An idea -- Psuedo semi-hollow body?

[Tele-me about it]

Usually my brain is always formulating some kind of crazy idea, and this time it just so happened upon an idea I might call a "psuedo semi-hollow body".  Basically it's just a cheap way to make a semi-hollow (a non-laminated semi-hollow); start with a solid body, flip it over, route the 2 cavities, route the f-holes (or a**hole if you're feelin' a little feisty :laughing7, create a thin-ish cover to place in the recessed area, and wah-lah!  Screw&gasket or glue and you'd have your own psuedo semi-hollow!  Or would it be composite semi-hollow?

Anywho, anyone else ever think of this or try this?  Been kinda curious since the only semi-hollow bass body Warmoth offers has no horns (Tele) and I would personally be afraid of balance issues. Plus, then there'd be TWO f-holes, and I think that'd be pretty swanky.

 

[Hendrix]

like this ?

 

[sixstringsamurai]

It's called Chambering dude. :headbang:

 

[Jumble Jumble]

and wah-lah!

For future reference, I think you mean "voilà".  :icon_thumright:

 

[sixstringsamurai]

and wah-lah!

For future reference, I think you mean "voilà".  :icon_thumright:

 

[swarfrat]

Future reference it's quite common for Americans to intentionally mangle French idioms on purpose. It's quite fun.

 

[greywolf]

works well been doing it on almost all mine for the past 15 yrs , even the fretless in my avatar.

 

[Great Ape]

Indeed, that chambered guitar has a certain 'jenay-saykwah'...and unless I completely misunderstood, Tele-me meant that the routing & chambering would be done from the BACK, and a large wooden back would then be fitted to the back of the body...Non? Oui?

 

[bagman67]

I do believe that's the way our friends at rickenbacker do the 360, yes? 

 

[Tele-me about it]

Wii, monsyur!  I did mean from the back, that way you don't have to worry about making a laminate top, perfectly routing all of the holes for pickups/neck, shaving down the top of the body, etc.  The idea would be to make a chambered body as easily as possible, especially from Warmoth body blanks.  Though instead of doing one big piece covering the whole back (affecting guitar thickness, finished weight, and aesthetics around the edge), you could just make two smaller covers, one for each half, and make it flush with the backside (same way as a rear-rout cavity cover, except one would no longer be necessary.) I think it'd be especially cool using bloodwood -- would almost look like your guitar had kidneys!  arty07:
But mainly with this idea, I was referencing the "Hollow" option for the Warmoth T-Bass body, where a very large cavity is opened up, with an optional f-hole.

Now I suddenly have a hankering for garlic chicken...

 

[ihavenothingprofoundtosay]

Routing from the back & putting the laminate there is how Fender does their thinlines, and has always done AFAIK.