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Semi-Hollow Recommendations please

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syo

syo

Guilar Guy
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I am new to this fine group. I happily found this forum a week ago while seeking information on new (Chinese made) Hagstrom Viking.

I have decided that I finally must have semi-hollow body.
Off and on I've thought about getting an ES-335 but always wind up getting something else.
I loved playing my teacher's 60's ES-335 years ago but have not found any of the newer models I played on had quite the same vibe.

I recently read some very good reviews of Edwards 335 model and was first considering this. Then I came across the new Hagstroms and thought they looked interesting too. Now I'm liking the idea of the the ES-339 (for the smaller body)...

I came across SunValleyLaw's happy review of his Viking. I'm wondering how this would compare to the Edwards and the 339.
Any of you with thoughts/experiences/comparisons regarding any of these guitars?

Thanks!
 
+1 on the Viking. The Ibanez Artcore series gets good reviews and they have a variety of semi-hollow models.

I really like my Washburn HB-30, good bang for the buck.

Ya just have to play everything you can get your hands on and pick the one that speaks to you. :AOK:
 
Syo, you already found my Viking review, and I continue to really enjoy this guitar the more I get to know it. I think it is a great value. Spud also really likes his, and I link to his Viking Deluxe thread in my review here.

http://www.thefret.net/showthread.php?t=9125

Oldguy of this forum told me he thinks my Viking sounds a bit like a good old ES-355, http://elderly.com/vintage/items/40U-4161.htm I think the tailpiece on the Vik, which is a little like a 355, without the tremelo, gives it it's own twist that I personally like. I have never seen a 355 myself, and no nothing of the ES-339s so can't help you there, but thought I would throw that out there.
 
Have a look at the new Chinese made Hofners too. The Verythin looks great and no longer has the weedy pickups that used to be the bane of Hofners.
 
One of the things that makes the Viking so great is that they simply have an amazingly comfortable and fast neck. Plain and simple. Every time I pick it up and play I go "ahhh."
 
I have a Ibanez AS73B and this guitar is awesome. The quality of workmanship is top notch and the sound is great. I'm a beginner player but have several friends that play everything from country to several styles of metal and all of them like this guitar.

I lowered the action from the original setup just a bit even though the setup at purchase was very nice.
527854.jpg
 
t_ross33 said:
Ya just have to play everything you can get your hands on and pick the one that speaks to you. :AOK:
Click to expand...

Yes, I am sure you're right. It is unfortunately rather difficult, where I live, to get access to very many of these guitars. I will be going to NAMM in Jan. where I can try just about anything (except the Edwards). Problem is I don't feel like waiting until January as this is a total impulse buy.

Spudman said:
One of the things that makes the Viking so great is that they simply have an amazingly comfortable and fast neck. Plain and simple. Every time I pick it up and play I go "ahhh."
Click to expand...

Yes, Spudman, all this talk about the great Hagstrom necks is what originally peaked my interest.
By all accounts, Hagstroms seem quite good and cheap enough to justify my impulse to buy immediately. My only exposure to them was at a trade show. I was actually struck by how great they looked but I wasn't thinking about buying then so I didn't try one out...:thwap:
 
At the risk of sounding predictable....

Maton BB1200. I am constantly amazed at how good mine is.

You mentioned a smaller body would be preferable, well the BB1200 is roughly the same size as a Les Paul, so loads smaller than a 335 or a Gretsch.

Plus they are hand crafted rather than mass produced and most importantly, if you get one, I won't be the only person here talking about them :)

Pics in my profile or at maton.com.au
 
Spudman said:
This is the Deluxe without a pickguard.
Viking015.jpg
Click to expand...

Wow that looks great! Very nice figured top. Thanks for putting it up.

I really do like the looks of the Vikings. My only concern I think is the made in China thing. Don't get me wrong, I actually do quite alot of business in China and find excellent quality in many products. But to date I have not found a MIC guitar that I wanted to own. Always found some issue with them. But as I read of the Hagstroms that they are a combination of Chinese, American and other parts, perhaps this makes a difference (along with solid quality control).

I am not so much looking for a great guitar for the money but a really good guitar, period. Of course, I like saving money and the Hagstroms are certainly inexpensive. Perhaps I should suck it up and wait for NAMM to try them out.

Of course if I make an impulse buy now, I can always make another more informed purchase next month. My wife would love that...
 
syo said:
I loved playing my teacher's 60's ES-335 years ago but have not found any of the newer models I played on had quite the same vibe.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Re-reading your question, I noted this phrase. I would suggest you read the Guitar Player review linked via pdf toward the bottom center of this page:

http://www.hagstromguitars.com/viking.html

It compares the Vik and an ES-335 directly, and I thought you might find the author's findings interesting. Also, there are clips posted there, and a link to a vid that gives a good demo. You may have found the above already, since it was linked in my review, but I thought I would call your attention to it because of your statement above. Happy shopping!
 
Ch0jin said:
At the risk of sounding predictable....

Maton BB1200. I am constantly amazed at how good mine is.

You mentioned a smaller body would be preferable, well the BB1200 is roughly the same size as a Les Paul, so loads smaller than a 335 or a Gretsch.

Plus they are hand crafted rather than mass produced and most importantly, if you get one, I won't be the only person here talking about them :)

Pics in my profile or at maton.com.au
Click to expand...

The Maton looks beautiful and I do like that smaller body size. Also tired of
giving my money to the big corporate machine. hmmm...

Must say, I looked up the price and saw one listed at $3,400 which is beyond my impulse buy threshold. Then I noticed that it was Australian dollar and not US. With the currently strong yen, I could do this one. But then I would remove your distinction of being the sole Maton spokesperson. Would that be ok?:D

Pehaps more research is needed. Thanks!
 
sunvalleylaw said:
Just for cross referencing, this thread had some good thoughts too, back when Elavd was shopping:

http://www.thefret.net/showthread.php?t=3276
Click to expand...

Thanks for pointing me to all the very relevant threads svl. Much appreciated.

Yes I read the Guitar Player review, watched a video review too from one of the mags. This review in particular sounded great. In fact it almost sounded to good to me. That's why I came seeking info from real people with real experiences. You (and others) seem very happy with yours so I am indeed interested.
 
syo said:
The Maton looks beautiful and I do like that smaller body size. Also tired of
giving my money to the big corporate machine. hmmm...

Must say, I looked up the price and saw one listed at $3,400 which is beyond my impulse buy threshold. Then I noticed that it was Australian dollar and not US. With the currently strong yen, I could do this one. But then I would remove your distinction of being the sole Maton spokesperson. Would that be ok?:D

Pehaps more research is needed. Thanks!
Click to expand...

Hi Syo,
You will be able to get them cheaper than the retail price quoted. I had my Maton solid body made to order and I paid several hundred dollars less than retail just by asking the dealer. They are quite rare though (less than 200 made so far) so trying to get one second hand might be hard. That said, mine was second hand :)

I certainly don't mind losing my distinction as sole Maton spokesperson either, I have no affiliation with the company at all, I just think these guitars are fantastic so I spread the word.
 
Ch0jin said:
I have no affiliation with the company at all, I just think these guitars are fantastic so I spread the word.
Click to expand...

I had no doubt that you were nothing more than a pleased Maton owner kind enough to help out an semi-obsessed, semi-hollow body seeker. Thanks again. I'll definitely try to find out more about them.
 
Given that you're in Japan syo, I'd be looking at the Japanese made Edwards guitars, like the E-SA-125 LTS.

Edwards guitars are not easy to get here in the US because of trademark and patent infringement issues with Gibson. The guitars are so close in appearance and construction to Gibson (some say better), that Gibson won't allow any to be imported here.

Just a thought...

I've heard many good things about the new Hagstrom line since they've worked the bugs out of the earlier models that were first imported. I know that I loved the neck on my original made in Sweden Hagstrom Swede, and if the necks on the new line of Hagstroms are anything like the old ones, they'd be a joy to play. Hagstrom has always been known for their fast play necks.

I own an Ibanez AS 73 in the cherry finish, and I like the guitar a lot. But, I would classify that guitar as a good guitar "for the money," rather than just a great guitar out of the box. I did dress the frets, replace the plastic nut with bone, and re-wire the guitar including the installation of a pair of custom humbuckers. It sounds like a really good ES-335 now, but it took some time, money, and effort to get it there. That's not something you should expect to have to do to a "really good guitar, period," as you phrased it.
 
Hello Bloozcat.
Although I have not been able to find an Edwards E-SA-125LTS in a shop around here to play, that's exactly the model I've been looking to try out. Yes, I've heard that they are generally put together better than the Gibsons they are copying. The main structural difference seems to be that the Edwards are carved solid maple and the Gibsons are laminate.

Would love to hear if anyone out there has played one.
 
I was looking at that ESP/Edwards site this morning...

If anyone this side of "the pond" has one, they probably ordered it from Japan. Although, it may be available in Canada from some distributors. Some of our many Canadian fretters may have tried one out.

I've heard nothing but praise for the Edwards guitars.
 
I'd just echo Strum's mention of the WildKat. Syo has said he likes the more compact body size, and it has that. However, the WildKat is more like a cross between a Gretsch and a Guild Blues 90 than it is a 335/339. The construction is a hollowed-out mahogany body rather than a laminate construction like 335's or Gretsches.

I really enjoy mine but have not had the opportunity to gig it yet.
 
this clip has me seriously gasing fror one of those Hagstrom's. The bridge and headstock were putting me off slightly but I think they could grow on me...

 
Lev said:
this clip has me seriously gasing fror one of those Hagstrom's. The bridge and headstock were putting me off slightly but I think they could grow on me...
Click to expand...

Never had a prob with the headstock myself. If by bridge you mean to include tailpiece, I second that emotion. Simply put, harp/trap tailpieces are a pain in the ***. I have one on my Ric 620 and previously had one on a DeArmond M-75. Forget about anything approaching a quick string change.

Not a deal breaker by any stretch, but still a bit of an annoyance.
 
Well, I just placed an order for the Edwards 335 clone. Got it wholesale and won't have to ship it too far. Plus, I guess I like it.:D I'll know for sure of course after I get my hands on it.

Still interested in some of the recommendations some of you offered. Most notably the Maton BB1200 and the Hag Viking which I'll try out when I come the the states in Jan. Still up for the Gibson 339 too but for $2,000 I think I'd better try one first.

Thanks all for the kind suggestions/help. I'll make sure to come back again when I get my next gas attack. Probably in a few weeks...
 
Uhhhhh... So you're not gonna stick around?:thwap:

What about pics and a review of the guitar when it comes in?

I don't think anyone here owns an Edwards (besides you), and it would be cool to get your thoughts on what we're missing!
 
Katastrophe said:
Uhhhhh... So you're not gonna stick around?:thwap:

What about pics and a review of the guitar when it comes in?

I don't think anyone here owns an Edwards (besides you), and it would be cool to get your thoughts on what we're missing!
Click to expand...

Sorry if I didn't make myself clear. Re-reading my post it appears that I just use you all for my gear recs and then piss off. I meant to say that I intend to consult this fine forum before making any gear purchases that cost more than, ...say... a V-Pick. Out of my respect for the fretter's collective wisdom. :master: I am quite happy visiting here everyday and chiming when it seems right. Perhaps I should look into some english lessons too...

Of course I am sticking around. This is the only place I know of where I
find my addiction validated.

One of the factors (albeit a small one) that pushed me towards the Edwards was the fact that no one here seems to have any experience with them. And yes, I intend to post pictures and give my review.

whew...:D
 
syo said:
One of the factors (albeit a small one) that pushed me towards the Edwards was the fact that no one here seems to have any experience with them. And yes, I intend to post pictures and give my review.
Click to expand...

I dunno why, but I like that reasoning.
 

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