Semi-hollow body guitars

[AC5]

Hi all

This is my first post and I hope I will have a good time here.
I've been playing classical (nylon string) guitar for some time now, and I have recently developed an interest for semi-hollow body guitars.
I've never actually tried one, so I wanted to hear some opinions about them.
In particular, I'd like to know some impressions about the Washburn HB-35 (or other ES-335 replicas).

[thunderlung]

Hello and welcome.

For the dough, I think that the Washburn HB-35 would be an excellent choice (especially used). The Ibanez Artcore line is also something to consider in that price range. If you get frisky and bump your budget up over a grand I would recommend taking a serious look at a used Hamer Newport. They are fantastic guitars for the prices that they go for used.

[el_kabong]

Owned a 60's vintage Guild SF-4 and it was my only electric for a long, long time....really great instrument, fabulous (but very slim) neck, great tone and () very "usable" tendency to feedback, nothing you couldn't control. Had that 'airy' tone that you'd want in a semi. Sold that for just under $1k, still miles cheaper than a vintage 335 and, in my opinion, just as fine from an era when both were US-made to very high standards. The Guilds can still be acquired for "relatively" affordable prices and would tend to be better than most of the current copies. Can't speak to the more contemporary Guild crop, though.

[ottersguitars]

Hi, I once fell in love with an Ibanez Artcore and bought it on the spot. After playing it for several weeks at home, the large lower bout was just too cumbersome for me. Felt like wrestling. So... She had to go. Few years later, I tried an Epiphone Es-339 Pro. Low price, great feel with their unusual, smaller lower bout. Thought on it, did research online, returned, and made her mine. Now she sits beside my couch 'cause the pets appreciate the soft acoustic lullabyes each night. Oh... And... Jazzy neck pickup, rockin' bridge. Life is gooood!

[franchelB]

I have an cherry-red HB30 that I bought used. And it was MESSED UP! But I had it fixed for the price of a brand new Epiphone Dot (Gibson 335 copy). While I love the jazzy neck pickup, the bridge pickup sounded anemic...so in went a Dimarzio Fred. The way it's designed makes it tough for guitar techs to work on the electronics, but it really is a nice playing, decent-sounding guitar.

[moon]

In that price range, make sure you try some Epiphones too.

[Alexrkstr]

Originally Posted by AC5

Hi all

This is my first post and I hope I will have a good time here.
I've been playing classical (nylon string) guitar for some time now, and I have recently developed an interest for semi-hollow body guitars.
I've never actually tried one, so I wanted to hear some opinions about them.
In particular, I'd like to know some impressions about the Washburn HB-35 (or other ES-335 replicas).

Hi and welcome!

The HB-35 is a great guitar. With that said, you should really try as many semi hollows as you can to feel them out and really know what they sound like.

As someone else suggested, try the following brands as well:
- Epiphone Dot
- Epiphone Sheraton
- Epiphone Casino
- Ibanez (many series)
- Washburn J9 (if you can find a used one)

My personal recommendation would be to buy a used epiphone dot with a neck you like and swap out the electronics and pickups. If buying used, definitely allocate at least $70-$100 for a good setup so you can enjoy playing your new guitar. Good luck!

[michael s]

Last year, I quite thoroughly shopped the semi-hollow market. I wanted a light weight, quality instrument with humbucker pickups. I found that I did not like the size of the 335, nor the weight of the 335. I settled on a PRS SE Custom semi-hollow. Bought it new, have loved it. It has served me well. Now I am ready to move on to a Gibson es339. I will be selling my PRS SE Custom semi-hollow (shameless plug). pm me if interested. Good luck in your search. michael s.

[mikealpine]

I bought a Vox HDC77 and like it very much. Not sure what you're looking to spend, but that would go for about $1100 - $1150 if you catch the sales right. I like the many pickup combinations, and the curvature of the body makes it very comfortable to play.

[AC5]

Thank you all for your advice.
My budget is around 700 dollars.
What are your experiences about buying guitars online?

[The Old Gaffer]

In your price range I like the HB-35, the Hamer Echotone and a couple of the older Epiphones including the Sheraton and Riviera are pretty nice. The Epiphone Jorma Kaukonen model is a killer if you can find one, as is the semi-hollow Epiphone Les Paul ES model. The Reverend semi-hollows are also very nice. The older Ibanez Artstar AS-120 is a terrific guitar, maybe my favorite 335 clone. I have been underwhelmed by the newer Ibanez Artcores.

[moon]

There may be other good options from other brands but I'd be sorely tempted by this Epiphone Sheraton (other colours available).

If you want to leave some money to go towards an amp or pedals, the dots and 339s are also very good value.

Buying online is only something I'd do if I had no other choice. I'd much rather go into a shop, try all the instruments they've got of the chosen model and pick the one that maybe sounds a little bit livelier or sweeter than the rest.

Also, people do find flaws in Epiphones, some of which matter and some which don't. For example, slightly scratchy frets which need a polish aren't a big deal (IMO) because it's easy to fix (or will fix itself over time with the natural polishing action of string bending) but uneven fretwork would be. You might not be able to get the action down to a playable level because of buzzing.

If you do buy online make sure it's a company with a good reputation who will accept returns without any hassle.

[Alexrkstr]

Since you are in Rome, I imagine it's hard to check out guitars. I would look at buying a brand new stock guitar and with time upgrade as necessary. The Washburn and Epiphone guitars are well built and will last long. If you have the opportunity to buy a used one and try it out it would be best.

By buying a good used guitar for say, $500 (original price 700-1000) you would leave enough money to make sure it plays well.

[terryj47]

I brought one of these home yesterday (Cherry finish). Got a heck of a deal at Sam Ash. The strings on it were terrible and the action was a mile high. Still I had a good feeling. The neck was straight. And the tone was good. I worked on it for a couple of hours and have it playing pretty nice now. I went with the "Beefy Slinkys" because I wanted it to play a bit more like my acoustics. That $90 I spent at Stew Mac for nut files saved the day. The clearance at the first fret had to be 1/16"! What convinced me that the guitar had possibilities was just putting a capo on it at the second fret and playing a while. I was worried about the tuners since it would not stay in tune at the store. No problem. The Grovers are smooth and with the EB strings installed, tuning is as stable as anything with new strings on it. You can't go wrong with these guitars at $399 let alone throwing in the discount that the big stores offer with coupons. As of right now, I see no need to change the pickups. It sounds great with the "Beefys" on it. Intonation is also good now after the setup. It's interesting that the sticker on it says something about setup and inspected by Epiphone in the USA. I would be ashamed of this setup. I understand ANY new guitar will likely need a setup but this was basically unplayable. Now I'm a happy camper. If you go for one of these plan on popping for a setup or DIY if you have the know how and tools.

[Paikon]

my HB35 is from 1989
old model , too heavy and the woods are terrible BUT it has an absolutely great neck and handled every pickup i put very nicely.
the New HB35s have great woods and they are light.