Epiphone Hollowbody & Semi-Acoustic Guitars

About Epiphone Hollowbody Guitars

Epiphone's hollowbody history stretches back to the 1930s when they introduced their first archtop style instruments with F-hole designs. Popular among Jazz musicians, they were intended as true high-end guitars for professional and discerning players - and had the price tag to match!

In 1957 Gibson acquired Epiphone to (amongst other reasons) remove one of their main rivals in the high-end market space - that said, they continued to produce guitars aimed at the top-end of the scale. Amongst these was the vaunted Epiphone Casino, famously wielded by Beatles' frontman and guitar legends John Lennon and George Harrison.

Since the Gibson acquisition, Epiphone were eventually positioned to make affordable versions of popular Gibson models, including sought-after signature models. However, they still produce a select range of USA made models that reflect their illustrious past.

Amongst stars like The Beatles who used Casino and Texan models, Tom DeLonge of Blink 182 often uses a signature Epiphone ES-333, Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend and Matthew Followhill of Kings of Leon both rely on the Sheraton for live performances.

Today, Epiphone's fully hollow and semi-hollow body guitars range from entry-level ES-339 to the master-crafted USA-made Casinos. In between are a variety of shapes and pickup configurations to suit virtually any player and musical style.

From the big-bodied acoustic sounds of the Emperor to the sleeker and meaner feel of the semi-hollow ES-335, you can find a model that suits your sound. And at Gear4Music, we've got a wide range of these models for you to explore!

Epiphone Hollowbody Guitars FAQs

What are semi-hollow body guitars good for?

Epiphone hollowbody and semi-hollow body guitars are good for a variety of genres including jazz, rock and blues. Their semi-hollow centre block design helps reduce feedback issues found on fully hollow instruments, allowing you to play with much higher gain and install higher output pickups.

What is the difference between hollow and semi-hollow guitars?

The difference between Epiphone semi-hollow and hollowbody guitars lies in their internal design. Hollow instruments are fully hollow with a large open cavity for a warm, rounded tone. Semi-hollow guitars feature a centre block to reduce feedback and make them much easier to amplify.

Can you play a hollowbody guitar without an amp?

You can play an Epiphone hollowbody guitar without an amp thanks to their acoustic-like nature. The large body and open cavity allow for decent volume levels when playing unplugged. And while it won't be as loud as a true acoustic, hollow guitars are much better than semi-hollow or solid-bodies when playing without an amp.