Hollow Body and Semi-Hollowbody Guitars - Ugh!!! I'm Stuck!

**Hammertone** · 12-01-2019, 10:55 PM

Originally Posted by EllenGtrGrl

...I just wish there was more dimension information (neck and otherwise) for the Guild and DeArmond models....

Too much hand-wringing - any seller who actually wants to sell you something will be happy to provide you with accurate measurements of:
-nut width
-depth of the neck just behind the first fret, wood-to-wood
-depth of the neck just behind the 12th fret, wood-to-wood
Don't buy from anyone too lazy or stupid to to provide this information - there is no shortage of suitable guitars on Reverb, ebay and gbase, in your price range. Everything else, here or there, is simply noise or bullshit.

**EllenGtrGrl** · 12-01-2019, 11:17 PM

Good point. I'll do that.

Ellen

**EllenGtrGrl** · 12-13-2019, 09:34 PM

Well, I took care if my "I don't want a thin neck" issue a few hours ago. How it happened is a story in and of itself.

As some of you may have realized, I decided to loosen up with my "17 inch hollowbody or bust" requirement, and consider semi-hollow 335-style guitars again (see my Yamaha SA800 thread for further details). I spent a pretty penny (complete with a refret job, due to my nickel allergy) 3 plus months ago, on a Fender American Original Jazzmaster. Well, it turned out to be an expensive failed experiment - it's a great guitar, but I got fed up with where the volume knob is located (right below the bridge - where I rest my right hand), because my right ring finger was always hitting the volume knob, whenever I played the guitar - ugh!!!! So, since I was on vacation today, I took the Jazzmaster back to shop I bought it from, to see about replacing it with a hollow or semi-hollow guitar, with a chunky neck.

My expectations about this happening were low, but I ended up being pleasantly surprised! When I mentioned to the salesguy I usually deal with, that I wanted something with a beefier neck in a hollow or semi-hollow guitar, 1 minute later he handed me a used 2015 Heritage H-535, and said "try this, it has a nice meaty neck." I put on some nitrile gloves (whenever I try out electric guitars, I bring a pair of nitrile gloves with me, to keep the nickel strings, from causing my dermatitis to flare up), gave it a quick play and said "yeah! now we're talking!" It had a nice chunky neck, that felt oh, so comfortable in my left hand. What sealed the deal, were the Duncan Seth Lover pickups in it - beautiful, round jazz tones (and great sounding rock rock tones too - yeah, I still like to play dirty sounding guiitar

). I left the guitar at the shop (Cream City Music), for the obligatory refret job from the on-staff luthier (the nickel frets will get replaced with Jescar EVO Gold, hypoallergenic fretwire). When I got home, a little online searching informed me that the hardware (bridge, tailpiece, and tuners) are nickel plated. I will have to also replace those. I've contacted Heritage, to ask them what hardware they used, so I can get compatible chrome plated hardware. Below is a photo of my new (to me) guitar.

**neatomic** · 12-13-2019, 09:59 PM

congrats...went around a bit on that one..from big body arch to thinline..but nice looking guitar!!! & lots of heritage aficionados on board here... hope the needed changes work out well...enjoy!

cheers

**Mark M.** · 12-13-2019, 10:59 PM

Congrats! I didn’t realize you were in Milwaukee. I live about 5 minutes from Cream City Music!

**Gitfiddler** · 12-13-2019, 11:13 PM

Ha, another Heritage convert! That is a pretty one. Is the color Almond Sunburst? The label might abbreviate it to ASB or something close. They finally offered thicker necks, Seths and 59's as an option several years ago due to popular demand.

Play it in good health.

**EllenGtrGrl** · 12-13-2019, 11:52 PM

Originally Posted by neatomic

congrats...went around a bit on that one..from big body arch to thinline..but nice looking guitar!!! & lots of heritage aficionados on board here... hope the needed changes work out well...enjoy!

cheers

Thanks!

Originally Posted by Mark M.

Congrats! I didn’t realize you were in Milwaukee. I live about 5 minutes from Cream City Music!

Actually I live in Greenfield, just off of '894. Yeah, Cream City can be kind of toxic to my finances.

Originally Posted by Gitfiddler

Ha, another Heritage convert! That is a pretty one. Is the color Almond Sunburst? The label might abbreviate it to ASB or something close. They finally offered thicker necks, Seths and 59's as an option several years ago due to popular demand.

Play it in good health.

Thanks!

And yes, it is Almond Sunburst - a 2015 to be precise. Along with the (for me) obligatory refret job to install hypoallergenic frets, I need to get my hands on a chrome plated bridge and tailpiece that are compatible with the guitar (the tuners can wait for now - I'll put a rag over them, when I tune). Ya gotta love having a severe nickel allergy.

Ellen

**Mark M.** · 12-14-2019, 12:07 AM

Actually I live in Greenfield, just off of '894. Yeah, Cream City can be kind of toxic to my finances.

Yes, definitely! Wade’s has actually been harder on my credit card! I can’t go in there without finding something I want.

**EllenGtrGrl** · 12-14-2019, 12:18 AM

Originally Posted by Mark M.

Actually I live in Greenfield, just off of '894. Yeah, Cream City can be kind of toxic to my finances.

Yes, definitely! Wade’s has actually been harder on my credit card! I can’t go in there without finding something I want.

Wade's is pretty cool, but the business hours are a little weird for me (especially during the weekday - since I often don't start my commute home from work, until after 5 PM [Wade's closes relatively early]). The only halfway decent way for me to get to Wade's, is to take Capitol Drive, and then Oakland Avenue. I bought a couple Eastwoods from Wade's several years ago.