Semi-Hollow vs Hollow Body Guitars: What’s The Difference?

Semi-Hollow Guitars

No doubt the more popular choice of the two nowadays, semi-hollow guitars have one defining feature that sets them apart from their older relative.

Semi-hollow electric guitars feature a wooden centre block to mount pickups. This eliminates the feedback felt by a fully hollow guitar. Semi-hollows are therefore better equipped for music requiring overdrive or distortion. B.B. King was one of the first players to bring it into the mainstream with his famous “Lucille” Gibson ES-355, and pretty much everyone since has been inspired by his fiery blues sound.

Commonly associated (yet not defining) aspects of a semi-hollow guitar also include the thinline body, single F-hole and fixed stopbar or Bigsby bridge. Essentially these are sleeker and more ergonomic. Perfect for all-action live guitarists or players after a balance between contemporary and classic design. One example of this would be Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl, who never strays far from his Pelham Blue Gibson for those huge stadium rock tones.

There are a number of players synonymous with semi-hollow guitars: Chuck Berry, Eric Clapton, Noel Gallagher – but perhaps none more so than Jazz fusion legend, Larry Carlton, dubbed “Mr. 335”. He’s rarely seen without his trusty ES-335. In 2020, he teamed up with Sire, to produce his own signature range of guitars, including a semi-hollow at an affordable price. With his name on it, there can be no greater seal of approval.

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Thinline Guitars

Fender Limited Edition ’70s Vintera Thinline Telecaster

If there’s a story to be told about electric guitars, it’s bound to feature Fender at some point. A relatively modern addition to the semi-hollow pantheon was Fender’s introduction of the Thinline Telecaster in 1969. This combines the smaller and more rugged body shape of the Telecaster with the weight reduction and more open sound of a semi-hollow. In most cases, Thinline Teles are fitted with rich, full sounding wide-range humbuckers, which adds to the smooth warmth associated with semi-hollows, as opposed to the bright, twangy single-coil pickups on a standard Tele.

Because of it’s smaller body, it is even more resistant to feedback than a big-bodied semi-hollow, allowing it to flourish in any musical context, from warm, ambient cleans to gnarly rock and high-gain.

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Popular Hollow Body Brands

Gibson is by far and away the largest semi-hollow guitar manufacturer, with ranks of ES guitars in their current line-up and continually popular historic models. The ES-335 is the ultimate semi-hollow guitar, and the ES-339 is a smaller, more traditional take on the iconic design. If you’re after a bit more edge, the ES-235 will serve you well as a stylish single-cut. But nowadays Gibson are rolling back on their hollow body instruments and leave lots up to offshoot company Epiphone with the affordable Casino.

Elsewhere, you’ll find Ibanez making the AF and AFC hollow series, as well as Gretsch’s selection of G542 models. Other well-known companies specialising in hollow-body guitars include D’Angelico, PRS and Duesenberg.

Both Fender and their more affordable sister company, Squier, offer a range of Thinline Teles. Other brands such as G&L, Chapman, EastCoast and Hansen also offer a take on the semi-hollow T-Style.

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