Semi-Hollows and Hollowbodies


Vegas Wierdo
Registered User
Joined: 01/28/06
Posts: 239
Vegas Wierdo
Registered User
Joined: 01/28/06
Posts: 239
04/10/2006 10:03 pm
Semi-Hollow guitars. Does it enhance tone? Sustain? What all does it accomplish? Also, I heard somewhere that a semi-hollow is no good for heavy music (metal, hard rock, etc.). Why is that? I've seen guys use semi-hollow bass guitars for heavy music... I think Lemmy (Motorhead) had one... and Harley Flannagan from the Cro-Mags (pioneering NYC hardcore band from the early 1980s). So it's a different story with semi-hollow guitars?

Also, here's something I've been wondering for a while. Is it possible to modify a hollowbody to be good for... piercing/shrieking metal solos? I often consider getting a hollowbody and putting on super-nasty way-hot ultra-high-output humbuckers on it... and it would be earsplitting, really bizarre, and sound like it was a hostile noise from outer space. Or would it just sound like muffled slobber... a total waste? :confused: Also, what are hollowbodies well-suited for beyond jazz and blues? Every time I've ever played a hollowbody I just loved it (especially if it's got a Bigsby)... I really want one....
# 1
Lordathestrings
Gear Guru
Joined: 01/18/01
Posts: 6,242
Lordathestrings
Gear Guru
Joined: 01/18/01
Posts: 6,242
04/11/2006 1:39 am
Hollow-body guitars represent one of the evolutionary steps along the way from acoustic guitars to solid-body electrics. They have a fairly distinct tone, but they also have problems with uncontrolled feedback in loud situations. Which is why they don't get used for screamin' metal.

And super-high output pickups aren't going to push an amp into distortion any better than a pedal would, while limiting your ability to play anything other than distortion-drenched rawk.
Lordathestrings
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# 2

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