Design Idea

[possum1284]

i was thinking building a hollow body out of padauk and maple. rather then using bracing and kerfed lining im thinking of doing the following. i believe this is how a prs hollowbody is done. heres my plan: the body will be made of 2 pieces, a 2" thick piece of padauk and 1" thick piece of maple. the padauk will serv as the back and sides and the maple will be the top. dealing with the padauk first i will carve the bottom of it then hollow out the inside forming a proper curve, the same will be done with the maple. my first questions is: how thick should the wood be for the sides, i was thinking 1/4 of an inches? my second question is how thick should i leave the wood on the caved top and back?

i think this idea would work.

Also if anyone has the wood thickness measurements of a prs hollowbody that would be great.

[verhoevenc]

I'm building a semi-hollow right now. Lacewood back and sides, spruce top. Guys on here suggested that the sides should be 1/2"-5/8". I'd suggest 5/8" cause just in case you make a mistake, you've got a whole 1/8" to sand the mistake away (trust me this is useful, cause I used this advantage!). As for the top, the Bennedetto video says that if you're having and actual carved arch top, which is what I gather you're doing for the back and top, go now thinner than 1/8". However this will leave you with a very flexible top... which is good for an acoustic instrument, but if I were you, and makingg an electric like I think you are, I'd stay a little thicker. It won't vibrate as much and sound as good acoustically, but since you're doing an electric it doesn't matter AS much. So maybe try and go for 3/16" thick.

Chris

PS: Buy the Bennedetto Video/Book combo... SO worth the money ever though it's pricey.

[possum1284]

I'm building a semi-hollow right now. Lacewood back and sides, spruce top.  Guys on here suggested that the sides should be 1/2"-5/8". I'd suggest 5/8" cause just in case you make a mistake, you've got a whole 1/8" to sand the mistake away (trust me this is useful, cause I used this advantage!).  As for the top, the Bennedetto video says that if you're having and actual carved arch top, which is what I gather you're doing for the back and top, go now thinner than 1/8".  However this will leave you with a very flexible top... which is good for an acoustic instrument, but if I were you, and makingg an electric like I think you are, I'd stay a little thicker. It won't vibrate as much and sound as good acoustically, but since you're doing an electric it doesn't matter AS much. So maybe try and go for 3/16" thick.

Chris

PS: Buy the Bennedetto Video/Book combo... SO worth the money ever though it's pricey.

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thanks, i have the book by him. the reason im leaning away from a traditional archtop is ive heard side bending is rather difficult. when u made yours did u use bracing or anytinf or the process i described above.

Adam

[verhoevenc]

You can see what I'm doing by looking here:

MeuX E-Series

If you have more questions, just ask

Chris

[Drak]

My opinion is that with your wood choices, that guitar is going to be very heavy, awkward, extremely hard to carve/shape, and devoid of any tone at all. Those 2 woods are waaay to hard and stiff to get much tone out of at all, especially used together like that.

I would seriously rethink the wood selections for something a little more tone and tool friendly.

Also, I don't think your basic idea will fly because there will be no room to carve the bottom, your carving tool, whatever you use, will keep hitting the sides since you are planning on carving the interior with sides being an integral part, there's simply no room to move your carving tool around, you're working inside a 'box', which will not work.

Additionally, if you keep your sides at around 1/4" you better seal that wood on the inside quite well, as if you only finish the outside, the interior walls will want to absorb moisture and it could quite possibly split since they're not quartersawn and will have grain issues.

Besides the fact that carving Paduak is INCREDIBLY hard, I don't think you fully know what kind of work you are laying on yourself, and even if you actually get it done, I think, as I already said, it will be too heavy and tone dead. A white elephant of a guitar.

Bent sides are usually quartersawn wood, with a good deal of strength. Doing it your way, you will have grain running in several different directions/orientations.

So bottom line, if you want to use those woods, make the guitar more like a chambered electric more than a real hollowbody.

If you want a real hollowbody, then you should reread your book and follow it's suggestions more closely.

Personally, I'd say if you want a hollowbody, just get over your fear of bending sides and get on with learning how to do it, and use something like Spruce for your top. Your 'answer' to sidestepping the side bending issue is not a good one for a real 3" tall hollowbody.