Hollow Body Telecaster

[kris]

I'm going to buy total hollow bodyTele.
Tele has no wood block inside similar to arch-top guitars.
Has anyone tested such a Telecaster design?
Best
Kris

[jads57]

Tim Bram Luthier.

[gitman]

Beware of the dreaded neck-dive ....

[kris]

Beware of the dreaded neck-dive ....

That is a problem...

[Joeontheguitar]

I haven't, but your question made me think of this one: Flat5 – Zandveld Guitar Service

[kris]

I haven't, but your question made me think of this one: Flat5 – Zandveld Guitar Service

Interesting construction.

[gitman]

IIRC there are/were a couple of Fender Tele models with piezo bridges and and a magnetic pickup at the neck, from Godin also...

The idea is intriguing indeed but I wouldn't know where to begin with gauging/balancing the thicknesses of the top and back of a a fully hollow body.
Too thick and the desired "hollow" effect will disappear, too thin and stability becomes a issue, weight balancing and then there is the issue with the basic tone you're after :
how much overtone content do you want, how much fundamental ? The pickup(s) will only hear what's coming from the strings, minus the cancelled-out frequencies caused by the particular construction. Do you already have an idea re the type and construction of the bridge and will the neck have an angle or is it going to be a flat/fender-type affair ? Let's hear how you get along !

[mad dog]

My first partscaster was such a lucky find. Came to me with a rather rare Chandler body. They were an early aftermarket tele parts supplier. Built teles also. They sold a heavily chambered swamp ash body with a thin spruce top. Not sure what the story was, but there are very few such guitars around. Here's a pic:



I've never heard another tele quite like this one. Had a crisp edge to the sound, would feedback in very loud situations. It felt and reacted more like a hollowbody than any other chambered teles I've played. With Don Mare p/us, sounded so good on the neck p/u, I almost never switched to other settings. It was stolen years ago. I'll miss it forever.

[rhl-ferndale]

Tele has no wood block inside—
Has anyone tested such a Telecaster design?

I own a Tele-shaped hollow-body built by someone who had a variant of that peculiar dream.

It resembles a Tele in basic ways—body shape, string ferrules, pickups mounted in a pickguard, 6 on a side tuners.

But it is constructed of flat wafers of wood, with a port on the upper bout, and 2 Fralin steel guitar pickups mounted diagonally (bass end closest to the fretboard). There’s no pickup switch, but a blend control.

It’s a very nice partscaster for the $600 I spent. It doesn’t sound like Leo’s Tele, but it can get some out of phase Stratiness. The neck does dive; the only solution for that, it seems to me, is headless tuners.

I don’t play it much because I’ve learned that I need 1.75”-2” at the nut.

Let me you if you’d like to see pics.

[ruger9]

My first partscaster was such a lucky find. Came to me with a rather rare Chandler body. They were an early aftermarket tele parts supplier. Built teles also. They sold a heavily chambered swamp ash body with a thin spruce top. Not sure what the story was, but there are very few such guitars around. Here's a pic:



I've never heard another tele quite like this one. Had a crisp edge to the sound, would feedback in very loud situations. It felt and reacted more like a hollowbody than any other chambered teles I've played. With Don Mare p/us, sounded so good on the neck p/u, I almost never switched to other settings. It was stolen years ago. I'll miss it forever.

Spruce top indeed rare. The only spruce telecaster I've ever heard of is the one Jonny Lang plays, and it's a spruce BODY (maple top), from the custom shop.

Also, I currently own 2 teles: one solid body and one thinline Cabronita. For whatever reason, my solid body one actually sounds more "hollow". Have never been able to quantify that... the hollow body one is lighter, and chambered....

[GNAPPI]

Kris, do you have a link? I never heard of a fully hollow tele. The only thing "close" I know of that are not solid were the "telacoustic" and the bolt on neck thinline. Then there's the JA-90 with a set neck.

[lammie200]

It wouldn't be a pure hollow body but Warmoth offers what they consider Tele hollow bodies. I inquired a while ago and you can get one with a spruce top although their drop downs show a spruce top option greyed out. Same price as the other tops for $75. I am actually considering another project with a body like this although my timeline for starting it will be next year at the earliest, if at all. I have too many guitars now.

[kris]

Kris, do you have a link? I never heard of a fully hollow tele. The only thing "close" I know of that are not solid were the "telacoustic" and the bolt on neck thinline. Then there's the JA-90 with a set neck.

I will get pics of this hollow tele this week.

[garytone]

Really interesting subject to me, all.

This is a 1999 all factory original.

Thanks for posting.

[rhl-ferndale]

Pics re Post 9.

The second image peeks into the side port, which is shown from a distance in the fourth image. Controls are volume, blend, tone. All those woodscrews in the pickguard have very little wood to bite; one gave up near the blend. Wish I knew the builder’s name.


Attachment 84581Attachment 84583Attachment 84584

[gitman]

It wouldn't be a pure hollow body but Warmoth offers what they consider Tele hollow bodies. I inquired a while ago and you can get one with a spruce top although their drop downs show a spruce top option greyed out. Same price as the other tops for $75. I am actually considering another project with a body like this although my timeline for starting it will be next year at the earliest, if at all. I have too many guitars now.

My own Warmoth Parts-Tele has just such a hollow ash body, very light weight and responsive. I've built that guitar in 1993, played around 1200 gigs with it and it's still my only Tele ....
The top is a hair above 5 mm thick and I guess the back is not much thicker (I have no idea how to measure this but the tapping sound is very similar) . The only solid part runs from the neck pocket to just behind the bridge, the rest is routed out. The guitar has a more rotund basic tone, not as cutting and biting as a solidbody but the fast attack and punch I like very much. One of these days I'll get a second Tele, one with some more wood to the body , maybe a nice ASAT Special ....
This what it can sound like - not your typical trad-jazz setting but it gives you an idea : Log into Facebook | Facebook

[kris]

There is hollow Tele I am interested in.
Arch-top hollow Tele like fat jazz box...:
tAttachment 84999

[GNAPPI]

Whooda thunkit?

I saw this on Reverb:

[Sam Sherry]

I'm going to buy total hollow bodyTele.
Tele has no wood block inside similar to arch-top guitars.

So you're going for Tele shape hollow-body with a trapeze tailpiece and floating bridge.
Let's see:

Collings Eastside LC:


Or forget any notion of 'budget' and Collings Jazz:



The Eastman Romeo -- which some call a Collings knock-off -- is reputed to have a pier under the tailpiece and bridge instead of a full-length center-block:

A detailed review of this thread on TDPRI might yield useful information too.

Happy hunting!

[AllanAllen]

Get yourself a suede strap and you'll never have to concern yourself with neck dive again.