Hollow body ERGs?

[Hollowway]

I did a pretty extensive Google search, and it doesn't appear that much (if anything) is going on in hollowbody ERGs. Having talked with a couple of luthiers, the bracing in a hollow body is what makes it more complicated than a semi hollow or solid body, and that's what keeps people from making them. In addition to that, the shops (that I could find online) that would make a custom hollow body have pretty steep prices (in the 5 digits).

Anyway, anyone know of anyone making them, or anyone who has one (other than that LACS Tosin had made)?

 

[pink freud]

This is the first that springs to mind:
Novax Guitars: Instrument Models: Charlie Hunter 8-string

Look at it this way, this is only in the four digits range!

For true hollow-bodies, I don't know of any.

 

[elq]

Are you talking about a full hollow jazz box type guitar? Or chambered? I think the burl LACS that Tosin has is chambered.

If you're looking for full hollow, talk to David Myka or Matt Artinger.

 

[MaxOfMetal]

Archtop luthiery is a true art. It's not just something one picks up like building solid bodies seems to be these days. It's also one of the few aspects of instrument making that cannot be done to the same degree by CNC machining.

The molds, jigs, and and setups for making archtops are completely different than those for solid bodies.

From what I've seen, a lot of archtop builders are open to adding at least one string, even really old shops like Benedetto. It's just not going to be cheap at all, or by any stretch of the imagination.

I think Myka and Artinger have made some really interesting 7+ string semi and full hollow instruments. Novax guitars are more along the lines of chambered than true hollows.

 

[technomancer]

Are you talking about a full hollow jazz box type guitar? Or chambered? I think the burl LACS that Tosin has is chambered.

If you're looking for full hollow, talk to David Myka or Matt Artinger.

Eric is wise

 

[Hollowway]

Oh, I didn't realize that about Tosin's. But yeah, I was thinking full hollow jazz box. And I knew they were a lot more involved from a luthiery/engineering standpoint, but I wasn't sure if I was just missing an el cheapo version (like Rondo) I could get to experiment with, or what. I've got my semi-hollow 8 coming from KxK, so that will give me a liiiitle bit of feel for the hollowness, but as I understand it a semi-hollow is way closer to a solid body than a hollow body.

Actually, I just checked out Myka. And that brought me to www.destroyallguitars.com. Holy crap there's some nice stuff on there! And there are some really reasonably priced 6 string hollow bodies that are just works of art. Check it out if you're feeling a lack of GAS.

 

[MaxOfMetal]

You can find cheap 6-string hollow bodies, but it shows a lot more the quality of materials than a solid body electric. You don't have the pickups and solid construction to hide behind. Things like the amount of glue on the braces, bracing pattern, thickness of sides, position of bridge down to the millimeter, etc.

There are decent archtops under $2k though, which is "cheap" for a true archtop.

 

[Explorer]

Since jazzers have been using 7-strings for longer than rockers (thank you, George Van Eps!), and since Eastman makes great mandolin and archtop instruments in the classic Gibson vein, it should be no surprise that they make a 7-string archtop for less than $2500.

I own two of their mandolins (both oval hole, one with scrll) and one mandola, and they let me get rid off all the rest except aFlatiron mandola I've had since the '80s. If seven strings is sufficient, I suggest you give them a try.

 

[Poparad]

I'm very interested in this as well. My main 6-string is a Holdsworth Fatboy, and before that it was a Gibson ES-135 semi=hollow. I have an Agile 9 right now, but I would really love a hollow version of it, possibly with a multi-scale (the difference from 1st to 9th is so extreme that one scale is hard to make work). My ideal would be an ERG Fatboy (fully hollow, though not necessarily an archtop).

 

[Subz]

I remembered i had these pictures saved. Dont know who makes em

 

[in-pursuit]

I think that last one is an artinger, but don't quote me on it. beautiful instrument, would love to own something similar.

 

[MaxOfMetal]

That would be David Myka's 121.

2011 Greg Hurley Custom Scorpion

 

[in-pursuit]

I stand corrected

 

[pink freud]

Yep. If you ever see a guitar that looks like a gourd with Down Syndrome, it's probably a Myka, and I say that in the most loving way (I love his guitars).

 

[Hollowway]

Welp, I just ordered an archtop from Matt Raines. I looked at the Eastman's, but it looks like Matt's stuff is a little cheaper, and I'm primarily going to mess around with this. If I like it, I'll go for something specific for what I need.

 

[elq]

A person who's opinions I trust on guitar matters say that Raines' guitars are good as long as you look at them as "unfinished furniture". He mentioned it needed some fretwork, a new nut, and the electronics were bad but it was a good base archtop.

 

[Hollowway]

A person who's opinions I trust on guitar matters say that Raines' guitars are good as long as you look at them as "unfinished furniture". He mentioned it needed some fretwork, a new nut, and the electronics were bad but it was a good base archtop.

Cool, thanks for the heads up. That basically sounds like the way I treat Agiles. I order them, and then set aside time on delivery day to set it up and do whatever I need to get it where I need it. I'll do an NGD when I get it and tell y'all what I think. And in the future I have to plan my Sundays better so I don't get bored and start ordering more guitars. My wife saw my computer screen and asked what I was buying and I told her, and she said, "You don't play jazz, though." And I said, "Not YET!" That got a pretty good eye-roll from her.

 

[Rook]

Ola Strandberg will make you a hollow but it's not really a jazz box.

Maybe ask Vik? His hollows are normally thinner profile rather than a full blown jazz box but hey who knows.

 

[Tom Drinkwater]

Victor Baker will do full hollow 8's.

 

[b10110]

Eastman will build an 8 string archtop for you, they insist on a 17" bout but outside of that they will pretty well do whatever you want. The queue is right at a year now, but will get shorter once they restart the custom shop orders.
Eastman handles all of their custom work through their dealers, so talk to your local shop and they can get you more info.