Semi-Hollow Tabletop Guitar is Complete!

Yesterday, I decided to finish the semi-hollow tabletop guitar and see how it plays. I didn't even think to take pictures as I was working, since I was kinda solving problems as I went.

My original plan was to install a Les Paul Jr.  pickguard that I had ordered for one of my guitars. It turned out to be the wrong variant for the guitar I have, so I figured it would be nice to get some use out of it.  With the pickguard in place, I planned to cut a hole in the guitar top, and mount the volume pot and output jack to the top of the guitar. The pickguard would cover the hole and the channel I cut for the wiring. 

Unfortunately, the depth of the guitar body didn't allow for inserting the fittings and sliding them to the mounting holes. So, I had to come up with an alternate plan.

I cut the top, and trimmed the pickguard to allow for mounting the pot and jack directly to the pickguard, itself. It was a little bit different from the original plan, but worked out nicely, all the same.

I mounted the Gretsch-style toaster humbucker in the lead position, and strung the guitar with Ernie Ball Slinkys. The electric tone is, as expected, somewhat more trebly than the solid body tabletop guitar I originally built. Oddly, the acoustic tone is, as well. I expected the semi-hollow body to produce a deeper acoustic tone.

My theory is that the strings are affecting the tone. I put Fat Bottom/Skinny Top strings on the other guitar, and I think that the thicker strings on the bass-end mellow the acoustic tone out, somewhat.

Regardless, I played the thing for about an hour after I got the intonation in good shape, and it is a fun little guitar to play. I reminds me very much of the old Japanese guitars that I played all the time in college.

I'm thinking that I should sell one or other of the tabletops. I don't really need both. It's kind of a "Sophie's Choice" situation, trying to figure out which one to let go of, though...



x