Finally a Hollowbody!!!!!

[nate_dennis]

I have been searching for a hollowbody for ages. I don't have the money to buy a new gretsch or anything. I gave up on it. I went in to trade out my cheap acoustic and strat for a decent acoustic. The store finally had a used hollowbody that they were considering a trade for but passed because of what he wanted for it. I ended up getting it for $225 (had to sell my guitars at a steal for them for it . . . but i'm happy.) I ended up with a De Armond X-155 and I'm so stoked. I love the tone through my ac-15. I may trade out for vintage DeArmond p/ups but i'm in no hurry. I just thought I'd share my story.


Pics to follow someday.

 

[miroslav]

Pics to follow someday.

Someday...???

That is SOOOOOOOOOO LAME!!!

It's an unspoken rule...you can't talk about a new guitar or amp without posting pictures to go with the story!




Hey...good luck with it.

I'm not a big hollowbody player, but I have 'em...mixed in with the solid bodies.
They certainly have a different tone and vibe...great for some other flavors when needed..

 

[Bob Ross]

I'd been jonesing for a nice archtop f-hole hollowbody jazzbox since I was 16 or 17 years old...Kept telling myself I'd get a swanky Guild Artist Award or Gibson Johnny Smith or D'Armond or D'Aquisto..."Someday".

Then several things happened. 1) Life and all its attendant expenses interceded 2) the honest self-appraisal that perhaps only comes with maturity allowed me to recognize that my traditional jazz guitar chops just do not warrant a >$20,000 guitar. Or perhaps even a $2,000 guitar.

Happily, my astute wife recognized both #1 and #2 above as well as the aforementioned 30+ years of jonesing, and she bought me a cheap Ibanez Artcore archtop f-hole hollowbody jazzbox for a recent birthday. Probably cost all of about $300. I strung it up w/ heavy-guage flatwounds, plugged it into a Polytone MiniBrute, and voila! I'm finally Pat Martino

...not. But it's fun as hell. Added bonus: In addition to it being a pretty darn awesome jazz guitar, I've discovered that heavy flatwounds into a dimed tube amp makes for a really cool rock rhythm guitar sound.

 

[nate_dennis]

sorry for being lame. Here are the pics. I know that this guitar is not a dream guitar for most. But the truth is that I love it. It's what I wanted. Heavier than I imagined. Plugged into a vox ac15 this is so choice. anyway, here are the pics.

 

[BigMuffinMan]

I got an itch for a hollowbody electric a few months ago and went with a Hagstrom Viking. Its looks almost identical to the De Armond except its a double cutaway. I think it was around $600.

http://www.google.ca/images?hl=en&q=hagstrom viking&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi

 

[rayc]

I've had a semi acoustic/hollowbody/archtop/F-hole for the last 30 years. It's my main guitar. In fact when my 1stwas stolen I replaced it with two of the same model, (which was hard to find as it was a late 60's jobby).
SERIOUSLY - DON'T switch the pickups unless you really don't like the sound. To me pickup experimentation is odd - you try the guitar before you buy & buy it because it is what it is. I know this isn't a popular perspective but goes to the essence or integrity of the instrument.
There was a BIG band in Australia in the mid to late 70's who had a lead guitarist who used a Gibson 335. He filled the cavity with insulation, changed the pickups, replaced & moved the bridge. WHY?

 

[Anfontan]

I have an Epiphone 335 style Sheraton II-and it has a nice bluesy/Jazz vibe as it is. I had thought about a pickup change but having to remove most of the wiring and pots through the F holes changed my mind about that.

It's got a very nice rhythm and lead tone-especially played through a tube amp-or a solid state Fender Deluxe too. It's one of my guitars that I can never let go-and one of the beauties of my collection!

 

[rayc]

Anfotan,
I have the blonde to your raven! Well the "natural" pale wood unstained but glossed.
They are quite nice guitars - the selector switch isn't great but I can cope with it. You're right - it sounds so much nicer through some tubes than SState - mind you the hummers make my little Pignose sound pretty mighty too!

 

[K Road]

Well I've got a brown-burst Sheraton to go with the raven & blonde. Got it about 15 years ago. Loved it when I bought it & its the only g. I have seriously considered upgrading. Replace the pups and tweak the neck and you've got a g. everybit as good as a 335 for half the price. The stock bridge pup bites & cuts through almost like a Tele, as is, and the neck pup is reasonably warm - only complaint is a couple of "dead" spots on the neck. The finish is actually better than on my '83 Paul - though it doesn't sound as good.

But I don't play the Epi or the Paul much these days. I've got three jazz boxes and they are simply more comfortable to play -light on the knee and neck! But these hollow bodies are fragile! You gotta treat them carefully and store them right and heaven help you if you drop 'em.

K.