Can Your HOLLOWBODY Take the Place of Your ACOUSTIC GUITAR?

[@jimmyjames2022]

Perfect timing, it's hard to find reviewers who will check out the acoustic vibe on a semi hollow guitar so your vid is very welcome. I'm pondering my next gear purchase for this fall and with my solid body electric needs sewn up nicely it's time for an acoustic. I'm leaning toward a parlor size acoustic like the PRS SE P20E, due to both it's blues pedigree and the 'quiet' requirement due to lack of noise suppression in this old building. But the semi hollows are sorely beckoning me as a more versatile and quieter option. I still remember my semi hollow guitar as a teen in the 70s, a Framus 335 clone, and it wasn't very loud acoustically. And you've shown that the Artcore or any 335-339 size semi hollow is a little thin sounding for an acoustic stand-in. Maybe something like a Gretsch Electromatic or the Ibanez AFC Contemporary Archtop with a deeper body.

[@stevemiller1203]

You know the Ibanez is fully hollow

[@jimmyjames2022]

@@stevemiller1203 its confusing to specify between centre block and no centre block as many dealers mix it up in descriptions but it'll be a consideration when I narrow down. It probably matters less to me as I don't perform, if there's feedback issues. In this regard better acoustic properties is probably what I'm leaning toward.

[@stevemiller1203]

@@jimmyjames2022 When these were released a lot of descriptions called them semi hollows, they are not, they are fully hollow. I own a Gretsch hollow body and a Epiphone Casino hollow body, I would like to get this Ibanez. If I was you I would not get a semi hollow, usually they are heavier and I don’t have any issue with feedback from my guitars. I think this looks like a great guitar

[@janrandles8683]

No way. That Taylor sounds beautiful.

[@joeytheguitarplayer]

Thanks :) Been my favorite acoustic for years

[@MrGallade475]

For a guy who's not super into acoustic-heavy styles of music, but is hollowbody-curious, I feel like the AMH90 gets more than close enough for me. This was a really good comparison.

[@diogocostajazz2234]

You should try with the pickguard off, I do it on all my hollowbody guitars, it increases thie volume and it is noticeable

[@situational.analysis]

Yes, you need both the Taylor and the Ibenez. You also need a Gretsch, Fender, Martin, Gibson, Kay, Teton, and Epiphone. This will get you started until you can get just some other essential guitars.

[@Skokapus]

and once you collect all of them you become the guitar lord

[@Mo11y666]

'Yeah ive heard this was the last guitar 7 guitars ago' -my wife

[@JonDeth]

I have an Oscar Schmidt/Washburn OE-40B which being so robust gives a sound that's as close to an acoustic as I think any full featured hollow body is ever going to get. It's close to as loud and with a lot of characteristics kindred to the acoustic, and while it still just isn't the same, I did a highly successful experiment. *I removed the neck pickup and installed acoustic strings on it which pretty much nailed a dead on acoustic guitar but with the obvious advantages of a hollow body.* The neck on that guitar allows me to have the action we're used to on a solid body and so the performance for solos and arpeggios was a major leg up on a pure acoustic. I have a jazz acoustic with slots instead of a sound hole though and it's another best of both worlds. I can do some pretty intense leads and solos but still have the crisp beauty of an acoustic.

[@lucaszembrzuski]

Hi Joey, thanks for the awesome video :) i don't know if You ment my comment but i was asking about the volume difference between semi and fully hollow, because i thought You have both (ibanez and D'angelico). I got my AMH90-bk and i use it plugged and unplugged, it's not as deep sounding as a full acoustic, but it sounds really nice anyway, not too loud and not too quiet for home playing and practising unplugged. Definitely louder and more clear/balanced than Semi Hollow Epiphone ES-339 that i used to have. Only thing i changed is i put 10-46's on, on the stock 10-52's winded strings were too stiff for me, and it felt like there was not good enough balance between them and unwinded strings, now it's ok. The other thing is that acoustic guitar has alot stiffer and thicker strings, so if You are a 99% electric player, it would feel better to play a hollow body electric unpluged, and that's how i use it, i play on it the same way that i play it plugged in, when i play acoustic guitar, i play differently, because thick strings make a big difference.

[@giorgiop9535]

I play my gretsch unplugged very often, but it can't replace the acoustic. The difference is just too big. Your Ibanez seems to be very loud, btw, almost as loud as the Taylor. Is it courtesy of the mic you used or do you feel it's loud in the room, too?

[@muffinproo]

this guy has a great voice!

[@stefangeschke7604]

I just got a cheap, used AMH90 at a bargain price. And just had an awesome acoustic sofa session with my wife singing and playing the ukulele (quietly). Very nice. But the only electric guitar that is really useable as a purely acoustic guitar is a fully hollow archtop, preferably carved with a floating pickup. Even an ES175 doesn't compete with a flattop acoustic.

[@michaelsargent9669]

Well recorded, played, composed........thankyou.

[@AriaMehr648]

Thanks man! Really usefull and unique review. I think my yamaha apx 700ii is really belongs to real world vs my all electric guitars😄

[@darwinsaye]

Arch tops acoustically project mostly midrange frequencies. It comes down to the fact that playing a flat top is going to sound more like listening to a good stereo and an archtop is going to sound more like a small transistor radio. It certainly sufficient to hear if you just want to get some quiet practice in, but I don’t find it a pleasant sound at all, and it doesn’t make me want to play when my sound is coming out like that.

[@richardpalmer8478]

No hollow body's going to come close to a half decent Taylor or Martin acoustic-wise. But that they would be good for a situation where you might be in an apartment and you like to do some late night practice. It needs to be loud enough for unplugged practice but not piss the neighbours off. Am looking at an ES 355 type semi-hollow for that very reason.

[@piano-guitar]

Great video. Thanks

[@spark300c]

that how I feel about semi hollows. they just loud enough to just practice by your self. they have little richer sound than solid body unplugged and plugged. semi seem to take gain just fine with worrying about feed back unless it black metal level gain.

[@ChrisXTophe]

THe strings themselves changes the tone, and we can't really have the magnetic pickup working with Bronze strings

[@thediminished98]

That hollobody is cool but sounds different enough from a acoustic. It's good for practice though

[@toratora9009]

which is more natural sounding if i use more of finger style including lead but no blazing solos

[@music-writinglife1813]

I wonder how an actual Arch Top would sound? like an Ibanez AF75 with its deeper body

[@spark300c]

little closer to acoustic but the wood is thicker to reduce feed back. so it not going sound like acoustic.

[@Shedthemusic]

How would you describe the acoustic volume of the amh90 compared to the casino coupe?

[@alexandruionescu3368]

A hollowbody uses same strings as an electric guitar? And same tension?

[@faustoleali5174]

Which string do you use on Ibanez?

[@GospelBluesMan]

You would need to install an acoustic pickup into the hollow body. Maybe then it might be better.

[@DonFranko68]

With all due respect, however, the dynamic scope of an acoustic guitar can never be achieved with a hollowbody guitar. Almost maybe with an Archtop guitar with a deep body. Attack and the frequency spectrum of an acoustic is simply different. Thank you for this video.

[@GregPentecost]

I don't believe this is a fair comparison. I have both the guitars used in this video and the sound is night and day... The Taylor WAY shines on the acoustic level (it is a Taylor after all). The AMH90 sounds shallow and pale in comparison. Keeping in the same price range: A fairer comparison would be something like an Ibanez AG series or the Gretsch G5420. BOTH are great both acoustic and electric (with the AG series having a smaller body size similar to the AMH90). The AMH90 does have the advantage of being super thin with a small body (like a solid-body electric)...so keeping in line with small and thin... the Taylor T5z is about the size of a Les Paul and sounds amazing both acoustic and electric (it is a Taylor after all). Unfortunately, while I LOVE the size and feel of the AMH90... it's just not great at acoustic. Definitely ok if you're playing on the couch. Would LOVE to see your review of any of the other guitars I mentioned above.

[@TopGames-dr2hz]

Nah, a hollow body is there to give that lovely acoustic resonance to the electric sound, but it’s not acoustic guitar.

[@maxquaini]

Yeah the hollow sounds more like a banjo 😅

[@patriciaportillo3100]

definitely acoustic sounds way better

[@Gregabalese]

Don't know why people like to compare acoustic to electrics. I agree with you. Electrics are designed to be played; Ah, let me see-electrically!! Especially thin body semi-hollows don't sound good at all unplugged.

[@nocaster5120]

Long winded video on a good subject matter