Hippie-Sandwich Tone Wood question

[HGuitarCraft]

I'm doing a hippie-sandwich build for a guy, and he wants 1/4" of inlay in the top (walnut and maple), 3/8" maple, 1/2" mahogany, 3/8" maple, and another 1/4" matching the top. I think that this may have resonance issues, and that the inlay top should be 1/8" to lessen it's effect and thicken the maple to 1/2". Is this going to work, or become a boat anchor? Seems like it should work...

[Jon Silberman]

Set neck or neck through?

[HGuitarCraft]

Thinking a bolt-on, thank goodness! 1/4" seems a bit much to me for a veneer, but if it won't affect the tone, I don't see why not...

[Jon Silberman]

Yikes, I never heard of a bolt-on hippie sandwich guitar. I don't know what to think (or say). Maybe in this case, since it's such an unusual build anyway, just give the client what he says he wants.

[pcovers]

Originally Posted by HGuitarCraft

Thinking a bolt-on, thank goodness! 1/4" seems a bit much to me for a veneer, but if it won't affect the tone, I don't see why not...

The top of many solid body carved top guitars is much thicker than 1/4". You mention that it "seems" a but much. That suggests you may not be prepared to tell him in definitive terms why it should not be done. I think the best rule of thumb is that, unless you can tell the buyer exactly why he should not have the woods and thicknesses that he wants or how it will specifically affect tone by doing it his way, then just build it for him.

As you noted, if it doesn't [negatively] impact tone (and it doesn't look like you can tell him it will), let him have is wood sandwich guitar - but remind him the outcome is his risk, since he is dictating the design.

[levous]

Art is about taking risks to find reward. Take it as an opportunity to discover. Document the build so you can recreate it if it's the most amazing thing you've ever built and so you can post here for the obsessed fans

If someone comes to you and say, "build me your best," you are on the hook to deliver something extraordinary. If your customer tells you how to do your job, even a small part of it, then you're off the hook (as long as you communicate your concern). They will be pleased to see their dream realized even if it could have sounded better.

My builder told me my aesthetic preferences would adversely affect the tone, stability and sustain of my axe and steered me down his happy path. Then he delivered an amazing striped maple neck and said, "sometimes that just happens." When youve been building for more than 50 years, you get to say and do whatever you want.

[HGuitarCraft]

Thankfully, other than the wood choices, it's a relatively simple Tele-style build as far as construction goes. I haven't been in the game long enough to dictate the effect that certain woods will have other than the traditional combos (maple & mahogony, solid ash or alder, etc.), which is why I ended up here. The idea of the thing is to be a unique looking flat top with humbuckers, as far as I understand it, and he wants different woods. Has anyone done anything like this? At this point, I'm considering steering him towards fewer woods, and perhaps only a three piece sandwich (maple, mahogony, maple) that should (in theory) ring nicely and still have a cool "skunk stripe" along the side...

[Jon Silberman]

FYI, here's what a cocobolo-mahogany-cocobolo body looks like (set neck w/maple veneer between each piece of cocobolo and the mahogany center to form a "line" between the two) - my Philtone Jerrycaster. Most Deadheads choose maple or purpleheart for the center wood but FBOW I deliberately sought a "softer" sound. In any event, to fit in the on-board effects loop and unity gain buffer along with the rest of the "regular" controls required quite a bit of routing on its own, yielding a relatively more open, airy tone.

Also, as long as you're going the hippie sandwich direction on the body, consider a 5-piece neck to "match" it. Mine is sapele-maple-padouk-maple-sapele. Sapele looks like mahogany so most people think of it as such but its quotient of elasticity is closer to maple, i.e., it's denser like maple. For a hippie sandwich Tele, I think it might be a fine center-of-body wood choice in lieu of mahogany.

[JamonGrande]

I'm still blown away by the Jerrycaster every time I see it, hope its treating you well John

Joe

[Jon Silberman]

It's a great guitar, thanks again. Here's a clip from the Sat. before last (solo at around 2:50).

[Jon Silberman]

Comparing maple, sapele, and mahogany. It should be evident from the specs that while sapele looks like mahogany, its properties are actually closer to maple. This makes it a fine wood choice for someone seeking the appearance of mahogany with maple-like performance, e.g., for a Tele.

Sapele (Entandrophragma cylindricum)

Basic Specific Gravity: .55
Hardness: 1,480 lbf (6,580 N)
Rupture Strength: 16,030 lbf/in2 (110,550 kPa)
Elastic Strength: 1,700,000 lbf/in2 (11,720 MPa)
Crushing Strength: 8,700 lbf/in2 (60.0 MPa)

Sapele is a commonly imported wood species both in lumber and veneer form. It is sometimes used as a substitute for Genuine Mahogany, and is sometimes referred to as “Sapele Mahogany,” though it bears no real relation to either Swietenia or Khaya genera.

http://www.wood-database.com/lumber-...dwoods/sapele/

Honduran Mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla)

Basic Specific Gravity: .54
Hardness: 900 lbf (4,000 N)
Rupture Strength: 11,660 lbf/in2 (80,390 kPa)
Elastic Strength: 1,386,000 lbf/in2 (9,560 MPa)
Crushing Strength: 6,550 lbf/in2 (45.2 MPa)

Honduran Mahogany goes by many names, yet perhaps its most accurate and telling name is Genuine Mahogany. Not to be confused with cheaper imitations, such as Philippine Mahogany, Swietenia macrophylla is what most consider to be the real and true species when referring to “Mahogany.”

http://www.wood-database.com/lumber-...uran-mahogany/

Hard Maple (Acer saccharum)

Basic Specific Gravity: .56
Hardness: 1,450 lbf (6,450 N)
Rupture Strength: 15,800 lbf/in2 (108,970 kPa)
Elastic Strength: 1,830,000 lbf/in2 (12,620 MPa)
Crushing Strength: 7,830 lbf/in2 (54.0 MPa)

Hard Maple ought to be considered the king of the Acer genus. Its wood is stronger, stiffer, harder, and denser than all of the other species of Maple commercially available in lumber form. (It’s also the state tree in for different states in the US.)

http://www.wood-database.com/lumber-...ds/hard-maple/

[HGuitarCraft]

Now THERE is a thought! You guys rock. Something like that should definitely work, as it will keep similar tonal properties whilst looking completely different. This is off to a good start for sketches. Just need to start the measurements and work through the nitty-gritty!

[Jon Silberman]

Keep us apprised of how the build comes along!

[dspellman]

This guitar's a hippie sandwich of mahogany body sides faced with maple burl top and bottom. The neck's a five-piece of figured maple with ebony or purpleheart (I've forgotten) stringers, and it's direct from the early '70's. Brazilian board, and Tom Anderson pickups replaced the Invaders that arrived with it. Bridge is brass. Amazing sound.

[Jon Silberman]

Now that is cool!!!