Introduction
If you’re new to playing electric guitar, one of the most important decisions you can make is picking the right body type for the type of music you plan to play. Electric guitar bodies come in three basic types: solid body, semi-hollow and hollow-body instruments. In this blog, we’ll take a look at the differences between the three body types and help you determine which type may be right for your needs.
Solid Body Electric Guitars
The solid body electric guitar is probably the most iconic type of guitar. Since the first solid body electric guitar was introduced in the 1950s, it has become the most popular type of guitar among musicians of all styles.
Solid body electric guitars are made of a solid piece of wood – usually either rosewood or maple – with electric pickups, controls and hardware mounted to it. The solid body of these guitars provides great sustain and a bright, ringing tone that can cut through any band mix. These guitars are ideal for genres such as rock, metal and blues.
Semi-Hollow Electric Guitars
Semi-hollow electric guitars are a combination of the sound qualities of a hollow-body instrument and the sustain and feedback control of a solid body guitar. Semi-hollow guitars have a center block of wood running down the middle of the body, with a hollowed-out section on either side for the pickups.
The hollowed-out sections of the body give the guitar a warmer, more resonant tone than a solid body guitar, but still with great sustain. They’re perfect for genres such as jazz, blues and rock.
Hollow-Body Electric Guitars
Hollow-body electric guitars are made entirely of wood, with no center block like a semi-hollow guitar. This makes them more resonant and warm sounding than solid body guitars, due to the larger surface area of the top and back of the instrument vibrating. This can also lead to more feedback at higher volumes, although the feedback can be kept to a minimum with proper setup and use.
Hollow-body electric guitars are most associated with jazz music and they have a classic look and sound much different than solid or semi-hollow guitars. While they are still used today in jazz and other genres, they have become increasingly rare due to the advancements in solid body guitar design and construction.
Conclusion
When choosing an electric guitar, the type of music you plan to play should be your primary factor in selecting a body type. Solid body guitars are great for most types of music, but if you’re looking for a warmer tone and more resonance, a semi-hollow or hollow-body electric guitar may be a better choice.
No matter which type of guitar you decide on, it’s important to take the time to find an instrument that sounds and feels good to you. Different body types will give you slightly different tones, and so the best way to decide is to play different guitars and find the one that speaks to you.
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