Question about semi-hollow bodies

[veniculum]

Hey guys...not so long ago I was looking through an issue of Guitar World and I saw an ad for an Epiphone Sheraton 2 - Dave Rude "of Tesla".

Two things surprised me here. One...I knew Dave Rude, and I always liked his playing...I did not know he was Tommy's replacement in Tesla...which is one of my fav. bands of all time (yeah...maybe I've been living under a rock)
...and Two...I wasn't aware that he's endorsing Epiphone Sheraton 2's...which, in itself surprises me because I usually don't think of semi-hollow body guitars being used for harder edged rock music.

I'm not usually one to buy Epiphone...just because I never see any that are USA made...and if you do find one USA made, it's usually vintage and worth a lot of money...something I'm a little low on now.

So I guess the question is...does anyone have any experience with these guitars (Sheraton 2's)...and if you do, can these guitars be used for harder rock music...which is what I play. Like i said...I never played semi-hollow bodies, and I never thought of them as hard rock guitars....do they work for this style of music?

Thanks for your replies. I may actually pick one of these up...I'm sure it would need a little work...I've already read reviews saying the guitar is great, but the pickups aren't the best.

Thanks in advance for any replies.

[Newc]

Well, just because he uses one doesn't mean exclusively. Maybe he uses it for electric cleans?

Isn't that also the John Lee model?

[MetalMedal II]

Never played one, but there's a recent listing for one (non-US) with upgrades at chrisguitars.com recently, with a good description and pics. It's the 9th one down from the top as of today.

[veniculum]

I've been reading more and more about these things...people are putting SD p'ups in them...talking about how great they sound for everything from Jazz to metal. I've never thought these types of guitars could produce the same kinds of sounds that traditional solid-body guitars can make...but I suppose with the right pickups, I guess they could.

I understand that D Rude probably plays a lot of guitars...who doesn't. But I've seen him playing these things on a couple Youtube clips...and they aren't playing clean. I also seem to remember Izzy (from Guns) playing semi-hollow body guitars on a lot of their tracks.

So I guess they have a place...and now I'm curious. And once I get curious, then that usually leads to me wanting one. At the time, I really can't afford to drop a couple grand on a guitar (as I've already done that a few times this year....my wife would probably be at her wits end with me But a 600 dollar Epi is something I could get away with. Many of the reviews I'm reading are that these things are great. I typically will only buy US made guitars...but I suppose I could make an exception this time around...like I said...I'm not going to buy the 2500 Gibson equivalent.

Thanks for the replies...I'll look forward to hearing from some who have these things.

[markD]

i used an epiphone dot for a lot of my old band's recordings. that and a tele, actually. the left side guitar would be the epi through a jcm 800 2204, and the right side guitar was a tele through a mesa rectifier. that epiphone dot had the meatiest sound. as a recording guitar it was killer. as a live guitar, it wasn't so hot. it would squeal at high volume. the vibration in the body would cause the pickups to get a low frequency feedback. i held onto it for a few years, then started using a brian moore with the tele for recording, so the epi went away.

saturday night my band opened for julliet and lillian axe, and one of the dudes was playing a semi hollow schecter with P90's and his sound was KILLER. no feedback, just a nice fat sound. he was using a johnson millenium head with 2 marshall 4x12 cabs. his sound was more medium gain, but it was impressive.

i guess if you were to use one onstage with lower gain it woukd be great. i know this doesn't directly answer your questions about the specific guitar you are interested in, but i hope it helps.

[veniculum]

i used an epiphone dot for a lot of my old band's recordings. that and a tele, actually. the left side guitar would be the epi through a jcm 800 2204, and the right side guitar was a tele through a mesa rectifier. that epiphone dot had the meatiest sound. as a recording guitar it was killer. as a live guitar, it wasn't so hot. it would squeal at high volume. the vibration in the body would cause the pickups to get a low frequency feedback. i held onto it for a few years, then started using a brian moore with the tele for recording, so the epi went away.

saturday night my band opened for julliet and lillian axe, and one of the dudes was playing a semi hollow schecter with P90's and his sound was KILLER. no feedback, just a nice fat sound. he was using a johnson millenium head with 2 marshall 4x12 cabs. his sound was more medium gain, but it was impressive.

i guess if you were to use one onstage with lower gain it woukd be great. i know this doesn't directly answer your questions about the specific guitar you are interested in, but i hope it helps.

It does help...a lot. I know if I get this guitar, the pickups are going first...cause that's all I've heard about these...they're good guitars, but the pickups kinda suck...what do you expect...the guitar is only 600 bucks...I can swing another 150-200 for a set of p90s...or perhaps some SD 59s...or pearly gates...something, perhaps hotter...but with less squeal.
Thanks man!

[MetalMedal II]

It does help...a lot. I know if I get this guitar, the pickups are going first...cause that's all I've heard about these...they're good guitars, but the pickups kinda suck...what do you expect...the guitar is only 600 bucks...I can swing another 150-200 for a set of p90s...or perhaps some SD 59s...or pearly gates...something, perhaps hotter...but with less squeal.

When changing pickups, just beware this is not like on a solid body. It's more labor intensive since there's no cavity cover on the back. BTW, semi-hollows can definitely rock out. Dave Grohl's main axe has been a Trini Lopez jazz Gibson.

[skorb]

I love my Hamer 335 EchoTone, so versatile and everyone compliments me on the tone.

[DrDestruction]

I've got not one but TWO Sheraton II's (one in natural, the other in black) and they're pretty neat. Doing thrash metal would kinda be out of the question as you'd probably get all sorts of feedback from all that extreme high-gain stuff, they work quite well for everything else. And besides- playing thrash metal on a Sheraton or ES-335 would kinda look out of place anyway...

The stock pickups aren't all that bad, either. They aren't the most high-output pickups available, but they do the job. If anything, it's the pots and the reed switch that kind of have not-so-good reputations as far as quality is concerned.

And yeah- re-wiring a semi-hollow is considerably more difficult than working on a solid-body. It CAN be done, but it'll take a LOT of work.

[DonP]

I've been a little curious about these as well. A week back I read a thread on TGP. Most people say the EPI is good, but the Gibson is in a whole nuther ball park.

Nothing wrong with Telsa.

I've seen the guy from Great White using one on the Once Bitten Twice Shy video. Also the guy from the Cult (Duffy?) used a hollow body as well, but switched to solid because of noise.

My most recent purchase was a hollow body Chambered R8 Les Paul, so I guess I'm there. I can't figure out why this thing sounds so damn good. Really Incredible sustain, loud, bright, puts my other 4 LPs to shame for playing stuff like Tesla, AC/DC, Cult, old Def Leppard (High and Dry), etc. (stuff without heavy crunch). There were two chambered CR8 when I bought mine, and mine sounded 50% better than the other, so it's not s sure thing. Prior to buying this I had played a chambered Standard at GC and it sounded muddy, so I was turned off by chambered LPs. But this one is so dang bright and clear, and sounds great unplugged.

Good luck and if possible, try before you buy.

[veniculum]

I'm a big Izzy Stradlin fan too...and always dug his playing in GnR and later on his solo work. I always thought the guy was way underrated, and overshadowed by Slash. But the reality is, he had a big hand in writing Appetite...and the Illusion records.

Anyway, I was always curious about his choice of guitars...there is plenty of footage of him playing Tellies and LPs...but in most cases, he's playing Gibson semi-hollow bodies...and the guy just always had such great tone.

I also am a huge Steve Clark fan...I have just about everything Def Lep has put out, and I while 99 percent of the time, he was playing Les Pauls, LP Jr.s and Explorers...I seem to remember seeing some old footage of him playing some ES model Gibsons. I could be wrong on that...but it would make sense...considering their old sound and his playing style.

I just found a cool article/interview (obviously an advertisement for the Sheraton 2)...but it's still a cool article...Dave Rude's talking about his old Epi Allycat...and his new Sheraton.

Here's that article: Dave Rude

I'm pretty much convinced that I'm gonna pick one of these up. I'd rather pick up the Gibson...but I just don't have that kind of cash liquid right now...so I'm gonna purchase a Chinese made Epi and hope for the best. In it's defense, my buddy's got an Epi SG, and it's actually really well made and sounds good. No...it doesn't compare in any way to my Gibson LP Standard...but for the money, it's a great instrument. The Ebony Sheraton 2 that I saw at GC this past weekend was really a gorgeous guitar. It's amazing they can make these things for such little money. Now I just hope it will hold up.

Thanks again for the comments...I really appreciate it...they've helped me with this decision.

[toejam]

Go for it. Mark Morton's signature Jackson is chambered. I own one, and it sounds fantastic for metal.

[AlexL]

Also the guy from the Cult (Duffy?) used a hollow body as well, but switched to solid because of noise.

Billy Duffy. Awesome player, and a heck of a nice guy.

- E.

[Dreamland_Rebel]

Down records with ES 335's through mesa stacks. its a major key to their sound. Ted Nugent has been using simi hollow body guitars for years and years. i've always been interested in one of those warmoth simi hollow strats with no f-holes. someone give me some free cash so i can get one! hehheh.

[algeriet]

Awesome guitars!