Semi-hollow guitar that doesn't sound too mid forward

**Tal_175** · 11-04-2021, 03:48 PM

I like the idea of semi-hollow guitars. More sustain than full hollows and rounder attack than solid bodies. But the semi hollows I owned or played always had this very compressed and middy sound especially on the B and high E strings. No doubt that's a desirable sound for many especially if you're after Scofield or Rosenwinkel type of tones.

Are there semi-hollow designs that have a more balanced and open sound?

**Nick71** · 11-04-2021, 03:52 PM

Gretsch Tennessee Rose..
Crisp and clean with no caffeine..

**blille** · 11-04-2021, 04:51 PM

I would get whichever plays best for you and swap pickups to get to your desired sound.

**Archie** · 11-04-2021, 06:33 PM

Guild SF4's and 5's seem to have a lighter less honky sound and so do Gibson Country Gents (later ones). The nicest semi hollow I played for jazz is an Epiphone Elitist 'Country Gent' but they're hard to find.

I think Ibanez have some good offerings. Often cheaper semi's sound less mid focused, due to being cheaper and lighter.

**Tal_175** · 11-04-2021, 07:09 PM

In this comparison the ES 339 sounds less nasal to me than the ES 335:

**jim777** · 11-05-2021, 06:57 AM

I think you'd like the Seventy Seven Albatross line. There were a few here in the 'On Sale' section pretty recently. It's Les Paul sized, and the 'Jazz' models have a spruce top. Mine is an older Custom, and is all mahogany. Here it is with its big sisters

**Tal_175** · 11-05-2021, 07:25 AM

Seventy seven's are intriguing but it's hard to come across them. Other suggestions are what seem to me like Gretsch inspired guitars. I've always had this aversion towards Gretsch guitars. I don't know why. Maybe I should be more open minded towards them. I may even have a Gretsch ukulele somewhere I think.

**John A.** · 11-05-2021, 08:02 AM

-There are a bunch of Gibsons that offer a slightly different flavor from 335, such as:
- Midtown (to my ears, pretty LP-like)
-Johnny A (a little twangier; there's also an Epi version)
- ES 135 (the one with P100s sounds pretty 175-like to me)
- ES 137 (closer to a 335 than the others

- Epis with mini humbuckers (Rivieras and Sheratons)

- Various Ibanezes (to my ears they're all a bit brighter and less mid rangey than a 335)

**jim777** · 11-05-2021, 11:37 AM

Originally Posted by Tal_175

Seventy seven's are intriguing but it's hard to come across them. Other suggestions are what seem to me like Gretsch inspired guitars. I've always had this aversion towards Gretsch guitars. I don't know why. Maybe I should be more open minded towards them. I may even have a Gretsch ukulele somewhere I think.

I'm near Philly, if you're close you can come play mine

**Tal_175** · 11-05-2021, 11:48 AM

Originally Posted by jim777

I'm near Philly, if you're close you can come play mine

Thanks for the offer but I'm in Toronto. Not that close

**jads57** · 11-05-2021, 09:16 PM

Try a PRS Hollow Body either American or SE. It might just do the trick!

**Hammertone** · 11-05-2021, 09:52 PM

Try this one. It's in Toronto. Fabulous instrument. One of six German-made Verythin Standards with laminated birds-eye rims/backs, laminated spruce tops and solid spruce blocks. And it's for sale! No shipping, no tax. How about it?

**Hammertone** · 11-05-2021, 09:57 PM

..or this one. Also in Toronto. Fabulous instrument. One of a handful of German-made Verythin Standards with laminated anigree rims/backs/tops, solid mahogany blocks, and full-sized vintage style humbuckers. And it's for sale! No shipping, no tax. How about it?

**Stringswinger** · 11-05-2021, 10:18 PM

I had a Gibson Pat Martino that was nowhere near as midrange forward as a 335. Chords were not well defined as it's super dark tone made it pretty much a single note machine, but perhaps with a different pickup, I might never have sold it. It was VERY easy to play.

**Herbie** · 11-06-2021, 10:02 AM

What is it that makes that mid rangeness? The woods overall? The whole design of the guitar? The pickups?

Or is it the block inside the guitar? Or the string system: stop tail vs trapeze?

**Little Jay** · 11-06-2021, 10:32 AM

A couple of semi’s that sound distinctly different from a 335:

- Eastman T486 (or smaller sized T484
- Godin Montreal Premiere
- Gibson ES-135

With the Eastman I think the maple neck and ebony fretboard give a different timbre: lighter, airier, not as mid heavy. S

The Godin Premiere also uses different materials than the traditional Gibson choice for the 335

The ES-135 has a lighter balsa center block and a maple neck as well.

So to answer the question what causes the mid-heaviness of the 335, I think it could be the mahogany/rosewood neck in combination with the humbuckers? (I quite like it btw, a 335 has the power to let single notes always come through in the band mix….).

**blille** · 11-06-2021, 11:01 AM

Originally Posted by Little Jay

So to answer the question what causes the mid-heaviness of the 335, I think it could be the mahogany/rosewood neck in combination with the humbuckers? (I quite like it btw, a 335 has the power to let single notes always come through in the band mix….).

For sure. The traditional humbucker in a 335 is a PAFish wind with A2 magnet like the 57s. Just by changing the magnet to an A5 you would remove the mid hump significantly and it takes $5 and 15 mins. Changing the pickup would give you even more flexibility. Limiting the guitar choice based on that doesn’t make much sense but that is just my opinion.

**Tal_175** · 11-06-2021, 11:10 AM

Originally Posted by Herbie

What is it that makes that mid rangeness? The woods overall? The whole design of the guitar? The pickups?

Or is it the block inside the guitar? Or the string system: stop tail vs trapeze?

I sometimes wonder if it could be a psycho-acoustic phenomena. Semi-acoustic design is maybe rounding out the attack of the heavier strings more than the lighter strings. Lighter strings are acting like they would on a solid body and heavier strings are acting like they would on a hollowbody. So you get the lighter strings pop out more with a sharper (and thinner) attack and we perceive that as mid-forward sound (relative to the heavier, wound strings).

I hear this effect even when I play 335 type guitars acoustically.

**Cavalier** · 11-06-2021, 01:23 PM

I've noticed the center block makes a big frequency difference in the mids, more dense = higher mid frequency and sharp attack like a solid body, less dense = lower mid frequency center and softer attack. Gibson goes there (went there?) with the balsa block of some models, Gretsch currently offers chambered spruce center blocks on some Electromatic models, these work well if you can get past the non jazz label.

**Herbie** · 11-06-2021, 02:18 PM

Originally Posted by blille

For sure. The traditional humbucker in a 335 is a PAFish wind with A2 magnet like the 57s. Just by changing the magnet to an A5 you would remove the mid hump significantly and it takes $5 and 15 mins. Changing the pickup would give you even more flexibility. Limiting the guitar choice based on that doesn’t make much sense but that is just my opinion.

And if You don’t love the power and upper spike of the A5, You can always have A4 in them. A bit lower output but very open and perfect magnet.

**Gitfiddler** · 11-06-2021, 06:17 PM

Two semi-hollows that might be considered are the Gibson CS336/356 and the more rare Heritage H-155. To my ear they are very balanced sounding instruments. I'd also toss in the Johnny A. Signature, even though it is more of a hollow body design.

**jim777** · 11-07-2021, 01:48 AM

Hammer rocks so hard; I would go play both of those guitars if I was actually allowed into Canada

**Joeontheguitar** · 11-07-2021, 05:49 AM

Eastman Romeo. If you can find one, give it a try.

**ruger9** · 11-07-2021, 08:28 AM

Originally Posted by blille

I would get whichever plays best for you and swap pickups to get to your desired sound.

There's alot of truth to that. You could put a set of Filtertrons in any semi-hollow and they would scoop the mids right out. It's what they do.

**ronjazz** · 11-07-2021, 05:45 PM

Originally Posted by Tal_175

Seventy seven's are intriguing but it's hard to come across them. Other suggestions are what seem to me like Gretsch inspired guitars. I've always had this aversion towards Gretsch guitars. I don't know why. Maybe I should be more open minded towards them. I may even have a Gretsch ukulele somewhere I think.

Well worth a try. Certainly takes you out of the PAF world, and, to me, are much more lively and clear (Filtertron, that is). The new Streamliner series has the Broadtron pickups, which are an interesting compromise between a PAF and a Filtertron. The Little Streamliner Junior is a smallish center-block design, and is very intriguing. I enjoyed mine until I decided to trade up to a 5420 hollow body with Filtertrons, but you might find the Streamliners right up your alley; they definitely are less mid-rangy.