Rockabilly jazzmaster?

[Kreuzer]

I have just discovered this board and I am hoping I can find some help with an itch I'd like to scratch.  I already own a JM that I built last year, and I love it to the exclusion of all the other guitars I owned.  My only other guitar left is a self built strat, finished like the JM.  The problem is that I have no desire to fool around with another guitar.  I like the controls, trem, shape even the JM bridge but I love the sound of TV Jones equipped Gretschs and the older Gibson and Ephiphone hollow bodies.  I would like to build a JM to capture that tone.  Choice of pickups would either be a filtertron of some type or low output PAF maybe.  My biggest question is the body.  Has anyone done a semi-hollow JM?  I suppose I could have someone with a decent bandsaw slice one, route it out and reglue.  An f-hole would be icing on the cake but there isn't a lot real estate left with the pickguard.  My second question is wood.  Most of hollow bodies are maple plywood and the semi-hollows seem to be mahogany.  Mahogany seems more practical if the body will be hollowed but if don't know if would be too dark versus something brighter like ash or walnut.  Maybe I just have a bad case of GAS but I'd love to hear ideas the community has.

[Stereordinary]

It's a cool idea and worth pursuing, that's for sure.  Saul Koll made a semi-hollow Jazzmaster for Lee Renaldo.  I suppose there's quite a few different ways you could do it, just sorta depends on whether or not you can live without the arm and belly contours.  Check out Soloway Guitars.  He has a chambering method that still allows him to do those.

As for a laminated top, I think Maple and Poplar are the prefered woods and wouldn't be as dark sounding as Mahogany.

[ohm-men]

Well, not entirely "Lee ronaldo's" but in the same "street" so to say.
This is an late 90ties Korean product made by "Kimaxe" (now long defunct") and probably copied/made after the Jackson/Charvell "surfcaster.
It's a maghonie semi-hollowbody with a maple top. Even though it's a pretty cheap made guitar and is not everybody's cup of tea it sounds and plays wonderful.
But, given the bridge it's more in the "gibson" terretory, but in a a Fender-ish aproach due the shape of the guitar and the fact that it's 25.5" scale.
The "TV Jones" copy pu's are actually humbuckers, but with m way more clarity then the usual humbucker. Strangly enough they produce a spakly clean sound.
But the Combo "maghony-maple" seams to do the trick for this one. But, it would be even better with a Fender floating trem and the extra controls and a LESS UGLY headstock...

Although, for a real "rockabilly" sound, I would say a full hollowbody with a deeper body. The JM shape is big enough I guess. And it would be in the "Gretsh" sound terretory I guess.

[rickenmetal]

There's tons of hollow bodies in that shape: Framus Hollywood, Hopf Saturn 63, Reverend guitars, etc.

Another approach might be to take a regular Jazzmaster and rout out as much as possible under the pickguard, not exactly the same sound, but it might sound pretty cool.

[theworkoffire]

Another approach might be to take a regular Jazzmaster and rout out as much as possible under the pickguard, not exactly the same sound, but it might sound pretty cool.

Like this:

[acertainstar]

Rockabilly jazzmaster... hell yes. I hope you make it! You've inspired me to try and do the same to a chromed out jaguar!