The Best Hollow Body Electric Guitars
Hollow bodies are some of the most popular electric guitars in the world. The earliest forms of the electric guitar were hollow bodies, so luthiers have had quite a long time to perfect the craft over the years. Hollow bodies have developed a reputation among players as the guitars that will give you the warmest, most resonant, and natural sound that an electric guitar can produce. Being that they are basically a hybrid between electric and acoustic guitars, you can get the best of both worlds from a hollow body. So whether you’re used to acoustics and looking to switch over, or have been looking for a little more sustain, let this list of the best hollow body guitars on the market be your guide.
Firefly Sunburst Hollow Body
Fly Close to the Sun
Firefly guitars are some of the most well-respected and revered of all the classic hollow bodies. They’re a bit of a rarity nowadays, so if you’re in the market for a hollow body for a low price, you should jump all over this pick. With this guitar, you can get those sweet, natural tones alongside some heavy crunch from the double humbucker pickups. The maple wood used for the body and neck is strong, dense, and sure to give you many good years of longevity. We can’t recommend this pick enough.
Pros:
- The sunburst is a classy and eye-grabbing finish
- Also comes with a 10-ft instrument cable and guitar picks
Cons:
- There may be a little unwanted buzz from the strings
Grote Jazz Electric Semi-Hollow Body
All That Jazz
The feel of a guitar’s neck and fretboard can mean everything to a player. If the fretboard isn’t smooth to slide your fingers over, it can make playing feel like a chore. Luckily, with this Grote semi-hollow body, the neck is as smooth as silk, letting your fingers glide over it with ease. Built with a trapeze tailpiece that enhances the woody and rich sound of the semi-hollow body, this guitar is as authentic as it gets. The finish on the body is an enveloping deep blue with white overtones, and the neck features crystalline white inlays on the fretboard that add to the vibrance. For anyone looking for an economical alternative to more expensive hollow bodies, this guitar is truly a steal.
Pros:
- The trapeze tailpiece is the perfect complement to the hollow body’s natural sound
- It also comes with a padded soft case
Cons:
- A little more expensive than some of our other picks
Best Choice Products Semi-Hollow Body
Choice Tones
If you’re a beginner and looking for a guitar with that classic hollow body sound for a low price, look no further than this pick from Best Choice Products. This is a very inexpensive guitar, so don’t expect a Les Paul, but it is surprisingly well-made for the price. It’s got the classic dual humbucker pickups that’ll give you that deep, bassy fuzz and a three-way pickup selector that allows you to choose between low, mid, and high range frequencies. Best of all, this option is a bit of a one-stop-shop for a new player because it comes included with essential guitar accessories such as a tuner, capo, strap, strings, and case.
Pros:
- An excellent choice for beginners
- Added accessories will save you a trip to the music store
Cons:
- The fretboard can feel scratchy
- The paint job may look a little cheap
Ibanez AS53TF Semi-Hollow Body
Photo Finish
Ibanez is one of the best names in mid-priced guitars, and this semi-hollow body is a perfect example of why. This guitar is simply breathtaking in appearance. Its finely polished Sapele wood finish on the body make for a quaint, yet arresting display, and the muted rosewood on the fretboard is beautifully understated. But this thing doesn’t just look pretty; it can also rock the house down.
With two open-coil humbuckers holding down the fort, this guitar will give you tranquil clean tones and fierce dirty ones. The Sapele body is known for its resonant low-end sound, which is a perfect complement to the always warm semi-hollow body aesthetic. This pick is a bit more on the pricy side, but if you can spare the change we highly recommend it.
Pros:
- It looks and feels like a far more expensive instrument
- Highly versatile sound
Cons:
- The fretboard can be a little rough on the fingers
Gretsch Electromatic Semi-Hollow Body
Gretsch Greatness
It doesn’t get much better than this semi-hollow body from Gretsch. One look at this thing and you can already hear it singing sweetly in your mind. Its deep orange finish over the maple body is exquisitely crafted, and the pearl-like inlays on the fretboard look as smooth as velvet. The semi-hollow body on this Gretsch does a ton of heavy lifting, as it sounds almost as loud as a full acoustic when played without an amp. It even comes with a whammy bar so you can add some woozy bends to the sustain-heavy sound of this marvel. Even though this is the highest-priced guitar on our list, it sounds, looks, and feels like a far more expensive guitar.
Pros:
- The hardware is all high-quality and sturdy
- The body is coated with a beautiful finish and has an excellent acoustic sound projection
Cons:
- This guitar is considerably more expensive than our other picks
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of music is best suited to a hollow body sound?
While any guitar can be used in any kind of music successfully, certain types of guitars indeed tend to become associated with certain kinds of music. The hollow body’s penchant for deep, rich, open tones with a lot of sustain has made it a perfect partner to musical genres such as jazz, country, rock n’ roll, and alternative rock. It’s a more unorthodox choice for harder rock, but it’s not entirely uncommon in those genres.
Will a hollow body sound as loud as an acoustic guitar when not plugged into an amp?
If it is a full hollow body, it may sound almost loud as most acoustic guitars, but probably not as full. Acoustic guitars are built to be played without amps, so there is no hardware inside the body that would detract from the sound projection. Hollow bodies do not have this luxury because they need to be able to be plugged in. Unless the hollow body has a rather large body, the sound will be a bit thinner than a traditional acoustic.
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