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I'm planning on building a hollowbody Explorer, which obviously has a lot of straight lines. Rather than taking a large slab of wood and routing 90% of it away, would it be plausible to build a frame from straight pieces (pieces thick enough to carve the back edge and rounded corners) and glue the top and back to it? I imagine a block for the bridge would be a good idea and extra support for the neck. Am I barking up the wrong tree?

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Music. And Stuff.

well, first question: why?
....anyway, gradeschool science tells us that straight lines dont handle longitudinal stress very well. lots of great reasons that hollowbodies look curvy the way they do

I like the Explorer shape and I like hollowbodies. I can't think of a reason why not! If there was some longitudinal strength added between the neck and the bridge, could it work?

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Music. And Stuff.

I took a Harmony double cutaway electric apart once for some repair, and found that the rim was made of wooden blocks about an inch and a half square, glued together in a rough approximation of the shape, which was then bandsawed out and the top and bottom arched plywood plates were then glued on. It was bound top and bottom, with a large neck block and no longitudinal block aka 335. When I put it back together it played great and sounded great.

I ended using a similar construction for my first chambered electric nearly 20 years ago. The bodyshape was sort of Alembic in inspiration - very round, but with a carved mahogany top and back. To this day the guitar still looks terrific and the owner plays it constantly in his teaching studio at college and on jazz gigs.

So, yeah - it's a viable concept for an Explorer. If you want a flat top and back, I'd at least have an internal block sandwiched between the top and bottom plates in the bridge area. A neck block is a given, of course. Go for it, take plenty of pix, and keep us informed!

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

The body design being hollow may cause it to be very head/neck heavy.
May need an additional block in the top tail-end to help counter balance.

Thanks Chris- time to draw up some plans and go wood shopping! I'm thinking of mahogany or sepelle frame. Top and back woods will depend on availability but tigerwood is a possibility. Maybe maple. Balance may not be an issue because the body will be so big, but a Spanish cedar neck would help.
Those are my thoughts today. Now to make plans!

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Music. And Stuff.

Sounds like a good way to make a hollow body to me. Lots of Danelectro's out there are built like that.
I like spanish cedar for necks....but it is softer than regular mahogany. It can dent if abused (leaning the guitar against a table edge, bumping a mike stand, capo's, etc) You might want a harder wood if its going to see some heavy duty

Good point. Forgot about them.
Then you'll need some mother of shower curtain to do the edge.

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

Something like this maybe?



http://s211.photobucket.com/albums/bb13 ... %20H%20U3/

Someday I'm going to make one of those guitars only instead of the regular Masonite top and back I'm going to use the kind with the holes in it, just for a joke.

Cool design, Jay.
CNC?

Similar to that. I thinking of using separate strips for the sides and a centre block for the neck/bridge.

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Music. And Stuff.

Here are the plans. The yellow parts will be 1 3/4" high and 1/2" wide. The brown part is a solid block for the neck and bridge. I'm not sure if I need the vertical/ horizontal struts going between the outer frame and the centre block. What does anyone else think?

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Music. And Stuff.

Personally, I'd make the rim of the body (yellow parts) a bit thicker - maybe 5/8 or 3/4.
Wouldn't hurt to over-engineer it a wee bit?

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

Good point Chris. Im aiming for semi-hollow more than hollow, so more wood won't hurt. D you think the centre block ought to go all the way to the heel?

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Music. And Stuff.

Doesn't have to, but it would make the unit more rigid in case it gets dropped.

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

Hmm. Good to know. I haven't dropped a guitar yet, but I suppose there could be a first time. Shudder.
I've been trying to find out, but no information seems to be anywhere.. how thick are tops usually on chambered guitars - that is, routed solid bodies with separate tops?

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Music. And Stuff.

This is a good place to ask, I suppose. Poll the members for their input.
The one I built back in the 90's had a 1/4 mahogany top and back, but I thinned then both down a little in my final carving operation.

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

On the luthier forums I visit, most people seem to use ~1/4" thick figured plates on their chambered instruments.