Very nice tigers, both of you? Jon S - amazing grain and beautiful inlays! I wouldn't worry about chambering the body. Roger Sadowsky makes some of the best basses on the planet, and he started chambering his bodies to save weight a few years ago and actually found they sounded
better when chambered.
He talks about it in part of a long interview here:
http://www.behindthenotes.com/index.php ... id-17.html which I think is now also linked at his website
www.sadowsky.com good info on guitar/bass setup, too, which is where he got his start - working on instruments for NYC recording pros.
I've never believed the "heavier instruments always sound better" theory. I've heard plenty of great SGs that sounded fantastic, and many other examples.