Wood choice for semi-hollow body

[bassface732]

Hi everyone!

I'm a bit of a newbie and could use some input...  I am hoping to make a semi-hollow bodied electric guitar (probably a mooncaster) that could serve both as a primary guitar for playing Jazz, while also being a passable backup for my main Rock guitar.  I'm hoping I might be able to find the right combination of Tonewoods and pickups that could give me a nice, warm Jazz tone in one pickup position, and still provide a decent hi-gain, hard-rock rhythm sound in another pickup position (I know some guitarists like a Dave Grohl get a great heavy rock sound out of semi-hollow guitars).

Does anyone have any recommendations for wood combinations that might help me get this combination?  I know this is under the "Body Woods" category, but I'd also love to hear recommendations for neck/fretboard wood and pickups if anyone has any good ideas!

Thanks so much in advance for your help, and please let me know if you need any clarification!

 

[Cagey]

Seymour Duncan makes a humbucking pickup set called the "Hot-Rodded Humbucker Set" that's tailor-made for that situation. Been making them for a long time, as it's a very popular set in a wide variety of guitars/situations.

As for "tonewoods", there's a lot less to that reality in electric guitars than the amount of discussion about it would lead you to believe, especially in situations where the variation in tonal character is as wide as you desire. The differences in wood response are subtle and easily modified/overwhelmed by other details, particularly pickup designs.

 

[NonsenseTele]

Black Korina body and neck
Ebony fretboard

why? because looks good! Choose the right pickups and a 24.75" neck and you will get that 335 sound

 

[Rick]

Body: korina (with a korina top)
Neck: goncalo alves with Wenge fretboard
Dimarzio neck dp241
Bridge pearly gates or Duncan distortion
Freeway 6 position blade, neck, neck and bridge, bridge, bridge and neck series, b and n, series out of phase, b and n, para out of phase, 1 voo, 1 tone, Hipshot locking tuners with ump

 

[TBurst Std]

Keep in mind a Mooncaster is not a semi hollow (ala335).  Instead is a huge chambered body.  The construction between the 2 is quite different. 

 

[Rick]

Shoot, for all these years I thought it was a semi-hollow!  If it is a total jazz box, then benedetto's for pups, everything else the same.

 

[TBurst Std]

No it’s not a jazz box either. A jazz box is a hollow body typically. The Mooncaster is not built like either a semi hollow or hollow body. Semi hollow and hollow bodies are built with tops and backs glued to sides.

A Mooncaster is a solid body that is largely routed out from the top, then a top glued to it.  The back and sides are the same piece of wood.

 

[Cagey]

Right. In fact, there's enough wood left in the centerline of the body to allow for just about any kind of hardtail or vibrato bridge drill pattern or route, including Kahlers and Floyds. Very attractive and comfortable piece of work.

 

[pirate]

So then a mooncaster can or cannot get close to sounding like at 335? If not what is it close to? Or is it just a question of pick ups etc. to replicate the sound of a typical 335 or 339 type body guitar?

 

[Cagey]

There's no good answer to that. Look at what Ted Nugent plays, and listen to what he sounds like. Look at what Al DiMeola plays, and what he sounds like. If I had video, you could wonder if the the Taylor 314CE you're hearing bears any resemblence to the Jazzmaster you're seeing, or if the Agile Les Paul looks anything like the Hammond B3 organ you're hearing. Listen to the Tele through the Marshall JCM2000 into a 4x12 bottom, and correlate that to the pile of chips and software it's actually playing through. The list is infinite these days, and what you see vs. what you hear can be spooky.

 

[bassface732]

Wow, thanks so much to everyone for the replies!  I was definitely under the impression that the mooncaster was a semi-hollow body...

So I guess my question now is this:  Is the mooncaster a good choice for the tones I'm after?  Remember, I'm wanting to primarily play Jazz on this guitar, but still be able to get a good heavy rock sound out of it when I need to.  That may seem like a tall order...  I think it can be done, but let me know if I'm way off here!

...and if the mooncaster isn't the body I'm looking for, is there a better option for me?  Does Warmoth make a semi-hollow body option that might be better for what I'm looking for?

Thanks again everyone!

 

[TBurst Std]

Think of a Mooncaster as like a Gibby Midtown (or a lot of Rickenbacker’s that aren’t true semi hollows, make even of some of this year’s new Gretsch models). 

Most body companies don’t offer a true semi hollow or hollow body.  That requires bent sides, then attaching a top and bottom (just like building an acoustic).  The difference between semi hollow and hollow is only a center block (or truss supports ala Gretsch) are glued in before sealing the box. 

 

[TBurst Std]

Skip to 2:15 to see how a Ric 330 is made.  This is the same concept as a Mooncaster except the W glues on a top, not a bottom.

[youtube]https://youtu.be/NEuqgZzKxC4[/youtube]

 

[new-killer-star]

My $.02 find a body neck that you’re in love with, then find the pups that give the tones you’re looking for...

Take a look at the Tim Lerch videos on how to get a jazz tone from a telecaster for example if you’re worried about this.

FWIW - I’m considering a mooncaster as my next build, I’ll probably use mellow p90s. Likely ebony/maple neck and maple body.

 

[NonsenseTele]

As Mr said above, mooncaster with the right pickups you'll be able to get the tone you want...

I'd go with something with Alnico 5 bridge and Alnico 2 neck, to get both worlds you want...

 

[AirCap]

So then a mooncaster can or cannot get close to sounding like at 335? If not what is it close to? Or is it just a question of pick ups etc. to replicate the sound of a typical 335 or 339 type body guitar?

A 335 is not a hollow body. It features a solid block running down the middle of the body - the sides are hollow.... That's why it's called a semi-hollow.

My guess a Mooncaster could be made to sound like a 335...

 

[pirate]

Well you can certainly get good jazz tones and rock tones from a 335 or something close to it, so I am thinking it’s all about the PU’s/amp/effects and dialing it in, and I think the mooncaster can do that.

This is me convincing myself so I can build one
Although if it’s just a chambered solid body I would think I would get similar tones with a chambered tele body with PU’s etc being the same?

 

[spe111]

Whether or not two guitars sound alike will definitely depend on what you have it hooked to. If you're putting a mooncaster and 335 into a cranked triple rectifier, they will probably sound the same. If you're putting them into a clean twin reverb you might have an easy time articulating the differences. 

 

[bassface732]

Thanks again everyone!  I think I'm getting closer here...

So I just want to clarify:  The general consensus I'm getting is that wood choice isn't going to have a significant impact on tone and I should just pick what I think looks best.  Is that correct?

At this point I'm thinking a mahogany body, but I'm struggling between a maple top and a Koa top.  I like the look of Koa under a clear finish the best, but I'm a little worried that Koa on mahogany might be too dark sounding as opposed to mahogany/maple, which might be more balanced... Am I wasting my time worrying about this when the pickups are what really effect tone?

 

[Cagey]

Unless the Maple is figured, I'd go with the Koa.