Hollowbody Guitars

You're in luck, I went to Guitar Center and bought an Ibanez Artcore and I really love it. It really is quite playable acoustically, it's not as loud as an acoustic but louder than a solid body electric (I don't have my guitar with me so I can't fully describe it right now). I find mine to have a very nice clean sound and it is very warm sounding. As for blues, it depends what type of blues sound you're going for.

One thing to watch out for is that hollowbodies tend to feedback at high volumes (I love that, but some people hate it) and with high gain. If you're going to buy one without trying it, remember that it's very warm and dark before you buy anything.

Yes, hollowbodies aren't too bad for some unplugged quiet practice, though as you say they're pretty abysmal as acoustic guitars go. Even semihollowbodies get enough resonance out of the cavities in the wings to have an advantage over plain solid planks for hearing them unplugged. For those who don't know, semihollowbodies have the center filled with a solid block of wood and for most purposes functionally are solid guitars. They were built that way to reduce hollowbodies' problem of feedback in loud playing situations, and when introduced with the Fender ES-335 in 1957 it was hailed as a great innovation, but it was really IMO a slicked-up derivative (maybe not consciously so) of Les Paul's "Log" of the early '40s made from a pine 4x4 with the sawn-off sides of an Epiphone acoustic clamped on the sides to make it look like a guitar.

As for the various Artcores, I've never been able to make any sense out of any of Ibanez's model numbers. Means nothing to me when somebody says they've got such and such model of Ibanez, and I'm someone who's thoroughly understood Harley-Davidson's model designations for many years. You've just got to look at the few different body sizes and shapes, hollow vs. semihollow (which Ibanez isn't always really clear about), Bigsby vs. fixed bridge, etc.

I got one of the big hollowbody models with two humbuckers and a Bigsby for my boy. I'd admired it when it came through the store originally, and couldn't pass it up when it came back in used and in excellent condition at a bargain price a couple of years later. It's a fine guitar.

My boy definitely isn't a jazzer, BTW. He's a rocker. I hear him play more Rush than anything else.

the big brother of the Oscar Schmidt (Washburn) OE30 the OE40 is on clearance sale now at MF for $200

it's a big fat tub of a guitar with pretty nice sound and remarkable craftsmanship for a low priced instrument.

Well, playing at high volumes isn't something I see myself doing in the near future, as I always have neighbors to consider in a badly insulated house, so feedback wouldn't be an issue or so. I usually play on my laney solid state 30 watt amp at 1/10 level and with a bit of gainy effects its already annoying the housemates.

The main reason I really like them is their look and that is one good looking guitar Ric, I once saw a similar one in deep red and that really did it for me (also the gretsch white falcon, but that is another story).

The reason I'm asking instead of playing them in a store is that I don't have access to music stores that stock these hollowbodies, and they would have to be ordered, aside from the fact I am one of those persons that feels slightly uncomfortable in music stores.

As for what kind of sound I am looking for: A bit of a "round" sound, somewhat deeper than most steelstrings, which are a bit twangy for me and which I can also get a nice creamy overdriven amp'd sound from. Basically, the best of two worlds. :)
But I would already be happy if it could compete with a mediocre dreadnought unplugged and a squier plugged.

Edit: that oscar schmid guitar looks nice indeed for the money, but unfortunately Musiciansfriend is not an option for me (due to being dutch), ill have to check Thomann

IMO you can beat the Squier plugged (that'll beg someone to differ, no doubt), and depending on how mediocre your dreadnought is and how picky you are, you might be able to "compete" there. It's not your best sounding acoustic ever, though. But it's really a very versatile electric guitar, if you don't play it at high volume levels. My boy plays some amazingly heavy, distorted and high gain stuff through that big green Artcore, and it sounds very cool! I hear some strange stuff come out of the basement sometimes when he's home.
:lol:

I for one love my washburn HB-35 and for a semihollow it sounds great unplugged (well my 1 1/2 yr old twins love it :lol: ). The sound isnt obviously as amplified as an acoustic but it does well for diddling around the living room or practicing.

i have a late 80's japanese made HB but i hear the HB's that are made in china now (as well as the oscar schmidts) are still great value for the money. From what i have read in the washburn forums there are no quality issues with the chinese made models ( i am not wild about the headstock but that is cosmetic!).

heres my beauty!

good luck with the hunt and the artcores are well liked as well. I would add that the yamaha hollows are nice!

My dream guitar (well one of a few :oops: ) is a gretsch white falcon! :twisted:

If you were in the U.S., not the Netherlands, I'd suggest looking at the Agile and SX lines carried by Rondo Music. (The SX guitars are made in China, and they're getting better. I've got an SX lap steel here that I'm very happy with, and amazed that they could make it for the price it sold for.) As for the Agiles, while Rondo won't say outright who makes them in Korea for them, their models match up remarkably closely with Tokai's Korean-made "Love Rocks" line. Someone may sell those Tokais reasonably in the Netherlands. Check around. Oh my, I just found the UK Tokai dealer online, looked at the asking prices for their equivalents of my AS-820 (they call it the ES-120) and the hollowbody equivalent of the Agile "Cool Cat" (FA-70) and am palpitating with sticker shock! Hope the price differences aren't as great with the Ibanez over there!
:shock:

I've got a Yamaha semihollow that I like.

Strange that this thread should come up today: I was browsing through Epi Casinos, Sheratons and Wildkats in MF website today ..

Must resist GAS, must resist .. why do I need another guitar, I can't play the four I have half-way decently.. :)

I'm just trying to work out why I've never owned a hollowbody or semi-hollow..... can't think of any logical reason at all!

As regards Ric's "yes you can beat Squier plugged" - I'm a big fan of Squier guitars, they do a nice slimline semi-hollow tele - damn, you're setting that gas off again.....

I've seen a few posts on this forum from folks who own, or have owned, an Ibanez artcore.....without exception, they've all had nice things to say about them.

:D :D :D

Vic

I love my Epi 335 Dot. I got mine used for about $250. Its a very versatile guitar :D

My question would be: are these guitars usable unplugged as I assume they are made for?

Hi,

A couple of years ago I was in much the same situation as you. I wanted an electric guitar that could double as an acoustic when I didn't feel like plugging it all in, or when I wanted to practice in another room, or whatever. I also fell in love with the look of the hollow bodied guitars.

I imagined that the sound would be rather like they look - big, warm, full bodied and rich. So I went around the shops and tried out a few hollow and semi hollows. It was quite a shock - unplugged they sounded nothing like they looked. :shock: :(

They're perfectly playable unplugged - as are solid bodied guitars (I often play my electrics unplugged). But, to be honest, I've not yet played an unplugged hollow body that got anywhere near the tone, volume or character of a regular acoustic. They just seem to sound more "plywoody", quiet and generally thinner in tone. I definitely wouldn't buy one without playing it first as the sound could be quite disappointing if you're expecting it to sound like an acoustic that can also be plugged in.

Having said that, I enjoy playing mine, plugged or unplugged, but it does sound very different from what I'd imagined when I looked at pictures. I've now got used to playing it both plugged and unplugged, so I know what to expect, and I've learned a little about how to get the best from it unplugged. But I wouldn't buy one online if you've never played one. At least go to a store and get a salesman to demo it unplugged if you can.

Good luck, they're a great style of guitar. :)

Cheers,

Chris

Yeah, what Chris said is a fair description. They're really not acoustic-electrics. They're electric guitars that play louder unplugged than solid body electrics. They have wonderful tones for playing through clean amps. And as my boy's shown, they sound quite interesting through wahs, distortion pedals, overdrives, high preamp gain settings, etc. as long as the volume level's not real high. A combination of high volume and high gain will just lead to squalling feedback.

BTW, lately I've "rediscovered" my little Danelectro HoneyTone mini-amp. I don't know if they even make these things anymore. But it sounds good at a volume level that won't disturb anyone in a neighboring apartment. And if you really want to keep it quiet, you can plug in some headphones. I've been using it with my lap steel the last couple of weeks. Something like that would work well to fill in the sound with an Artcore or any other electric you wanted to play relatively quietly.

This thread is rekindling my everlasting GAS for a semi-hollowbody guitar. Grrr.