Semi hollow guitars: 6 Models and How They Differ

A Gibson ES-335 that Killer Guitar Rigs put on the scale came in just under 9 pounds, while individual listings of the Gretsch G2622 Streamliner at Chicago Music Exchange and Reverb show roughly 6 pounds 12 ounces to 6 pounds 13 ounces. Both are semi hollow guitars, and that two-pound gap, along with differences in body width, scale length and pickups, explains why the category feels so uneven from model to model. This 2027 roundup sorts six of them by what they change for the player: size, feedback, tone and the money left over for upgrades.

The findings lean on reviews from Guitar World, MusicRadar, Guitar Player and Killer Guitar Rigs, on retailer spec sheets and on owner forums, and none of these guitars was handled for the article. Prices appear as ranges because retailers move them, and a later section covers the fully hollow alternative for anyone who wants a hollow body guitar with no center block at all.

Center block, wings and weight: what you actually carry

Gibson introduced the semi-hollow design in 1958 with the ES-335, according to American Musical Supply’s category guide, and the idea has barely changed: a solid block of wood runs through the middle of the body from neck joint to tail, with hollow wings on either side. The pickups and bridge sit on that block. Guitar Player’s buying advice says the block reduces feedback compared with a fully hollow guitar, yet a semi still squeals sooner than a solid body, and heavy gain can turn the warm low end muddy. The cheap fix is on the amp: cut bass, boost mids.

Three side effects of that construction matter more than the badge on the headstock.

Weight and balance come first. Semis are light, and Guitar Player warns that the headstock can dive toward the floor without a good strap. Sources disagree on how often that happens. MusicRadar called the Gretsch G2622 Streamliner slightly neck-heavy, while owners of an Affinity-series Squier Starcaster on The Fretboard forum said theirs balanced well and that semi-hollows are rarely neck-heavy.

Pickup swaps are harder than on a solid body. Guitar Player points out that a semi-hollow has no rear cavity cover and no removable scratchplate, which matters because pickups are the most common complaint among budget owners (more on that below).

Unplugged volume is the third. MusicRadar notes that semis sound louder without an amp than solid bodies do, though they still need one for their best tone.

Scale length, pickups and price for each pick

Each pick below has at least two independent sources behind it, usually a retailer or maker page plus a published review, and together they span roughly $350 to well over $2,800 so the field covers every budget.

Only the Squier uses the longer Fender scale, about three-quarters of an inch more than the Gibson-style models, which changes fret spacing and is worth knowing if you are arriving from a Telecaster rather than a Les Paul. The price column shows two clusters and one outlier: four guitars between $350 and $600, then the Gibson ES-335 at roughly five times the cost of its Epiphone cousin. Everything in between is a question of what you will change after the box arrives.

Best semi hollow guitars 2027, from cheapest to priciest

1. Ibanez Artcore AS53 — budget thinline with room to mod

Between $350 and $400 is where zZounds, Sweetwater and American Musical Supply list the AS53, the cheapest way into this article by a wide margin. It is a compact double-cut with a set nyatoh neck, two Infinity R ceramic humbuckers, one volume, one tone, a three-way switch, a 24.7-inch scale and a Quik Change III tailpiece for faster string changes. Retailers disagree on the woods: zZounds lists a sapele body with a bound laurel fingerboard, while Skip’s Music describes a linden body with a walnut board, so read the spec line on the exact listing before ordering.

Sweetwater’s review page shows 4.6 out of 5 from 36 reviews, and the complaints cluster. Pickups come first: one reviewer found them a little hot and muddy, another called the highs tinny, and several owners swapped them, though a six-year owner kept the stock set and called it plenty. Two owners changed tuners to stop drift, and one filed down buzzy high frets. A year-long gigging report there, posted by JazzerJohn, concluded the guitar works as shipped but is best treated as a foundation for mods.

Guitar Player names the AS53 its best budget pick while noting the pickups can sound bright or clinical beside pricier semis, and MusicRadar says spending a little more buys something better. zZounds shows 4.5 out of 5 from 21 ratings, with no complaints in the single written review displayed.

2. Squier Classic Vibe Starcaster — offset looks with Wide Range humbuckers

Maple is the only fingerboard offered, and MusicRadar flags that alongside a neck it calls a handful. Those two points deserve weight before the rest of a generous spec sheet: laminated maple body, maple C-shaped neck with a tinted gloss finish, 9.5-inch radius, 22 narrow tall frets, a 25.5-inch scale, a 42 mm nut, two Fender-designed Wide Range humbuckers and a separate volume and tone control for each pickup, per zZounds. That retailer lists it near $430 and MusicRadar’s roundup puts it around $450.

The Wide Range humbuckers give it a Fender-flavored voice rather than a Gibson one. MusicRadar rates it the best budget semi-hollow around for build quality, while a Guitars for Idiots review says the pickups leave a little to be desired but sound great for the money. The one written zZounds review, among five ratings averaging 4.5 out of 5, praised the narrow frets and maple board and only said the glossy neck finish was not to its taste, an easy fix.

Pros:

• ✅ Independent volume and tone per pickup, per MusicRadar
• ✅ Offset body shape and Wide Range humbuckers

Cons:

• ❌ Maple fingerboard only
• ❌ Neck described as a handful

Spotted one you like? Take a closer look at the Squier Classic Vibe Starcaster on Amazon.com.

3. Gretsch G2622 Streamliner — built for volume and gain

Loud stages and gained-up amps are what this guitar was designed around. Sweetwater describes a weight-relieved center block in a 16-inch, five-ply maple body that lets players push volume and gain without the amp squealing out of control. MusicRadar’s review makes the same point, saying the block adds to its usefulness at higher gains and volumes. The neck is a soft-C nato with a laurel fingerboard on a 12-inch radius and a 24.75-inch scale. American Musical Supply lists the V-stoptail version between roughly $470 and $550, and the Bigsby version, the G2622T, runs about $630 to $650 at the retailers consulted.

What it is not: MusicRadar found the sound airier and less punchy than a classic Gretsch, so it only partly counts as a cheaper Gretsch, and called the guitar slightly neck-heavy with weaker high-fret access than a 335. Guitar Player’s advice on tremolos applies to the Bigsby version: Bigsby-style arms need more upkeep, slow down string changes and can affect tuning stability, and its reviewer prefers the standard G2622 for that reason.

Individual listings of the plain G2622 and the G2622T at Chicago Music Exchange and Reverb show 6 pounds 12 ounces and 6 pounds 13 ounces, well under the roughly 9 pounds measured on the two ES-335 test samples.

4. Epiphone ES-339 — 335 character in a smaller body

Fourteen inches across the lower bout, against 16 on the full-size model, is the whole story of the ES-339. Guitar World tested both Epiphones side by side and found them close enough to fool most listeners blind, with the 339 showing less acoustic resonance and a tighter, more focused midrange. They share a layered maple body with a solid maple center block, a mahogany neck, a laurel fingerboard with 22 medium jumbo frets, a Graph Tech nut and Alnico Classic PRO humbuckers. Gibson’s own spec page lists a 24.72-inch scale and a LockTone Tune-o-matic bridge. Expect to pay around $500 to $550.

Owner discussion backs up the “tighter” description without agreeing on what it sounds like. On the Seymour Duncan forum, one member hears more of a Les Paul’s clarity, another says it sounds much more like a 335 than a Les Paul, and a third says it takes on a solid-body flavor at higher gain and feeds back less. Over on jazzguitar.be, a player who sold three 335-size guitars as too big for short arms drew suggestions of the 339, though one member found its neck seemed too long for the smaller body.

Guitar Player picks it as the best beginner semi and notes the trade-off: less depth than the full-size 335. zZounds shows 4.5 out of 5 from 15 ratings.

Take a closer look at the Epiphone ES-339 on Amazon.com if the smaller body appeals.

5. Epiphone ES-335 — the full-size shape for far less

Just over 9 pounds is what Killer Guitar Rigs’ test sample weighed, a figure it compared to a Les Paul, so the 16-inch body is not a lightweight. The same review found a slim, fast neck, polished fret work, full-size CTS pots, Kluson-style tuners and no significant setup problems. It praised tones from clean jazz to high-gain distortion and called the guitar a strong step up from the Epiphone Dot. Guitar World’s separate review compared it with its own 2021 Gibson and found the neck shape and size very similar, with a well-set-up sample that was hard to put down. Retailers sit between $550 and $600.

The faults are small. Killer Guitar Rigs disliked the unbound f-holes and said the laurel fingerboard may need oiling, and Guitar.com’s review of the Figured variant flagged uneven binding scrape as a cosmetic flaw. Size is the bigger issue: the jazzguitar.be thread mentioned above includes a short-armed player who bought 335-size guitars three times and sold each, though other members found the shape comfortable seated or standing. Killer Guitar Rigs itself suggests smaller players consider the ES-339.

Pros:

• ✅ Full-size CTS pots and a Graph Tech nut at this price
• ✅ Covers clean jazz through high gain, per Killer Guitar Rigs

Cons:

• ❌ Large body, just over 9 pounds on the tested sample
• ❌ Unbound f-holes and a possibly dry laurel board

6. Gibson ES-335 — the reference, at a steep price

Sources disagree on the entry fee. MusicRadar lists the Satin version at around $2,800 at launch, while Killer Guitar Rigs says starting prices are well over $3,000, so budget between about $2,800 and more than $3,000 depending on finish. Killer Guitar Rigs’ review of the Gibson credits exceptional workmanship, stable tuning and a factory setup with low action and no buzz. It lists a solid maple center block, 3-ply maple wings, a mahogany neck with a rounded C profile and nibbed, PLEK’d frets, a rosewood fingerboard and T Type humbuckers, and calls the whole thing the gold standard of semi-hollows.

Caveats come from the same sources. Killer Guitar Rigs says the body is large, the neck chunky and the price high enough to consider alternatives, and aims the guitar at intermediate and professional players, with beginners better served by the Epiphone. MusicRadar’s reviewer felt a guitar at this price could offer more, such as PAF-style pickups or a fancier finish. Guitar Player still names it best overall, and a jazzguitar.be member credits it with a midrange that no thinline alternative has matched for them.

By arithmetic from the two ranges, the Epiphone ES-335 costs roughly a fifth of what the Gibson does. Anyone planning to keep one guitar for decades, and willing to pay for it, will find the Gibson’s reputation backed by the reviews above.

Curious about the real thing? Take a closer look at the Gibson ES-335 on Amazon.com.

Semi hollow guitars reviews: what critics and owners agree on

Pickups draw the most repeated criticism. Sweetwater’s AS53 owners keep returning to them, Guitar Player calls the AS53’s pickups bright or clinical, a Guitars for Idiots review of the Starcaster says they leave a little to be desired, MusicRadar says the Gretsch pickups do not give a classic Gretsch voice, and its reviewer wanted PAF-style pickups on the Gibson. That is consensus across several independent reports, and it fits Guitar Player’s warning that swapping pickups in a semi is harder than usual.

Size and neck feel split people. MusicRadar called the Starcaster’s neck a handful, a zZounds reviewer disliked its gloss finish, Killer Guitar Rigs found the Gibson’s neck chunky, and the jazzguitar.be thread shows players disagreeing on whether a 335-size body is ideal or exhausting. Trying one seated and standing, as members there advise, is better than trusting any single review.

Weight claims conflict. MusicRadar’s neck-heavy Gretsch, Guitar Player’s neck-dive warning and the balanced Affinity Starcasters on The Fretboard cannot all be right for every guitar, which is why the strap matters as much as the model.

The caveats are real. Forum threads are a small sample, zZounds shows only five ratings for the Starcaster, and most critic verdicts rest on one tester per guitar. Treat the pattern as direction, not proof.

Hollow body guitar instead? Where a true hollow fits

If a search for the best hollow body guitar 2027 brought you here, the choice changes character. A fully hollow guitar has no center block, and Andertons describes hollow bodies as highly prone to feedback at higher volume and mainly used for jazz and blues, with the occasional player such as Gary Clark Jr. using the howl for grit. Semis resist feedback more and suit rock, indie and blues-rock.

The Epiphone Casino is the obvious hollow guitar to know. Gibson’s own page for it describes a fully hollow 5-ply maple and poplar thinline that is prone to feedback when pushed hard and not ideal for ultra-high-gain, high-volume playing. Premier Guitar’s review of a Lennon-signature version says to expect feedback and less sustain than a 335. A Sweetwater reviewer who compared a Casino with an older Epiphone 335-style guitar managed to make the Casino feed back at higher volume, and a Thomann reviewer found it very light and well balanced despite the big body. Check the current price on Amazon.com, since no source read for this article gave a figure.

The decision comes down to volume. Bedroom and small-room players get more airy resonance from a hollow guitar, while anyone sharing a stage with a drummer should stay with a semi.

Feedback, beginners and Epiphone versus Gibson: short answers

Which one to buy

Start with the room you will play in and the money you will really spend. For a first semi on a tight budget, the Ibanez Artcore AS53 plus a pickup swap fund is the sensible route; for a smaller body, the Epiphone ES-339; for the full 335 shape without the Gibson bill, the Epiphone ES-335; and for loud, gained-up playing, the Gretsch G2622 Streamliner. The Squier Classic Vibe Starcaster is the offset oddball for anyone who wants maple and a longer scale, and the Gibson ES-335 is the one to save for. Whichever of these semi hollow guitars you choose, count the strap, a setup and any pickup changes before comparing sticker figures, because those extras are what you will live with. Spotted one you like? Take a closer look at the current prices on Amazon.com.

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Try any of these at bedroom volume first, because that is where a semi-hollow’s wings show what they can do.