fyb Posted August 28, 2007 Report Share Posted August 28, 2007 Hey all! I'm wondering if you think you can get a decent semi-hollow tone out of a strat or tele sized guitar. 335's are made of maple with a center block, right? Could I use a maple body blank and hollow most of it out and get close? Or will this be too bright? Any opinions would be helpful Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted August 28, 2007 Report Share Posted August 28, 2007 My semi-abandoned project is a smaller 335 shape; however, it is a chambered solidbody. A chambered solidbody will have more in common with a normal solidbody than it will with a semi-hollowbody with bent sides. Two different animals. If you made an actual archtop with bent sides, in a smaller form-factor, you're still in the right sonic territory. Check out PRS's archtop as an example. If you're going with the chambered route, I wouldn't recommend maple for the whole body. I would use mahogany or limba or something similar. I chose Limba for mine, but that's just because it was readily available and had a good reputation for tone. I really found it easy to work with, too. I'm supposedly putting a maple top on it, but the maple I have is ever-so-slightly cupped and became one of my roadbumps... gotta deal with that before I can move on. Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fryovanni Posted August 28, 2007 Report Share Posted August 28, 2007 Your question is hard to answer, because I don't know what your expecting. However, your basic question seems to be, can I make a good sounding semi hollow body guitar that is comperable in size to a Strat or Tele. The answer to that would be yes it is possible(there are several models that sound good to many people* and hopefully you would be one of those people). Now you have two paths you can take. One find a semi hollow design that you like the sound of and emulate as accurately as possible, or start researching acoustic and electric theory. If you want to design your own with a good chance of getting what you are after, you have a LOT of work ahead of you. Most semi hollows(chambered) are not designed with a lot of thought put into acoustic responce and function. It becomes more of a diet for the guitar(weight loss) and the resonance of the body is changed(but it is not taken far enough in design to really control or attempt to get any specific responce). Most of the time it seems the focus is to try to ensure you have controlled unwanted feedback(although that is certainly an important part of the design), more than push for acoustic charictoristics. May be worth looking at David Myka's, or Scott French's designs(just members that come to mind when I think semi hollows). Peace,Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted August 28, 2007 Report Share Posted August 28, 2007 Does Scott have a semi-hollowbody? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fryovanni Posted August 28, 2007 Report Share Posted August 28, 2007 Does Scott have a semi-hollowbody? Take a look at his tuning for feature-link I am not familiar with how he treats the top or back surfaces or what not, but It is certainly a semi hollow design. Peace,Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted August 28, 2007 Report Share Posted August 28, 2007 It might be just semantics... I'm not a luthier qualified to make this judgement... but to me, that's a chambered solidbody. In my mind, and I'm happy to be corrected on this, a semi-hollowbody has bent sides. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ray Posted August 28, 2007 Report Share Posted August 28, 2007 i like the semi hollow style as it is light and the guitar seems a bit livelier or more responsive that a solid of the same shape. it is nowhere near what you get out of a real hollow body - i dont classify the 335 as a hollowbody - its kind of a morph between hollowbody and the fender tele thinline style - leo "industrialised" if you like, the 335 style and produced the thinline, starcaster and other models. these fender designs have the full depth central core supporthing the pickups, neck pocket and bridge in common with the 335 - the later 335's core was terminated just behind the bridge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fryovanni Posted August 28, 2007 Report Share Posted August 28, 2007 It might be just semantics... I'm not a luthier qualified to make this judgement... but to me, that's a chambered solidbody. In my mind, and I'm happy to be corrected on this, a semi-hollowbody has bent sides. Actually I think many people use them interchangably. Actually, The distinction between a hollow and semi-hollow to me is bracing vs a block to support the bridge. A 335 is a semi-hollow but, much as with a hollowbody or flattop acoustic the rim is not really a prime producer of sound though(that would be the top plate/soundboard and back plate to an smaller extent). I suppose you could look at the thickness of the top and back plate on a 335 and say it is thinner and possibly more active than a thicker top or back plate. Maybe that would be a way of distiguishing. Honestly though I don't think there is a firm definition between a semi hollow and a chambered solidbody. I do think it would be nice if the two were defined a little better though(especially when the construction methods are really very different). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j. pierce Posted August 29, 2007 Report Share Posted August 29, 2007 Re: chambered guitar entirely out of maple - isn't that pretty much what a lot of those Rickenbacker guitars are? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted August 29, 2007 Report Share Posted August 29, 2007 Having thought it through a little bit more, they've more in common tonally, after all. The solid block in a 335, as you correctly identify, is the "tone generator" as far as the body's role goes. This makes it dissimilar to tone generated by the entire top (soundboard?) of a true hollowbody. The "acoustic" performance of a 335 doesn't necessarily translate into the amplified tone (a matter for debate!), and it is certainly not an "acoustic" instrument the same way an archtop jazz box is. Again, not claiming to be the expert, but I have always thought: Semi-hollowbody = with the centre block as per the 335, but still featuring bent sides. Hollowbody = braced, like an archetypal jazz archtop, with bent sides. Solidbody = solid chunks of wood, no bent sides. The chambering in a solidbody is often a weight reduction thing, though it is also a tone-changing factor (as per thinline Teles, Ricks, etc). But it's still a solid body, aka solidbody. Just happens to have pockets removed from it as well. Anyhow... I think I've confirmed my own suspicion that it's just semantics. I DO think that the difference in construction is important to be clear about, but the OP just cares about tone. The chambered solidbody will have a lot in common with the semi-hollowbody after all. Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fryovanni Posted August 29, 2007 Report Share Posted August 29, 2007 Greg, I think you have it right it is just semantics. Functionally, I believe the solid block design was added to provide better feedback control. I am not sure what you mean by the center block being the "tone generator". Are you thinking in terms of the block being the point that the bridge is attached(thus connecting the strings to the body, kinda leg bone connected to the shin bone thing)? That kinda makes sense to me. Honestly, to me understanding the dynamics and effect of a semi hollow(or chambered electric) on the strings is a VERY challenging concept to get ahold of. I mean really you are going to bleed off energy, how much and what frequencies would seem to depend on the bridge and neck(stiffness and desity, losses through loose couplings) much like an electric. The reflected energy from the body and neck that then return to the strings. The phase relationship, attenuation, duration and amplitude I just can't seem to get a handle on(maybe one of these days someone can give me some sense of how that all works out, I have not spent enough time working on them to have a clue). I think David Myka may be able to add some good info on this topic. He seems to have a good grasp of the Semi hollow/hollow/carved/arched plates/ bent or cut sides thing in his Dragonfly. He seems to blend acoustic and electric elements a lot. Peace,Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted August 29, 2007 Report Share Posted August 29, 2007 Yes, I was just following up on and agreeing with your observation that neither the 335-style nor the chamber-style have the bridge mounted on a thin resonant top. The bridge is mounted to a hunk of wood. I think this makes them more similar than dissimilar. I do enjoy linguistics and issues of language... to me, it would be "ideal" if semi-hollowbody and chambered solidbody were known as two different construction approaches. It makes the language very clear. But it's been pointed out to me (correctly) that even major guitar manufacturers will refer to their chambered guitars as "semi-hollowbody". So, I was plain ol' wrong in thinking that there's a clear delineation. The Scott French guitars are awesome. I was on the verge of comissioning one in April. His stuff is among my favourite stuff that I've ever seen. Since it's been so long that I haven't even touched my guitar, the thread has fallen into obscurity... but here's a pic of the body and top of the 335-ish chambered solidbody I was working on (and hope to get back to): The neck pocket area of both pieces still have excess wood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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