The TG Test: semis

Four semi-hollow electrics go head to head

Regardless of what style of music they are used for, there’s something that oozes pure class about semihollow guitars. It was Les Paul who approached Gibson with the idea of introducing a new line of instruments carrying all the tone and natural resonance of a hollowbody, without being prone to the feedback that often plundered those dialing in more volume – and by proxy back then, gain. The guitar brand rejected his proposal, opting to focus on the game-changing carved-top solid bodies that built their names instead – until the formal introduction of the ES-335 in 1958, that is. With the likes of Chuck Berry and BB King swearing by these new axes from the off, relishing the opportunity to use aninstrument offering the best in both worlds – history was made.

Today, these guitars may still carry more than a whiff of that blues-rock nostalgia, but in application, they can be seen and heard absolutely

everywhere: from the guitar racks of Dave Grohl, Alex Lifeson and Chris Cornell through to Noel Gallagher and a sizeable amount of his indie-rock fellowship. Here, we’re looking at four different f-hole models bringing the past very much into the present…