I did some searching, but all the replies I found were from several years ago (and possibly older models?)
So, how thick of a piece of wood can I cut all the way through? 1.25 inches really doesn’t seem thick enough to do a guitar body, nor many necks.
(I’m a hobbyist not a pro btw).
You should be able to cut 2" with a stock machine. If i am not mistaken there is around 2 1/4" of clearance under the stock machine. You would just need a longer bit and take your time.
The FAQ says that it will only do 1.25 inches. So how do you get that extra .75 inches? Bit confused here.
The clearance under your z axes carriage if i am not mistaken is around 2 1/4". The router will go up farther then that. Not exactly for sure how long of a bit you can install and still have room. Or you can do what a lot of people do and buy a set of 2" risers which will give you and extra couple of inches of clearance.
Note that chip clearing will be the biggest hurdle when carving deep single slots. This can cause a lot of issues.
By carving an “outer pocket” vs single slot you increase carve time but reduce risk of failure.
I would buy the machine and invest Y axis riser plates. That is worth the extra few dollars in my opinion. You may want to use long bits and still have a nice clearance over your 8/4 lumber.
To answer your question:
I’m not familiar with the term ‘outer pocket’ in this context. Could you put a link or explain please?
And right now, I’m considering only cutting deep for cutting out the body, and making the pockets in it (for pickups, neck, controls, etc) shallow and then coming back and using a handheld router to cut those. Mainly to decrease machine time.
This whole thing is just a hobby for me. So want to be sure I understand what i’m getting into before I buy anything.
1 - By outer pocket I mean you create a “slot” or area that is wider than the single bit, so two sidestepped passed are done. This allow chips to clear the cutter and not get packed/jammed into a single width slot 
So if you use a 1/4" bit you make the design slot say 1/8" wider.
I hope that made sense.
2 - This is a typical work flow and many prefer it.
The easiest way to explain your limits in my opinion is to explain it as three possible depths. Usually your fist limit is the length of the bit. If I’m using a 1/8" or 1/4" diameter bit and the length of the bit is 1.5" before the collet (the part that holds the bit) hits the surface of the wood than my maximum cutting depth for a single bit width cut is 1.5". Most of the bits inventables sells you will go just under or just over an inch before you run into this limit. The second limit is how deep you can cut if you are clearing away the material in a way that allows the bit to go deeper without the collet hitting the surface of the wood but be aware that as you clear out a pocket the collet may be clear on the inside of the pocket but not the outside. The last limit is the clearance between the base of the platform (waste board) and the equipment moving around above (spindle, gantry, Z-axis clamp). There are kits readily available to increase this space by 1-2" beyond the stock amount but then depending on how short your bit is you might not be able to use all of that without upgrading the Z-axis as well. On my machine I’ve done 2" deep cuts before with some planning and work to make sure I’m clear on all sides but with some work and depending on exactly what you’re trying to accomplish 3" is possible.
