- Apr 18, 2008
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Ya think?!? If you're gonna play a seven-string, then you pretty much signed up for heavy, my friend.
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Chambered Body, What's The Upside?
- Thread starter fhm555
- Start date
Ya think?!? If you're gonna play a seven-string, then you pretty much signed up for heavy, my friend.
The alembic series basses also tend to be chambered unless specifically requested otherwise. I think this is more for weight and to hold the electronics than tone specifically. I did pose this question about the tonal benefits of their cavity design and Mica said that because they use a thick top and back laminate the bass behaves like a solid body instrument.
Doner Designs
Steve Doner
- Jun 2, 2012
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I agree with this in the case of Sadowsky/Warmoth style chambers (like swiss cheese - not connected). Big chambers gradually take on more of a hollow body tone depending on how large the chambers are and if there is a sound hole.
I think it might be disingenuous to refer to an Alembic Series bass as "chambered" ...and I can't see how you could request an "unchambered" Series bass: All that open space is a requirement of the Series electronics.
I don't think you have enough area available there to make a significant difference. Even if you used a router to enlarge the control cavity and the battery cavity to their maximum possible size, I doubt you could remove 1 lb of walnut from it. Look up the average density of Walnut and do some math.
@JIO did that with his Dark Sparkle P I think he mentions a before and after weight in the thread but I'm not sure.
black & blond P makeover (etc)
Another way to lose a lot of weight is a thinner body. A body at 1.25 inches thick loses roughly 2/7 of the body weight or more than 1/4 of the weight of the standard 1.75 thickness. I've made a number of bolt ons in this thickness and it works great though it limits your choice of jacks and switches and you have to trim some of the screws so they don't pop out the back.
I like this solution if you want to use a dense body wood but keep the weight similar to alder.
I'm pretty sure the standard Fender thickness was decided by having the option to buy 4/4 or 8/4 wood but not 6/4.
I like this solution if you want to use a dense body wood but keep the weight similar to alder.
I'm pretty sure the standard Fender thickness was decided by having the option to buy 4/4 or 8/4 wood but not 6/4.
- Jun 30, 2010
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(thanks Will!
) I do but you'll have to search to where I first started that project within my multi-project thread. It made a huge difference in both weight and tone. Using forstner bits, you can drill as large an area as deeply as you can because the wood left behind (between holes) provides stability. (think honeycomb) I'm planning on doing this on one of my current projects and also one coming up to lighten a bass for a petite novice player who needs a lighter bass when standing at her schools Jazz band performances.
I could be wrong, but are the Fender Road Worn basses not slightly thinner? My P comes in at 7lbs even. I know the wood is light, but I thought they were thinner as well.
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I understand some Squiers are a bit thinner. I know it drives some telecaster owners nuts, not having the full thickness.
Chambering goes back aways. Back in the '60s Supro had the Pocket Bass that had a chambered body with a a hunk of plastic covering it. Pop one open and it looks like this:
In the case of the Supro they did it in an attempt to get a more upright bass sound. It is a pretty interesting sounding instrument. Not sure where (or if) you'd ever want to use one. But it's still pretty cool.
There's a video on YT demoing and discussing the one in the picture above.
In the case of the Supro they did it in an attempt to get a more upright bass sound. It is a pretty interesting sounding instrument. Not sure where (or if) you'd ever want to use one. But it's still pretty cool.
There's a video on YT demoing and discussing the one in the picture above.
The problem with just holes is it only covers a small part of the surface of the body. You could probably drop about a pound and a half planing 1/4 off the back. (using a router sled and then re-rounding the back.) This is pretty drastic and you would have to have room to be able to recess the battery boxes and back plate but it could take a large chunk off.
Pete Skjold is doing a Catacomnb option that has a unique chambering to the body. It enhances the 3D quality to the notes without sacrifing any of the fundamentals that are often lost with hollow bodies / chambered basses.
Here's what Epiphone has to say about the Zenith bass :
Acoustically Chambered Body
The Epiphone Zenith body is a cross between a solid-body and a semi-hollow bass and is computer-routed to create acoustic chambers. The top is made from laminated Flame maple with tortoise style bound "F" holes. The 5-piece, satin finish neck is made from a combination of Hard maple and Walnut. It's attached to the body with a deep-set, 5-bolt design that holds the neck solidly in place and adds to its deep, rich tone.
I have one of these, and I notice two things compared to my Epiphone Jack Casady hollow body. One is the tone; two distinct instruments, tone-wise, and the Zenith seems not to want to feed back as does the JC if I dial in too much gain.
Acoustically Chambered Body
The Epiphone Zenith body is a cross between a solid-body and a semi-hollow bass and is computer-routed to create acoustic chambers. The top is made from laminated Flame maple with tortoise style bound "F" holes. The 5-piece, satin finish neck is made from a combination of Hard maple and Walnut. It's attached to the body with a deep-set, 5-bolt design that holds the neck solidly in place and adds to its deep, rich tone.
I have one of these, and I notice two things compared to my Epiphone Jack Casady hollow body. One is the tone; two distinct instruments, tone-wise, and the Zenith seems not to want to feed back as does the JC if I dial in too much gain.
