Thinline Tele-style chamber info?

[Spencer Chapman]

Hi I've decided to build my first electric and I want a semi-hollow body tele. Where do i find info on chamber dimensions, acoustics, etc.? Is there a book that kinda lays it out there so i can make educated decisions? A website? Help! Thanks.

[Mark Swanson]

You can do it many ways, just don't weaken the structure of the guitar in all the important areas. beyond that, pretty much anything goes.
But, don't fall victim to any of the hocus-pocus about "tuning" the chambers, or anything that tells you the chambers have some sort of acoustic properties because they don't, not in a guitar of this type. I'm not saying they don't effect the tone of the guitar, the effect is only shown in a general way.

[Nathan Noel]

Here's the chambering pattern that I used on my last thinline style tele... note that mine has a rear routed control cavity and is not a true thin line... more of a chambered guitar.



A real thinline cavity looks like this one from Warmoth's site. http://www.warmoth.com/Guitar/Bodies/im ... e_top3.jpg

[Mark Swanson]

Very good examples there. You can see how the structure from the neck block to the bridge is solid and won't compromise the strength of the guitar. There's also enough support and surface around the edges.
I see Nathan has routed out the chambers and will use an added top, that works well but if you want to skip some routing you can use an added top AND back, and use a bandsaw to saw out the "chambers". I enter with the bandsaw right at the center line at the end of the guitar, saw out the parts I want to remove and then glue in a piece of rosewood in the entry point. This leaves a nice decorative dark line right at the end pin, looks nice.

[Rodger Knox]

Here's what I did on a challenge a while back...
(edit)Top was about 3/32" thick and the back was about 1/4".

[Louie Atienza]

Here's one I'm doing right now...

[Bruce McIntosh]

Here's what I did on a challenge a while back...
(edit)Top was about 3/32" thick and the back was about 1/4".

I might have just been the lighting, but that looks like pressure treated lumber. If it's PT, did you have any issues gluing it?

[Rodger Knox]

I don't think it was pressure treated, it was cut from an old pine 2x12 that was in the basement of the house when we moved in. Not material I would normally use, but this was the first $100Tele challenge and salvaged wood was almost a necessity. I didn't have any trouble glueing it, Titebond original and clamp as tight as possible. There's no direct interior connection between the neck block and the bridge, all the string pressure is carried by the top, back, and sides. I've built one with 1/4" thick maple tops and no block under the bridge, and it's still fine.

[Randy Cordle]

Here's a pictoral guide I did for making a thinline a bit outside of the usual methodology. I've done a few this way and I really like the results.

http://www.angelfire.com/music2/construct/page1E.html