This could be a full article, as a visit to any guitar forum would confirm. The relative benefits of laminated or solid woods are frequently argued.

Some guitars are made of all laminated woods; some have a solid wood top yet have laminated back and sides; some are made exclusively of solid woods (like Faith).

To be fair, laminated guitars do have some advantages: they are generally cheaper to make; they are more resistant to climatic changes; and if they’re made well, they can sound pretty good and remain that way for many years. But the reality is, many guitars can be made of composites of (essentially) glue and sawdust, plywood or low-quality wood with a few microns of pretty wood veneer on top. In the same way as furniture, although a white laminated MDF wardrobe may do the job for a while, you just inherently understand that solid wood furniture will look and feel better and, perhaps even more importantly, last you a lifetime. 

So, although all-solid wood guitars are a little more expensive and require a little more care and consideration, they will sound so much better because they’re made of coherent pieces of proper tonewood that can resonate through their whole without the vibrations having to navigate different densities and properties of glues and fillers …. And they will also age and mature like a fine wine, improving over the years, subtley changing and settling until they find their ultimate voice. This sonic evolution is an incredibly rewarding part of your journey with your guitar. 

The type of wood used for the guitar's top (soundboard) has the most significant impact on its tone. The most commonly used top woods include Spruce, Cedar, and Mahogany, with Spruce being the brightest and most powerful, Cedar being a little more mellow yet still delivering good powerful dynamics and Mahogany offering great warmth but being a little more reserved. Alternative woods such as Trembesi, Mango or Koa also offer distinct tonal options too, varying the mid-range articulation in particular. Nothing, however, has the brilliance and all-round power of Solid Spruce. The wood used for the back and sides of the guitar also influences its sound but to a slightly lesser degree.

Each tonewood pairing has its own tonal colour but classic combinations have emerged throughout guitar history such as: Spruce / Rosewood (Bright and Resonant); Cedar / Rosewood (Mellow but superb resonant overtones); Spruce and Mahogany (Sparkling highs with a mellow undertone); and All-Mahogany (Warm and Vocal). 

The guitar's body shape and size affect its volume, tonal balance, and projection. Body shapes such as the Saturn dreadnought, Neptune Baby-Jumbo, Venus auditorium, and Mercury parlour have distinct tonal qualities. Larger bodies will generally produce more volume and low-end, while smaller bodies will often have a more focused sound, especially at the higher end.

Naturally, your own body size can also dictate which guitar shape suits you, as part of the playing experience is also based on comfort and ease holding and reaching the notes. We would always recommend getting your hands on a number of instruments and really experiencing their body against your own, as this is the very best way to find what really works for you. 

The magic of X Bracing, such as used on Faith Guitars, lies in balancing stiffness and lightness. This is particularly important on the top soundboard of the guitar as this essentially acts like a speaker, amplifying the string's vibrations. Stiffness keeps the soundboard from collapsing under the string tension but the lightness ensures that the wood can still move enough to sound 'alive'. It's a careful balancing act, as If the braces are too stiff, they can stifle the sound, making it dull.... but if they’re too flexible, the soundboard might warp or fail. There are those that have tried all manner of different shapes for bracing, to varying degrees of success, but the performance of an X-Brace pattern has been proven for well over a century.

Strong but lightweight bracing, such as the high-quality, piano-grade spruce that Faith Guitars use, lets the soundboard vibrate more freely, enhancing the guitar’s resonance and sustain, and by hand-shaping the braces carefully, a luthier can ensure the right mix of strength with very minimal mass. This balance gives each guitar its rich, full sound and dynamic response: qualities that musicians love about Faith Guitars.

Each guitar will have its own neck profile, width, and length. All of these factors will impact playability and also tone. A thinner neck might allow for faster playing, while a wider neck will make more complex pieces slightly easier to articulate. The neck width can also, in theory, contribute to a slightly fuller sound, although as is always the case, people will argue about the exact extent of the effect. However, a slim neck width and depth generally feels easy to play and hold, especially to those familiar with electric guitars. For traditional acoustic players, those perhaps used to vintage American guitars, a modern guitar neck such as that on a Faith Guitar would feel noticeably different. But, to most regular guitarists, the slimmer profile - whether 43mm or 45mm wide at the top - will feel extremely comfortable and easy to navigate. 

How the neck joins the body can also affect the sound which is why we use a super-accurate fitting Bolt-on Neck design. This not only ensures a really tight and flush fit that ensures excellent resonant transfer, it also means that playability is improved as it avoids the 'expansion humps' higher up the neck that can plague glued-neck, dovetail-joint guitars.

The nut and saddle on an acoustic guitar are crucial for sound transmission and playability, as they are the main points of contact between string and body. 

The nut, located at the top of the fretboard, both guides the strings to the tuning pegs and also ensures vibrational transfer along the length of neck. The primary role of the saddle, located in a recess in the bridge, is to transfer string vibrations to the soundboard. The material used for the nut and saddle can greatly impact tone and sustain. Materials like Bone (as used on the Faith Legacy series) are some of the most efficient at transferring these vibrations. Historically, ivory from tusks were also used, as they had ideal properties too. However, as this is somewhat unacceptable these days, companies such as the Canadian Graph Tech have created compounds that react with the same glassy resonance as bone and ivory. We use these materials for most Faith guitars in the form of Graph Tech 'TUSQ', a man-made composite that replicates the superb performace of the natural material. 

You can also experiment with materials such as brass and steel for nuts and saddles. The sound difference can be quite remarkable. 

The finish applied to the guitar will always influence its resonance and tone, and as it ages, your guitar will mature too. 

Some guitars are simply ‘satin’ finished - such as the Faith Naked series , or gloss lacquered - such as the Faith HiGloss series. Satin finished guitars tend to have less lacquer on them and as a result allow the wood to move a little more freely, and many will say that the sound can be more lively as a result. Gloss-finished guitars should have the lacquer applied carefully, rather than sprayed thick and heavy, as this process not only protects the wood, but also focusses and controls the sound a little too. Both can be great but their characters will differ.  Beware glass-like, completely flat, gloss finishes as this is often a sign of very thick lacquer. When you’re using quality tonewoods, seeing a little grain texture beneath the lacquer can be an indication of cautious lacquer application, and therefore a guitar that can still be more alive in its tone.

And don't forget, that as your guitar grows with you, the colours will generally darken a little, and the sound will become more harmonically settled. This is why age-advancing processes such as torrefaction (as used on the Legacy series) have become so popular. 

The type of strings used (material, gauge, and brand) affects the guitar's playability and tone. Different string materials like phosphor bronze and 80/20 bronze when matched with different string core types will all produce varying levels of brightness and warmth, The same is true for string gauge, with lighter gauges being easier on the fingers, but lighter on tonal projection, and heavier gauge strings generally producing a fuller tone but requiring a little more work from the fingertips. 

In terms of the best brand or variant of string, this could be another full article in itself. Faith Guitars have previously used Elixir and D’addario EXP / XT strings, but recently we have switched to using DR Strings' DragonSkin+. We are often asked to recommend strings, as owners want to regain the same sound as when the guitar was first purchased. In those instances, check for string details inside your guitar case and replace like for like. However, trying different strings of different types can be very rewarding. An uncoated phosphor bronze string will sound and feel very different to a fully coated bronze string. Or you may have been reluctant to try 13s instead of 11s on your guitar, but once you do, you'll realise the sound is so much fuller. Don't be afraid to experiment. That's part of the fun!

This is an important one, as although the environment can affect the tone to a degree, it’s generally because of the playability being affected.

As woods (especially all-solid tonewoods) expand or contract a great number of fundamental aspects of the instrument change and it will feel harder to play, or just not right. And that should be a warning sign.

Keep in mind that these factors interact in complex ways, making each acoustic guitar unique in its tonal qualities. When choosing your next acoustic guitar, consider how these elements contribute to the sound you prefer for your playing style and musical genre.