Solid or Semi? You decide!

[Jimbojsr]

Hey ho,
As the happy owner of a 335-style guitar, I'm interested to hear public opinion on this one. Solid bodied guitars are undoubtedly more popular than semi-hollows... should this be the case?

So, the scenario is: if you had the choice of ONE guitar, would it be a semi or solid? Cost isn't an issue here, and this can be to complement the guitars you already have. What would you go for, and why?

PS. - the model of semi or solid isn't really important... just which category it belongs to!

 

[Closed Eye]

Re: Solid or Semi? You decide!

Solid. It's what I know and I can handle them better. The semi's are another beast. I actually own a semi-hollowbody Yamaha and I hardly play it because it's way to differant in terms of sound, dynamics, feedback, etc,

Although I played an ES-333 and I really liked it.

 

[Bludave]

Re: Solid or Semi? You decide!

Its interesting.... We just had this conversation with 3 or 4 of my friends on Sat. The conclusion was if you had to have just one... it would be a Strat. It gives you the most versatility.

I have a lot of guitars. I will play a Strat a lot, but if I need a HB sound I will always pick my 335 over evrything else I have (I have a LP, a SG, and a custom Tele with a SDjazz and a 59). The 335 IMHO is the most versatile in the HB vein. The only drawback to a 335 can be eliminating feedback. A semi hollow guitar can howl if you play with a lot of gain and a lot of volume. I have this issue from time to time with my Marshall. If I have to play loud and with a lot of gain I need to stand as far away from the Amp as possible. But in general I don't really have any problems with this. So in a nutshell I would prefer to have a 335 and a Strat as my 2 primary guitars

 

[The Owl]

Re: Solid or Semi? You decide!

Given an unlimited cash outlay, I'd actually have 2 axes specially made by a luthier, one would be a semi-hollow double cutaway but Les Paul sized, the other would be a neck-through SG. Tough choice I hve to admit.

 

[proxy]

Re: Solid or Semi? You decide!

Right now I'm gassing to build a thinline tele with some p90s

 

[Jimbojsr]

Re: Solid or Semi? You decide!

Right now I'm gassing to build a thinline tele with some p90s

mmm, sounds interesting. I know Squire do solid teles with p90s in them, and I quite fancy trying one out... thinline version would be tasty!!!

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Solid or Semi? You decide!

I have to semi's. One is an Epi Sheraton and one is a MIJ 69 RI Thinline Tele. If I was gettting another guitar it would definately be a semi.

I'm actualy GASing for a Hamer Monaco (the one with a Bigsby. ).

 

[Marty Horne]

Re: Solid or Semi? You decide!

For playing rock gigs I prefer solidbodies, but for my own personal style and taste, I prefer the warmth and resonance of a semi-hollow guitar (I own both).

 

[Lu_B]

Re: Solid or Semi? You decide!

+1 for a semi. I have a 335 copy with Seths and its so versatile everything from Brit pop jangle to classic rock. And I don't ever ave a problem with feedback.

 

[Fresh_Start]

Re: Solid or Semi? You decide!

It's a close call, but if I could only have one guitar it would be a hard-tail strat. Possibly with a humbucker in the bridge. Just seems like the most versatile of all.

Happily, I can switch back and forth between an all-single coil strat, an H/S/S frankenstrat (played the least), and a Heritage 535.

The Tele-clone project may get finished after I get married... wish me luck on that!

Chip

 

[That90'sGuy]

Re: Solid or Semi? You decide!

If I could only pick one, it would have to be a solid. There's a quicker response to solids and I don't always like the airey type of presence that a 335 styled guitar adds. I love semi's, but I realize that they aren't always useful for what I play.

 

[Frantic_Rock]

Re: Solid or Semi? You decide!

I'd build a custom Triple neck like Vai.
The top would be a semi-hollowbody es-335.
The middle would be a strat with single coils.
The bottom would be a jackson soloist with 2 HBs and a floyd rose.

 

[Closed Eye]

Re: Solid or Semi? You decide!

I'd build a custom Triple neck like Vai.
The top would be a semi-hollowbody es-335.
The middle would be a strat with single coils.
The bottom would be a jackson soloist with 2 HBs and a floyd rose.

Your back would hurt after a show.

 

[RushOfBlood]

Re: Solid or Semi? You decide!

i could use a rick 360, a custom thinline like i'm making, or a sweet old gretsch doublecut with filtertrons for everything

 

[Jimbojsr]

Re: Solid or Semi? You decide!

Lol... after 26 vots in total, the numbers are exactly even!!! I'm surprised, actually - I thought that there would be more support for solids here...

 

[pac112]

Re: Solid or Semi? You decide!

i cant vote. i never played a semi before.

 

[nuntius]

Re: Solid or Semi? You decide!

Tough one.. My tastes are expanding and I'd like to one day own a semi. I've played a few 335's and a few copies and I've enjoyed them, but then again I love strats/superstrats and I'm so used to the way they play and respond...

I'm not voting, I like both.

If you put a gun to my head, I might take a strat (solid) though...

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: Solid or Semi? You decide!

Whooo semi-hollow! I can play anything that I want on my dot (and when I finally get my coil splits working I mean ANYTHING . . .)

 

[Boleslaw Gers 666]

Re: Solid or Semi? You decide!

Solid. Just my personal preference. I like true hollows better than semis anyhow.

 

[Sprinter]

Re: Solid or Semi? You decide!

I voted for a solid body. I have a '71 ES-335TD in my collection, and it's the only semi-hollow guitar that I want, or need. My preference in guitars is solid body.



Sprinter