Solid body

A guitar whose body is a single slab of wood with no internal air chamber, so almost none of the string's energy is converted into sound by the body itself.

That is the point: without a soundboard to drive, the energy stays in the string and is heard as sustain, which is why solid bodies became the basis of amplified rock playing. Feedback resistance is high, the instrument is stable in different rooms and the body can be shaped freely for comfort. The woods used are chosen as much for weight and appearance as for tone, though their density still colours the response a little.

Example: a solid mahogany body under heavy gain holds a note far longer than a hollow instrument, which would begin to resonate and howl.

Solid body

See also