Hollow Bodies, Jazzboxes, Rockabilly Guitars, etc.

[Puddleglum]

Originally Posted by FrankHudson

Enjoy your search. It is a different kind of guitar, fun to experience.

Thanks! It is fun learning about these kinds of guitars. I’m really liking a lot of what I see from D’Angelico too. The only downside is these kinds of guitars are hard to find in person, and I’ve all but given up on ordering guitars.

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by Puddleglum

...I’ve got a milestone in life coming up in a few months and am thinking of celebrating it with a new guitar. It will probably be a hollow body. So far I’m liking some from Guild and a few other makers, but these guitars aren’t nearly as popular or ubiquitous as Strats etc.

I’m wondering if you all here play and own guitars like this. If so, what would you recommend? I may have missed a few makers. I’d like to keep it under $2K if possible.

Plenty of high-quality stuff out there under $2K - heck, there's some great stuff out there under $1K that'll compete with instruments two and three times the price (did someone say Gretsch...?)...

BTW you might want to check in over on the Archtop subforum - those guys (a couple of whom weighed in here) know these guitars inside and out, and there's some great advice to be had...

[Puddleglum]

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

Plenty of high-quality stuff out there under $2K - heck, there's some great stuff out there under $1K that'll compete with instruments two and three times the price (did someone say Gretsch...?)...

BTW you might want to check in over on the Archtop subforum - those guys (a couple of whom weighed in here) know these guitars inside and out, and there's some great advice to be had...

Wow, I had never noticed that section of the forum before! Thanks!

[Russ C]

I adore my ES330 and while I don’t hear the modern Epiphones as being the quite the same animal so much of the difference can be made up with a couple of knob tweaks on your amp - so for an affordable hollow I think they’re a great option.

A significant part of my love of these things is how they feel to wear (and I’ll admit, a connection with what many guitars that I couldn’t have as a kid looked like) and I am a recent P90 convert so there is bias. Their fretboards sit in the same place as my Fenders and an old Gretsch I won’t get rid of and I like that their neck angle is more than “flat” guitars.

Having sung these praises I should also say that on stage my Les Paul is preferred - mainly for the extra sustain (LACK of acoustic quality) as well as lack of feedback.

[rmp]

ya know, rockabilly and gretsch are kind of like franks-n-beans

just saying.

[JKA]

I'm an acoustic player and dabble with jazz, rock etc. Had lots of big bodied hollow bodies in the past but the guitar I've really bonded with is an Eastman T-64. Basically a 330 copy but much better appointed. Covers all bases and comes in under your budget. Highly recommended if you're looking at the Swiss Army knife of guitars. Such a joy to play too!

[gfirob]

When I wanted to make the transition to include an electric guitar in my life as an acoustic player, I bought a Les Paul, sold it, bought a Telecaster, sold it, bought a '30's Gibson L-4 with a P-90, sold it, found a '67 Gretsch 6120 and that was it. The Korean Gretsch's out in the world used are great values and generally beautiful guitars. I am a big fan of filter'tron pickups too.

[Jaxon]

don't know about rockabilly but ever tried a Gibson ES-125

[Russ C]

Originally Posted by gfirob

When I wanted to make the transition to include an electric guitar in my life as an acoustic player, I bought a Les Paul, sold it, bought a Telecaster, sold it, bought a '30's Gibson L-4 with a P-90, sold it, found a '67 Gretsch 6120 and that was it. The Korean Gretsch's out in the world used are great values and generally beautiful guitars. I am a big fan of filter'tron pickups too.

I found a Fender amp, aluminium domed JBLs and filtertrons were a pretty special match.

[TobyB]

I have a 335 which is fine for what it is, but not that inspiring.
I acquired a Gretsch Electromatic - very high quality for the money, and discovered Filtertrons. More sparkle than Gibson-ish humbuckers. Have more than one now.
With or without a Bigsby, they are great hollow or semi-hollow instruments with something a little different from the 335-alike options ...

[Puddleglum]

Anyone ever A/B’d a Gretsch hollow body and a Guild Manhattan? Both similar styles but different PUPs. I like both aesthetically a lot.

[mr. beaumont]

The original Guild Manhattans were much more marketed toward jazz players, though you'll get a lot of tonal variation from 2 P-90s...a Manhattan with a Bigsby is kind of playing "dress up." I'd be all about that guitar...if it didn't have the Bigsby. I looked at Guild's website, they definitely seem to be pushing in the Rockabilly direction, even some with Dynasonic type pickups?...kind of a bummer, in my opinion, but I think that aesthetic will probably sell them more guitars than making austere jazz boxes.

The Gretsches are very much the real Rockabilly deal. I think the Gretsch style pickups are brighter personally, particularly their humbuckers, and the look is obviously a bit more "gaudy." But maybe in a good way...

Both are cool guitars. The "under a grand" Gretsches are pretty insane values.

[Puddleglum]

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

The original Guild Manhattans were much more marketed toward jazz players, though you'll get a lot of tonal variation from 2 P-90s...a Manhattan with a Bigsby is kind of playing "dress up." I'd be all about that guitar...if it didn't have the Bigsby. I looked at Guild's website, they definitely seem to be pushing in the Rockabilly direction, even some with Dynasonic type pickups?...kind of a bummer, in my opinion, but I think that aesthetic will probably sell them more guitars than making austere jazz boxes.

The Gretsches are very much the real Rockabilly deal. I think the Gretsch style pickups are brighter personally, particularly their humbuckers, and the look is obviously a bit more "gaudy." But maybe in a good way...

Both are cool guitars. The "under a grand" Gretsches are pretty insane values.

It’s not a huge deal to me, but it’s hard to figure out exactly where the Gretsches are made. The high-end are Japanese and the mid range Korean and Indonesian?

[mr. beaumont]

Originally Posted by Puddleglum

The high-end are Japanese and the mid range Korean and Indonesian?

I think that's exactly right-- Steve? SDR will know.

[29er]

I think the Electromatic line is now made in China. I've had a few Korean made Gretsch models and they were all very good instruments.