Need some help on choosing a semi-hollow

bioken007 · #1 07-04-2010, 08:38 AM

Hey, I'm having a problem choosing the right semi-hollow guitar for me. My options now are the Epiphone Sheraton II, Hagstrom Viking, and the Washburn HB-35. Can someone please tell me the differences in tone and if there is any other great semi-hollow guitar below $1000 pls. let me recommend some to me thx a lot

abracadabra · #2 07-04-2010, 09:11 AM

I've only played the Sheraton, which was pretty good. Can't give you much of a review other than to say you should give it a try. Also add the Ibanez AS103 to your list.

bioken007 · #3 07-04-2010, 09:19 AM

Thx I'll definitely check it out.

whiskywheels · #4 07-04-2010, 09:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bioken007

Hey, I'm having a problem choosing the right semi-hollow guitar for me. My options now are the Epiphone Sheraton II, Hagstrom Viking, and the Washburn HB-35. Can someone please tell me the differences in tone and if there is any other great semi-hollow guitar below $1000 pls. let me recommend some to me thx a lot

I don't think you'll get a very helpful reply to this question, unless there are people out there who own or have tried all three side by side. And even then, what they recommend may not be right for you.
Can you tell us a bit more about why you're having a problem choosing? Have you tried them all and can't decide, of just making a 'virtual' choice? Obviously, you want the best guitar for your money, but ultimately you need to try them out and decide what combination of tone, looks, and price etc. is right for you.
The Ibanez AF105 is a highly regaded and excellent guitar which I would recommend to you, but I'm only recommending that you try it, not buy on the basis of what I'm saying.
Let us know how you get on.

bioken007 · #5 07-04-2010, 09:30 AM

Thx whiskywheels, I've tried the Sheraton II and I'm very satisfied by its sound and quality (not to mention price) But recently the Hagstrom has somehow became a hit in my country (Thailand). I also don't have the chance to try them side-by-side because no shop in Thailand carries them both.

Tom Karol · #6 07-04-2010, 09:43 AM

This is a difficult request. All I can say is try everything you can find in the $600-800 USD range, and pick the one you like best. Don't worry about brand name; it's likely that they're all made in the same 2 or 3 factories somewhere in Asia anyway. For what it's worth, I have a Crafter SEG480TM (S. Korea) that I got (with HS case) for $700 USD with which I'm enormously pleased (stock photo attached). But Epiphone, Ibanez, Hagstrom, Washburn, et al are all potentially viable as well. Do not buy a guitar in this range without trying it first; the same make/model could vary quite a bit from one guitar to another. Good luck!

Norman931 · #7 07-04-2010, 12:52 PM

Definitely check out Ibanez Artcore series. I'm very happy with mine.

mongrel · #8 07-04-2010, 02:05 PM

I recommend an Epi Dot made in Korea. I recently got a '99 made in the Samick factory and it plays and sounds better than most Sheratons and Chinese-made guitars I've played at less cost.

82Benedetto · #9 07-04-2010, 03:40 PM

Look for an Agile on Rondo Music Home Page

They are made in Korea in the factories the old Epiphones used to be made in.

bkdavidson · #10 07-04-2010, 04:36 PM

Look for a Gibson ES-135. They're discontinued, but you can usually find 5 to 10 on ebay at any given time. They'll be pretty close to your price limit, but are worth every penny, if not more. As for the Epi Dot/Sheraton comparison, check a few out yourself in person if you can. I had a Sheraton for a while, and found it to be quite superior in all aspects to the Dots I tried, whereas mongrel seems to have experienced the exact opposite. FWIW, the Sheraton was replaced with my Gibson ES-135, which I think I might have for the rest of my life, or until I get a PRS endorsement. Whichever comes first.

shakowski · #11 07-04-2010, 05:59 PM

I have a sheraton ii and I love it. I think one of its main perks is it shines in most situations: jazz, blues, rock, and so on. It does them all very well. As for the dots, from what i have heard and played, 95 percent of them are far inferior to the sheraton, but there are the 5 percent that play very well.

Flat · #12 07-04-2010, 06:41 PM

If you're lucky, you can occasionally find a used Heritage 535 on eBay for $900 or $950. More often, they go for 1100 to 1300, but I've seen some sweet ones go for under 1K.

These are essentially ES-335s, made in the old Gibson shop in Kalamazoo. Truly excellent instruments. Great range of tones, excellent playability.

mongrel · #13 07-05-2010, 11:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bkdavidson

Look for a Gibson ES-135. They're discontinued, but you can usually find 5 to 10 on ebay at any given time. They'll be pretty close to your price limit, but are worth every penny, if not more. As for the Epi Dot/Sheraton comparison, check a few out yourself in person if you can. I had a Sheraton for a while, and found it to be quite superior in all aspects to the Dots I tried, whereas mongrel seems to have experienced the exact opposite. FWIW, the Sheraton was replaced with my Gibson ES-135, which I think I might have for the rest of my life, or until I get a PRS endorsement. Whichever comes first.

Indeed, the Dot I bought was from a used shop from which I've bought a few guitars and amps and as soon as I picked it up and plugged it in, I knew it was a keeper. Perfectly set up, switches and pots dead quiet after 11 years, comfy neck, pristine body and much better pickups than the rest of the Asian made bunch I've played. A 135 may be my final step up and, though I love them with P-90's, may get one with humbuckers because there are so many pickup options made in humbucker sizes. I have never bought a guitar without playing it and never will (unless it is a real deal 135 on Ebay).

bioken007 · #14 07-06-2010, 07:36 AM

Thx guys for all the recommendations. I went and tried all the semi-hollow 335-style guitars in my area that are well within my price range. I started off with the Hagstrom Viking, it is a very well made guitar with a lot of interesting and unique features. It has a tail piece with a Hagstrom logo carved into it. The fret board is made from some resin-like substance or something I'm not sure but it closely resembles ebony wood. The clean sound was somehow too strong for me, it sounded almost like a solid-body guitar but with lots of sustain. It worked excellent with some distortion. It doesn't really give you the sound that you would probably expect from a semi-hollow body but it is still an excellent guitar.
I'll post the review of the other guitars I've tried some other day.