How do I know if an aftermarket body is chambered?

[bagman67]

So I have a Strat body for sale, and a prospective purchaser asked whether it's chambered.  I bought the body from someone else, so I don't have the original order info.  The body is quite light, but I really have no idea whether it's chambered. 


Is there any way to tell without taking an Xray?


Bagman

 

[Pelagaard]

Bandsaw

 

[mero]

I think chambered bodies have a C written in marker in the neck pocket.

E.g.

 

[AutoBat]

I think chambered bodies have a C written in marker in the neck pocket.

Interesting. I checked on my VIP body and it's got an H.  Maybe it's hollow and not chambered!

 

[Cagey]

So I have a Strat body for sale, and a prospective purchaser asked whether it's chambered.  I bought the body from someone else, so I don't have the original order info.  The body is quite light, but I really have no idea whether it's chambered. 

Is there any way to tell without taking an Xray?

A capacitive stud finder might do it. Not the magnetic ones - they're looking for nails/screws. The capacitive ones are looking for a change in thickness.

Just for fun, I tried it on one of my chambered Strats vs. a solid one, and got more or less the results I expected. It sees a difference between the tail section below the bridge and the sides, but not the little chamber divisions in the sides. It thinks those are hollow. On the solid body, the whole top sets it off.

 

[bagman67]

Bandsaw

True, but useless... much like most legal advice.


Heh.

 

[Updown]

:icon_scratch:  Tap on it in different areas .... might give you an idea.  :dontknow:

 

[bagman67]

I think the chambers are small enough that there's really unlikely to be much vibration of the lam top over the cavities.  And for that matter, my ear is likely not sensitive enough.

 

[Updown]

Ok then  :icon_scratch: ................. dose superman live near you ?  :icon_jokercolor:

What about trying a piece of wire / old string thought the pup wire routs and see if you can find a chamber.
I know I have sent a wire in for the pups and just happened to find a chamber, after noticing that it didn't come out where it was meant to.  :doh:

 

[bagman67]

Ok then  :icon_scratch: ................. dose superman live near you ?  :icon_jokercolor:

What about trying a piece of wire / old string thought the pup wire routs and see if you can find a chamber.
I know I have sent a wire in for the pups and just happened to find a chamber, after noticing that it didn't come out where it was meant to.  :doh:

That's an idea worth checking, but the only hole to work with is the ground wire to the trem-claw aperture.  I can live with not knowing (after all, the body is for sale), but it's an interesting problem to solve.

 

[stubhead]

Which kind does he want to buy?

:evil4:

 

[bagman67]

Which kind does he want to buy?

:evil4:

I'm hip.  In short, though, I'm not comfortable with representing it as something I don't know it to be - irrespective of whether he'd be getting a good deal either way.

 

[Wyliee]

So I have a Strat body for sale, and a prospective purchaser asked whether it's chambered.  I bought the body from someone else, so I don't have the original order info.  The body is quite light, but I really have no idea whether it's chambered. 


Is there any way to tell without taking an Xray?


Bagman

A chambered Strat would have a C in the neck pocket.

Picking at nits, but chambered and hollow are two different beasts.  (At least for Warmoth...) Chambered is many small chambers.  Hollow is a few large chambers.