ibanezlover Posted May 17, 2007 Report Share Posted May 17, 2007 I can't find a piece big enough to make the whole body, and I'm probably going to have to make a 2-piece body. Does this make any difference at all in the tone? I'm not finishing it natural so looks don't matter. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nitefly SA Posted May 17, 2007 Report Share Posted May 17, 2007 I dare you to find a production guitar with a 1 piece body. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattia Posted May 17, 2007 Report Share Posted May 17, 2007 Most of my solidbody guitar stock is for 2-piece bodies. Easier to find better quality (say, quartersawn) wood in slightly smaller sizes, and I have no problems doing them in a natural finish either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted May 17, 2007 Report Share Posted May 17, 2007 2-piece bodies can often look better anyhow. Plus, natural and accurate centre-line for you to use for your measurements. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted May 17, 2007 Report Share Posted May 17, 2007 I dare you to find a production guitar with a 1 piece body. Gibson Explorer. But anyway,I would not put too much faith in what "production guitars" do or don't do...they are slackers.I use one piece where i can,but it doesn't matter that much to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radrobgray Posted May 17, 2007 Report Share Posted May 17, 2007 I dare you to find a production guitar with a 1 piece body. Gibson Explorer. But anyway,I would not put too much faith in what "production guitars" do or don't do...they are slackers.I use one piece where i can,but it doesn't matter that much to me. really? i recall even the natural gibson explorere to have a 3 peice body. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim_ado Posted May 17, 2007 Report Share Posted May 17, 2007 use different woods and turn a "minor inconveniance" into soming beautiful Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batfink Posted May 17, 2007 Report Share Posted May 17, 2007 My singer's Epiphone Explorer must be at least 7pc ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted May 17, 2007 Report Share Posted May 17, 2007 I just recently had a Gibson(not epiphone) Explorer which was obviously one piece. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKARLEG Posted May 17, 2007 Report Share Posted May 17, 2007 One piece, two piece, just please ... no plywood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Setch Posted May 17, 2007 Report Share Posted May 17, 2007 Tonally indistinguishable from a 1 piece, and as Mattia says, you get to be *much* pickier when dealing with 2 piece bodies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BNichols Posted May 17, 2007 Report Share Posted May 17, 2007 plus not only can you be picky about what wood, you might even be able to buy one blank and just bookmatch it. that look could be nice depending on the wood Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ibanezlover Posted May 17, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 17, 2007 Wow, exoticwoods.com has a 1-piece alder body blank for $100 and a 3-piece for $46. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cherokee6 Posted May 18, 2007 Report Share Posted May 18, 2007 Ditto. I just needed to say something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IbanezFreak666 Posted May 18, 2007 Report Share Posted May 18, 2007 wow i thought most guitars were one peice. and zomg...blazing saddles fan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ibanezlover Posted May 18, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 18, 2007 If they sound the same why would you want a 1-piece body? Just for looks? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IbanezFreak666 Posted May 18, 2007 Report Share Posted May 18, 2007 there must be some slight difference in tone and its much easyer to work with one peice of wood. and if your doing a nateral look it would probably look better unless the join is in the middle and stands out on purpose Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ibanezlover Posted May 18, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 18, 2007 Yeah that's true about the natural look but I don't like natural unless it has a figured top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southpa Posted May 19, 2007 Report Share Posted May 19, 2007 The body for the tele I built came from one solid block of bigleaf maple. Why one piece? easiest guitar I've ever built. Only one glue joint and that was for the fb cap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattia Posted May 19, 2007 Report Share Posted May 19, 2007 there must be some slight difference in tone and its much easyer to work with one peice of wood. and if your doing a nateral look it would probably look better unless the join is in the middle and stands out on purpose There won't be any more difference in tone than there is between any two body blanks - 1 or 2 piece - you care to mention, especially if the body wood's from the same board (only way I've ever done it to date). Look, most folks don't think a thin (1/8" to 1/4") top adds much of anything to the sound, and it's got a gluing area of over 8 times what it takes to make a 2-piece body. Nobody ever accused Les Pauls of lacking sustain, f'r instance, and they have a huge honkin' horizontal glue line. Making a nice-looking 2-piece body does require a bit of flipping and matching, and some woods are easier to join than others. The last few I've glued up, all of which will get natural finishes (excuse the lack of finish sanding and pencil marks, but you get the idea. The lines are invisible, the joints nearly so): http://www.xs4all.nl/~mvalente/guitarpics4/stratele89.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmrentis Posted May 19, 2007 Report Share Posted May 19, 2007 Making a nice-looking 2-piece body does require a bit of flipping and matching, and some woods are easier to join than others. The last few I've glued up, all of which will get natural finishes (excuse the lack of finish sanding and pencil marks, but you get the idea. The lines are invisible, the joints nearly so): http://www.xs4all.nl/~mvalente/guitarpics4/stratele89.jpg http://www.xs4all.nl/~mvalente/guitarpics6/chamber/chamber3.jpg Would you agree also that having a two piece greatly expands the choice in figured tops and body woods for that matter? I know of a number of exotics that are hard to come by(near me) in thickness and width of of a one piece. To be honest, more often than not I prefer a bookmatched top or body in figured woods, it gives the guitar a very interesting and symmetrical look(aka Vader) and seems to look more even than a one piece. I would imagine it much easier to find an evenly figured board in a 6-7 inch plank than to find one in a 12-14 inch plank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted May 19, 2007 Report Share Posted May 19, 2007 I would imagine it much easier to find an evenly figured board in a 6-7 inch plank than to find one in a 12-14 inch plank. Sure,for maples and such.Just for informative purposes though it is quite easy to find figured bubinga in one piece sizes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattia Posted May 19, 2007 Report Share Posted May 19, 2007 For tops, you tend to like symmetry. However, if I had a 14" resaw capacity available, I certainly wouldn't shy away from 1-piece tops where appropriate; that has its own special kind of charm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.