4 string Jazz: curly redwood, spanish cedar, flame maple neck

That's a pretty neck! How much does it weigh? Are you worried about neck dive if the body is so focused on lightweight construction methods (light wood, chambered)?

 

I used to hollow, chamber, core, drill and route bodies back in the 80s but have since moved away from that practice.

 

Personal. Don't see it as a replacement for good design. Weight = mass = sustain. Basic physics. Super light is the other end of really heavy. Both are extremes. I have concluded over 4 decades of building that a balance between the two with good design (function and ergonomics) works best.

 

I use piezos through a Richter buffer so magnetic pull is not a consideration (not that I have really seen any effect on bass strings but yes on lighter guitar strings). I personally don't view Fender as a good design except from a production cost point of view. Having said that their basses do work well. Of course there are a lot of variables that can work. Again just a personal feeling but ultra light can generate balance issues (i.e. neck heavy) that can be more uncomfortable then weight alone. I have viewed a number of weight reduction threads on here and even with doing it years ago myself still don't wholly agree with the concept. There are a lot of opinions I have seen put forward by others that there are exceptions to. Anyway I don't think lightening an instrument is a really bad idea it is just it seems to get carried way too far sometimes.

 

as with most things, there has to be balance.

kinda like in the 80's when elliptical, bio-pace bicycle cranks came out "for efficiency" and weight-weenies tried to shave off micro-grams of bulk with failure prone hardware and simplex came out with derailleurs made from glass filled nylon that cracked in the sun. no offense if this was you

 

It would be a crime to cover any of that top wood with any kind of control plate or pickguard. Rear route all the way.

 

Your choice, but with those veneers I'd prefer book matched top, rear route, no pickguard or control plate. Your goal weight is so light it would feel like a toy to me, so no chambering. Again, these are only my preferences.

 

Am I the only one that sees Chewbaccas face in the top part of that redwood?

 

Celebrating Stage 19 with a Velo Burn!

 

That's going to make a beautiful top. Looking forward.

 

Top left facing to the right?

Nah, I don’t see him

 

Yes!!!

 

That wood gave me a flashback. Sick! GLWTBuild

 

WOW, that is some beautiful wood, what color are you gonna paint it ?

 

A clear pickguard would work.