Pop the top off!

That's already about as hollow as you're going to want it. As for "steaming" did you build it? What kind of glue was used?

 

Just buy the pictured kit.

 

It is probably glued with AR, that is the most common wood working glue and it will separate with dry heat somthing a bit less than 400F. I have used a silicon heating blanket that I bend sides for an acoustic to remove fretboards and bridges glued with AR. On the off chance it is some other glue then you are on your own.

I chamber my les paul clones and it does make a big difference in weight. We can also detect a small difference in sound when you compare side by side with a solid LP that has the same pups. This is the level that I chamber to - I want to leave some material at the pickups and lots of room for a long tenon



Edit to add, there is a rumor that some of those cheap LP clone kits really just have a maple veneer. Maker sure yours really has a full thickness cap

 

My avatar guitar is a hollow body and they do sound great(to me anyway), but they can have a lot of issues with construction. The neck joints can develop cracks/breaks with the neck joint block or sides/top/bottom at the seams. Sometimes they start to cave in at the bridge area or the neck area too.

Other problems are the feedback and RF noises that plague hollow body guitars more than the semi-hollow body guitars.

The pic that Freeman Keller shows is really the best of both type guitars, a compromise between the two that gets you great stability along with the best sound and sustain. Feedback and RF noises are almost non existent with this type of build.

 

Stick it in the trunk of your car on a hot day?

 

Put some termites in the body and let them hollow it out. Sorry had to.

 

That's about 10 minutes here in Phoenix. It has been over 110 degrees so many days this summer- miserable....

 

I used to live in Phoenix, and I remember the oppressive heat. However, at least it's (usually) not humid. Here sometimes it'll be in the mid-80s to 90s, but with 88% humidity. Think of Monsoon Season for 3 months straight, a little less flooding, and way way way more mosquitoes.

That said, it's going to be in the mid 50s here this week, and I want it to be warmer.

 

An Epi les paul ultra is built that way. It is a good sound, way lighter. I found a used one for 200 bucks.

 

Man, that scares the crap outa me seeing just three and a bit frets worth holding that neck in!

Guess that’s why I haven’t tried building a set neck yet.

 

^^^ That short tenon would scare the heck out of me.

My understanding is that the "weight relieved" lesters have a bunch of holes drilled in the body to reduce their weight - I don't know if they actually route it out or not. I guess I'm not sure of the logic in the routing above, but it really doesn't matter. The one in the picture above is 1 pound 9 oz lighter than my other LP that has a conventional solid body. The difference is dramatic when you play them. I did do a build thread on the chambered one if you have any interest

Also, here is the silicon blanket being used to remove a fretboard from a neck while under construction - little missunderstanding about the inlays. A fairly clean separation at the seam