Anything wrong/weird about putting .008's on a hollow body guitar?

I can understand the problems with your fingers having had arthritis in both hands and CMC surgery on my fretting hand.Just do it and let us know the results.Lift up the bridge a little bit and see how that feels.

 

Try it. If it works for you it doesn’t matter what anyone else says.

 

Since it appears that the bridge on your guitar is fixed to the top, you should be fine. The problem with archtop guitars with "floating" bridges is that are more likely to move around with light gauge strings. Guys like Brian Setzer who use light gauge strings on arch tops usually have the bridge pinned to prevent movement.

 

Didn't know that, thanks.

As to the OP, yeah, use whatever you're comfortable with.

 

I don't use power cables on my hollows and semis, just 11's.

I like the feel of 10's on my Fenders with a 25.5" scale, and 11's on the hollows with a 24.75" scale feels similar. It's all down to feel and what you like.
The bridge on yours isn't floating so you have more leeway with gauge.

 

take the tension off the truss rod & play it for a week or two before you torque it back up (if needed). give it time to adjust to the new strings

 

People putting heavy strings on a HOLLOW-body guitar is one thing, and they do it to "excite" the top more, because those guitars function as acoustic instruments, which they are. The top vibrates thus creating the sound, and therefore heavier strings = more energy, more "excitement".

You putting eights on your SEMI-hollow is something else altogether. I tend to look on my 335 as on a Les Paul with better access to higher frets. (They do call them "Burst killers" with a reason, but noone ever called them "archtop killers".) It behaves just like a solidbody, you can hear very little "hollowness", it's bright and sustainy. They all are like that, (un)fortunately. Therefore, no real problems with eights on yours.

 

Use what you're comfortable with. That's the only rule.
That said, some guitars won't tolerate light strings without modifications - Gretsches, Jags and Jazzmasters spring to mind.

 

I have a buddy who owns a Gretsch hollow body with a Bigsby. We out the Billy Gibbons 7-38's on it, made some slight setup adjustments, and it worked great! String stayed in tune, even going to open G tuning, and it sounded fantastic amplified.

 

Didn't BB King use 8s on his Lucilles?

I have a Guild Manhattan fully hollow archtop, 24.75 scale. I use 10s on it, and they are way heavy enough for me. Use whatever works for you.

 

First try them on. You may not need to use the truss rod, but if you do, just a little every day.

It would be much harder if it was a guitar from the 50s or 60s and only ever had heavy strings.

 

Whatever works for you!

 

Personally, I would use 11s. Maybe 10s in a pinch.

But, hand problems are no joke. Maybe split the difference and try 9s ?

 

i cant see there being a problem from guitars point...a few tweaks might be needed
bigger problem is they bend so easily when fretting chords that they often sound out of tune when really they arnt something to bear in mind.
for a time my hands ached like mad and swelled up...i couldnt fret a chord...so i used a slide untill my hands got better....even now they go numb when i play...then it clears up after a short rest then i can play all day with no problem
ive learned to live with it...i still use 12s on a jaguar..10s on a tele
my hofner semi hollow has 10s and a really low action
easy to play...stick straight neck and no buzz...touch it gently and it rings...thats how i set fixed bridge guitars...different with jags and jazzmasters..not much higher but noticeably...have to stone the frets down on some to avoid buzz good luck finding strings you can work with
try 8s...if theyre too floppy...if its a gibson scale they might be...then try 9s...always be open minded about these things...its a guitar...and these strings are made for guitars
let your hands and fingers be the judge

 

I put 095s on my Falcon. After a couple of days I had to release the truss rod a little bit but it plays great. If I went to 8s I suspect I would need a new nut and probably pin the bridge. I have hand issues as well and I only worry about being able to comfortably play.

 

Do whatever you must do to keep playing. All big strings do is make you work harder. and if you have hand issues that is the last thing you need.

 

What Rocket Roll said is spot on. .12’s would have been considered light back in the day. .13 gauge were fairly standard. True hollow bodies needed the heft to move the air and make some noise, especially in a big band setting with no amplification. Bottom line is, if .08’s help you play more then there you go.
And good luck with your hand injury.

 

I use .009’s on everything including my hollow body guitars like my Byrdland, ES-350, Tal Farlow, Switchmaster, Barney Kessel, etc. They work just fine and sound great.