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Does any one build an acoustic with one-piece plates? They are Highly reguarded in the solid body guitars,but i haven't seen much on them here.I did a search and came up with nothing on them here.Seems to me they would be more durable and vibrate better for tone.Without the glue joint creating a stress riser restricting movement of the top.I have thought of building one and thought i'd check here first.

The requirements for wood quality, re: cut, grain, stiffness, and weight, are far higher for building acoustic than for electric. Its demanding enough for sawyers to find good wood for two piece tops, let alone one piece! That, and the fact that acoustic tops are 30% and more, wider, you need awfully large trees to get the wood of the cut needed.

I can't see that single piece acoustic tops actually offer better performance. Its far better to have multi-piece tops that use "great" sections all the way through, than single piece tops which include poor sections. The glue joint is pretty much irrelevant.

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Expectation is the source of all misery; comparison the thief of joy.
http://redrivercanoe.ca/

I have been to suppliers with one piece tops ... nice but they cost a lot more than a good two piece because of the sizes required - decent quality at that size is very difficult to get. and its never as good as a high end 2 pc.

A benefit is no one will ever know if you are off the centre with your bridge !!!!

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

Thanks for the replies.Only two though.Seems not too many here are building one piece plated guitars.I do mill my own lumber for my guitars,so i do have access to wide trunks from time to time.Has anyone actually built one? And is the braceing the same.Would a one-piece back still need a centerstrip?

A two-piece back doesn't need a center strip, it's just added insurance like side tapes or an alternating grain tailblock etc. I'd like to make an acoustic with a one-piece top sometime for 'neat' factor, but getting that wood is going to be a bit of a (financial) hassle and, as Tony said, I'm definitely not expecting any structural benefit over a two-piece top given that I'll likely have to deal with less-ideal structure on at least part of the plate.

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Bob Garrish
Former Canonized Purveyor of Fine CNC Luthier Services