Official Luthiers Forum!

Hi,

I'm new on here, jazz player after a sound. I bought a '59 RI 335 last year, having decided when I was still playing professionally nearly 30 years ago that Les Pauls and Strats weren't quite what I needed but couldn't afford the 335 then. It's great, but you know the sound when you just put new strings on, that 'wiry' sound rather like a good flat-top? I want a sound like that but more so!. I've built one Benedetto from the book as a trial with A grade wood, but it needs heavy strings, and I want something as I say that I can play with 11 to 52 round wound strings on like the 335, but that has more of an acoustic sound.

One idea is to build a spruce topped 330 with humbuckers, just solid under the bridge and hollow everywhere else...has anybody done that? Just that in general electric semis are laminated and also tend to have maple tops.

Cheers,
Alan

Alan, I haven't, but I can't tell you how many hours I've daydreamed about it. I am pretty sure others will chime in who have done this. I'll be watching the thread, too. I'm as eager as you are to see what they've got to say.

Patrick

I haven't, I have thought about it mainly because I don't want to bend the sides or top. One company I know does is Carvin
http://www.carvinguitars.com/catalog/guitars/index.php?model=sh550

cheers

_________________
John Thiessen
http://www.iszacguitars.com

Welcome to da forum!
The thing is, you have to make something, and hear how it sounds.
Your thread got me thinking,
and if I were you,
I'd build a thinline, with a spruce top,
whatever back and sides, maple?,
and put an end of fretboard pick-up.
Maybe make the top thick, so it don't feedback so much.
Solid under the bridge might be nice for feedback issues.
Go for it.
The 335's usually had a solid piece of wood from neck to tail,
if my memory works.

Alan, I'm reading your thread again and thinking of the possibilities. As Alan Stassforth says, you aren't going to know for sure until you build it. In my daydreams about a similar project, I wondered about a carved spruce top with an internal block at the bridge position. It seems like a lot of work compared to using a pressed top, but why not go for it? If I were doing it, I'd bend the sides to the shape and dimensions of my choice, I'd build it thin-line, and I'd locate the position of the internal block first, and leave that contact area un-carved on the top and back interiors. I am frankly unsure what bracing scheme I'd use. Pickup choice would be important, too--and whether to mount it in the top or suspended from the fingerboard or finger rest.

My only solid spruce archtop is a full acoustic-electric with a suspended pickup, and I'm not sure what an internal block would do to its sound. My other archtops are plywood topped instruments, heavily braced, and while I like them a lot, they are not at all what you are thinking about. One of those is a thin-line Guild with no internal block. It sounds pretty cool, and not like a solid body.

Keep the thread alive, and I'll bet someone who has already been down this road will chime in.

Patrick

Hi guys,

What you suggest is pretty much the way I've been thinking of going...I'll probably need to make two, one with a spruce top and one with a maple top. I'm also thinking of buying a 330 to see what it's made of...an old one would cost a bit but you wouldn't lose on it. I suspect having looked into the 330 a bit that the p90s will contribute to the sound I'm after....not sure about the suspended pickup, I've done that already with the Benedetto design...I think the pickup's balance leaves something to be desired...very strong on the 2nd string and no adjustment for pole height.

We'll see, I have a Classical to finish before Christmas (guitar #2) and a second Benedetto started, but there's no reason not to have more than 2 projects on the go!

Thanks for the advice!

Alan