Tele build: thickness of cap wood?

[buckallred]

Quick question:

I want to build a chambered tele body.

What thickness is the cap for this sort of thing? 1/2 inch? 1/4 inch? Are there any particular rules about this sort of thing? Seems to me that a thicker cap, say 1/2 inch, would obviously be more durable. . .

thanks for any input.

 

[nathan a]

I'm pretty sure on flat top solid bodies the cap is 1/8", and 1/4" on chambered/hollow bodies. It's listed on the W website....

 

[Death by Uberschall]

1/8th inch on chambered and solid bodies, 1/4 inch on Thinline bodies.

 

[nathan a]

There we go, that's it. I knew I was close!  :laughing11:

 

[Rick]

I have a chambered body tele and the cap is more than a 1/8 but less than 1/4.  But I got it off the showcase.  So there may have been something different going on.

As for durability, there is no difference between a 1/8 top on a chambered body and a 1/4 top on a thinline.  Remember the chambered body has more supports.  I'd wager that the chambered body is more durable, but you'd have to do something insane to your guitar to find out like hit it with an hatchet.

 

[buckallred]

Thank you all for the help.

For a chambered tele body (not a thinline), I should be OK going with boards that are each at least 6.5 inches wide and 2 inches thick, correct? THe 2 inches thick would obviously leave me some spare room to sand off any knots, etc.

Then for the top I can get a board that is at least 6.5 inches wide and 1/2 inch thick (and at least 13" or so long) and slice it in half for a bookmatched 1/4" top. . . correct?

Sorry for the "n00b" questions.