Favorite inexpensive hollow body guitars

[blackcat]

Peerless 'Renaissance Custom' - with Benedetto A6 in the neck ( in my case ). All-solid and one of the best ( and least celebrated ) guitars they did/do.

[Headshot]

Not to replace any of the previous suggestions, only to add to the roster;

Epi Sheraton...basically any of the iterations out there

Epi Dot...I did get lucky and pick up a Korean production, but with a few inexpensive mods these guitars can feel and sound really nice

Gretsch...a few nice models available, of course there is the Bigsby that a lot here don't like, lol

Epi Swingster...a Joe Pass with a Bigsby and Gretsch-like pickups, but a sweet sound that is just a little different

Epi Wildkat...ok, I had to put this one here since I happen to love the feel of mine. Totally different feel than the 339's a lot of people here like, and I will admit that it doesn't scream "JAZZ", but P90's are the tone of early jazz, not humbuckers

[vinlander]

I would add a vote for the Epi Joe Pass Emperor II, nothing but good thing to say about my 1995 Samick made

[GNAPPI]

Gretsch...a few nice models available, of course there is the Bigsby

Some models are atill available without the useless appendage, the Anniversary is one.

Also some of the electromatics are VERY inexpensive, play AND sound great, and for well under $50 the Bigsvy can be off the git and on EBAY :-)

[jazzimprov]

"An ES175 for $1k or less? Maybe in 1970 :-)"

more like $350.00 new in the early 70's
(when I was working at the different music stores when in school in 72)

335's and 175's were around the same price @ $350.00 new.....

[rdwhitti]

Probably referring to the Epiphone ES175 Premium which sell for about $1k.

[Thumpalumpacus]

I really love my Ibby AS-93 semi-hollow. Plays great, looks great, sounds damned good. My Specal Faded SG is almost as good, too.

There's an Epi Emperor JP in my future. I've played several over the years, and each time I play one I enjoy it more.

Considering how things were in the late 70s, we're in the Golden Age of affordable, good guitars.

[jasaco]

Ibanez AF105NT. Despite having guitars worth 6 times more, I keep returning to the AF105

[jazz.fred]

Ibanez AF105NT. Despite having guitars worth 6 times more, I keep returning to the AF105

Agreed. The AF105 is a very nice, affordable instrument. Similarly, my AF125 is an amazing value in a $1000 guitar.

[Longways to Go]

Agreed. The AF105 is a very nice, affordable instrument. Similarly, my AF125 is an amazing value in a $1000 guitar.

I should never have read this thread

I happened across an AF105 at a pawn shop just last week. It looked just about perfect -- the model with the single floating pickup. Uhoh . . . I may just have to go rescue it !!!!!

[jbucklin]

I made a trip to GC today and while there I played an Ibanez AF95RW with the rosewood top. I ABd it with the spruce topped AF95, both acoustically, and the RW was much warmer and resonant. Great deal at 695.00. I played both guitars through an amp when I was in there a couple of months ago and it was the same thing. The RW won hands down.

[BigDee62]

+1 on the Epi Broadway, I got one so cheap I was willing to [shudder] mount a Bigsby and Filtertrons to make a Blonde Falcon

Thinking about an Ibby AF and keeping it a proper jazz box.

[Captain Caravelle]

Call me crazy but I really like Epiphone's. I've owned lots of them and recorded a lot with them both on my own albums and sessions. I've had a Les Paul P 90 goldtop, a Howard Roberts, an Emperor II (now the Joe Pass), a Korina Explorer, a Viola bass (fake Hofner) and currently have a 96 Peerless Emperor Regent and I just bought a brand spankin Rivera P 90 Wine Red.

The only one I'd ever want to modify is the brand new one (new nut, roller bridge). As far as the other ones. Never had a problem. Did their job right out of the box once you set them up. Sorry to stray.......

Hollowbodies??
My Emperor Regent was $500 used. It's a really great guitar. The Howard Roberts I would still have if you didn't have to do shit like......eat. I wish I still had it. And I have my beater J 200 acoustic which is actually a great acoustic.

I like the Epi's because they're relatively cheap. They look good and they get the job done. The only thing with them is you have to find the winner. Trust me they're not all winners. But if you find a good one for the money they're great guitars.

My workhorse Emperor Regent

[Longways to Go]

Well, I bought the Ibanez AF105F yesterday. Couldn't resist. And you guys are right, it's pretty fantastic

This Ibanez sounds so much better than the AFJ85 I had a couple of years ago, and the floating humbucker sounds darn nice too. I wasn't really looking for a new guitar, but how many of these are you going to stumble across in a pawn shop in Kansas?

I'll figure out a way to make room for just one more . . .

[Headshot]

I think you should name it Toto...