If you have wisdom to share, I would love to read it. Except for this... IMO, there is, in some quarters, a certain amount of anti-laminate bias here on TB. Please save it for someone else. Like its hybrid cousin, the 88 is a great-sounding bass.
Thanks in advance.
Your ears are not wrong. you hear what you hear, right?
I've been around the laminate world a few times over - both basses, and archtop guitars. I have the same conclusion of each. The durability is their biggest selling point, for sure.
laminates, especially quality laminates, I have never gotten the impression that they sound "bad." There is a certain quality to the sound I've liked - again, both archtop guitars like a godin kingpin, as well as my shen SB80 i've had since 2006. Hard to describe the sound, but i'll stick with dark/warm. boomy in a good way.
Where laminates definitely struggle is acoustic volume. There is no competition. my carved bass (particularly full sounding) can drown out my laminate both arco and pizz with minimal effort.
I don't claim to be an expert. but i'm certainly qualified in the sense that 1. I've been a professional musician for a while, and 2. i've bought/sold/collected/obsessed over gear the whole time.
here is my concluding point - why is there an anti-laminate bias?
Enthusiast cultures often have a a component of a purist mindset. I suppose what I mean is you get caught up in your own exacting standards that you loose touch with regular people. A scotch whisky enthusiast may be the worst person to ask "hey my friend is a scotch drinker what should I get him for christmas?" - they'll go on and on about a limited edition bottling, a cask strength, such-and-such, only 100 bottles made, waiting lists, etc etc... the thought of buying something that most stores keep in stock (that tastes really good!!) is not going to cross their mind.
There is absolutely no problem with laminates. Sure, they won't be as loud. I'd even hesitate to say they objectively don't sound as good - they happen to not have that particularly complex woody character that classical players are willing to spend for. But a properly adjusted one can have a really lovely tone, for jazz, orchestra, solo, whatever.
The same is true on the other side - there's a reason if you're auditioning for the NY phil, you'd like a top-tier carved bass. Because that sound is magnificent. But, if your a local guy who can really play, and you bow your laminate, it's going to be fine with everyone except perhaps the violin shop trying to tell you why you "need" a carved bass to play with a bow.
