinets

Ben Godard · From: Jamesville NC

I was wondering if anyone knows which guitars use 1/2” and which ones are built with 3/4
Is one better than the other. I’m sure there are pros and cons for both

Ian Rae · From: Redditch, England

As a very general rule a heavier box is likely to sound better than a lighter one, but there are many other variables.
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Homebuilt keyless U12 7x5, Excel keyless U12 8x8, Williams keyless U12 7x8, Telonics rack and 15" cabs

Bobby Boggs · From: Upstate SC.

Who uses plywood for guitar cabinets? Just curious.

b.

Patrick Thornhill · From: Austin Texas, USA

I feel like most pedal steels with plastic laminate (aka formica) exteriors are still made with solid wood, usually maple. I could of course be wrong.
I know that many resonator guitars are made with plywood...

Dick Sexton · From: Greenville, Ohio

It matters. My main steel "At the moment" is my SD10 Derby, one of the later ones. I love it. It is fairly light weight and manageable. As I and it age, that has become an issue. I also have an S10 Marlen all pull that was my main steel for a long long time. That poor little Marlen has been in its case for over 5 years. I had just finished working on a friends Derby and thought, "You know what, I'll just pull that old Marlen out and see what it needs to get it playing again". It is built with a 3/4 inch cabinet, and with obviously some of the best aluminum that was available at that time. Out of the case it came, set it up and I marveled at the fact that it was still in tune with the exception of the third string that was just a tad flat. Hooked it up to my NV400, and DAMN that sounds good. Two trips to Japan, packed and carried by God know who and this thing is exceptional. The aluminum it is made of is harder then anything used in what being made today, I believe. As a mater of fact, others I've seen made now, mark easily, scratch easily or can't even be shined to a chrome level luster. Not so this little Marlen.

So does it make a difference. You bet! Everything does. In electronics, it is called a closed loop system. Some pose a positive feedback, some a negative feedback, others little feedback at all. Just me, but I think softer metal, deadens sound. Of course your opinion my differ.

Bill L. Wilson · From: Oklahoma, USA

My old ‘74, MSA Semi-Classic S-10 was mica covered 1/2” plywood. Not a great sounding guitar compared to my friends old Emmons Push-Pull, but it served its purpose and I did learn to play it.

John Swain · From: Winchester, Va

I believe Emmons p/p were made of 1/2" maple.

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

I commented to my Sho-Bud savvy friend once about the step down between the necks on a D10 having better clearance and easier playing. He said the reason was that the decks were 3/4" material. These were the older models, I guess.

The guitars I've owned, except for the all aluminum frames, have been generally 1/2" decks and front aprons. Some have slightly thicker rear aprons.
The Derby and Mullen were 1/2", I believe with the Mullen have a slightly thicker rear apron.

One S12 I used to own was 3/4" front and back.

Maybe someone knows specifically which brands were which.

I've heard that GFI bodies were built from die board which is a rigid, stable laminated wood material. Probably some others.

I'm not qualified to say if one material or dimension is more stable or resonant than the other.

As stated, I've owned a couple guitars that were aluminum frame. The Sierras and the welded MCI I'm playing right now. They all sounded just fine to me.

Also a Baldwin x-over which was a basic metal frame of some type.

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