Hollow-body guitars recommendations
 

I'm a real newbie when it comes to electrics, though I've been playing acoustics for decades. My current electric is a beautiful 1975 Ibenez Les Paul knockoff, (I believe pre-lawsuit) which I bought in '76 and just recently started playing again. I just got turned on to what Trey at Phish uses, which is a custom Languedoc. Seems totally fabulous, except for the price $10k or more.

I want a true hollow body guitar with a short scale, and a smaller body would be nice too (I have small hands.) Could probably go up to $2K but that would be a stretch. Really like the idea of the switchable coil from dual to single.

Why hollow body? First, my Ibenez is heavy. I'm hoping that a hollow body will weigh less. Tell me that this is so, please! Second, I really want a bit of acoustic sound coming from my guitar since pure electric starts to wear on me after a while. For playability, must be short scale.

Ideas? What are you playing? Thanks.

I bought my first electric in the mid 60's and have owned many since including some high end collectibles.

Out of all of these, the best sounding and my all-time favorite electric is my 1960 Harmony Meteor w/Bigsby.

I've also played this 1959 Meteor at Gryphon and it is a stellar example. If I didn't already own my 1960, I would have bought this one for sure. Think FAT FAT FAT TONE!!!!

https://shop.gryphonstrings.com/prod...teor-h70-47783

If you're okay with floating pickups, at your budget, you should have no trouble finding a "vintage" Ibanez George Benson model. I have trouble calling something made after I was already gigging and had gone through 2 genres "vintage", but whatever :D One made in Japan. Nice small. And you'd be staying with the whole Ibanez thing :D.

I would definitely make sure it's MIJ. The newer inexpenisive ones are still going to be decent quality, but why dip below your lawsuit LP in quality?

If the floating pickups bother you, Look at Godin and Eastman. Again, you'll be able to get an amazing guitar with your budget.

My pick:

https://www.amazon.com/Godin-5th-Ave...ZSC14AXH8VCRG5

Got mine from an Amazon Christmas Day stealth sale a few years ago; has that early-50s ES-175 visual/tonal vibe but more lively like an old Brooklyn Gretsch (Bottom Line: you won't need a coil tap - the P-90's will get you both single-coil and humbucker-type tones, depending how you set your controls at both ends), thanks to the lightweight woods used in its construction (probably about half the thickness of a typical all-lam archtop) mine tips the scales at just a hair over five pounds - about as much as a typical dread/small-jumbo acoustic :up: - sounds fabulous with flatwound 13's, and factory setup/QC is good enough that I've needed no adjustment whatsoever even with the heavier strings (feels like I'm using 11's - the 24.8" scale helps a lot in that area too, BTW). You could literally gig this one right out of the box if need be; in my book that's the ultimate testament to quality - and you don't need to pay an arm, a leg, and a couple other indispensable body parts to get it... :eek:

If you're a rockabilly/roots, early soul/R&B, first-wave Brit Invasion, blues, or jazz player you need one of these, period; FWIW I understand Tony Bennett's guitarist is using one - and I'd tend to think that both of them know a little something about tone... :guitar:

Since you placed a premium on light weight I didn't include the MIK Gretsch Electromatic 5400/5600 Series; although their QC and tone are, like the Godin, head-and-shoulders above anything else in their price range - I own a 5622T that's every bit the equal (and in some cases the superior) of not only the MIJ Professional Series but most of the Brooklyn originals I've played over the last 55 years (including my own '64 Double Annie) - even the full-hollow models start in the seven-pound range, and my three-PU semi is well into LP territory at 9 lbs. 5 oz. ... :eek:

If you don't already have a tube amp - shame on you :p - one of these would make a nice companion, and still keep you well within the budget you allocated for the guitar alone:

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/V22InfiCombo
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/V55Infinium

In the event you go this route invest some of the money you saved in a set of good tubes (the POS $1.29 Chinese tubes are the weak link in the equation); you'll not only have all the amp you'll ever need, you'll raise a few eyebrows among knowledgeable audience members - and furrow a few foreheads among some big-buck boutique amp owners - when you plug in and crank it up... :cool:

I would check out the Artcore lineup from Ibanez.

For that kind of dough I'd be thinking used Hamer Newport. If the longer scale was in play (like Trey uses), I'd be making this guy an offer...

https://reverb.com/item/3677087-fano...4-faded-cherry

Thanks to everyone. Great ideas and I'll check them all out. And keep them coming!

PS: My amp is a Fishman Loudbox mini. Guess it's not a tube amplifier but it certainly has a mellow tone.

OK in a pinch, but not the best way to go in the long run unless you're using it as a platform for a digital modeler or well-stocked pedalboard - another set of expenses/learning curve in itself, and IME one that you really don't need as a total newbie; while the extensive menu of preset tonal options can have its place - I worked with a studio guy a few years ago who swore by his first-generation Line 6 Flextone rack rig - as a former teacher I've seen an unfortunate tendency among beginners to use such rigs as an expensive toy, rather than mastering the requisite (and very different) techniques involved in really playing electric. FYI I've been playing electric since 1964 and I'm a summa cum laude graduate of the old "Discovery Academy of Electric Guitar": hook it up, plug it in, turn it on, play with the switches and dials at both ends of the signal chain, and leave your hands off any effects (built-in tremolo/reverb - maybe a fuzz box - were all that was available at the time) until you know exactly what you're doing - your amp makes at least as much of a contribution to your overall sound as your guitar, and you need to approach things accordingly...

Simply put, if you're going electric you need dedicated electric gear - and, at this stage, as straightforward as possible. While I'm a hardcore fan of the Bugera V-Series combos - they're cheap enough that you almost can't afford not to own one - and a lifetime tube junkie, in the grand scheme any well-made analog electric-guitar-specific amp with sufficient power for your needs would be suitable; I'd recommend getting out there, plugging in at your friendly local music store, listening carefully (as you would with an acoustic purchase), and deciding what best suits your needs - and your wallet... :guitar:

True Hollowbody in small size. Try Eastman 186,185,184. Three different sized of same guitar. Large medium small(small is 339 sized). Can find for $1500 used are obviously less.

Floating Center block- Try Heritage Prospect- Hard to find used ones. New are around $2200.

PRS Hollowbody

You can find them used for under $2k if you are patient or just over pretty much any day of the week.

You can see a few that recently sold under $2k here. Also if you wait until there is one for sale in a solid color you can get an even better deal, maybe around $1400.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from...p2045573.m1684

Really like the Heritage Prospect

These have always intrigued me. Not sure I'll ever get one, but man. Tone and looks. Picked one up at shop to try that had a spruce top. On their scale of dubious accuracy, it was a hair under 5 lbs!!! That's the closest to the weight of my Parker fly deluxe that I've ever encountered in a dual humbucker guitar.

good call!

- and if you'd like to match that in a full-size hollow, try one of these:

http://www.godinguitars.com/godin5thavenue_39289.html

Kinda hard to find, though - most dealers who stock them carry the P-90 version exclusively...

Chalk me up as another vote for the Kingpin. Fits all of the criteria you mentioned.

I'd steer away from the heavier glossed, dual pickup Epiphones, Ibanez, etc if you like some acoustic tone.

Obviously you can get a lot fancier, but the Godin is a perfect toe-dipper.

I just picked one of these up
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guita...lectric-guitar
Its a very good guitar for not a lot of money.

No thick gloss finish, a nice thin, flat finish with a very comfortable neck. Light weight, short scale guitar with good frets. I could see upgrading the pickups as it's a bit bright sounding, but the neck pickup sounds real good with the tone rolled back to about 4. I can't believe I'm recommending an Ibanez, never been a fan, but this hollow body feels real good. Definitely worth checking out.

Good luck with your search.