1st electric-hollow body opinions

[40ishnewbie]

I've been playing acoustic for about 1 year and I'm looking for a 1st electric. I know I"ll someday own a Tele and a LP, but I really love the sound of hollow bodies. I mostly play blues and a bit of rockabilly.

I'd really like a Gretsch Nashville or Gibson 335 but, based on price, I've been looking at an Epiphone Dot and an Oscar Schmidt OE30DL.

Any opinions, good or bad, on these two? Any other suggestions in this price range?

Thanks for any help.

[Lordathestrings]

I jam with a guy who plays a hollow-body Epi and I like what I hear. I strongly recommend trying it out in person, and then buying the one you choose, not the same model pulled out of the back room. Quality control issues make it important to keep your money in your pocket until you find a guitar you want to take home with you.

Then don't let it out of your sight. :D

[Fenderalltheway]

i dont no much about em...but they sound cool

[1898]

If price is an issue but you can somehow scrape together some extra $, take a hard look at the Gretsch Electromatic hollowbodies. Prices vary both at guitar shops and the net but I picked up a brand new Black G5125 for $580 in VA. (another shop 1 1/2 hrs away would only go down to $899!). I too was looking at the EPI's and I think they're great but their nut width was too narrow for my large paw. Anyway, I wouldn't be happier with any guitar out there, and that includes the Gretsch's that cost 3 times as much. A great all-round guitar. I play rockabilly, country and blues.

Here's some links but the pics on the Gretsch website don't do them justice, go see one for yourself.

http://www.gretschguitars.com/gear/index.php?product=G5126&cat1=&cat2=&q=&st=1

http://www.zzounds.com/item--GRE2505801

http://media.zzounds.com/media/brand,zzounds/p26457h-80337ffe80493778f245540433a377b6.jpg

[Ian Rossiter]

Those Ibanez Artcores are real nice guitars for the $$$$, Some have a Bigsby t'boot.
Ian

[PonyOne]

The Gretsch Electromatics are awesome, and the pickups in them are killer; you'll never need to replace them, though you may wnat to drop them into your more expensive guitar down the line to give it some balls :D

The Epiphone Dots and Casinos are actually very good guitars, even separated from their Gibson older brothers; lots of professional musicians use them to record and play live, and they are generally thought of as nicer instruments in their own right than the rest of the Epi Gibson knockoffs. Like Lord said, and this is the rule of thumb with buying any instrument, play the individual piece you're taking home, not the one the guy runs in back to grab for you... it could be the difference between a great guitar and a wall decoration.

There's a Hamer ES335 knockoff out there too that's a nice sounding guitar. It looks nearly identical and was probably made in the same factory.

[hunter60]

I just bought (Saturday!) an Ibanez Artcore AF75 semi-hollow body. GREAT sound for the dollar. Couldn't be happier. Like you, I will add a Strat or a Gretsch to the stable some day down the road but for now, it was a terrific deal. I paid $299 for mine. Can't complain. :)

[jezmund2nite]

How about a Langedoc?

[Andrew Sa]

If its good enough for Tre....Langs could be the way(shall I try make the whole post rhyme...nah, **** it!)

I quite like Ibanez Artcore series guitars, value for money, but I must agree, you'd probably be better off with Gretsch Electromatic...tis their forte after all.

[damnit.trey]

What about the Ibanez Artcore Talman Semihollows? Oddish looking but great sound, to my ear anyway.

TRey