Topic: Seeking advice: Hollow/Semi-hollow electric guitars

[RobBob]

Eastman makes some interesting one offs of old Gibsons.  Also Godin has an interesting line of F hole guitars with one and two pickups.  All of these are under a Grand but much cheaper used.

[Rivers]

Google "Danelectro Convertible". I've been after one of those for years since I saw a guy play country blues on one in a bar somewhere outside Austin. Formica top, sound hole, lipstick pickup, excellent guitar, quite extraordinary.

Gretsch guitars are very nice for fingerpicking, I have a single cutaway Chet Atkins reissue, nice and wide at the nut and very wide at the bridge.

[Stuart]

I'll second River's recommendation about  Danelectro. They were made up the road from where I grew up in NJ and were the first "real" electric guitar for some of the guys I grew up with--an appropriate instrument for those who were not quite ready for (or could afford) a Gibson, Fender, Gretsch or Mosrite. Even when they moved up, some still held on to them. Twang!

[Rivers]

I'd add a Keeley compressor pedal to the signal chain for a, for example, early Howlin Wolf band approximation. Amp choices are, as mentioned by several previously, probably more important. Fender Deluxe Reverb would be my choice but I'm not really up to date on amps. Add a Keeley compressor pedal and you'll be hard pressed keeping it under control, but boy, what a lot of fun.

[frailer24]

As others have stated, from personal experience, the Godin 5th Avenues are a great deal.

[Mike Shipman]

Hi, I used to play electric 20+ years ago as a gigging musician 2/3 nights pw, and used 1980 Gibson 335 with a Fender twin reverb, thenn went to a Fender Super 60 as it was half the weight ( but still valve), gave a great sound. I sold the 335 (along with a1966 Epiphone Casino, 1980 Gibson Les Paul deluxe  / strat / tele) over the tears to fund other purchases. Past 20 years have been all acoustic but recently had a hankering for an Electric and Got an Epiphone Dot neck off ebay for ?160 anf a Fender Blues Junior fir ?350. The Epiphone is very well built, straight neck, good action, and sound and feel very reminicent of the 335. Im very pleased with this budget option.
The feel is quite different from my acoustics Which have very wide necks 1 7/8", Im not aware of any semi acoustic guitar with that nevk width, but I dont have to "dig in" for volume as i do with the acoustic so that helps.
Not sure it'll get much use but at that price I didnt mind. They are worth checking out new too as they are only around ?350ish IIRC. Good luck with
the search.