solidbody tele vs thinline

[add4]

Hello everyone.
I am currently thinking of building a tele warmoth project (2 humbuckers tele). And i would like to know how you would describe the effect of having a thinline body to the tele sound. Does it gives the guitar a fuller, more resonant sound, or on the opposite, gives it a thinner, lighter sound?
I am currently using an Ibanez ES 335 copy, and i would like to have a 'hollower', more acoustic sound out of it. which makes me think of the making a thinline tele, but i also like my guitars to have a full sound.
i am basically after the sound of what would be a ES 335 , without the wood plank in the middle, so more acoustic. Do you think a thinline would be good for that.
i have found this video which makes me think it could be a good choice.
http://www.youtube.com/user/rpguitar#p/u/8/zWwrIhwEscE
best
arnaud

 

[Cagey]

As that video shows quite plainly, body style/construction/wood and neck wood have a lot less to do with a guitar's sound than most people would like to admit, at least with electrics. It's mostly in the signal chain, starting with the pickups and ending at the speakers.

 

[Kostas]

I have a thinline and it's different than all the other guitars. Hard to explain how different but you know it when you start playing unplugged. Into an amp it's also a different sound, not night & day but different from solid & chambered bodies.

The thinline has the wood plank in the middle, if it wasn't there it would be difficult to handle the bridge and pickups. What is that you don't like in your Ibanez? Have you ever played a Gibson semi hollow guitar? Or even better a Heritage? Try some guitars first to see what you like and what you don't. I'm guessing with a 24.75 conversion neck you can get pretty close to a Gibson sound if you choose low output pickups. I suggest P90s. You can find many different P90's on the market. I prefer their clean sound compared to humbuckers and they do a great job with low-mid gain. Great all around pickups unless you play metal.

 

[SpiderDeluxe]

eastman thinlines are basically 335s with no plank in the middle.  They have a solid block of wood in the lower bout but the inner cavity is hollow all the way across.  great sound.  I have a t186 and love it.  beautifully made, too.

 

[Strat Avenger]

As that video shows quite plainly, body style/construction/wood and neck wood have a lot less to do with a guitar's sound than most people would like to admit, at least with electrics. It's mostly in the signal chain, starting with the pickups and ending at the speakers.

While that is quite true, a hollow body (or semi-hollow) electric has a distinctly different tone from a solid body electric.

 

[Cagey]

I know I have both chambered and solid body Strats here that sound quite different acoustically, but through the amp the difference is far from "distinct". Problem is, it's not really apples to apples because they all have different body and neck woods as well as different pickups in them. So, it's tough to say what's making what difference I do hear.

 

[-CB-]

I've got two thinlines currently, one mahogany, one swamp ash.  For what they are - they're a good deal darker than solids.  The mahogany one has 52ri Fender pickups - and its a match made in heaven.  The ash one has a combination of HB bridge and P90 neck, and I had to take the goncalo neck off it.  Goncalo was too dark.  Now it has maple and is pretty nice - a whole range of nice palettes opened up by swapping necks.  Both were the same profile - Louisville slugger, aka fatback.

 

[Death by Uberschall]

Solid vs. Chambered/Hollow body is more about the note attack than it is about the tone. Solid guitars have more punch to the notes, chambered and hollow body seems to have a softer attack with a "bloom" to the notes. At least that's my take on what I feel and hear. Your mileage may vary.

 

[Strat Avenger]

I know I have both chambered and solid body Strats here that sound quite different acoustically, but through the amp the difference is far from "distinct". Problem is, it's not really apples to apples because they all have different body and neck woods as well as different pickups in them. So, it's tough to say what's making what difference I do hear.

While not an "apples-to-apples" comparison, it is noteworthy that a ES-335 has a distinctly fat, hollow sound compared to a solid Strat, Tele, Les Paul, etc., when played through the same signal chain into the same amp.

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

Let's clarify there are 3 Teles Warmoth offers and not 2.  Solid, Chambered, and Hollow (Thinline).  Chambered/Thinline give the impression there are the same, and they are not.