Top 10 Best Semi-Acoustic Guitars You Should Try Today
A good Semi-Acoustic Guitar is an essential addition to any guitarist's collection. Here's a top 10 list of our models, available today.
Most guitarists will have more than one guitar in their collection. But whatever guitars you own, it's always a great idea to have at least one semi-acoustic guitar.
Why Own a Semi-Acoustic Guitar?
Why? For one, semi-acoustic guitars can offer a bigger, more resonant and warmer sound - thanks to their usually bigger, hollow or semi-hollow body. Which is always a good thing when you want to add more variety to your sound either in recordings, or live - as opposed to using two similar solid-bodied guitars, for instance.
Semi-acoustic guitars are very versatile instruments, equally suited to jazz, blues or even punk rock.
Keith Richards and a Harmony Meteor - similar to our Airline H78
Everyone from The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, to Oasis and The Strokes, and several other top names over the years, have used semi-acoustic guitars. They are part of rock'n'roll history, and if you don't own a semi-acoustic, you're really missing out a trick.
Hollow-Body vs. Semi-Hollow
Semi-acoustic guitars come in a wide variety of shapes and styles, and can be either hollow-body, or semi-hollow. Most semi-acoustic models feature a hole (usually f-shaped) for added acoustic projection.
Semi-hollow guitars have a wood center block inside the body, which prevents feedback issues, at least compared to hollow-body guitars which have f-holes. However, due to lack of a center block, hollow-body guitars are lighter, which some guitarists may prefer.
Here's a look at some of our hottest semi-acoustic guitars we make.
1) Backlund Rockerbox
The now-discontinued Backlund Rockerbox is a retro-futuristic design by John Backlund, and was our most successful Custom Shop projects ever. No wonder - there isn't, and there has never been, a semi-acoustic guitar like this. A true masterpiece!
2) Airline H78
The Airline H78 is one of our most popular semi-acoustic models. Back in the Sixties, the original Harmony H78 was "the poor man's ES-335", but today, you could say it's become "the cool's man ES-335".
Artists such as The Black Keys and Brian Jonestown Massacre have made the Harmony H78 more popular, and our Airline H78 is an upgraded, more reliable version than the vintage ones. FIND OUT MORE
3) Classic 6
The Eastwood Classic 6 does look and sounds like a classic... if you dig George Harrison's sound in early Beatles records, for instance, this is the one to go for! FIND OUT MORE
4) Classic 12
The Eastwood Classic 12 is the 12-string version of our popular Classic 6, and without a doubt one of the best 12-string guitars for your money. FIND OUT MORE
5) Airline H74 DLX
The now-discontinued Airline H74 DLX is inspired by the vintage Harmony Meteor H78 which was used by Keith Richards in the early days of The Rolling Stones, and by other musicians who couldn't quite afford more expensive models. Today, the Airline H74 DLX stands out, like its 3-pickup sibling Airline H78, as a great semi-acoustic on its own right - especially for the player who's tired of the "same old, same old".
6) Bill Nelson Astroluxe Cadet
The Bill Nelson Astroluxe Cadet is another truly unique, beautiful semi-acoustic model straight from our Custom Shop - and our second ever collaboration with guitar legend Bill Nelson, from Be Bop Deluxe:
Limited-stock available, so if you want to own this superb guitar, you'd better act fast... FIND OUT MORE
7) Classic 6 HB
The Eastwood Classic 6 HB is the humbucker-version of the Classic 6. The Dark Cherry version also differs from the standard Classic 6 because it features split trapezoid inlays. FIND OUT MORE
8) Savannah
The now-discontinued Eastwood Savannah is a very special model: it was the first ever semi-acoustic in our range, and discontinued a few years ago. But we brought it back in 2018 to a fantastic reception from all of the customers who got them.
The Eastwood Messenger is another model which we discontinued a few years ago but decided to bring back in 2018, after requests.
Inspired by an old model used by Mark Farner in Grand Funk Railroad, our version features modern upgrades, and has already been used by artists such as Ira Kaplan from Yo La Tengo. FIND OUT MORE
10) Fire Bird
Yes, it looks ridiculous. You can imagine Austin Powers playing one. But that's the beauty of this guitar - it's most definitely groovy! And furthermore - it's a delight to play, with a pair of totally killer P90s. If you're looking for a guitar that will TOTALLY upstage anything else on stage, look no further - the now-discontinued Fire Bird is a looker, and it rocks.
