Solid body from semi-hollow

[analogpackrat]

What happens if you fill it with something solid & you don't like the weight or the sound? The Guitar is pretty much worthless isn't it?

That's kinda why I'm asking, right?

Actually, I have a 320, a 360/12 a 620 and this 330, and as it stands [and I know what I am about to say is sacrilege] it's already about worthless, but I love how it looks and would love to turn it into something I can use.

You haven't really said why you don't like the hollow 330 the way it is. Or did I miss something? Seems to me that the guitar IS worth something (to someone else) and you might be better off converting it to cash and using that to buy a different guitar that solves whatever the problem seems to be. Otherwise you're looking at a mighty expensive experiment with very low probability of any success (producing a useful instrument or retaining any value). Just my opinion.

[jingle_jangle]

"Guitarist ties concrete guitar to neck, jumps from bridge..."

[collin]

Matt -- as my dad always said "there's a tool for every job"


The Rickenbacker as a tool is pretty well defined---let it be, and do what it does best.

It might be easier to just buy a Les Paul instead of making a Rickenbacker into one. I doubt you'd like the result if you "filled' a 330 and then you're stuck with an expensive guitar that way.

[jingle_jangle]

Todd has worked with epoxies in boatbuilding, and I've done the same with tooling epoxies. There are lots of slow-cure, low-exotherm, low viscosity resins that would suit this project admirably, if it had merit, but I think it's not really viable.

Eight pounds? I feel it would be more. There is actually a cast-iron filled epoxy that's solid as heck, heavy as concrete, and slow-curing. There are aluminum-filled, dielectric-filled, and even stone-filled, too. All have low exotherm with a slow-cure catalyst. The actual process is easy, though reliefs would have to be cast in to allow for component spaces.

The result would give the Hulk a hernia, however.

[Matt Clark]

Thanks to everyone that has given real advise on this, as talking me out of it isn't what I asked for--I appreciate your comments and will weight every thing out before doing anything. I thought maybe someone may have done something like this with any ol' guitar, with some success, and would know how, or at least if it would be possible. If I do decide to do something stupid, I'll let you all know how it works out!

as my dad always said "there's a tool for every job"
The Rickenbacker as a tool is pretty well defined---let it be, and do what it does best.
It might be easier to just buy a Les Paul...

If all I wanted was a "tool" that's what I would do, but the Les Paul, strats, tele's, whatever are ugly in my book. I don't look at RICs as a tool, they are a work of art unto themselves. That said, I want the RIC look (artwork) and feel, not necessarily the sound in this case. I've got the RIC sounds I want. So, I want this "tool" to be what I want it to be, not what everyone else want's it to be. I think I'd rather take the long and winding road rather than letting it be.

Like I said, I've got a 620 I love, and a 360/12 I love and a 320 I love. I don't love my 330 as much... So, I want what I want, as a luxury, simply because I want it. And that's just how it is...

[egosheep]

As others have said, still not quite clear on what you're going for with wanting it solid... but that said, here's a few options:

1. Find a beater 330 on ebay or CL that is either stripped of parts, or just beat to hell with a broken body. You could feasably have a solid replacement body made for it, or you could take the back off and have precision cnc or luthier cut maple blocks inserted to fill most of the guitar, then you could glue the back on and refinish it.

2. Barter, trade, finagle or preferably steal a chinese 330 copy, fill it with cement, and see how you like the sound. If it's disappointment, take it to MARF and it can be used as a pinata with aluminum bats.

Step right up, young man!!

[Clint]

I still think your best option is to remove the back and fill the cavities with real wood. Depending on what sound you are looking for, you could try maple, mahogany, alder or maybe something a little more exotic. Although I'm not sure how much the wood choice would really affect the tone. If everything works out, I think your best case scenario would be a guitar that looks like a 330 but sounds like a 620 (sorry, a 009 that sounds like a 008). A guitar you already have. But to be honest, I don't think 300 and 600 series Rics sound all that much different anyway. And I've never had feedback issues with a semi-hollow guitar, either. So, I'm seeing a high risk/low return project here. But even if the body gets ruined, you could move on to the next best option, save the neck and hardware and have a solid wood replacement body made.

[shamustwin]

Get a 650, take off the body wings and fabricate wings in the shape of a 330 007 or whatever you're calling it!

[Clint]

Get a 650, take off the body wings and fabricate wings in the shape of a 330 007 or whatever you're calling it!

New best answer.

[egosheep]

Get a 650, take off the body wings and fabricate wings in the shape of a 330 007 or whatever you're calling it!

Yeah, but that's not 330ish enough... body would be thinner, right? And no ramp.

[Clint]

Good points, but whatever he does is going to be a compromise, anyway.

[Matt Clark]

Get a 650, take off the body wings and fabricate wings in the shape of a 330 007 or whatever you're calling it!

OK, that's not a bad idea, really...

It would still be smaller than I would want. I really like the size of the 330/360 body and I really would not mind the weight.

I'm going to have to ponder this idea, maybe with a slightly beat up, used 620 or maybe a body/neck project guitar. Hum...

[weemac]

Well...
When you consider that acyrilic or lucite guitars usually don't sound that good it's quite possible that you will end up with a heavy and unresponsive guitar.
Steinberger got away with it a bit by having hollow chambered bodies on the "L" series guitars and basses (However the EMGs ruin any suggestion of intrest in the tone.....)

Stay away from that spac filler!

emac.

[fabandgear]

Get a 650, take off the body wings and fabricate wings in the shape of a 330 007 or whatever you're calling it!

Great minds think alike! Les Paul did the same thing with "The Log". It was a 4X4 with an Epiphone neck and sides from an Epiphone body screwed on to make it look like a conventional guitar (and to save ol' Rubarb Red from being laughed at!)

[fabandgear]

PS;
Q-Branch issued me a Rickenbacker 007 once. Not only did it sound fantastic, it also converted into an AR7 rifle!