A heathenous question - thoughts/advice on semi-hollows?

wooderson · January 2nd, 2008, 10:52 PM

When I decided to try learning again, I was pretty set on a Telecaster, but I'm starting to waver a little...

Went to Guitar Center again today to do some browsing, tried to get a feel for how different necks might feel. (Can't really 'play' them.)

Just didn't care for the Standard Teles they had - no '50s or '60s Classics or Highway 1s to try those necks.

There was a Gibson Vintage Mahogany Les Paul I liked, and an SG Classic w/ P-90s. Both were a bit of above my pay grade for now, though.

However, there were three guitars that really felt good in my hands were an Epiphone Casino, Dot and an Ibanez Artcore I didn't catch the model on. Seemed like all three fell somewhere in between the Les Pauls and Fenders in size, and were smoother than the Fenders.

I'm not going to be jumping in front a crowd any time soon, and I listen to everything, but my main interests are primarily indie-rock (the noisy and rockin' vein - 50 Ft. Wave, Sleater-Kinney, Fugazi, Pixies, Mazzy Star) to old punk and some alt-country ala Whiskeytown/Uncle Tupelo/Old 97's.

So I think the questions are - any reason a good semi-hollow body (Dot/Casino/Sheraton/Rivieraa or an Artcore) would be inappropriate for a learner?

Are the Epiphones pretty solid in the quality department? Eager to learn how to do setups and basic care, but I don't think I'm ready to brave any major surgery or fixing frets while learning.

Aside from the Epis and Artcores, are there other semi-hollows I should look at in the sub-$700 vein?

Still hoping to try out a few more Teles (good enough for Joe Strummer, good enough for me), but I think I really fell for the archtop feel.

morroben · January 2nd, 2008, 11:02 PM

If you like it and it feels good, then go with it. You can play any kind of music on any kind of guitar. I think comfort is very important, especially early on.
I like Epiphones, and I like that Artcore series from Ibanez. Both should be pretty good quality instruments.

By the way, you have great taste in music. I like every band that you mentioned.

JohnnyCrash · January 2nd, 2008, 11:03 PM

It aint heathenous... several good Telecasters need at least one semi-hollow or full-hollow (hehe), my Gibson ES-135:

While I really dislike Epiphones in general, oddly enough I have no problems with their non-solidbodies. I'd suggest the Casino out of the three you mentioned.

You might want to keep an eye on eBay for used Epiphone Es-295's, Sorrento's, Riviera's, Casino's, Sheraton's, etc.

I had my eye on a brand new Epi Sorrento for a few years at a local guitar shop when I finally got that Gibson... I went back a few weeks after my ES-135 got here (you know, for a backup hehe) and the Sorrento was gone :(

bender-freak · January 2nd, 2008, 11:04 PM

i like my Sheraton....a LOT.....was given to me by a buddy over 20 years ago and is still going strong....have a couple Epiphone LP's (gold-top and a standard) that are just fine IMO.....i have 29 guitars at present time, and a third of those are Teles, my all-around favorite animal...but i like to pick up something else, sometimes....also have a Washburn HB35 that i did a custom binding/lacing thing to that is a great playing/sounding guitar....there's a pic of it floating around somewhere here in the Bad Dog from a month or so back ....

BritishBluesBoy · January 2nd, 2008, 11:29 PM

I agree there too... A perfect compliment to a Telecaster is a semi/full hollow...

Here's my '72 335:

beep.click · January 2nd, 2008, 11:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wooderson

So I think the questions are - any reason a good semi-hollow body (Dot/Casino/Sheraton/Rivieraa or an Artcore) would be inappropriate for a learner?

Are the Epiphones pretty solid in the quality department? Eager to learn how to do setups and basic care...

Semi-hollow would be totally appropriate. If you're drawn that way, I say go with it.

I have an Epiphone Dot, and the neck is REALLY chunky. Feels great to me. Tonally, though, it's much darker than a Tele. I don't know how much setup work you'd need to do -- I intonated mine, and that was it.

Quality-wise, I don't see anything grossly lacking in the Epiphones. Mine has a really minor finish glitch, but overall it's very solid.

The Artcores are also fine instruments. I have a semi-hollow bass and a hollow guitar; they're both excellent.

Tdot · January 3rd, 2008, 12:12 AM

A Tele and a hollowbody make a perfect set.

CDKopf · January 3rd, 2008, 12:14 AM

Ibanez Aftcore AFS75T - I love it..Was my first electric. Very versatile sounds great..Hated the switch position so I moved it and covered the hole with a 1957 silver Quarter...

I didnt know what else to do about the hole

Copy of compressed1.jpg

outbreak · January 3rd, 2008, 12:34 AM

i have a studio dot and a mate has an artcore. both are real nice guitars and im yet to find something i dislike about my studio dot

Big Mike Simpson · January 3rd, 2008, 12:40 AM

Whichever guitar inspires you to play the most is the one for you....

I'll take one of each and a coupla extra Telecasters...

Califiddler · January 3rd, 2008, 12:40 AM

Semi-hollows are the most versatile guitars out there. I would look closely at the Epi Sheraton. Great bang-for-the-buck at $600 new, and I've seen returned Sheratons on MF recently for as low as $350.

jjz28 · January 3rd, 2008, 12:59 AM

My vote goes to the Casino, It is a true hollowbody as apposed to a semi-hollow(Sheraton,335,etc.), which is great for late night, sans amp playing. If it was good enough for the Beatles......I had this one for 10 years and was very happy with it.

Tim Armstrong · January 3rd, 2008, 07:30 AM

I used to own a really wonderful Gretsch Country Gentleman, and now own this equally wonderful Guild Starfire III:

It's different from my Beloved Telecaster and my cool little Epi Junior, and that can be a good thing! Since I also really like owning at least one guitar with a wiggle stick, a Bigsby-fied hollowbody is a cool thing.

I like a full hollowbody better than a semi because they're definitely more lively, woody, and, well, light on my back!

Cheers, Tim

RomanS · January 3rd, 2008, 07:49 AM

An Epi Sheraton would be a great choice, beginner or pro...

The Ibanez Artcores are nice, too (had an AFS75T for a while), but on the lower end models the pickups aren't that good, should be changed for something better (less muddy/dark).

jonitkin · January 3rd, 2008, 08:18 AM

A while ago I got a little nuts after seeing pete anderson play and i bought a hollowbody gretsch on my GC card. It was about 600 bucks, played and sounded great. i chickened out thought and took it back. I'm not positive, but it looks a lot like the guitar at the end of this link

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/produ...ups?sku=513282

jonitkin · January 3rd, 2008, 08:20 AM

...and of course, if you want to keep it in the family you could get a thinline telecaster. i had a mexican '69 reissue for a long time. it's the mahogany one with single coils. a great guitar all around and very affordable, though it won't do what a sheraton will.

hekawi · January 3rd, 2008, 11:10 AM

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.

superchicken_VI · January 3rd, 2008, 01:48 PM

I have an Ibanez Artcore AS-73 that I love.

Terrible picture, but shows the truth. I thought that it played better than any of the Epiphones within double the cost, and I snagged it for $229 on sale at Guitar Center. Great guitar, and I can live with the stock pickups. Getting used to all of the knobs is strange, but it's a great playing, good sounding guitar. Stick with round-wounds, though, because it's lifeless with flatwounds.

JohnnyCrash · January 3rd, 2008, 02:20 PM

Also, still don't rule out Telecasters for getting these sounds:

Quote:

Originally Posted by wooderson

I'm not going to be jumping in front a crowd any time soon, and I listen to everything, but my main interests are primarily indie-rock (the noisy and rockin' vein - 50 Ft. Wave, Sleater-Kinney, Fugazi, Pixies, Mazzy Star) to old punk and some alt-country ala Whiskeytown/Uncle Tupelo/Old 97's.

When I saw Frank Black last time, he was sporting a Telecaster. Hell, do a Google image search for Frank and you'll only see him holding two guitars - an acoustic and... a TELECASTER :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by wooderson

Still hoping to try out a few more Teles (good enough for Joe Strummer, good enough for me), but I think I really fell for the archtop feel.

I hear you there. I will always hold my Telecasters in highest esteem (I have more Teles/Esquires than any other guitar/brand)... but I'd be bummed without my '57 RI Les Paul or especially my ES-135 archtop :)

studio1087 · January 3rd, 2008, 03:03 PM

I had a burgundy Epi Rivera in the 80's and I was dumb enough to sell it. It was a fantastic guitar. The overtones with a good amp were amazing. I bought a Sheraton in the 90's...loved the tone but couldn't bond with all the frilly shell work and gold hardware..........

I would love to have an Epi DOT. A nice natural or burst Epi DOT with chrome hardware. Beautiful to hear and see.

Anyone who has seen the Pretenders live knows that a Gibson family hollow body and a Tele are a great match.

mad dog · January 3rd, 2008, 03:11 PM

The only guitar type as versatile as the tele is the semi-hollow, IMHO. Mine is an old 335. The tele and strat will probably always feel like home to me, but that Gibson is slowly but surely turning me around. Always wanted a full hollowbody thinline (that Starfire III has long been at the top of my list.) Never did find the right one, so I just pulled the trigger on an old ES-330.

The tones are so totally different. If I had to get by with only one guitar, it would be a tele. Until then, I'm spreading the love around.

jazztele · January 3rd, 2008, 03:22 PM

well, then there's...

just playing...i think a full hollow electric guitar is incredibly cool, but larger body semi hollows are something i enjoy as well...i love my epiphone emperor regent...now that's a different animal all together, but i love it when a hollow or semi hollow is deep enough to give you some acoustic sound too...

Charlie Bernstein · January 3rd, 2008, 03:38 PM

Like my Tele, like my 335. Shoot, I just like guitars. Get what you like. I do generally believe in buying used guitars - you get more guitar for the money, in my humble.

eggman · January 3rd, 2008, 04:59 PM

Howdy,

Over the last year Rickenbacker's prices have increased dramatically. One year ago, i would've suggested looking for a used Rick 330, but even then you'd have been right at $700. Ouch. Under $700? A used Gibson ES-333 or ES-135. With luck you may find one in your range, especially the ES-135.

Eggman

PS: The ES-135 has a '59 rounded LP neck, which I adore and are often found with lifeless P-100 P/Us. This may well help keep down the price of an ES-135 for you. These P/Us are quiet, so there is an upside to them, especially for a guitarist on a budget. Have no fear, they can be swapped out for authentic P-90s, then you'd have an awesome tone machine.

January 2nd, 2008, 10:52 PM	#1 (permalink)
wooderson Tele-Meister Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: DFW, TX Age: 26 Posts: 177	A heathenous question - thoughts/advice on semi-hollows? When I decided to try learning again, I was pretty set on a Telecaster, but I'm starting to waver a little... Went to Guitar Center again today to do some browsing, tried to get a feel for how different necks might feel. (Can't really 'play' them.) Just didn't care for the Standard Teles they had - no '50s or '60s Classics or Highway 1s to try those necks. There was a Gibson Vintage Mahogany Les Paul I liked, and an SG Classic w/ P-90s. Both were a bit of above my pay grade for now, though. However, there were three guitars that really felt good in my hands were an Epiphone Casino, Dot and an Ibanez Artcore I didn't catch the model on. Seemed like all three fell somewhere in between the Les Pauls and Fenders in size, and were smoother than the Fenders. I'm not going to be jumping in front a crowd any time soon, and I listen to everything, but my main interests are primarily indie-rock (the noisy and rockin' vein - 50 Ft. Wave, Sleater-Kinney, Fugazi, Pixies, Mazzy Star) to old punk and some alt-country ala Whiskeytown/Uncle Tupelo/Old 97's. So I think the questions are - any reason a good semi-hollow body (Dot/Casino/Sheraton/Rivieraa or an Artcore) would be inappropriate for a learner? Are the Epiphones pretty solid in the quality department? Eager to learn how to do setups and basic care, but I don't think I'm ready to brave any major surgery or fixing frets while learning. Aside from the Epis and Artcores, are there other semi-hollows I should look at in the sub-$700 vein? Still hoping to try out a few more Teles (good enough for Joe Strummer, good enough for me), but I think I really fell for the archtop feel.

January 2nd, 2008, 11:03 PM	#3 (permalink)
JohnnyCrash Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Lost Angeles and Orange County Posts: 7,134 39 Photos	It aint heathenous... several good Telecasters need at least one semi-hollow or full-hollow (hehe), my Gibson ES-135: While I really dislike Epiphones in general, oddly enough I have no problems with their non-solidbodies. I'd suggest the Casino out of the three you mentioned. You might want to keep an eye on eBay for used Epiphone Es-295's, Sorrento's, Riviera's, Casino's, Sheraton's, etc. I had my eye on a brand new Epi Sorrento for a few years at a local guitar shop when I finally got that Gibson... I went back a few weeks after my ES-135 got here (you know, for a backup hehe) and the Sorrento was gone :( __________________ . Learn about safety before building/repairing/modding an amp. When in doubt, take it to a shop. Never drink yellow snow. Have fun.

January 2nd, 2008, 11:04 PM	#4 (permalink)
bender-freak Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: springfield, missouri Posts: 1,150	i like my Sheraton....a LOT.....was given to me by a buddy over 20 years ago and is still going strong....have a couple Epiphone LP's (gold-top and a standard) that are just fine IMO.....i have 29 guitars at present time, and a third of those are Teles, my all-around favorite animal...but i like to pick up something else, sometimes....also have a Washburn HB35 that i did a custom binding/lacing thing to that is a great playing/sounding guitar....there's a pic of it floating around somewhere here in the Bad Dog from a month or so back .... __________________ bender-freak

January 2nd, 2008, 11:29 PM	#5 (permalink)
BritishBluesBoy Friend of Leo's Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Brooklyn, NY Age: 40 Posts: 4,065 62 Photos	I agree there too... A perfect compliment to a Telecaster is a semi/full hollow... Here's my '72 335: __________________ BBB.

January 3rd, 2008, 12:12 AM	#7 (permalink)
Tdot Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Back of the Wasatch, UT Posts: 3,313 58 Photos	A Tele and a hollowbody make a perfect set. __________________ And now for some feedback: EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

January 2nd, 2008, 11:02 PM	#2 (permalink)
morroben Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: california Age: 31 Posts: 1,683 18 Photos	If you like it and it feels good, then go with it. You can play any kind of music on any kind of guitar. I think comfort is very important, especially early on. I like Epiphones, and I like that Artcore series from Ibanez. Both should be pretty good quality instruments. By the way, you have great taste in music. I like every band that you mentioned.

January 3rd, 2008, 12:14 AM	#8 (permalink)
CDKopf Tele-Meister Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Spokane, Wa Age: 33 Posts: 351 3 Photos	Ibanez Aftcore AFS75T - I love it..Was my first electric. Very versatile sounds great..Hated the switch position so I moved it and covered the hole with a 1957 silver Quarter... I didnt know what else to do about the hole Copy of compressed1.jpg __________________ "We been outta work so long...we had to put together some kinda act just to show the promoters what kinda work we're out of." (Johnny Cash 1958 Hadley's Town Hall Party)

January 3rd, 2008, 12:34 AM	#9 (permalink)
outbreak Tele-Meister Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Australia Age: 20 Posts: 426	i have a studio dot and a mate has an artcore. both are real nice guitars and im yet to find something i dislike about my studio dot

January 3rd, 2008, 12:40 AM	#10 (permalink)
Big Mike Simpson Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Gilbert, AZ (PHX) Posts: 1,337 54 Photos	Whichever guitar inspires you to play the most is the one for you.... I'll take one of each and a coupla extra Telecasters... __________________ Big Mike http://www.myspace.com/bigmikesimpson

January 3rd, 2008, 12:40 AM	#11 (permalink)
Califiddler Tele-Holic Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: California Posts: 860	Semi-hollows are the most versatile guitars out there. I would look closely at the Epi Sheraton. Great bang-for-the-buck at $600 new, and I've seen returned Sheratons on MF recently for as low as $350. __________________ "In the fiddler's house, all are dancers."

January 3rd, 2008, 07:30 AM	#13 (permalink)
Tim Armstrong Moderator Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Berlin, Maryland, USA Age: 49 Posts: 7,672	I used to own a really wonderful Gretsch Country Gentleman, and now own this equally wonderful Guild Starfire III: It's different from my Beloved Telecaster and my cool little Epi Junior, and that can be a good thing! Since I also really like owning at least one guitar with a wiggle stick, a Bigsby-fied hollowbody is a cool thing. I like a full hollowbody better than a semi because they're definitely more lively, woody, and, well, light on my back! Cheers, Tim __________________ http://www.moodswingers.org

January 3rd, 2008, 07:49 AM	#14 (permalink)
RomanS Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Vienna, Austria Age: 36 Posts: 2,568 14 Photos	An Epi Sheraton would be a great choice, beginner or pro... The Ibanez Artcores are nice, too (had an AFS75T for a while), but on the lower end models the pickups aren't that good, should be changed for something better (less muddy/dark). __________________ http://www.pbase.com/romans http://www.myspace.com/romans212

January 3rd, 2008, 08:18 AM	#15 (permalink)
jonitkin Tele-Meister Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: New York City Age: 25 Posts: 182	A while ago I got a little nuts after seeing pete anderson play and i bought a hollowbody gretsch on my GC card. It was about 600 bucks, played and sounded great. i chickened out thought and took it back. I'm not positive, but it looks a lot like the guitar at the end of this link http://www.musiciansfriend.com/produ...ups?sku=513282 __________________ www.jonitkin.com wwww.myspace.com/jonitkin

January 3rd, 2008, 08:20 AM	#16 (permalink)
jonitkin Tele-Meister Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: New York City Age: 25 Posts: 182	...and of course, if you want to keep it in the family you could get a thinline telecaster. i had a mexican '69 reissue for a long time. it's the mahogany one with single coils. a great guitar all around and very affordable, though it won't do what a sheraton will. __________________ www.jonitkin.com wwww.myspace.com/jonitkin

January 3rd, 2008, 11:10 AM	#17 (permalink)
hekawi Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: greenville, sc Posts: 1,856	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. __________________ ____________________________________________ "Rule Number One: Obey All Rules" - Barney Fife

January 3rd, 2008, 01:48 PM	#18 (permalink)
superchicken_VI Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Monroe, NC Age: 35 Posts: 1,087	I have an Ibanez Artcore AS-73 that I love. Terrible picture, but shows the truth. I thought that it played better than any of the Epiphones within double the cost, and I snagged it for $229 on sale at Guitar Center. Great guitar, and I can live with the stock pickups. Getting used to all of the knobs is strange, but it's a great playing, good sounding guitar. Stick with round-wounds, though, because it's lifeless with flatwounds.

January 3rd, 2008, 03:03 PM	#20 (permalink)
studio1087 Friend of Leo's Join Date: May 2003 Location: Near Milwaukee Age: 44 Posts: 3,276 33 Photos	I had a burgundy Epi Rivera in the 80's and I was dumb enough to sell it. It was a fantastic guitar. The overtones with a good amp were amazing. I bought a Sheraton in the 90's...loved the tone but couldn't bond with all the frilly shell work and gold hardware.......... I would love to have an Epi DOT. A nice natural or burst Epi DOT with chrome hardware. Beautiful to hear and see. Anyone who has seen the Pretenders live knows that a Gibson family hollow body and a Tele are a great match. __________________ JLG Carry On

January 3rd, 2008, 03:11 PM	#21 (permalink)
mad dog Tele-Holic Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 677	The only guitar type as versatile as the tele is the semi-hollow, IMHO. Mine is an old 335. The tele and strat will probably always feel like home to me, but that Gibson is slowly but surely turning me around. Always wanted a full hollowbody thinline (that Starfire III has long been at the top of my list.) Never did find the right one, so I just pulled the trigger on an old ES-330. The tones are so totally different. If I had to get by with only one guitar, it would be a tele. Until then, I'm spreading the love around.

January 3rd, 2008, 03:22 PM	#22 (permalink)
jazztele Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: chicago Age: 29 Posts: 1,491	well, then there's... just playing...i think a full hollow electric guitar is incredibly cool, but larger body semi hollows are something i enjoy as well...i love my epiphone emperor regent...now that's a different animal all together, but i love it when a hollow or semi hollow is deep enough to give you some acoustic sound too... __________________ “For the guitar is the most unpredictable and least reliable musical instrument in existence...and also the sweetest, the warmest, the most delicate, whose melancholic voice awakes in our soul exquisite reveries.” Andres Segovia

January 3rd, 2008, 03:38 PM	#23 (permalink)
Charlie Bernstein Friend of Leo's Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Augusta, Maine Posts: 2,301	Like my Tele, like my 335. Shoot, I just like guitars. Get what you like. I do generally believe in buying used guitars - you get more guitar for the money, in my humble.