"Steve" wrote in message
...


My plan for the next one is to make the body semi-hollow, with a Sitka
spruce bookmatched top and flame maple back. I'm still working on the
body design. I want it to have figured maple on the sides as well as the
back.


That Sitka spruce will make some nice sounds, especially if you chamber the
body some. It resonates nicely, but it really wants some sound chambers
under it.

My electric guitar is a handcrafted guitar from a luthier down in N.
Carolina. It's a Honduran Mahogany body and neck with a flame maple cap.
The mahogany body has sound chambers routed into it and it's very noticeable
what the difference in tone is between it and the same model without the
sound chambers. I'm sure you'd find Sitka responds to the sound chambers
the same way.

From what I investigated at a point when I was going to build a guitar
myself, I believe I've read that maple does not make a good body. It makes
a good cap, but it really wants some other woods under it in order to get a
less harsh tone. Maple is good for sustain, but not so good for tone - if I
remember correctly.

--

-Mike-