Drak Posted July 7, 2005 Report Share Posted July 7, 2005 I just thought these pics might help someone who was thinking about chambering a guitar body. These were all I could find perusing my pics collection although I know I've done lots more, probably didn't take pics of them all...if anyone has any questions, please ask away. Chambered Ash Tele Chambered Body To Accomodate a Rear Bout Chambered Purpleheart Body Chambered Myrtle Topped Mantis Guitar Typical Tele Upper Chamber 3 Gibson-Styled Semi-Hollowbodies Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myka Guitars Posted July 7, 2005 Report Share Posted July 7, 2005 (edited) I'll add some. Chambered solidbody with stepped depths for body chamfers: Hollowbody with set neck chambers Semi-hollow with chambers Edited November 8, 2005 by Myka Guitars Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmrentis Posted July 7, 2005 Report Share Posted July 7, 2005 Wow guys I can't tell you how much that helps me! I have pm'd of few people to get info for chambering and have learned some about it, but the more exposure I can get to it the better. I believe I talked to Setch about it and he said that he likes to leave close to 3/4" around all the edges for safety, is that about what you guys prefer? Do you guys ever chamber and still do a gut cut? Would that be a little tough to do, would you just have no chambering there or would you go just really shallow? Thanks for the pics and nice stuff BTW. The body I am chambering is purpleheart similar to what Drak is currently doing. Thanks again! Jason Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegarehanman Posted July 7, 2005 Report Share Posted July 7, 2005 (edited) My baby...I guess you could say I'm still in labor http://xs36.xs.to/pics/05274/2003_0714guitar30018.JPG Edited July 14, 2005 by thegarehanman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krazyderek Posted July 14, 2005 Report Share Posted July 14, 2005 anyone have a pic of honeycomb style hollowing? I remember there used to be a pic on warmoth's website but i guess they don't offer it anymore? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegarehanman Posted July 14, 2005 Report Share Posted July 14, 2005 honeycombing a body only reduces the weight. it really doesn't offer a resonant quality like a chambered body, semi-hollow, or hollow body does. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krazyderek Posted July 14, 2005 Report Share Posted July 14, 2005 honeycombing a body only reduces the weight. it really doesn't offer a resonant quality like a chambered body, semi-hollow, or hollow body does. ← exactly why i want to use it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmrentis Posted July 14, 2005 Report Share Posted July 14, 2005 Is honeycombing just drilling a grip of holes in your guitar?Sounds like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skibum5545 Posted July 14, 2005 Report Share Posted July 14, 2005 (edited) Yeah, that's about it in a nutshell. Generally, one routs out small sound chambers, leaving only very thin walls, all over the body, except in and immediately adjacent to the wood under the bridge or by the pickup or neck routs. So instead of chambers, you just have a quasi-honeycomb pattern of mini-chambers. This is, of course, underneath a beautifully figured top to hide said honeycomb. Edited July 14, 2005 by skibum5545 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
komodo Posted July 14, 2005 Report Share Posted July 14, 2005 Thanks a bunch! It's nice to see what you usually don't see . . . . Can you guys add your thoughts about how you choose what to chamber and what not to? (ie. size and position of chambers) I know there are varying opinions on the matter. Drak - I wonder your thoughts on carving down the section inbetween the pickups . . it would create a channel from one chamber to another, but would also reduce the ammount of solid material from bridge to nut. I guess pup cavities do the same though. Also, wondering everyones thought's on chambered with no F-hole vs chambered with F-hole. An acoustic works like a big pump pushing air . . does a chambered with Fhole do that too? What is the purpose of having the hole or not? Any and all help/opinions from the more experienced builders is much apprecited. KOMODO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigdguitars Posted July 14, 2005 Report Share Posted July 14, 2005 From what I have read, and seen in my three hollow guitars. Feedback is reduced if you do not have f holes. F holes allow the wood to move more than if you don't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted July 14, 2005 Report Share Posted July 14, 2005 The larger chambers on the lower bout could have been better. They look fine, but they were tricky to rout because they were "just" big enough that my router didn't have proper support the whole time. In the future, I'd probably sub-divide it into 2 smaller chambers merely for the sake of having 'support' as I routed them out. Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted July 14, 2005 Author Report Share Posted July 14, 2005 Nice routing Greg. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted July 14, 2005 Report Share Posted July 14, 2005 Cheers, Drak. The built-in ledges would probably work, much like the ones that some people use when doing a "topographical map" -style carving of a top, using a router and "steps". Since the photo doesn't show the whole process, I'll describe it a bit: - I used an MDF template for the cavities: I already had a spare one around from when I did the body (I ended up making 2). Then I drew the desired cavity shape onto this MDF 'body template'. Next, I used a scroll saw to cut out the "cavity" areas in the template. Finally, I used a Microplane rasp to shape the template out to final size. - Then I screwed it to the body using screw-holes where the pickup cavities will be - To save wear-and tear on my router, I put a piece of tape on the biggest spiral drill bit I had (not very big-- wish I had a proper Forstner bit) and patiently made "swiss cheese" out of the area of wood that was to be removed - That done, I used the template and a flush-trim/pattern router bit to make my initial rout - I then took off the template and used the initial routing as my new "template" since it was now just deep enough that the ball-bearing of the template/flush-trim bit could ride along the body wood instead of the original MDF template. Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ooten2 Posted July 15, 2005 Report Share Posted July 15, 2005 Big, big, big thanks to all of you for putting these pics up. Great thread here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krazyderek Posted July 15, 2005 Report Share Posted July 15, 2005 .....if anyone acts like they can really explain what different chambering actually does tone-wise, I think they're just spouting garbage. for the record, i prefer honeycombing cause it's a tad faster(imagine moving a 1 or 2" squared template 10 or 15 times for routing ) and leaves alot of support for tops, so i don't have to worry as much about warping/dips if i use really thin tops, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigdguitars Posted July 15, 2005 Report Share Posted July 15, 2005 having done my research on alot of es345 355 and what not, many articles claim f holes allow for feedback. BB King was looking for a guitar with reduced feedback thats why he wanted lucille, no f holes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted July 15, 2005 Report Share Posted July 15, 2005 The 335 is a semi-hollowbody, though, not a chambered solidbody. A different beast. Lucille is a solidbody, not just a semi-hollow with no F-hole. Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marksound Posted July 15, 2005 Report Share Posted July 15, 2005 Lucille is a solidbody, not just a semi-hollow with no F-hole. ← Well, not really. From Gibson.com: Blues legend B.B. King had been playing Gibsons for over 40 years when he and Gibson officially joined forces in 1982. B.B.'s personal touches on his signature model include the fine-tuner tailpiece, the semi-hollow body with no soundholes and, of course, the name that has adorned his guitars throughout his career "Lucille". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted July 15, 2005 Report Share Posted July 15, 2005 That's funny, because every Guitar Player article I read, when it was made, kept referring to it as "the big brother of the Les Paul" and went on about how it had more in common with an LP than with a 335. Either BB himself was misinformed and passed along the misinformation, or they've changed the design. Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted July 15, 2005 Author Report Share Posted July 15, 2005 Hasn't there been like over a dozen Lucilles'made over the years, and none of them would have been like the original Gibson he used, the ORIGINAL Lucille that he pulled from the fire, back in the 50's (or was it the 40's?)? I think Lucille has actually been several different designs over the years. But none of this has much to do with the effects of chambering a solid-body guitar, eh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigdguitars Posted July 15, 2005 Report Share Posted July 15, 2005 lol yea you are right. So someone tell me what the difference is between semi hollow and chambering. Becuase some of what I have seen here is more or less semihollow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
komodo Posted July 15, 2005 Report Share Posted July 15, 2005 (edited) "And for Komodo, I believe that if anyone acts like they can really explain what different chambering actually does tone-wise, I think they're just spouting garbage. I do it and I like it, but I couldn't forcast the tonal differences and plot it out beforehand..."Hmmm, if I remove another 1/2" all around, I'll drop the resonant tone down to d flat..." Drak-I guess this was part of what I was poking at. I mean this has to be a decent ammount of extra work. I understand the weight thing, but doing it for tonal change/influence . . .i guess I am wondering what that extra tonal difference is if it is at all describable (sp?). Also, I was wondering how you decide how much to rout out and where . . .obviously you are following contour and shape to a degree, but as far as multiple chambers etc . . . curious as to how anyone decides what to rout . . . once again, great thread and much thanks to all. KOMODO Edited July 15, 2005 by komodo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROCKETROB Posted July 15, 2005 Report Share Posted July 15, 2005 Thanks for the pics Drak. They give me a lot of ideas on chambering. I have some alder that has some imperfections That could be routed out and made useful by chambering the body. I'll have to try it. Rob. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donald k wilson Posted July 15, 2005 Report Share Posted July 15, 2005 I have a Washburn Delta that is semimhollow. The body is made of 5 pieces of wood. Top and back +/- 1/4'" ply pressed arches, left and right sides bent also +/- 1/4 " ply. center block from neck to tail just wider than the pups. It is not chambered, the construction is similar to an archtop or "hollow body" hence the name semi hollow body. This guitar is somewhat acoustic and I travel with it all the time, it is light, loud enough to hear in a room with other people. The guitar has "resonance" and actually has a nice sustain. It will also feedback at the drop of a dime if you face the amp at volume! (heh heh heh) dkw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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