OK. I got the bendable wood and it is weird for sure. I got a couple sample pieces thrown in to practice with and here's the verdict. Yes, you can ben this stuff by hand. A tight radius is more challenging and needs some work. I found that prebending with the end in a vice worked well.
The horns on my bass requiring some kerfing and the wood responded well to that. I also tried just taking some material off with my sanding drum as Chris suggested, but the bending was more uneven and less predictable. I set up my bandsaw with a piece of wood clamped next to the blade to conrol depth of cut and it's working pretty good now. The trick will be making all of the bends, clamping it into place and then drying it. If time permits, I'll probably try an entire length to see how it goes. It's not sot flexible you can bend it like a noodle, but with some muscle, it will do what you want.
If it is too much work and results aren't what I expect, I won't stick with it. Right now, I hope it works out, I like the idea of a more traditional hollow body design.
