Affordable thin, semi-hollow with nitro finish...suggestions?

[backporchmusic]

I've been loving my Epi ES 175 Premium so much that I want to get something similar to replace my MIK Sheraton II.

Specs would be:

Fuller sized thinner body (not smaller 339 sized). Hard tail or bigsby (no floating bridges).

...and nitro finish (love them, hate the way poly chokes an acoustic-y guitar). Must be nitro. My Sheraton is as nice a poly guitar as I could want. But I want nitro.

Bonus for good pickups and electronics.

Must be affordable! Can't pony up 4K for a Gibson, or even 1500 for a used one. Got my ES 175 for under 500 new, but I can go maybe up to 1000.

Am I dreaming?

 

[Del Pickup]

I think you might have answered your own question unfortunately.

I've seen the Epiphone nitro finished models (like the one you have) but I've never seen any Sheraton/Casino models with this branding.

I'm guessing that part of the added cost of a nitro finished guitar is down to the increased costs of doing it properly and also safely for the workers.

But why not do what I did to my old Samick 335 copy? I sanded the original (horrendously thick and tough) poly finish off and then stained and oiled it so it's now a slightly reddish tinted natural finish.

I have to say that it was a very long and hard process as it had to be done by hand due to all the contours of the body and neck but it's a totally different guitar in tone terms now. So much better than it ever was before.

 

[Lobomov]

My Ibanez PM100 cured me of any nitro vs poly thoughts. I sounds stunning and is a poly guitar.

I honestly think you're chasing windmills especialy since the sheraton is a semi-hollow. Id say enjoy it while you can and save your money for one of the cheaper but proper Gibsons like the es135/137, if the es335 is too much for you (used off course)

 

[Tony Done]

IMO, "affordable nitro" is an oxymoron. I like nitro, and while I think it is OK in those inexpensive thin finishes, eg Blade, I wouldn't want it in an inexpensive thicker finished Gibson-style hollowbody.

Are you suggesting that a poly finishes "chokes" the acoustic tone? I'm an acoustic aficionado, and them's fightin' words, because I've had enough of soundhole sniffers.

 

[backporchmusic]

I saw someone say on anther forum that Eastman guitars are nitro? Were they wrong? Or maybe a few models?

I know the Epi Elitist Sheraton (w/ mini hums) is nitro. Saw one used on GC online for $1100 but didn't have money and it was gone in two days. So I know they exist...just hard to find.

Any thoughts on the Gibson Midtown models? I think they might tick quite a few of my boxes. They're 'flat top' but will likely get me where I want to go--but I recall they were introduced then blown out quite quickly...which usually doesn't bode well.

 

[TNO]

Eastmans are nitro and very nice guitars.

 

[sbpark]

I realyl don't think you'll find a nitro finished guitar in your price range, but really to be honest it really isn't a big deal if it's poly. I'd rather have a poly-finished Epiphone, like a Dot or Casino that's had a killer set up, high quality components and wiring with some good pickups and worry less about the finish.

Maybe you should try and look for a used Lennon Casino. They're available used for under a grand and I believe they are nitro finish. Another option would be a used Gibson Midtown.

 

[sbpark]

This would be my choice: (link removed) Street price is $999.

 

[backporchmusic]

So far, I'm favoring the Eastman T486 models. Just missed one with Bigsby for $699 on GC. Darn it...


But I'm hoping to hear from a few Midtown owners too.

 

[Lobomov]

Midtowns are not semi-hollows. They are carved which makes the, closer related to a les paul. Great guitars tho.

 

[Zepfan]

Epiphone has a lot of hollow/semi-hollow guitar models that are larger than the 339. You could also look into Gretsch, Guild and Godin. If those are too much, check out the Rondo.com offerings.

 

[sbpark]

Epiphone has a lot of hollow/semi-hollow guitar models that are larger than the 339. You could also look into Gretsch, Guild and Godin. If those are too much, check out the Rondo.com offerings.

He said it has to have a nitro finish and at a certain budget price point. Gretsch, Guild, Godin and Rondo wont tick off the nitro finish at his $500-sub $1,000 pricepoint.

 

[moosie]

So far, I'm favoring the Eastman T486 models. Just missed one with Bigsby for $699 on GC. Darn it...

It might look similar to your Sheraton, but might sound nothing like it.

Given that 99% of proper nitro finished guitars are well beyond your stated price range, to be kind of blindly searching for ANY semi or hollow that a) is cheap, and b) is nitro, seems like ... not a good plan.

I only buy guitars with a lacquer finish - that's my filtering criteria. I happen to like it very much, but also it is usually found on guitars that have the other qualities I seek, so it's a quick way to filter the market.

But in so doing, I realize that I price myself out of a large part of the market.

Have you played other nicely finished guitars? I recommend playing some, and saving your money on the stopgap purchases, to get 'one and done'.

 

[Paul G.]

So you want a guitar with a big block of wood glued down the middle, top cut out and drilled for 3/4 pounds of pickups and controls. Made of laminate, 3 layers of wood glued together, with, I assume, glue. You're going to plug it into a guitar amplifier, probably through some battery powered boxes, and you think an extra couple of mil on the finish is going to be noticeable?

I like Nitro. I like it because it ages nicely and doesn't chip.

On a high-quality, pure acoustic guitar made of solid woods, I believe (though it's just faith) it makes a difference.

On an electric guitar, nope. Just nope.

No way. Impossible.

Eastman guitars are nice.

 

[sbpark]

I bought this old 1997 Epiphone dot for $140. Was all original when I got it. Played great with little tweaking but never liked how it sounded despite messing with the stock pickups. Cleaned it up, polished the frets myself and wiped off the years of from that had accumulated over the years. Bought an OEM Epiphone case for it, a new high quality 50's style wiring harness with new pots, switch and jack and a pair of SD Antiquity pickups which I had all installed and set up by a pro. Sounds like a lot of work, but seriously sounds incredible and it's a killer guitar for relatively little money that could hold it's own against most other semi-hollows that bear a different name on the headstock, and I sleep just fine at night knowing it's finished in poly and not nitro. Guitars don't "breathe".

Playability/feel, setup, sound and quality of components are going to contribute way more to how the guitar sounds than what it's finished with. Just sayin', but if psychologically you think that a poly finish is really going to make that much of a difference in how you play the guitar then it shouldn't be discounted, because buying guitars is very psychological as far as what we perceive as important and what inspires and motivates us. Just realize if certain features are an absolute must, you make have to pay to play.

 

[backporchmusic]

I've got a nice Koran Sheraton II. Looking for nitro.

 

[musicalmartin]

Might be worth checking Gibson Midtown Standards used.My one was pretty cheap and is a fine well made great sounding guitar and even tunes itself if you ask it nicely .

 

[Zepfan]

He said it has to have a nitro finish and at a certain budget price point. Gretsch, Guild, Godin and Rondo wont tick off the nitro finish at his $500-sub $1,000 pricepoint.

I realized that, but sometimes you have to settle for what's available. Like the song goes - You can't always get what you want - but you can get what you need.
Lot of Epiphone offerings are affordable and nitro finishes on a budget guitar isn't likely.

 

[e44crowe]

My bandmate has an Eastman 335. Fantastic guitar.

 

[Obsessed]

A friend of a friend of mine has an Eastman T486 that is so sweet, it convinced me to take a chance on a nitro parlor acoustic by Eastman. Wonderful in all aspects. If I was to do a "do over", I would have bought an Eastman semi-hollow, but since I love my MIK Sheraton II so much, I'll probably never replace it.

Good luck and I understand your desire.