DIY Semi-hollow body guitar

[Matt Cushman]

I found this body on E bay. I have always liked semi hollow body guitars so whenever I see one of these bodys being offered without a neck I will put in a modest bid and sometimes I win the auction. That is how I got this body. You can not buy the plywood to make a body like this for what I paid! Often no one will bid on one of these neckless bodies. Most people want the neck with the body, but not me.

The body is most likley made from maple plywood. The plywood has no figure to speak of but the grain lines look nice and is probably good looking enough for a transperent finish. I have a big leaf maple 3 piece laminated neck blank left over from another project that I can use with it. I really like the soft maple for necks. It is just slightly heavier than mahogany. I like to select 3 extra straight grained pieces to laminate together for a neck that has the neck joint at the 19th fret. The neck is often what makes or breaks a guitar. A full bound neck carved down to your own ideal size and shape is always a good start for any guitar. The body is nice and light at just under 3 pounds. With a light body, I want to keep the weight of the neck low to achieve a good balance point.

I enjoy building with these pre assembled bodies. It's like instant gratification compared to carving an archtop. I didn't get any hardware with this one so... I am wide open to ideas for a finish or for pickups etc. I will post some photos of the neck as it progresses. Questions comments and suggestions are welcome.

[TOMMO]

Love it! Promise to keep us posted on the progress of the build - I'd really like to see it in its finished form.

My suggestion would be a tinted clear laquer - I'm a sucker for blond ES guitars!

[lawson-stone]

Hey I actually will be getting a kit from that company for an ES175-ish guitar. I'm thinking about taking up building as a long-term hobby and decided to start at the end--see if I can do the final assembly and finish well, and then work backwards to fabricating the various elements.

Maybe a thread on kit assembly would be a good idea for some us who are dipping our toes into the water?

[sgosnell]

Well, obviously you need humbucker-size pickups, and a standard TOM with bushings and stop tailpiece. The holes pretty much dictate the hardware. As for finish, that's really a subjective decision. I like red, but I'm being converted by violin finishes. A nice red-brown would look nice on that body, I think. But it's your guitar, so pick your own color.

[rlrhett]

Hey I actually will be getting a kit from that company for an ES175-ish guitar. I'm thinking about taking up building as a long-term hobby and decided to start at the end--see if I can do the final assembly and finish well, and then work backwards to fabricating the various elements.

Maybe a thread on kit assembly would be a good idea for some us who are dipping our toes into the water?

That sounds like a really good idea. I help teach at the Palomar College lutherie program and we are often telling the students that the finish and finishing details are as important and almost as time consuming as the construction of the body and neck.

PS, what is "that company"? Matt didn't say who on eBay he got the body from.

[rlrhett]

Matt, what is your take on the quality of the body? Does the neck pocket seem routed well and centered? Is the binding done well? Are there any flaws that you would find unacceptable on your own build? I know you make very nice guitars from scratch, is the quality something you would feel comfortable putting your name on?

[Matt Cushman]

This is just like building a kit with the exception of the neck. I have a neck from a different kit that I can show along with my neck for comparison as I advance. It is a great way to learn about guitar construction and setup. The finish is what kit building is all about. Choosing hardware and pickups is also part of the fun. It can be a fast rout to a custom guitar. I like blondes and I do have yellow trans tint dye. The Quality looks OK. I need to have a closer look to be sure. I plan to put Cushtone on the headstock rather than my name.

[lawson-stone]

That sounds like a really good idea. I help teach at the Palomar College lutherie program and we are often telling the students that the finish and finishing details are as important and almost as time consuming as the construction of the body and neck.

PS, what is "that company"? Matt didn't say who on eBay he got the body from.

I can't say for sure, but it looks a lot like the kits you can actually find on Amazon. "Solo" is the name of one seller. Each of the 3 or 4 kits I've been able to examine in the box has a similar look, feel, and even packing, so I am assuming there is one company that makes these and then several distributors who sell them under their own label.

A key consistency is the neck joint. The glued necks don't use the kind of joint we see in the books but a different one-I don't know the names, unfortunately, but it definitely is a different looking type of joint, consistent with all the archtop kits I've seen using the glued neck.

[Jabberwocky]

I like it that the kit supplier included a deep neck tenon pocket for "historic accuracy". Very thoughtful.

The figure of the maple looks nice enough for an antiqued natural finish. But that is so predictably safe. I would go for a nice deep purple aubergine finish, perhaps with glitter or mica flakes.

This could really stand out with a funky headstock.

Do you know if the holes for the TOM saddle and stop tailpiece are correct for good intonation? Plug them up and drill your own. Use traditional ABR-1 saddle posts. How about a compensated ebony saddle? Plug those holes with ebony and drill them for traditional brass posts.

I would also consider an archtop tailpiece that allows for break angle adjustment. One of those Mojoaxe Compensated Wraparound Trapeze Tailpieces maybe?

Hot hide glue in neck pocket, HHG fretboard to neck blank.

Multiscale fan fretted fretboard?

It would be a pity to turn out just another ES-335 type. Where's the fun in that?

[Jabberwocky]

Matt, be inspired by what Jimmy D'Aquisto did with those factory-sourced plywood boxes. Still considered genuine D'Aquistos. I guess it is the neck and the intonation of the fretboard that makes all the difference.

This could turn out well.

Spanish Cedar (Cedrela odorata) neck.

[Matt Cushman]

You can find many different styles of kits online. I have this body as a result of bargain hunting. I would prefer a trapeze style tailpiece for a guitar for myself. I could plug the holes and go that route but this guitar isn't for me. I might use a trapeze. I haven't ruled anything out. Even the scale length could be changed. There is no need to move the bridge post holes as long as they drilled them close. Since I am making the neck, it will be up to me to have the neck to body joint in the correct position. The scale length could be changed for this build by placing the neck body joint in a different location. That being said, I have a nice ebony fingerboard all slotted for a 24.75" scale. It may take me a couple of weeks to get this together, so please, no wagering! I have some other builds in progress simultaneously with this one. The neck joint is about all there is to assembling a kit but it has to be perfect. Then it is mostly finish work. I could paint the guitar just about any color. I have already owned several purple guitars in the past. I had a metal flake purple Washburn strat style elec. It was a good guitar but it was too heavy for me.

[Woody Sound]

How about all black hardware? Not common on a semi, would look cool & unique. My Carvin:

[Matt Cushman]

Your Carvin looks great Woody! I like black hardware and it would look great with this ebony tailpiece I made a while back. I made this to save some weight but I didn't use it for some reason. It weighs only 18 grams.

[sgosnell]

I like that tailpiece. Excellent work.

[Woody Sound]

Your Carvin looks great Woody! I like black hardware and it would look great with this ebony tailpiece I made a while back. I made this to save some weight but I didn't use it for some reason. It weighs only 18 grams.

Nice! And you could get tuning pegs with real ebony buttons. Or, if you want something fancier looking:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Grover-109BC-Guitar-Super-Rotomatics-Black-Chrome/132021795390

or the frugal version:

Wilkinson Guitar Tuners - Black 3x3 Imperial Style Guitar Tuning Pegs WJ-309-BK | eBay

[Matt Cushman]

I like that tailpiece. Excellent work.

Thanks, sgosnell. I think other hardwood could be used for these also. I might have to try one made from maple.

[Matt Cushman]

Nice! And you could get tuning pegs with real ebony buttons. Or, if you want something fancier looking:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Grover-109BC-Guitar-Super-Rotomatics-Black-Chrome/132021795390

or the frugal version:

Wilkinson Guitar Tuners - Black 3x3 Imperial Style Guitar Tuning Pegs WJ-309-BK | eBay

That a good idea. I like both the look and feel of ebony buttons.

[sgosnell]

Other woods should work, but maple might be problematic. The light color shows dirt and grime very easily. You would have to add some kind of durable finish to keep it looking nice, and that may wear off in time. I like maple for lots of things, but the light color can cause problems. Rosewood would look nice, I think, especially if the fretboard is also rosewood. I would tend to match the fretboard and tailpiece as closely as possible. But that's just me.

[Matt Cushman]

When you have a pre-built body with the neck pocket already cut how do you go about finding the body centerline and ensuring that the neck is correctly aligned? I have a single cutaway body sitting here [probably from the same factory] and the neck alignment issue is what is holding me up!

Cheers

TLB

Neck alignment is a little different on a kit as opposed to a scratch build. If the kit has the holes for the bridge predrilled you will need to have the neck placed so that your strings will be in line with the bridge placement. I mark the body to show the string locations at the bridge saddle. When positioning the neck, I clamp the neck in place to fit in the same position as it will be in when it is glued in. After clamping the neck in place, I check the placement with a straight edge. Measure from the nut to the bridge saddle location for the correct scale length. Remember to compensate for intonation. The string action also needs to be checked and rechecked before you glue. Keep in mind that string tension tends to lift the nut end of the neck just slightly so figure on possibly a slightly higher action than what a straight edge shows. It depends on how well the pocket and the neck joint were cut. If they cut the neck and pocket correctly then just a bit of sanding or shimming should be all that is needed before you glue. With an adjustable bridge you have the ability to raise or lower the action a little after assembly.

[Hammertone]

I can't say for sure, but it looks a lot like the kits you can actually find on Amazon. "Solo" is the name of one seller. ...

Here:
SOLO Music Gear - Do It Yourself (DIY) Guitar Kits, Build Your Own Guitar Kit Canada
They are located in the suburbs of Toronto.
Ownership recently changed (among friends) - I know the former owner and he's a good guy.
He originally had these Chinese kits as well as high-quality wood and metal parts from Korea (Wilkinson) and Japan (Hosco & Gotoh). The new owner is ramping up and will be offering higher-end parts like these eventually as well.

Original guy also had a stash of hardwood from a now-retired Canadian builder well-known for his solid-body neck-through guitars and his winning personality. Nothing like instrument-grade hardwood that's been air-dried for over 30 years! Here's some Acer Saccarinum:

[Matt Cushman]

I took a closer look at the body and I found three separate areas on the ribs where the outer lams had " blistered " like little bubbles that were hard to photograph. Two of these blisters were at the edge of the binding and were easy to fix. The worst blister was cracked open and had some type of black stain around it. I did a quick repair on the crack but I was left with a small area that was slightly stained. Here are a few photos of the repaired area and a photo of the neck, headplate and fingerboard.

[Matt Cushman]

The neck pattern I used for this neck is one that I use for several neck types. For a guitar that has a 19th fret neck joint I add a neck heal, the portion of the neck that extends under the pickup. The heal is parallel to the fretboard. After I measured the body mortise for depth. I cut down the neck to just over an inch. I then I cut a heal from a matching piece of wood and added it to the neck. With the heal added I put the neck on my neck taper jig and cut a mark in the neck with a safety planer. After I marked the neck, I took the neck to the band saw and cut as close as I could to the final thickness. Then I added the ears to the head stock and tapered the headstock in my homemade thickness sander. Here are a few progress photos.

[Matt Cushman]

Here I cut the truss rod pocket with my mini mill. It could be done by hand with a small chisel but the mill cuts the angle so cleanly and quickly that I take the time to clamp the neck and mill it out. The washer for the truss rod bears slightly on the headplate so I milled that at an angle also.

[Matt Cushman]

I had a little spare time yesterday so very early in the morning I glued on the headplate and the fiber veneer to the headstock ( I had all the parts readied with locator pins for precise alignment of the plates). Then after the glue had cured for about 8 hours, I mounted the shaping block and penciled in the headstock shape. I then cut as close to the line as I could on the bandsaw. After sawing as close as was possible, I mounted the shaping block to the headstock with three wood screws that are inline with the soon to be drilled tuning key holes. With the block to guide the sanding drum, the final shape only needs a little touch up and it is ready to be drilled, bound and decorated.

[TOMMO]

Thanks for keeping us updated!