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Gretsch Synchromatic Nashville Hollow Body Bigsby Guitar with Case
$1,299.99Gretsch Synchromatic Nashville Hollow Body Single-Cut with Bigsby The Synchromatic Nashville is the perfect everyday-player alternative to the legendary Gretsch 6120. This hollow body guitar embodies the spirit o...12 Payments of $108.33
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Gretsch Synchromatic Falcon Hollow Body Bigsby Guitar with Case
$1,499.99Gretsch Synchromatic Falcon Hollow Body Bigsby Guitar The Gretsch Synchromatic Falcon is a dream come true for players who admire the " White Falcon " but hesitate at its steep price. This guitar stands on its ow...12 Payments of $125.00
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Gibson ES-330 Hollow Body Electric Guitar with Case
$3,499.00Gibson ES-330 Hollow Body Guitar The Gibson ES-330 has earned its reputation the old-fashioned way: by sounding brilliant. A close cousin to the Epiphone Casino, this fully hollow thinline electric is lightweight...12 Payments of $291.58
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Taylor T5z Pro Armrest Electric Guitar with Case
$2,807.00 - $3,299.00The Taylor T5z Pro Armrest electric guitar has all the features you need to create an incredible sound. With a comfortable, compact hollowbody design, 24 7/8" scale length and repositioned volume and tone knobs, thi...18 Payments of $166.61
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Gretsch Professional Collection Nashville with Case
$2,999.99Our Professional Collection combines classic Gretsch sound with modern performance features that deliver an enhanced playing experience. Featuring flagship pickups and electronics, these guitars are designed for pow...12 Payments of $250.00
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Gretsch G2420T Streamliner Hollow Body Single-Cut with Bigsby Guitar
$649.99The G2420T Streamliner Hollow Body Single-Cut with Bigsby is designed for the modern guitarist who yearns for something beyond the norm. A commanding guitar for powerful players, the G2420T’s modern sonics, updated ...12 Payments of $54.17
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Gretsch Professional Collection Tennessean with Case
$2,799.99<p>Our Professional Collection combines classic Gretsch sound with modern performance features that deliver an enhanced playing experience. Featuring flagship pickups and electronics, these guitars are designe...12 Payments of $233.33
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PRS SE Hollowbody II Piezo Guitar with Bag
$1,699.00 - $1,899.00SE Hollowbody II Piezo: Your Acoustic-Electric Swiss Army Knife This isn't just a guitar; it's a two-for-one special, a sonic shapeshifter, a veritable Swiss Army knife for the gigging musician. The PRS SE Hollo...18 Payments of $94.39
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Epiphone Casino Archtop Hollowbody Guitar with Gig Bag
$699.00The ultimate archtop guitar - the Epiphone Casino Archtop Hollowbody guitar. This classic piece of music history has been rocking with sound since 1961, and has been used by legendary musicians all over the world. W...12 Payments of $58.25
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Godin 5th Avenue Kingpin Archtop Guitar
$999.00The Godin 5th Avenue Kingpin Archtop Guitar is the guitarists' dream come true. Made from Canadian Wild Cherry, this archtop beauty has everything you need for the perfect sound. Its molded arched top and back ensur...12 Payments of $83.25
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Gretsch G5422TG Electromatic Classic Hollow Body Double-Cut with Bigsby
$849.95 - $999.99The G5422TG Electromatic Classic Hollow Body Double-Cut with Bigsby and Gold Hardware features a laminated maple body with vintage-inspired perimeters and refined arches, as well as all-new trestle block bracing to ...12 Payments of $83.33
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Godin 5th Avenue Jumbo P-Rail Archtop Hollowbody Guitar
$919.95 - $1,249.00The 5th Avenue hollowbody guitar is crafted with the soul of a 1950s archtop, this vintage instrument has been modernized to give you more playability than ever. It offers more projection and volume in its low-mids ...12 Payments of $104.08
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Hollow Body Electric Guitars
Hollow body electric guitars were the first on the amplified scene, and they're still some of the best guitars for genres like jazz, blues, and rockabiliy that demand super-clean and super-resonant tones. If you're looking for your next jazz box, brands like Gretsch, Epiphone, Ibanez, Guild, Gibson, and PRS are sure to have exactly what you're looking for. However, don't crank the volume too much. If you're looking to avoid feedback, check out Semi-Hollow Body Guitars or Solid Body Electric Guitars.
Hollow-Body Electric Guitars: As Smooth as It Gets
A hollow body electric guitar is a fully hollow, archtop electric with no internal center block. That open construction delivers warm, woody, acoustically resonant tone that’s ideal for jazz, blues, country, and rockabilly.
One of the earliest hollow body electric guitars was the 1936 Gibson ES-150 — the guitar Charlie Christian used to redefine the instrument's role in music. Every body style that followed was born from builders trying to wrangle the hollow body's feedback issues. But despite the feedback, guitarists still love the hollow-body electric for its super warm and jazzy tone.
What Makes a Hollow Body Electric Guitar Different
A hollow body electric guitar has no solid wood block running through its center — the entire interior is open, similar to an acoustic guitar fitted with a pickup. That fully hollow construction is what gives the guitar more warmth, air, and acoustic resonance than any other electric body type.
The tradeoff though is feedback. Because the hollow body freely amplifies vibrations, high volume and high gain will push the guitar into feedback faster than a semi-hollow or solid body. Not a dealbreaker by any means. It’s just something to keep in your back pocket when figuring out where and how you like to play.
A semi-hollow electric guitar has a solid wood block running through the center of the body, which is basically a built-in feedback bouncer that keeps things tight and controlled. A solid body electric guitar takes it even further with no hollow chamber at all, giving you the most feedback resistance and the widest range of gain to play with.
Pickup Type: P-90 or Humbucker
Hollow body electrics tend to fall into one of two pickup camps: P-90s or humbucker, and the choice has a huge impact on the guitar's overall vibe.
Jazz greats Grant Green and Kenny Burell were longtime fans of P-90-equipped hollow and semi-hollow body guitars. P-90s brought a bright, open, and full of midrange punch. They really capture the woody, airy quality that makes hollow body guitars so appealing, giving notes a lively, almost acoustic-like feel that's incredibly responsive.
Humbuckers on the other hand, are all about warmth, fullness, and sustain. Compared to the snap and edge of a P-90, they sound bigger and smoother, with rich mids, round lows, and a polished top end. In a hollow body guitar, that extra thickness pairs beautifully with the instrument's natural resonance, creating a warm, articulate, and incredibly musical tone.
Gretsch hollow body models typically use Filtertron humbuckers. Filtertrons are brighter and thinner-sounding than a traditional Gibson-style PAF Humbucker, which helps them cut through a mix without adding the muddiness that a full humbucker can introduce in a resonant hollow body. This distinctive voice has become synonymous with rockabilly, country, classic rock, and roots music, making Gretsch guitars a favorite among players seeking chime, twang, and articulation without sacrificing the noise-canceling benefits of a humbucker.
Body Depth and Feedback Control
A deeper archtop body and open F-holes increase both resonance and feedback risk. More air space is exactly what gives hollow bodies their warm, woody character. At low to moderate volumes with a clean or lightly overdriven signal, that resonance sounds incredible. But push the gain or volume too far, and that same quality starts working against you. It's a bit of a double-edged sword.
Genre and Playing Style Fit
Hollow body electrics really shine in jazz, early blues, old-school country, and rockabilly — basically anywhere a clean to lightly overdriven tone is the goal. And while players like John Lennon and Billy Duffy have taken hollow bodies into rock and pop territory, they knew what they were getting into. Crank the gain at stage volume though, and feedback will unfortunately end up crashing the party. For high-gain rock or metal, a solid body is really the smarter tool for the job.
For beginners, a hollow body can absolutely work as your first electric — just make sure your musical taste leans toward the cleaner side of things. Still figuring out your style? A solid body gives you more freedom to experiment without feedback showing up like a plus-one.
Price Tier
Entry-level hollow body electric guitars from AMS start at roughly $400–$650, with models from Gretsch and Ibanez falling in that range. Mid-range options from Epiphone and Godin typically run from around $700 to $1,700. Premium models from Gibson, Gretsch, PRS, and Taylor start around $2,000 and climb from there.
Hollow Body Guitars at American Musical Supply
AMS carries hollow body electric guitars from Gibson, Heritage, PRS, Godin, D'Angelico, Gretsch, Epiphone, Ibanez, Sire, and Taylor, covering a wide range of price points and styles. All purchases are eligible for AMS's industry-best 0% interest payment plans and VERY fast and free shipping, so you can get to jamming in no time!
Related Guitar Types
Not quite sure on whether to go fully hollow? No worries — take a peek at these before you make your move:
- Semi Hollow Body Guitars: The feedback-resistant middle ground. Semi-hollow guitars carry that warm, resonant tone, but with a center block that keeps things stable at higher volumes and moderate gain. It's a smarter choice if you want hollow body character without the anxiety that comes from dealing with feedback.
- Solid Body Electric Guitars: The most versatile starting point for any electric player. Solid bodies cover the full spectrum from clean jazz tones to high-gain metal without any feedback risk. If you’re still working out what kind of player you are, this is no doubt your safest bet.
- Baritone Electric Guitars: For players who want extended low-end range. Baritones are tuned lower than a standard guitar, which adds some nice depth and heaviness that suits drop-tuned styles, film scoring, and players who want more low-end without switching to bass.
Gibson ES-335 ‘50s and ‘60s
Ever wonder what it’d be like to play a semi-hollow guitar back when the idea was still brand-new? If so, then you definitely want to check out the Gibson ES-335 ‘50s and ‘60s. The ES Series is the guitar that made semi-hollows famous with their warm bluesy tone and feedback-resistant center block. And these are built just like Gibson used to back in the day. They look vintage, sound vintage, but they’re brand new straight from Nashville.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the point of a hollow body electric guitar?
A hollow body electric guitar combines the amplified output of an electric guitar with the acoustic resonance of a hollow wooden body. You get a warmer, more acoustically complex tone than a solid body can produce. They’re best suited for jazz, blues, and country, where clean and lightly overdriven sounds are the goal.
What is the difference between a solid body and a hollow body guitar?
A solid body electric guitar has no hollow chamber. It’s basically just a slab of wood with pickups, which makes it resistant to feedback and versatile across gain levels. A hollow body electric guitar has a fully open interior with no center block, which gives it more acoustic warmth but also more susceptibility to feedback at high volume or high gain.
Is a hollow body guitar good for beginners?
It can be, with conditions. If the music you want to play is jazz, blues, or clean-toned country, a hollow body is a reasonable first electric. If you want to cover more ground — heavier rock, high-gain tones, or you’re not sure yet — a solid body electric gives you more flexibility and less feedback to manage while you find your sound.
What are the disadvantages of a hollow body guitar?
Feedback at high volume and high gain is the primary disadvantage. The fully open body cavity that creates the instrument's warmth also amplifies unwanted vibrations when pushed hard. Other considerations include a larger, sometimes heavier physical footprint than a solid body, and generally less versatility across gain-heavy genres.
What is a hollow body guitar called?
Hollow body electric guitars go by several names depending on the builder and era: hollowbody, archtop, full hollow, or jazz box. Semi-hollow guitars, which have a center block, are a separate category, though the terms are sometimes used loosely in casual conversation.
Who makes a good hollow body guitar?
Several brands with strong reputations in this category include Gibson (ES-330), Epiphone (Casino), Gretsch (Electromatic and Professional Collection), Heritage (H-575), Godin (5th Avenue), PRS (SE Hollowbody II), D'Angelico, Ibanez, and Taylor (T5z). AMS stocks guitars from all these brands, spanning entry-level to professional price points.
Hollow Body, Serious Tone
A hollow body guitar can produce warm, jazzy tones that no other body-style can get. And if you think it might be just the sound for you, check out all the hollow-body electric guitars right here at American Musical Supply. Paired with our 0% interest financing and VERY fast and free shipping, you’ll be jamming on your new jazz box in no time.
If you’re still comparing body types before making a decision, browse our full electric guitar collection to see every option side by side.
