Laminating a thin top to a guitar body does not significantly alter the tone of the instrument. The neck still attaches to the core wood and the bridge screws are anchored through the top into the same core. Of course, in carved top thicknesses, laminate tops do significantly effect the toneality of an instrument.
So, an alder body with our 1/8” thick top will still sound like an alder body, but may have the appearance of your favorite exotic wood.
The tops are done in what is called a bookmatch. This is accomplished by resawing a plank and...
Opening the resulting 2 halves like a book.
This yields a symmetrical pattern along the body centerline.