How much does guitar depth matter?

[Marty Grass]

The complete experience of playing a guitar is more than just tone and dimension. There's a gestalt of the whole package, including the environment and audience.

The sensual aspect of a large and sturdy guitar, like the S400, is not the same as the 225. The felt vibrations from a thinly carved archtop or flattop can be a plus. Probably the most fun I have playing is with a three pickup thinline Super 400 because that instrument is a statement.

Guitars deeper than 3" remind me to lose weight.

Perhaps we would have more focus on music itself if the government views Gibson as necessary infrastructure, buys it out, and issues a single hollowbody guitar to all who are licensed to play the instrument. Everyone else could apply for Tele clones. A simple life is a good life. Something like that.

[Greentone]

My results match Danny's. If you are playing with a keyboard player and a bassist, you will find ample bass response to be a problem. Heck, in that setting I play a lot on the top three strings.

Solo or guitar/bass work brings the big guitars out. In this setting the guitar is playing fuller chords and a more pianistic role. A full depth archtop is useful.

[JaxJaxon]

There are so many factors involved. But if you had the same guitar and the only difference is body thickness the wider one will have more bass and resonance/ It would sound fuller. No has mentioned how the body is braced and how it effects the sound. Of course I dont mean electric Hollow bodies. That is a whole different thing.