Hollow Bodies & Balance

[Josbourne]

Hello all, I'm a 23 year old guitar player from the Netherlands and within a month or two I will be building my first custom guitar, based on a Strat body and maple SRV neck. I have only one question left that bothers me, and to me it's of great importance;

Some time ago I played my buddy's Flying V and I noticed the neck falling to the ground all the time; I had to pull it up and couldn't play any solos because my hand was to busy just holding the guitar's neck up.

Now some reviews have got me enthousiastic about the hollow body features mentioned on the Warmoth website but when I was writing down my ordering list I thought of the weight of the hollow body and the Flying V again.

Who can comment on these issues by experience using a hollow body Strat and a SRV neck? I just love the standard Strat sound but improved sustain and more depth to the sound sounds attractive to me..

By the way, the body wood will be Swamp Ash/Swamp Ash..

Thanks in advance for all helpful answers on this topic!

Greetings from Holland ofcourse

 

[nathan a]

I can't directly address your question because I've never played a hollow strat or an srv neck. But, I've been playing an epiphone wildkat at home quite a bit, and this might help you a bit:

Its a hollow body mahogany/flame maple with a mahogany/rosewood neck. It is a bit neck heavy, BUT any problem I've experienced is fixed by using a wide-ish leather strap, because the leather grabs onto my shirt + shoulders, holding the neck up at a good angle.

 

[jackthehack]

I've 4 hollow bodied Strats so far, three with maple necks and one with a one piece rosewood neck and balance is absolutely not an issue. If you sling your axe in some manner other than usual, you might want to check the body weight and order one of the heavier ones, they can vary a lot; haven't done a swamp ash, just alder and mahoghany ones with flame maple/zebrawood/rosewood tops.

 

[Alfang]

Guys, Its not the weight of the body. it's the flying V  .  the shape of the V for one thing makes the neck want to drop. It's a hard guitar to hold even sitting , you cant rest it on your knee

Next is the forward location of the strap. it is located several inches further back than the upper horn on a strat, location of the rear strap button is key as well, the further back you go, the more neck heavy your guitar will be.

I have a 2 pound hollow swamp ash and it has no ballance problems at all, So move forthe without fear :guitarplayer2:

 

[Josbourne]

Well thanks!

I don't think I sling my axe other than usual, I'm not standing upside down but I have it hung pretty high; I unfortunately do not have supersized hands so I like strapping my guitar on pretty high so it doesn't feel to different from playing seated on the side of my bed

According to the Warmoth website Alder weighs about the same as Ash so I think I'll just do it!

Oh by the way, you own some hollow bodied guitars; what are your comments on these? I mean I know the comments from the W-site but do you have any special remarks that they didn't mention?

 

[Stuck in the Sixties]

Welcome Josbourne :hello2:  I do believe you hit the nail on the head with I don't have supersized hands. I started playing in the spring of 1963 and played many of the first ones made by gibson and found the same problem that you describe the neck was so heavy, thick, and wide for my small hands. I had to constantly fight the neck from nose diving this problem was not only the Flying V but the Les Paul, and the EB3 bass. I haven't finished my first Warmoth Strat but my next one will be a rear routed hollow body. There are some things to help during playing but take off your fretting hand from the neck look out below. Good luck on your new build. :headbang1:

 

[jhumber]

I've played my first gig last night with my new hollowbody alder/flame maple strat, with a standard thin vintage pro warmoth neck, and the balance could not be better if it tried.
The body weighs exactly 3lbs, and the guitar in total weighs 5lbs 11ozs, which according to most, is VERY light for a strat. However, with a fairly wide leather Levy's strap, the guitar just sits perfectly on you. As for the tone.....even my drummer noticed a difference(!). I'd highly HIGHLY recommend the hollow strats.

 

[Alfang]

Jos,You mentioned that you want improved sustain

I'm gonna excercise some common sense and shoot from the hip here.

Imagine 2 tuning forks one made from hardened dense steel, the other lead or some softer less dense metal...the more dense harder metal is gonna "sing" much longer that the other.

Wood will act the same way. a softer wood is gonna absorb some of the strings energy, a harder more dense wood is gonna reflect that energy back into the strings, or maybe a better way to say it, is it won't absorb the energy. so a harder wood will give you a brighter sound with more sustain, a softer wood will give you a warmer sound and less sustain.

This is a simple explaination givin that all other parts on the guitar are equal      It would be interesting to find out what the average specific gravity of all the diferent types of wood are...

I believe, but may be wrong, that lower frequencies are less affected by wood density than high frequencies  ie lighter wood atenuates higher frequncies more than a heavier wood

 

[m4rk0]

Niet zo zeuren, gewoon bestellen die Warmoth!

Welcome to forum, Josbourne!

 

[Alfang]

Niet zo zeuren, gewoon bestellen die Warmoth!

die warmoth!  Are you nuts?                                     

Houston, We got a problem, call Gregg :glasses10:

 

[m4rk0]

Not to worry Alfang,
'Die Warmoth' means 'that Warmoth' in Dutch...

 

[Alfang]

M4rko , I knew it musta meant something good,

I can't keep up on all the languages in my own country, let alone all that I am exposed to online.

In My country, it;s hard to order a bigmac and fries. we have english , spannish and...............more spannish.

I'm 1000 miles north of the spannish border too        Portland Oregon USA

 

[m4rk0]

Hey Alfang,
I was born in Holland, but now live in Texas..
and I definetely need a translator at the driver-thru here

 

[Nando Vallart]

M4rk0:
Someones whising go out, someones wishing go in!
I'm 'dreaming' in go live in Amsterdã!

 

[-CB-]

I had to pull it up and couldn't play any solos because my hand was to busy just holding the guitar's neck up.

This is a common occurrence with Gibson SG's as well.  All ya need to do is wear a platform sole shoe on your left foot.  That'll fix'er right up! :laughing7:

Some folks say a rubberized strap is the answer.  I dunno.  My SG's (Gibsons, not Warmoth, thinner body on G's) dont seem too neck heavy... but some folks have gone with lightweight tuning machines and all sorts of trouble to "even things out".  I guess whatever floats yer boat is good.

 

[Josbourne]

@Alfang: I got the density/sustain thing covered. I read a thread on some forum before yesterday that did not completely agree on the thing you're stating/the thing we all thought true.. There are some other factors like oiliness of the wood etc. ; suppose you didn't know rosewood is denser than maple? Yet, since rosewood has oil in it it has a warmer sound.. Or whatever.. You get the point  :icon_scratch:

@Marko: google vox humana, check de dealer page, zij halen hun spul ook bij Warmoth .. Mijn gitaartech hier in Sleeuwijk kan dat spul bovendien nog supergoedkoop krijgen ook  :rock-on:

@Everyone; no evil things were said here about Warmoth, duh :guitarplayer2:

 

[Alfang]

Jos, yes I get the point, I dont know as much as I would like to, I stated I was shooting from the hip about how I unsderstood things, I am always willing to change my mind if someone has input,

Thanks

 

[Stuck in the Sixties]

M4rko , I knew it musta meant something good,

I can't keep up on all the languages in my own country, let alone all that I am exposed to online.

In My country, it;s hard to order a bigmac and fries. we have english , spannish and...............more spannish.

I'm 1000 miles north of the spannish border too        Portland Oregon USA

I lived in sunny southern Ca. for a little over 6 years and I believe that would be English, Spainish, and Spanglish this statement was not intended to hurt anyones' feelings. You should here me speak English I was born in Kentucky and lived here most of my life. Ya'll come back now ya hear. :icon_smile:

 

[m4rk0]

M4rko , I knew it musta meant something good,

I can't keep up on all the languages in my own country, let alone all that I am exposed to online.

In My country, it;s hard to order a bigmac and fries. we have english , spannish and...............more spannish.

I'm 1000 miles north of the spannish border too        Portland Oregon USA

I lived in sunny southern Ca. for a little over 6 years and I believe that would be English, Spainish, and Spanglish this statement was not intended to hurt anyones' feelings. You should here me speak English I was born in Kentucky and lived here most of my life. Ya'll come back now ya hear. :icon_smile:

I didn't mean to offend anyone either... my own accent is crazy enough actually... a mixture of dutch, Irish and texan accents!

 

[Josbourne]

Anybody want a haring?