Well, no one can say that you don't bounce all around in your posts. How in the world did you end up in the hollow-body Hagstrom realm? There are plenty of other options and I also don't understand your obsession with price points. You generally do get what you pay for and I, for one, lean towards the used guitar market, where I feel you frequently (if you know what you are doing) get more than you pay for.



Instead of starting many posts about buying this guitar or that while you talk about your limited playing ability, why not just work more on technique and worry less about your next guitar acquisition? Do a little more research on your own before coming on here looking for others to tell you what to buy.

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Dennis in CR
Rockin' since 1963

Buying a guitar, as different as a hollowbody, on-line is a mistake in my opinion.

I went down the hollowbody road a number of months ago. I focused on the Epiphone Casino and the Godin 5th Avenue. The Godin is closer to the ones you identified as being interested in.

I was surprised (maybe I shouldn't have been) by how different from an electric they felt when playing, especially the neck. It felt, to me, much more like an acoustic neck. And these guitars sound much different than a Thinline and the playability is, again, more like an acoustic.

My advice is do not go down this road on-line. Yes, do your research on-line, but you have to go to a music store and hold and strum, and pick. You do not have to "play" if you're embarrased by your level of skill. Just play some chords you are comfortable with to see how you like the feel and sound.

You can always bring a friend who plays with you to the store to 'audition' the guitar while you listen.

I have one of these, and love it to pieces:

Epiphone BB King Lucille




The quality is pretty good, it really needed a good setup and I replaced the nut and saddles with GraphTech to keep it in tune better and for a longer time:

http://graphtech.com/products.html?CategoryID=5

the price is right for me

Epiphone Lucille: $699.99 + upgraded nut and saddles

vs

Gibson Lucille: $3,299.00

P.S. I believe the first Hagstrom link in your post is a full hollow, not a semi-hollow

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Don't fight it, you can't win . Look at a Schecter Corsair if you are looking at a semi hollow body. Excellent build quality, sound and playability. Great bang for the buck.

Don't forget the Gretsch 5120/5122. Very worthy entries at your price point.

I've got this one:

It's built like tank and plays like an angel. No need to try - just buy
I don't think I have read a bad review on these - and I have read a few. Demo:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmXeOilXLJw
Got a friend who plays a Gibby 345 , who was impressed by the Viking. Quite like sound character - but the Viking is a thad brighter. And the neck is really slim - but more wide than on for example a Tele. It's got a genius truss rod with an H - profile,making it rugged for 013's flat wounds - don't think I even needed to adjust the truss while I used them!
Recommended

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A-man

I love my 5120, even if it is a bit heavy. I wish the stock pickups had a bit more of the Gretsch twang, but it does have a nice sound of its own.

The 5120 is great if you like a thicker neck. It's beefy. And you can get it in orange, though somehow I fell in love with the burst one. The new white ones are pretty cool looking.

Well said; +1

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......it's a topsy-turvy world when noses run and feet smell...

Ibanez semi-hollow body guitars are a good value:
1) the AS series http://www.ibanez.com/HollowBodyGuitars/Series-as (Gibson ES 335 wanabes)
2) the AM series http://www.ibanez.com/HollowBodyGuitars/Series-am (Gibson ES 339 wanabes)
A new guitar won't make you play better....that takes work. However, nothing wrong with wanting a new guitar either.

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The quintessential sound of 60/70's R&R:
Fender Tube Amps
Gibson Guitars

Everyone should have a hollow or semi hollow, if they have the other bases covered. But, the sound and feel are quite different in my opinion. I would suggest spending a lot of time with a few different ones to be sure it's something you need. I've owned my Guild since '66 and I love it, but it's probably the least played of my guitars.

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'10 American Deluxe HSS Sunset Metallic
'10 JA-90 Thinline Telecaster
'15 Music Man JP-15 Blueberry Burst
'07 Les Paul Standard Faded LCPG #82
'14 Carvin ST300
'12 Carvin CS424S
'66 Guild Starfire IV w/Bigsby
'14 Warmouth Partscaster Daphne Blue

As much as CR is bang on....I totally understand guitars are just down right exciting!!

Dont stop asking people's opinion here at all, If people don't want to answer they wont, Mean while i for one am enjoying the responses...... In the price range your talking about check this out....Good things are said about them.......

Ps. You'll get one new or close too for 500 or high 400's...

http://www.hofnerguitarcentre.com.au/Ho ... S-541.aspx

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I tend to agree. The most important thing is to improve the limited playing ability before buying a bunch of guitars. What's the sense of spending all kinds of money on guitars? The money would be better spent on lessons.

I just met a relative of my neighbor who just started playing guitar at 70!! He can barely play three chords, but he has a Martin D28, a Breedlove a Taylor and two Epiphone acoustics. Quite an investment to play three chords on.

I've been playing guitar for roughly 45 years. For the first six years I played my 63 Supro Martinique, in 72 my Dad bought me a new Strat as a high school graduation present that I still have today. In 76 I bought a cheap acoustic. Through the years I acquired more at a pretty slow rate. I have 13 now. Some I bought, some were given to me, but this was after years of playing semi professionally, then professionally.

The problem with GAS is it's severely addicting. If you ever decide to sell the guitars, you'll probably take a hosing on them.
Hagstrom, Epiphone, Godin and Ibanez are all fine guitars. I have an Ibanez AS73 that is a really nice guitar. I traded an old Roland guitar synth for it even up. It was only about $200.
Full hollowbody archtops are a bit prone to feedback. Semi hollowbody guitars like the Gibson 335 not as much.
But like I said, I'd get some skill together first. I know quite a few mediocre players that own six or seven Strats, too many Les Pauls etc. Remember one thing, there are many, many fine guitar manufacturers out there. Fender in not the end all, be all. For me they are all brushes in a sonic pallet.

You only Need one guitar to play music.

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Life...... It's sexually transmitted and always fatal

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Semi-Hollow Body guitars are awesome!!!! I have one and it is a fabulous guitar.Great to have in any collection. I have heard good things about the Gretsch Tim Armstrong Model which is reasonably priced. Someday I would like a Gretsch Nashville 6120 Double Cut or a Cadillac Green Country Club or an Gretsch Anniversary.......

They are awesome to play and awesome to look at.

AMEN, brother! I added the bold and color to Supro's words above because he is just right on! Buying a new guitar in this day and age is something you should only do if you have some degree of talent and if you plan to hang onto that guitar for a long time. Not to say that I haven't bought new guitars, I have; but I don't buy new guitars that cost me an arm and a leg. It just doesn't make economic sense unless you are gigging all the time and when it comes to gigging I have a steadfast rule: No guitars on stage that cost me more than $500!

And when it comes to guitars, I love a lot of different brands and styles and I buy accordingly. I have also bought a lot of my guitars used and at the right price. Of course, like Supro, I have been doing this for a long time and the guitars I bought cheap in the 80s and 90s are going to do just fine when it comes time (after I'm dead) to sell them!

You do need only one guitar to make music, so take the time and effort to learn to play before you start building that arsenal.

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Dennis in CR
Rockin' since 1963