10 Semi-Hollow & Thinlines for Jazz

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[caseylee]

My pick....D'Angelico Premier DC. you can pick one up new for $659 with a stop tailpiece, or $759 for the stair-step tailpiece model ( the one I bought). GREAT guitars for beginner or intermediate player. Very comfortable to play, good tones with a good amp, and a beautiful guitar with that 'art deco' vibe.

[CSAndrewHenry]

I love this list, thank you!! I have a 1979 Gibson ES-347, so I completely agree with you about how amazing they are. I swapped the pickups to Seymour Duncan Seth Lover's and is it as warm and sweet and any semi-hollow body out there. Love that you mentioned it!

[johnhaas]

I got an Ibanez Artcore AG95 (bubinga wood) used, for 350 dollars.I dont think any player would be disappointed in it, nor any other in the Artcore line. Great hollowbody guitar, good price.

[guitarmansings]

I’ve been playing a German-made Hofner Verythin Standard for about 4 years and love it! The craftsmanship is excellent and it sounds great through any amp or powered speaker. It weighs only 4 lbs! I get compliments on it’s appearance and tone on every gig.

[RichieZellon]

NOTE BEFORE YOU COMMENT: I have included the Gibson ES-330 which is technically speaking a full hollow body as pointed out by several viewers. It is however known as a thinline as well as another of the guitars in this listing. These have a similar body depth and size to most semi-hollows. As you know, there are Fender Telecasters and other solid body type guitars that are made as hollow bodies too. However they don't fit the ES-335 style of guitar body depth, shape and size I am trying to profile here. Yes, I should have pointed this out. My intent in compiling this list was to provide a listing of what I have experienced (as a player) to be great alternatives for jazz, other than resorting to the full deep body hollows. In doing so, I mixed a few thinlines in there with the semi-hollows. Please don't sue me...😀

[wildorinj]

I have a 1964 Gibson ES 120T, and it does everything I want it to do as far as the Jazz/Blues style which I play. The playing action is low and smooth, the sound is rich and full of harmonics and it stays in tune for months on end. I've tried many other guitars, but this one has something about it that satisfies my ear and fingers.

[MarkusBoettner]

I owned an Ibanez AS73 before and now own an Epiphone Dot Deluxe Blue Burst. I really love it with one minor draw-back - and I don't know if this is a general Epiphone 335 thing: The neck up to the third fret is very delicate and doesn't keep the tuning well.

This, however, was accidentally fixed after an accident. Someone knocked my guitar off its stand and it fell flat on its front onto a fluffy carpet. The crack noise was really, really not nice. I sent it to Thomann, and they fixed it (with bone glue, I think), and now it plays better than it did before as the neck is actually stiffer in that area.

that doesn't mean that owners with similar issues should now break their guitars though. ;)

I love the sound, love the feel, and at 399 Euros, it is good value for the money.

[flyingdutchmanyou]

I have an Ibanez as73 tbc and I love playing it or just seeing it in the corner of my room....

[sudharshun]

I find him super relaxing to listen to. Made me realize how we just want to consume fast content and move on to the next one. This content was perfect. I had fun watching it. Thank You :)

[teknomanning]

I picked up a D Angelico excel dc in vintage burst with stair step tailpiece for a grand at Sweetwater on Black Friday . Normally 1700

[perfectfan]

kona makes a real nice 335 copy guitar and hard shell case about 300 bucks last year i sold 12 of them and not one person was not blown away by the deal.. still happy a year later one guy came back and bought a second one in a different color he had red one and picked up a natural also..

[riclrk]

Love Gibsons, I was lucky enough to inherit a 1960 es 330 Gibson from my father, still sounds amazing after almost 50 of constant playing

[davidkeller]

I bought an Ibanez AS 83 last year, only because the shop didn’t have the AS93. I have really happy with it. Has the same pickups and the 93 so I doubt there’s much difference in tone. For the price, I was really surprised by the build quality. It was much better than some of the Epiphones I was looking at, though the Sheratons I looked at were really well made. I love semi-hollowbodies. My favorite guitar style!

[anthonymorales]

I tried all kinds in all price ranges the one that knocked me out was Ibanez plays incredible for the price just unbeatable

[helenerainey]

Veddy Intuhresting! I love my Epiphone Sheraton Thinline 57 (probably) model E212T SN 2868. I say probably because George Gruen in Nashville couldn't find any trace of the serial number but it still has the New Yorker pickups. 58s had humbuckers. I have never heard any instrument with such a beautiful tone. I bought it Sept 30, 1961 at Lawton Music in Oklahoma City. I am the only owner. LD (Ray) Rainey San Clemente, CA 92672. Thanks for the video.

[georgerigberg]

Sheraton II before Pro model was available. MIK Samick factory. Seymour Duncan Jazz at neck Pearly Gates at bridge, independent coil taps. Set up with flat wounds. A dream for jazz and sweet blues!

[matthewharry]

You gotta check out the Gretsch options also - picked up a used G2655T for less than £300 a few months ago and it is a joy

[Bkellyusa]

My favorite is the Gibson 137 which is no longer made. I had mine built in the Custom Shop here in Nashville. It has the larger L5 headstock, mahogany fingerboard and binding on the neck. Ithas Lollar pickups in it that were built for several of my guitars but is not much different that the Imperial models he has in his catalog.



The thing that makes this guitar so nice is that the center block is made of mahogany and gives the guitar and especially wonderful tone. As it is I could use it to play just about any kind of music you can think of but I use it exclusively for jazz since it can be made to sound so much like an my L5.


It also sustains like crazy which makes it very suitable for playing lovely chord melodies.

[georgerigberg]

I have a Sheraton 2 (MIK) modified. Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates at bridge, Jazz at neck. With independent coil taps and flatwound strings. Wouldn't swap her for any high end guitar!

[GeorgeHeil-ggwv]

I am not a Jazz guitarist, but I do love a good sounding / playing guitar.
Wife purchased for me some 10 +/- years ago a Custom Shop Gibson ES 339.
She is a work of art . . . the guitar is also.
As for budget friendly beautiful sounding guitars do not overlook the Gretsch 2655 with the Fidelosonic P-90 pickups.