Hollow / Semi hollow body style preference

[GNAPPI]

Any preferences? 335 style (double cut) 175 style (Single Florentine) or Tal Farlow type (Single Venetian) Thicker body like an ES-175 or thin body like an ES-335

I have at least one of all the above and in general have no preference other than a DC having the ease of upper fret access. Body styles I prefer a bit thinner for standing, and fatter for sitting.

Note: You can pick more than one

[Retroman1969]

175 Style.
It's just big enough to give a nice woody hollowbody sound, but just small enough to be comfortable to play for long periods.

I also like the L5 style, but the extra size makes my shoulder hurt after awhile.

I never could warm up to the 335 style, and I have tried a hundred of them from different names with different setups through different amps. They have a truncated look and sound harsh. Good for Blues and Fusion, but dislike their Jazz tone.

Upper fret access is just fine for me with a single cut.

I should mention that I only play while sitting.

[mangotango]

Hmmmm, tricky. Maybe I'm just fussy, but:

I don't like pointy bits on guitars, so definitely a Venetian cutaway. And only one, 'cos it's a jazz guitar, and to me, that's how they should look.

I prefer a body that's thinner, since mine isn't. Single humbucker pickup, natch.

In fact, if this were a 'burst not a blonde, I'd be very tempted: Hofner Senator Thin, currently on eBay Uk.

[docbop]

I played 335 for many years so like the thickness then played larger body archtop 175 and GB20 for years. Then I got a smaller body GB10 and have really fallen in love with the size and thickness of the GB10. I find the smaller GB10 also makes switching back and forth with my Fenders more comfortable too.

[rkwestcoast]

I have an Ibanez AS 100 - which is 335 style & a full bodied peerless monach - both are great guitars in terms of playability, sound, tone and looks - but at present my overwhelming preference is for the peerless. I've had the Ibanez for over 22 years and can't ever imagine selling it & I've had the peerless now for 5 - but at the moment in terms of my playing and the sound I want it is the peerless every time

[BigDaddyLoveHandles]

The Single Florentine looks good on a 16" body (ES-175) and the Single Venetian looks good on a 17" body (L5).

There were some L5s made in the 1960s with a Florentine cutaway and the proportions look off.

So for me, it's all about how the stylistic bits fit together. The Tal Farlow is just odd.

[IbanezAS100]

Kind of in-between. Around 15'' lower bout, 2'' thickness, single Venetian cutaway.

[GuyBoden]

I'd love one of these.
Guy

[GNAPPI]

I'd love one of these.
Guy

Looks like something took a bite... no several bites out of it. NT, (7 string?) custom pups, headless, what is it?

[cosmic gumbo]

These new 1962 reissue Epiphone Sorrentos look pretty cool. Fully hollow with US made Gibson pickups/wiring.

[Pukka-J]

I happen to have one of each type: a 335 type (Ibanez jsm100), a ES-175 and am Eastman AR605.
At the moment I prefer the ES-175 in terms of playabillity.

[barrymclark]

Love my 175 styled Heritage H575. That's my main.

[BigDaddyLoveHandles]

No love for the Barney?



The cutaway on it reminds me 70's shirt collars -- long, long collar tips that would reach out to your shoulders when you had an open collar.

[Chip]

Wow - tough question.......Aesthetically, my preference is Single Venetian cutaway......That said, here are my girls :

'64 Epi Sorrento..........(Florentine,1.75", semi)

'76 L-5.........................(Venetian, full hollow)

'07 Ibby AF105F..........(Venetian,full [2.5"] hollow)

'11 Peerless Conti.......(Florentine?, 1.73" semi)

'12 Peerless Monarch 16....(Venetian, 2.5" hollow)

As long as I'm seated, I'm pretty comfortable with any of them, though my left hand favors the 24.75" to the 25.5" scale. The cutaways don't seem to matter. When standing, the Epi, Ibby and Conti are most comfortable. The Monarch is pretty close to the Ibby in comfort, come to think of it . I'm only 5'4'' tall, so the L-5 and Conti, with 17" lower bouts, look a little "extraordinary" when I stand to play them. Now I've got my eyes on that Martin Taylor Maestro........Got to think about it a while longer.....

The best part is that my dear wife of 39 years is not the least bit jealous of any of my girls !

[GNAPPI]

No love for the Barney?



The cutaway on it reminds me 70's shirt collars -- long, long collar tips that would reach out to your shoulders when you had an open collar.

I "LOVE" the Kessel, and the Trini, but the prices on them are too much, so I don't vote for what I can't have.

BD, are those all yours?

[Jazzpicker]

Different guitars for different styles. A 335 works great in a rock/blues application. There is a solid maple block down the center of the body that stops feedback and helps for high volume playing almost like playing a Les Paul but not as mellow as a hollowbody archtop. I think the maple block robs the 335 of some of it's jazz potential I used to make a living playing a 335 while a starving college student. The 335 is a fine rock and roll guitar. I have a 2010 that is headed back to Gibson tomorrow with a worm infestation. (I'm serious)

For cool mellow sounds you just have to use a good quality archtop. After trying several, the one that is best for me is a heritage H-550, a plywood guitar with a Venetian cutaway and a reasonable price tag (used). Surprisingly I see some players using telecasters and are able to get great jazz sounds.

My avatar picture was taken 50 years ago with a pawn shop Silvertone (sears) archtop, it was a great old guitar for a teen eager to learn how to play.

[Keira Witherkay]

i have for the last months been playing this Yamaha version of s 335 type...... and it sits well before it i had a 17" epi emp, a 16' hofner 457 , a hofner (330 copy) a tokai 335 and a Aria 175 copy.... all had issues of either too big ... too neck heavy .... to wide ... but this yamaha has stopped me shopping for more archtop/semi style guitars .... and the tone is superb for my needs..... and taste a fat dark tone

thing with guitars especially if you sit and play is that we ,the players all have different body proportions so what sits nicely for you may not work for me and vice versa ........ and i sit and play almost exclusively so the balance while seated is essential to me..........

[BigDaddyLoveHandles]

I "LOVE" the Kessel, and the Trini, but the prices on them are too much, so I don't vote for what I can't have.

BD, are those all yours?

No, just an image I found. The only thing I have five of is thumbpicks.

[mr. beaumont]

Sheeet....I like 'em all...maybe that's my problem.

[mangotango]

No love for the Barney?



The cutaway on it reminds me 70's shirt collars -- long, long collar tips that would reach out to your shoulders when you had an open collar.

Not round here. Too pointy, man. One Florentine is more than I like, two is just toooooo darned much.

Having said that, the Epi Sorrento Reissue looks just about bearable...better try to hear one.

[shawntp]

I would almost genericize this poll to:

18" x 3+" (Super 400)
17" x 3+" (L5)
16" x 3+" (ES-175)
16 x 2.5"
16 x 1.75" (ES-335, etc)
Smaller

In talking with Howard at Benedetto a couple months ago he seemed to indicate that they are seeing the 16 x 2.5 size as the most popular (This seems to be a big trend with Benedetto Bravo's, 16B, Collings Eastsides, Sadowskys, etc). When I last spoke three different professors had just all toured and ordered Bravo Elites and a lot of students seem to be favoring these sizes.

I think the 16 x 2.5 is my favorite form factor. Its deep enough to get some nice acoustic air (if well built) and once plugged in there aren't too many compromises in tone but some benefits in feedback and body size/comfort.

Its sort of in between to me and the best of both worlds. I spend a lot of time going back and forth between a 17 x 3 and a 16 x 2.5 (and I am a thin build with no belly). The comfort is just better in lap position and the right arm over the lower bout.

16" x 2.5 for me.

[oldane]

My 17'' hollowbody with reduced depth is very comfortable for me - more so than my 175, which likely has something to do with my anatomy (long torso). But of course a Strat is very, very ergonomic.

[mangotango]

Ditto for me, except substitute the words "Epi Joe Pass" for "175", and in my case, "fat" for "long" in relation to torso.

My D'Angelico NYL-5 is, according to the Vestax website, 17" wide and 57mm deep - mixed measurement messages! But very comfortable and looks great.

So it's really 2 1/4" deep, which is enough to give a rich timbre to an electric guitar (KA floating pickup).

[ruger9]

16" x 2.5" describes the Gretsch "class" very well, altho I know most here aren't Gretsch fans.

[GNAPPI]

You may be surprised, I have a very nice G3161. Not the best from Gretsch but still better than a lot of guitars I've owned. Their playability is excellent and like any other guitar the sound can be addressed with pups if needed.