hollowbodies are cool. i played my first two gigs ever in my life over the holidays, and the guitar i used is my semi-hollow Peavey JF-1:
i got this guitar real cheap ($199) when a local music shop had a 50% off sale a couple of years ago. great sound from the humbuckers...it can go from sweet to snarling. neck feels great (a Peavey hallmark), the selector toggle switch is in the right place, so i didn't have to move it like CDKopf. seperate V and T knobs for both pickups. really good guitar for the $$ that i spent on it. sure, i'd love a real 335 or a Gretsch but with my finances, that ain't gonna happen.