Kooky Body Idea

[cheepaxes]

I originally posted this to The Gear Page but thought folks here migh want to weigh in. I've seen some Teisco bodies which I thought may have been made using a process like this. Read on...

I have next to nothing in the way of tools or wood-working ability. I don't mind working on cheap guitars and taking them out to gigs for a laugh. I've been toying with the idea of making a solid guitar body from wood I have around the house.

Given that: I have a piece of wood that was formerly a cutting board. It appears to be one solid piece, but not deep enough for a guitar body. To use this would require cutting two identically-shaped pieces and gluing them together in a stack, making a two-piece pancake body.

And given that: I have access to a jig saw but not a router.

How kooky would it be to cut the same body shape out of two pieces, cut shapes in one piece where the neck, pickup and control cavity routes would be, and glue the two together with the "routed" piece on top? I would end up with what appeared to be a routed body. Granted, the depth of the routs would be a function of the thickness of the wood, not the depth of my neck, pups and controls, but I can probably live with this.

I'm sure this sounds like a cheezy idea to people with skills and tools, but to me, it sounds kind of fun.

Does anybody know of a reason that this would not work? Does anyone know someone who's done it?

-Scott

[Michael Ambrose]

Who's got two thumbs and has done just that?

This guy.

Before I owned proper tools, I'd actually go to a wood shop where a friend worked and have him plane me a few planks, one of which was the same thickness as the heel of whatever cheapo neck I nabbed off of Ebay...

Cut a neck pocket in the one plank with a jigsaw and glue them together... I built three Dano-style pieces... didn't even rout the top, just slapped a Dearmond on there!

I've had them for a few years now, and they haven't given me any structural problems...

[cheepaxes]

Cool! What did you do for control cover/jackplate?

Pictures?

[Michael Ambrose]

[cheepaxes]