Chad McCormack's "Equator" Semi-Hollow

[Markku Nyytäjä]

That's a beautiful guitar! Nice woods and admirable woodwork. Any sound clips?

[Chad McCormack]

Thanks Markku. No sound clips just yet, but hopefully that can happen over the weekend. I will definitely post some.

[Chad McCormack]

Here's a youtube link for a bit of audio:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIl0JYDiXLQ

[Chuck Raudonis]

Very nice tight tone. Thanks for sharing

[Warren May]

Nice!

[Jeff Mills]

I really like your design and the woodworking looks super clean.

[Perry Colomb]

That is sharp!! Love the equator binding

[Bob Francis]

Really nice!

[Jairo Eduardo Suarez Gallardo]

Nice work! I love it.

[Darrell Baschak]

Great looking guitar Chad, seems like quite a challenging project but you have done an amazing job! The walnut looks great and the inlay is superb.

[Eric Baack]

that is a beautiful instrument. very nice

[Adam Savage]

Chad - that's a beautiful looking guitar there, and I especially like the nature of the carved heel.
I wonder if I could ask you a couple of questions. Despite not having finished my first home electric build (though it is progressing!), I am planning the second one already and I want to try my hand at a semiacoustic/hollowbody, and I am impressed by the clean lines of your build. Are there any particular pitfalls to be wary of in following a simillar construction design? Would I be correct in thinking that the way PRS do their hollowbodies is simillar? If I decide to do a carved top/back, would the same principles apply? (i.e. rout out the chambers, but use a blank a little thicker to accomodate the carving, which would effectively be only an outside arch?)
Thanks for any help, and apologies for hijacking the thread a little!
Cheers,
Adam

[Chad McCormack]

Thanks for the kind words, Adam. I'll Q&A with you over PM if that's alright. Perhaps some more knowledgeable folks can chime in regarding PRS (and the like) semi-hollow construction. I'm pretty sure this approach of mine is unique in the realm of semi-hollows, as my design is basically a clam shell with the binding around the middle of the instrument rather than the typical drop-top style of construction which would be a chambered body with f-holes in and binding around the drop top.

[Greg Robinson]

Chad and Adam,
Please keep the discussion public, where we can all benefit from it! That's the point of this forum, and it's value is in the contribution of members.
Thanks.

[Eric Baack]

I think the PRS SE hollow bodies have a flat top on them. The carved top hollow bodies probably are carved out on the back side of the cap and then the cap is glued on and then the top carve is machined.

[Jim Bonnell]

Very nice looking. Thanks for sharing your process.

[Art Davila]

Do you have any photos of how you attached the neck? I really love that neck joint.

[Chad McCormack]

Thanks Art. I don't really have any good photos of the heel block prior to setting the neck, but here's what I do have:

You can see the heel block right under the 16th fret. Once the neck is glued and set, it's just a matter of rasp/file/scrape/sand until it looks and feels like what I want:

[Art Davila]

Wow that was serious chuck of wood to rasp and file.
Did you use any power tools to get it close and then use hand tools, or was it just hard work and dedication.
Cause I gotta be honest, I tend not to be all that great at using a wood rasp and file.
(experience limited to shop class back in 1979 do not remember ever getting good at that.)
I have done all and claw feet on furniture with a flex shaft and motor but I have such limited experience with the hand tools.
I guess the best way for me to learn this stuff,
is to find the cheapest scrap wood near the same hardness and make some woodchips making neck heels till I feel that I could have a go at the more expensive woods.

[Barry Daniels]

Be aware that not all rasps are equal. Having the right tools is 50% of the formula. The old 4-in-1 rasp that you find in most hardware stores is not the same as a Nicholson rasp or some of the other specialty brands that are now available.