2 piece, or 3 piece back. Is one any better than the other? If so, why?

[TrampsLikeUs]

I’m looking at two different k26 all koa models.  One is a 2 piece back.  The other is a 3 piece.  There both beautiful.  Was wondering which would be a better guitar.  Any thoughts?

[SDTaylorman]

The better guitar is the one that sounds better. Always.

[Toucan256]

The better guitar is the one that sounds better. Always.

I second that sentiment.

[Edward]

It's an aesthetic thing.  I never liked 3-pc backs, ever.  Don't care how nice the figuring may be, I just cannot wrap my head around the thought that it looks piecemeal.  2-pc backs almost always --actually, always to my memory-- looks like a cohesive, more pleasing build.  For me, it's two piece backs or not at all.  Hey, you asked! 

Edward

[DennisG]

In an attempt to answer the actual question you asked, the quality of the tone isn't determined by whether the back is two or three pieces.  In fact, I'll go way out on a limb here to speculate that you could gather a group of expert and discerning audiophiles, blindfold them all, and they wouldn't be able to determine which guitar is which.  It's very likely that they will hear a difference, but not due to the amount of panels used to build the back of the guitar.

Buy the guitar that speaks to you, grabs you by the ankle to prevent you from leaving the store without it, and seduces you into taking it home.

[SDTaylorman]

In an attempt to answer the actual question you asked, the quality of the tone isn't determined by whether the back is two or three pieces.  In fact, I'll go way out on a limb here to speculate that you could gather a group of expert and discerning audiophiles, blindfold them all, and they wouldn't be able to determine which guitar is which.  It's very likely that they will hear a difference, but not due to the amount of panels used to build the back of the guitar.

Buy the guitar that speaks to you, grabs you by the ankle to prevent you from leaving the store without it, and seduces you into taking it home.

That's exactly what I said but phrased far better than I could ever do. Thanks DennisG!

[Earl]

In an attempt to answer the actual question you asked, the quality of the tone isn't determined by whether the back is two or three pieces.

^ This, seconded.  I am agnostic on the number of pieces making up the back (think Martin D-35 versus D-28) and remain firmly convinced it is only visual.  The D-35 has three-piece backs specifically to use up smaller pieces of quality rosewood back in 1969 when converting from Brazilian to Indian rosewood as standard.  The fact that they changed the top bracing at the same time accounts for whatever subtle perceived tonal changes are generally attributed to those two models.  On the Top Twenty list of things potentially affecting guitar tone, the number of pieces used for the back is #27 IMHO - and maybe lower.

[Bob Womack]

Bob Taylor used to say that a three-piece back would have a tighter bass and a two-piece back would have a looser back.

Bob

[SDTaylorman]

And yet here's Bob Taylor saying it's "purely cosmetic":

https://blog.taylorguitars.com/ask-bob-three-piece-backs