Separate Contoured Tops On Hollow-and Semi-hollow Guitars

[Guest bartbrn]

I asked this question in another thread, but the thread was long and petering out, so I don't think many saw it. I hope it's OK to post the question a second time as a new topic -- if not, please let me know.

In most of the tutorials and books (Melvyn Hiscock's and Martin Oakham's) I've seen, a separate arched top on a semi- or full- hollowbody seems generally to be accomplished by contour routing or milling both the outside and the inside of the separate top piece, then finished by surforming/grinding/sanding. Has anyone ever accomplished this contouring by using a fairly thin top piece and steam-forming it to contour, instead of starting with a thick piece and hogging it out? Just curious.

Thanks!

Bart

[Xanthus]

Has anyone ever accomplished this contouring by using a fairly thin top piece and steam-forming it to contour, instead of starting with a thick piece and hogging it out?

jtlyk, that's the way it's done probably 75% of the time Laminated pieces molded to fit.

[Mattia]

Molding pressed plates works great for production shops, and most (certainly budget) hollowbody archtop insturments (e.g. ES 335, epi Dot) have laminated plates made with multiple veneers stuck together. Not a single piece, several pieces.

Thing is, if you have an angle grinder, carving a top out of a solid hunk of wood does not take that long...

[Bryan316]

My brother had a Les Paul body that was built as you said, a steam formed top glued to the body. It looked god-awful and had tons of construction issues.

It is not really that time consuming to grind away the wood. There's plenty of threads here that give great examples and have proper photos documenting the process. Hiscock's book describes the process very nicely as well. I'd bet you could carve the top in two long afternoons. How long, and laborious, would it be to steam a board and attach it? Not nearly as long, I'd think, as the tried-and-true wood removal method.