If you want one sentence answer, here it is: the Ibanez Artcore AS53 is the best hollow body guitar for blues overall, because its semi-hollow center block, dual humbuckers and 7.4-pound body give you a warm, touch-sensitive blues voice that will not howl when you push a tube amp into overdrive.
Hollow body guitars are the sound of blues at its most expressive. The internal air cavity moves with the strings, adding a bloom and a percussive bite that a solid body simply cannot fake, and the whole instrument cleans up as you roll the volume back. That touch sensitivity is exactly why B.B. King, Chuck Berry, T-Bone Walker, Robben Ford and Larry Carlton all reached for instruments in this family.
Every one of the ten guitars below is a hollow or semi-hollow instrument, ranked on the four things that decide whether one works at a blues gig: tone under light overdrive, how much gain it takes before feedback becomes a problem, tuning stability while you bend, and how the body feels on a strap after two hours. We mapped each one to a specific blues style rather than a generic “versatile” label.
One thing worth saying before the list: a hollow body is a style instrument more than a genre instrument. If you play blues, jazz, rockabilly and swing on the same gig, one of these covers all four. If you play one style and nothing else, a solid body may serve you better. We explain where that line falls in the beginner’s guide to blues instruments we keep updated, and in the section on where a hollow body is the wrong choice further down.
Table of Contents
Top 3 Hollow Body Guitars for Blues Right Now
Grote Semi-Hollow MG-404
- Semi-hollow maple body
- HH pickups
- 24.75 inch scale
- 22 stainless frets
Those three cover the realistic range of a first serious hollow body. The AS53 is the one to buy if you play loud. The Grote semi-hollow is the one to buy if you want the most owner history behind your money. The Grote Jazz P-90 is the one to buy if you want the most character per pound spent.
Best Hollow Body Guitars for Blues at a Glance
| Product | Specifications | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Ibanez Artcore AS53 |
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 Ibanez Artcore AF55 |
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| Grote Full Scale Semi-Hollow MG-404 |
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 Grote Jazz Hollow Body P-90 |
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 Grote Semi-Hollow 335 Style Purple |
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 Epiphone ES-335 Cherry |
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 Ibanez Artcore AS73 Tobacco Brown |
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 Squier Classic Vibe Starcaster |
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 Squier Classic Vibe 70s Thinline |
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 Epiphone ES-339 Cherry |
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Two of these carry a note from us. The Squier Starcaster and the 70s Thinline are Telecaster-platform instruments that sit at the edge of this category, and we include them because plenty of blues players buy one hollow body and keep a Tele alongside it. If you only want one guitar, read their sections before you commit.
1. Ibanez Artcore AS53 – Best Hollow Body for Blues Overall
Ibanez Artcore AS53 – Transparent Black Flat
Sapele laminate semi-hollow body
Dual Infinity R humbuckers
24.7 inch scale
7.4 pounds
Pros
- Warm balanced pickup articulation that suits blues rock and jazz
- Art-ST bridge plus Quick Change III tailpiece hold tuning well
- Light 7.4 pound body stays comfortable on long sets
- 22 frets give easy access to upper notes
Cons
- Limited low-end weight compared with a mahogany semi-hollow
- Published spec fields conflict on pickup configuration
This is the guitar I recommend without a caveat, and the reason is the combination of three numbers: a 4.7 rating across 151 owner reviews, a semi-hollow center block, and a listed weight of 7.4 pounds. Plenty of hollow bodies are heavy, deep instruments that hang uncomfortably on a strap. The AS53 is not.
The Infinity R humbuckers produce a warm, balanced articulation that reviewers describe as genre-agnostic in the best way. Owners playing Texas blues note the neck pickup has enough definition for clean single-note runs without sounding thin, and owners playing Chicago blues note the bridge pickup has enough midrange to cut through a band without turning shrill. The Art-ST bridge and Quick Change III tailpiece handle string bends better than a trapeze design, which matters more on a blues guitar than almost any other hardware choice.
One detail to plan for. The 24.7 inch scale is short by semi-hollow standards, which makes bends and vibrato easy and gives the strings a little more tension to work against. It also means the guitar feels smaller in your hands than an ES-335 or an ES-339, and if you have grown up on a full-size archtop the first hour can feel cramped.
The 22-fret neck also ends earlier than a 24-fret neck, so players who live in the upper register above the 15th fret will feel the ceiling sooner. For blues phrasing that rarely matters, because most blues lines sit in the lower three octaves. For players who use the guitar as a lead instrument at high register, that is a real limitation to weigh.
What to check before you order
Set the pickup height before you judge the tone. Out of the box the pickups are often set conservatively, and owners who lower them a couple of millimetres at the bridge report a noticeably fuller, more dynamic blues voice. The semi-hollow center block is doing the work of keeping feedback in check, so you have more headroom than a fully hollow guitar gives you.
Roll the volume knob down to about seven before you go to a rehearsal. The natural clean-up is the whole point of a hollow body, and it is the reason players use one for blues instead of a Strat. A guitar that sounds muddy at full volume and clear at seven is a feature, not a fault.
Who should pass on it
Skip the AS53 if you want a deep, woody low-end that sits under a full band without touching the amp EQ. The listed sound profile is balanced and articulate rather than growling, and players who want that heavier bottom end are better served by the AS73 further down this list.
Skip it too if you play above the 22nd fret regularly. There is no 24-fret version of this body, and that ceiling is not upgradeable after purchase.
2. Ibanez Artcore AF55 – Best Fully Hollow for Jazz-Blues Crossover
Ibanez Artcore AF55 Hollowbody Electric Guitar – Tobacco Flat
Linden body with maple top
Two humbuckers
ART-ST bridge with trapeze tailpiece
24.75 inch scale
Pros
- Fully hollow linden and maple body gives a warm woody dynamic voice
- Dual humbuckers deliver thick mids and low noise
- Bound rosewood fingerboard feels premium
- Classified by Ibanez for jazz blues and rock
Cons
- Fully hollow construction is the most feedback-prone in this group
- Some players want a center block for hotter output
This is the fully hollow option in the group, and it behaves the way fully hollows behave. The body is linden with a maple top, and reviewers consistently describe the result as warm, woody, clear and dynamic. That is a jazz-blues voice rather than a Texas blues voice, and it is the reason this guitar sits at number two rather than number one.
The two humbuckers are an unusual choice for a fully hollow archtop at this level, and they work. Instead of the raw, thin, unfiltered output that single-coil archtop pickups give you, the humbuckers here deliver thick mids and low noise. Owners note that the sound stays clean at stage volume where a P-90 or single-coil archtop would howl.
The trapeze tailpiece and ART-ST bridge pairing is a genuine archtop combination, and it gives the guitar a long, singing sustain that reviewers single out. The trade-off is tuning stability. Trapeze designs shift under string tension changes, and this is the number one thing to consider before choosing a fully hollow guitar for blues work.
The bound rosewood fingerboard is a nice touch that undercuts the entry-level impression of the instrument. The 24.75 inch scale and 1.69 inch nut width put it right in the range most blues players already know from 335-style instruments.
How to keep feedback under control on this one
Because there is no center block, treat this guitar as a clean-to-crunch instrument rather than a high-gain one. A tube amp pushed to the edge of clean, or a pedal into a clean amp, gives you the archtop bloom and the sustain without the howl. Owners report the same thing repeatedly: the guitar is generous at moderate gain and unforgiving past it.
Keep the body angle flat and the neck slightly raised, and keep the amp further away and off-axis rather than directly behind you. Rolling back the volume is the third lever and the easiest one. If you plan to play through a distortion pedal at high gain into a tube amp, a semi-hollow will serve you better.
Who should pass on it
Pass if you play in a band with a loud drummer and want to dig in on the bridge pickup without a feedback battle. This is a practice-room and stage-volume guitar, not a lead-into-overdrive guitar. The two instruments in this list built for that are the AS53 and the ES-335.
3. Grote Full Scale Semi-Hollow MG-404 – Budget Pick Hollow Body for Blues
Grote Full Scale Electric Guitar Semi-Hollow Body Guitar Stainless Steel Frets (Vintage Sunburst)
Semi-hollow maple body
HH pickup configuration
24.75 inch scale
22 stainless steel frets
Pros
- Rich resonant warm tone owners compare to far costlier 335-style guitars
- Stainless steel frets arrive level and polished
- Factory setup and intonation frequently correct out of the box
- Includes cable and picks Slim C neck suits smaller hands
Cons
- Some examples need intonation and saddle height work Plain factory tuners are the first sensible upgrade Upper fret reach can be awkward for small hands
With 798 owner reviews at 4.6, this is the most widely owned instrument in the group, and the review volume matters here. When a guitar has hundreds of owners describing the same behaviour, you can plan your expectations instead of gambling. This one is consistently described as a resonant, warm semi-hollow with factory setup better than the price suggests.
The 24.75 inch scale with a slim C maple neck is the combination that makes it forgiving for new players. It feels familiar to anyone who has played a 335-style instrument, and the shorter scale reduces the stretch required for bends and vibrato. The 22 stainless steel frets are reported as level, crowned and polished straight out of the case, which is not something you can say for every guitar at this level.
Owners compare the tone to guitars costing several times more, and the specific praise is for warmth and resonance rather than brightness. That makes it a good fit for slow blues, shuffle, and clean-to-crunch playing with a tube amp. It is not a cutting-through-the-mix lead guitar, and reviewers who wanted more bite tend to swap the pickups.
One transparency note. The published specification fields for this listing conflict with each other on body material, and the pickup configuration is described inconsistently between the listing and between individual examples. Confirm the physical guitar on arrival rather than trusting the product page alone.
What to do in the first hour
Check the intonation on the open strings and then check it again at the 12th fret. Owners report a small number of examples that need a saddle adjustment, and that is a five-minute fix if you have a screwdriver and know what you are looking at. If you do not, budget for a setup rather than returning the guitar.
Replace the plain tuners before you replace anything else. That is the upgrade that changes daily playing rather than tone, and owners who fit locking tuners report the tuning settles and stays settled.
Who should pass on it
Pass if you are moving fast on the upper register and have small hands. Several owners specifically mention awkward reach above the 15th fret, and that is a fit issue that no amount of setup will fix. Pass also if you want a boutique finish; the tone is convincing, the hardware is plain.
4. Grote Jazz Hollow Body P-90 – Best Budget Pickup Character
GROTE Jazz Electric Guitar Hollow Body Chrome Hardware P90 pickup (Vintage Sunburst)
P-90 pickups
25.5 inch scale and 20 frets
Trapeze tailpiece
42mm nut width
Pros
- P-90s give a mellow woody voice that is immediately satisfying
- Trapeze tailpiece delivers notably long sustain
- Fretwork reported level crowned and free of sharp ends
- Setup frequently correct on arrival
Cons
- P-90 output runs low and needs more amp gain
- P-90s pick up hum and microphonic noise
- Pickguard blocks easy pickup height adjustment
- Log taper tone pot compresses the usable range
This is the P-90 answer in this roundup, and it is the instrument to buy if you want the most character per pound spent. P-90s sit between a single-coil and a humbucker in output and between the two in character, and what they actually deliver is a woody, mid-forward voice with a bite that humbuckers cannot match.
The 25.5 inch scale and 20 frets give it a longer reach and a lower tension feel than the 335-style guitars here. For players who want to move around the neck in the upper octaves, that is an advantage. For players who want a tight, fast bend, the shorter-scale instruments suit that better.
The trapeze tailpiece is the sustain hero here. Owners consistently report noticeably long sustain, and the reason is that a trapeze places very little mass behind the bridge, so more string energy transfers into the body. The same physics is what makes trapezes shift under tuning changes, so expect to check the tuning after every string change on the first few strings.
Three practical complaints recur. The P-90s run low enough that you need more amp gain or an extra boost, and they pick up hum and microphonic noise at high gain. The pickguard makes pickup height adjustment awkward, which is a real problem on a P-90 instrument where height changes the character quickly.
How to get the most from the P-90s
Run the volume lower than you think you need. This is the one instrument on the list where the volume roll-off trick matters most, because P-90 output is low and a hollow body is already feeding back-prone. Pushing the guitar louder to compensate is how people end up with a howling archtop.
If the microphonic noise bothers you, moving the guitar away from the amp and slightly off-axis usually fixes it before any hardware change does. If it persists, the pickguard needs lifting to reach the pickup height, and that is a job for a tech.
Who should pass on it
Pass if you play in loud, high-gain settings. P-90s and a fully hollow body are the two ingredients in that list most likely to howl together. Pass also if your amplifier has a very bright top end, because the compressed tone pot range and the P-90 character combine to leave less room to shape the highs.
5. Grote Semi-Hollow 335 Style in Purple – Best for Beginners
GROTE Jazz Electric Guitar Semi-Hollow Body Trapeze Tailpiece Bridge Guitar Gig Bag (Purple)
Basswood and maple semi-hollow body
Tune-O-Matic bridge
Listed weight 3.45 kg
Bound F-holes
Pros
- Rich warm articulate tone with plenty of midrange
- Bound F-holes and finish read as higher quality
- Intonation frequently spot on out of the box
- Surprising sustain for a semi-hollow
- Gig bag included
Cons
- Frets can run slightly high and need leveling
- Tuners are stiff and posts may need tightening
- Pickguard is the weakest looking part of the instrument
The 335-style layout is the most widely copied semi-hollow shape, and this is the version of it that works well as a first hollow body. Owners describe a rich, warm, articulate tone with plenty of midrange, which is the correct description of a guitar that needs to sit under a band and still be heard.
The humbuckers measure around 12K and are wax-potted with clean pots, and several owners explicitly credit that for a noise-free experience. Wax potting is the process of flooding the pickup with molten wax so the coils are fully encapsulated, and it is the cheapest reliability improvement a pickup maker can make. You would not normally expect it at this level.
The Tune-O-Matic bridge is the right choice for blues, and the reviews explain why. A Tune-O-Matic transfers string energy to the body effectively, which supports the sustained notes and expressive vibrato that blues phrasing needs. It is heavier and more rigid than a trapeze, so it holds intonation better while you bend.
The included gig bag is a small thing that matters more than expected. A hollow body with a laminated top is more vulnerable to an impact than a solid body, and the review base includes several owners who travel to gigs.
What arrives and what needs doing
The most common owner report is that the guitar needs a setup in the first week. Frets can run slightly high, the tuners are stiff, and the truss rod cover can arrive loose. None of that is a defect, and all of it is normal for an instrument at this level, but plan an hour or a setup visit rather than expecting a plug-and-play guitar.
Because the body is basswood with a simulated maple grain top, treat the finish gently. A hollow body is resonant because the body moves, and the thinner a top is, the more careful you should be with it.
Who should pass on it
Pass if you are buying this as your only guitar and want it to be your main instrument for a long time. The list of small things to fix is real, and someone who wants a guitar that leaves the box ready to gig should look at the AS53 or the ES-335 instead. Pass if the purple finish is not for you; there is no neutral colourway in this listing.
6. Epiphone ES-335 in Cherry – Best for Classic 335-Style Blues Tone
Epiphone ES335 Semi Hollowbody, Cherry
Maple top semi-hollow body
Dual humbuckers
Tune-O-Matic bridge
24.75 inch scale
Pros
- Classic balanced warm rich 335 voice with clear highs
- Dual humbuckers give smooth low-noise blues lead and chord response
- Recognisable 335 platform well under a Gibson equivalent
- Standard serviceable Tune-O-Matic setup
Cons
- Only 35 owner reviews so less long-term history than most of this list
- Center block is restrained and some players want more resonance
The ES-335 shape is the reference point for the modern semi-hollow, and if your idea of a blues hollow body comes from records rather than diagrams, this is the guitar that delivers it. The listed sound profile is balanced, warm and rich with clear highs, which is the accurate description of what a maple-top semi-hollow with humbuckers should do.
Maple back and sides with a mahogany neck is the classic combination for a reason. The mahogany neck gives a firm, woody attack that suits a rhythm player, and the maple body adds the air and top-end definition that a single-cut solid body lacks.
The 24.75 inch scale is right for blues because it makes bending a half-step and whole-step easy without the string tension going slack. The laurel fingerboard is smooth and fast, and the Tune-O-Matic bridge is serviceable and standard, meaning any tech can work on it and parts are easy to find.
The honest caveat is the review pool. With 35 owner reviews, this listing carries far less long-term history than the others here. What the reviews do show is consistent: 79 percent five-star ratings, no one-star ratings at all, and repeated mention of the warm, rich semi-hollow tone.
Is a 335 body too big for blues work?
It is a deep instrument. The listed weight is 12.5 pounds, and the body is wide. Players moving from a Stratocaster or a Telecaster notice the size immediately, especially seated, and players under about five foot six often find the body edge presses against their thigh.
If you are smaller, look at the compact instruments in this list instead. The AS73 and the Starcaster are both noticeably smaller, and the AS53 is the lightest body in the group. If you want a 335 specifically and you are small, play one in person before you order.
Who should pass on it
Pass if you want a fully resonant, acoustically open instrument. The center block on this guitar makes it controlled and tight rather than open and bloom-heavy. Players who want that open archtop character should read the AF55 and the P-90 section instead.
Pass also if you want a large body of owner feedback to guide you. The rating is strong, but the sample is small, and on a big instrument you want to know how it feels before committing.
7. Ibanez Artcore AS73 – Best for Growling Low End
Ibanez Artcore AS73 – Tobacco Brown
Compact semi-hollow body
Dual humbuckers
Gibraltar bridge
2-year warranty
Pros
- Dual humbuckers deliver growling lows and focused highs
- Gibraltar bridge and Quik Change tailpiece give solid tuning stability
- Rosewood fingerboard and Nyatoh neck feel smooth and fast
- Compact body suits long sessions
- 2-year warranty is longer than most rivals
Cons
- Published spec fields conflict on body wood and pickup layout
- Compact body feels small to players used to full-size archtops
The AS73 is the answer for the player who wants a hollow body that behaves more like a solid body underneath. The listed sound profile is growling lows and focused highs, and that is a description of a guitar that will hold the bottom of a chord shape without turning boomy.
For blues rhythm work that is exactly what you want. A hollow body that is too resonant in the low mids becomes muddy the moment a bassist starts playing, and owners of this guitar specifically note the growling low end as the reason it sits well in a band context.
The compact body is the second selling point. Owners describe it as comfortable for long sessions, and this is the guitar to look at if the ES-335 body size felt like too much in a shop. The 24.7 inch scale and 1.69 inch nut width match the AS53, so the two feel closely related in the hand.
The 2-year warranty is longer than most of the field, and that matters on an instrument with a set neck and a glued top. Hardware here is a Gibraltar Performer bridge with a Quik Change III tailpiece, which is a stable combination that holds tuning under a bend.
Compact body versus full-size archtop
There is a real trade-off. A compact body loses some of the air and bloom that a full-depth archtop produces, and the same buyers who call the AS73 comfortable are the ones who eventually decide they want a bigger instrument. The sound is more controlled and less acoustically open.
Our advice is to treat this as the guitar for a band rehearsal and a smaller stage, and the ES-335 or the AF55 as the guitar for a solo, acoustic-leaning, or jazz-blues context. Many players end up with both within a year, and the two are directly complementary.
Who should pass on it
Pass if you love the wide, ringing sustain that only a deep body produces. This guitar is designed to be controlled, and controlled is not the same as open. Pass also if you are drawn to the visual of a big archtop with f-holes, because this is a compact semi-hollow and reads differently on stage.
8. Squier Classic Vibe Starcaster – Best Offset Hollow Body for Comfort
Squier Classic Vibe Starcaster Electric Guitar, with 2-Year Warranty, 3-Color Sunburst, Maple Fingerboard
Offset semi-hollow body
Fender Wide Range humbuckers
Maple neck
25.5 inch scale
Pros
- Wide Range humbuckers give a deeper warmer tone than single coils
- Fender-shaped maple neck is easy to play
- Feedback only appears when you push it
- Factory setup needs only minor work
- Lightweight offset body is comfortable for long sessions
Cons
- Wide Range output needs the volume rolled well down to be usable
- Some buyers find the pickups bright or shrill at full volume
- Dark stain hides the wood grain
- Offset shape and large headstock divide opinion
The Starcaster is one of the most comfortable instruments in this roundup, and that is the whole argument for it. If you have ever felt a full-depth hollow body fight you while seated, this is the counter-example: an offset body that sits against the body and stays out of the way.
The Fender Wide Range humbuckers are the reason this guitar is on the list. They are a low-output, wide-sounding humbucker designed as a single-coil alternative, and what they give you is a deeper, warmer tone than a Strat or Tele with all the noise rejection of a humbucker. Owners report that blues and rockabilly riffs sound particularly good on it.
The scale is 25.5 inches, which is a Telecaster scale, and the neck is a familiar Fender shape. The 2-year limited warranty is standard for the Classic Vibe line. Factory setup is reported as well done, needing only minor truss rod and bridge work rather than a full rebuild.
The recurring complaint is volume. Because the pickups are low-output, owners say you need to roll the volume well down before usable output appears, and some buyers find them bright or shrill at full volume. That is a real adjustment curve, and it is the same touch-sensitivity that makes hollow bodies good for blues in the first place.
Is an offset hollow body really better for blues?
For comfort, yes, and that is a bigger deal than most spec sheets suggest. The wide, offset waist means the lower bout does not dig into your forearm or thigh, and owners describe the guitar as comfortable for long sessions.
For tone, it is a different voice rather than a better one. A single-cut semi-hollow midrange sits in a narrow band; an offset hollow body spreads more horizontally, which cuts through a band well but is less focused for a lead tone. Rhythm players notice the difference more than lead players do.
Who should pass on it
Pass if you want a single cutaway and easy upper fret access, because the offset shape gives you neither. Pass if you dislike the large headstock or the dark stain, both of which owners consistently mention as polarizing. And pass if you play a lot of high-gain lead, because the pickups are not designed for it.
9. Squier Classic Vibe 70s Thinline – Best Solid-Body Backup Alongside a Hollow Body
Squier Classic Vibe 70s Thinline Telecaster Electric Guitar, with 2-Year Warranty, Natural, Maple Fingerboard
Maple Thinline body with violin hole
Fender Wide Range humbuckers
25.5 inch scale
2-year warranty
Pros
- Humbuckers sit between single-coil and full humbucker tone
- Striking natural maple body
- Well-finished neck and 9.5 inch radius suit chord work
- Distorts more readily than a single-coil Tele
- Pickups mount to the pickguard so swaps are easy
Cons
- Nut slots may be badly cut causing buzz or an odd B string tone Factory strings are often criticised
- Some examples arrive with misaligned tuner keys or a loose input jack
- Gloss neck finish can feel sticky
There is a reason most serious blues players carry two guitars, and this is the second one. A Thinline is the classic solution to the feedback problem: it has the visual language of a hollow body, the single violin hole, and a solid maple body that takes gain without complaint.
The Wide Range humbuckers here sit between a single-coil and a full humbucker, and owners describe them as jazzy on the neck and still Tele-flavoured on the bridge. The practical benefit for blues is that they distort more readily than a single-coil Telecaster, so an overdrive pedal into a clean amp gets you moving without a high-gain sound.
The natural maple body with a single violin hole looks striking in person, and the 9.5 inch fingerboard radius is described as pleasant for chord work. The 25.5 inch scale is the Telecaster standard, which means the feel is familiar to anyone who has owned a Tele.
One of the most useful things about this instrument is its upgrade path. Because the pickups mount to the pickguard, swapping in P-90 or P-Rail sets is a straightforward change that many owners have made, and it lets you convert a blues-rock instrument into a jazzier one as your playing develops.
What to inspect on arrival
The nut is the thing to check, and this is the most common real-world issue owners report. Improperly cut nut slots cause buzz on the low E or an oddly thin tone on the B string. Play all six strings open and in chord shapes before you keep it.
Also check that the tuner keys line up and that the input jack is tight, both of which owners mention on individual examples. None of these are serious faults, but all of them are things a five-minute check catches before you take the guitar to a rehearsal.
Who should pass on it
Pass if you want an actual hollow or semi-hollow body, because this is a Thinline with a solid maple centre. Pass if you play a 9.5 inch radius style barre chord, because owners report that the radius is harder to barre than a flatter fingerboard. And pass if you have been told the gloss finish is a deal-breaker; some owners scuff it back to matte themselves.
10. Epiphone ES-339 in Cherry – Best Hardware on an Epiphone Semi-Hollow
Epiphone ES339 Semi Hollowbody, Cherry
Maple semi-hollow body
Alnico Classic PRO humbuckers
Grover Rotomatic tuners
LockTone bridge
Pros
- Alnico Classic PRO humbuckers give a clear articulate voice
- Grover Rotomatic tuners and Graph Tech NuBone nut are a real hardware upgrade
- C-shaped mahogany neck suits chord work and thumb-over leads
- Maple body gives brighter top end
- Limited lifetime warranty
Cons
- Only 46 owner reviews so a thin long-term data base
- Heavier body than most competitors in this range
- Some players want a lower-output vintage pickup voicing
The ES-339 is the smaller 335, and the reason it is on this list is the hardware. Grover Rotomatic tuners, a Graph Tech NuBone nut and a LockTone bridge and tailpiece are parts you would normally add yourself, and they are the components that decide whether a semi-hollow stays in tune.
On a blues guitar that is not a minor detail. Bending is the core expressive technique of the style, and a guitar that drifts under a bend undermines everything else. Owners repeatedly single out the hardware specification as the reason this model feels more solid than entry-level instruments in the same family.
The Alnico Classic PRO humbuckers give a clear, articulate voice with a brighter top end than a linden or mahogany semi-hollow. The maple body is what creates that brightness. For players who want clarity and definition rather than warmth and darkness, that is the better choice.
The listed weight is 11.5 pounds, which is heavy for this body size. That is the one specification on this page we would want a player to check in person, because weight is the thing you cannot adjust later and it is the thing that decides whether you still enjoy the guitar at hour three of a set.
What the ES-339 gives you over the ES-335
A smaller body, a brighter top end because of the maple construction, and better factory hardware. What you give up is some of the midrange weight and resonance that makes the full-size 335 so satisfying for blues rhythm work.
Players who want one Epiphone semi-hollow and dislike the 335 body size usually end up here. Players who want the classic 335 sound and do not mind the size end up in the ES-335. Both answers are correct, and it is a size question more than a tone question.
Who should pass on it
Pass if you are sensitive to weight on a strap, because 11.5 pounds is heavy for this body size. Pass if you want a vintage-style low-output pickup voicing, because the Alnico Classic PRO set is brighter and more present than that. And pass if you need a large base of owner reviews; 46 reviews is a thin sample.
Which Hollow Body Fits Which Style of Blues?
Blues is not one sound, and the guitar that suits Texas shuffle is not the guitar that suits a Chicago horn band. Here is the mapping that no competitor page on this topic currently gives you, drawn from the instruments above.
Texas blues and blues-rock. Warm, mid-forward, touch-sensitive, and it needs to take a Tube Screamer into a clean amp without screaming. The Grote semi-hollow MG-404 and the AS53 both land here, and the Squier Starcaster works if you prefer an offset shape. What you are listening for is a guitar that blooms when you dig in and cleans up when you roll back.
Chicago blues. Bigger, airier, and more resonant, with a voice that fills a band without pushing the amp past the point where a hollow body howls. This is the hardest style to play on a hollow body and the reason the fully hollow AF55 exists here. A hollow guitar with an acoustic bloom is the authentic choice if your volume is right.
Delta blues and country blues. Slide, fingerpicking, and a voice that sounds acoustic-adjacent through an electric amp. The Grote Jazz P-90 is the strongest match in this list because the P-90 voicing is woody and mid-forward, and a lightly driven tube amp gives the guitar a throaty, almost acoustic quality. The AS73 is the counter-choice if you want more low-end definition for the bass strings.
Jump blues and swing. Clean, percussive and rhythm-first. The Squier Classic Vibe 70s Thinline and the Starcaster both serve this style, and the Wide Range humbuckers give the hum-free, warm tone a period Telecaster single-coil delivers with less noise.
West Coast and jazz-blues crossover. Clean, fast and articulate with a midrange that projects without volume. The AF55 and the ES-339 land here, and the ES-339 wins if you want brighter top-end definition for chord comping.
Blues-rock at high gain. This is the style that pushes a hollow body hardest. The AS53, the ES-335 and the AS73 all have center blocks, which is exactly why they are the three to consider. Fully hollow designs belong on a clean-to-crunch signal, not on a lead guitar feeding a high-gain amp.
If you are still deciding, our beginner blues instrument guide covers how hollow bodies fit alongside the harmonica and rhythm instruments in a first blues rig.
Fully Hollow vs Semi-Hollow vs Solid Body: Where Feedback Comes From
Feedback on a hollow body is not a defect. It is a physical consequence of an air cavity moving air when amplified, and every experienced player has a technique for managing it. Understanding the mechanism is the fastest way to stop worrying about it.
Fully hollow. No center block, maximum air movement, maximum bloom and sustain, and the lowest feedback threshold. The AF55 and the Grote P-90 are the two examples here. Great for clean-to-crunch playing, jazz, and swing. Not a lead guitar into a high-gain head.
Semi-hollow. A solid center block under the bridge and pickups anchors the middle of the body. It reduces feedback, adds sustain and tightness, and leaves the outer wings resonant. This is why most blues hollow bodies are semi-hollows rather than fully hollow archtops. The AS53, the MG-404, the 335-style, the ES-335, the AS73 and the ES-339 are all in this family.
Solid body. No air cavity, so the lowest feedback threshold and the most predictable high-gain behaviour. The Thinline in this list is a solid maple body. You give up the acoustic bloom and the volume roll-off, and you get a guitar that never fights you.
Three practical levers control feedback, in order of how much they help. Volume technique comes first: rolling the guitar back as you increase the amp gain is how hollow body players get more gain than the instrument would nominally allow. Position comes second: keep the body flat, raise the neck slightly, and put the amp off-axis and further away rather than directly behind you. Pickup and amp EQ comes third: rolling off some brightness and cutting the low mids on the amp keeps a hollow body from getting boomy before it gets loud.
On the fully hollow P-90 question that dominates player forums: P-90s are lower output than humbuckers and sit in a fully hollow body, so that combination has the least feedback headroom of anything in this roundup. It is still a fine blues instrument at moderate gain. If you play loud, choose a center block.
P-90, Humbucker, or Both for Blues?
Three pickup families appear across these ten guitars, and each one puts a different character between your fingers and the amp.
P-90. Lower output, brighter than a humbucker, woodier than a single-coil, and the strongest raw bite in a midrange-heavy amplifier. On a fully hollow body the result is a woody, throaty voice that needs more amp gain than you expect. The Grote Jazz P-90 is the example here. Great for Delta, country and light jazz-blues.
Humbucker. High output, low noise, thick mids, and the most predictable behaviour on a semi-hollow body. This is the safe blues choice and the reason it appears on most of the guitars above. The trade-off is that humbuckers compress the response, so you get less of the note-to-note volume variation that makes blues phrasing sing. Coil splits on a humbucker switch let you recover some of that.
Wide Range single-coil-format humbucker. A Fender design that sits between the other two: humbucking, but low output and wide. The Starcaster and the Thinline use these. The result is a hollow body you can treat like a Telecaster, with less noise and more depth. Roll the volume down to get there.
Our rule of thumb: humbuckers if you play loud, P-90s if you play clean or light overdrive and want character, and low-output pickups if you want a solid body feel on a hollow body chassis.
Buying Guide: Nine Decisions Before You Buy a Hollow Body
1. Body depth and size. A full-depth 335 is a big instrument and the most common reason players abandon a hollow body they actually like. Check the body against your thigh while seated. If you are under about five foot six, the compact AS73 and the offset Starcaster are better starting points.
2. Weight on a strap. Listed weight matters more than any other specification for a hollow body. The AS53 is the lightest listed body here at 7.4 pounds, and the ES-335 the deepest at 12.5 pounds.
3. Scale length. The 24.75 to 24.7 inch scales on the 335-style instruments feel tight and bend easily. The 25.5 inch scale on the P-90, the Starcaster and the Thinline gives more reach and more string tension at the same gauge. For blues bends, shorter is easier; for upper-register playing, longer is more comfortable.
4. Bridge and tailpiece type. Tune-O-Matic and stopbar setups hold tuning under a bend. Trapeze tailpieces give longer sustain and a warmer bottom but shift under string tension changes. Player consensus is consistent here: if you bend strings hard, avoid trapeze designs.
5. Neck profile and radius. The mahogany C-shaped necks on the Epiphones and the Fender-shaped maple necks on the Squiers are both common. Radius is the quieter variable: the 9.5 inch radius on the Thinline is rounder and harder to barre than a flatter 12 inch fingerboard.
6. Pickup configuration. Decide between humbuckers and P-90s before you buy, not after. It determines how you interact with your amp’s gain and how much feedback headroom you have.
7. Tonewoods. Maple tops add brightness and definition. Mahogany and softer woods such as linden add warmth. Linden sits between the two. Most of the guitars here use laminate construction, which is durable and stable; a solid top sounds better but moves with humidity and can crack if the guitar is parked in a hot car.
8. Brand tier and what you get. At the entry level, expect to budget a setup. Above the entry level you are paying for hardware, finish consistency and a better factory setup, not for a fundamentally different voice. The Grote MG-404 is the clearest example of an entry-level instrument that arrives ready to play.
9. Factory setup expectations. The aggregated reviews for the budget instruments in this group repeatedly mention high frets, stiff tuners, a loose truss rod cover or a nut slot that needs work. That is normal. Decide before you buy whether you will do the setup yourself or pay for it, and budget accordingly.
One more decision that is not a decision: play it. A hollow body’s neck and weight are personal in a way that no specification captures. If you can, sit with the guitar before you commit.
Where a Hollow Body Is the Wrong Choice
A hollow body is not the right instrument for everyone, and buying the wrong one is how players end up disliking a whole category. Here are the four cases where we would steer you away.
You play modern high-gain metal. A hollow body is not a high-gain instrument. The sustained feedback at high distortion and tight palm muting that the style depends on are both compromised. Buy a solid body with a tremolo.
You bend hard and obsess over tuning stability. Players report the same thing consistently: trapeze tailpiece models go out of tune under aggressive bending. If tuning stability under a bend matters more to you than sustain, choose a Tune-O-Matic or stopbar instrument.
You want zero setup. Several of the entry-level instruments here arrive needing intonation, saddle height or a fret level. If you are not willing to touch a guitar or pay a tech, move up a tier and buy the hardware and finish quality.
You play one style and one volume. If you only play a single style at a single level, a hollow body is buying you versatility you will not use. The classic blues-rock alternative is a Telecaster or a Stratocaster, and pairing one of those with a hollow body later is a very common path.
The First 30 Days With a New Hollow Body
Every hollow body improves in the first month if you treat it properly. Here is the sequence we would follow.
Day one: inspect before you play. Run a finger along every fret looking for overhang. Open and close the jack. Check that every tuner key lines up. Listen to all six strings open and muted for buzz. On a hollow body, buzz at the nut is far more common than buzz from the pickups.
Week one: set it up. Check the neck relief at the 7th to 9th fret by rocking the neck, then set the action. Check intonation by tuning to the 12th fret. Set the bridge height. If the guitar came with thin factory strings, this is the point to move up one gauge.
Week two: set the electronics. Set pickup height so the bridge pickup sits close enough to drive the amp but not close enough to touch the strings under heavy strumming. P-90s need more care here than humbuckers because the height change alters the character fast.
Month one: upgrade in the right order. The order that changes playing most is tuners, then the nut, then the bridge, then the pickups. Tone last, because it is the change you are least likely to need and the one where you will spend the most for the least return on a blues guitar.
One care note that catches everyone once: keep a hollow body away from extreme temperature swings. A laminated top will not crack easily, but a solid top will, and humidity swings in a parked car are the most common cause.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best hollow body guitar for blues?
The Ibanez Artcore AS53 is the best hollow body guitar for blues overall. Its semi-hollow center block holds feedback down at higher gain than a fully hollow design, the dual humbuckers give a warm and balanced blues voice, and the listed weight of 7.4 pounds keeps it comfortable on long sets. Players who want a fully open archtop resonance should look at the Ibanez Artcore AF55 instead.
What is the best budget hollow body guitar for blues?
The Grote Full Scale Semi-Hollow MG-404 is the strongest budget option in this roundup, with 798 owner reviews at 4.6. Owners report a resonant warm tone, level stainless steel frets and a factory setup that frequently arrives correct. Plan for a small setup visit, and replace the plain tuners first if you bend strings often.
Are hollow body guitars good for blues?
Yes. The internal air cavity in a hollow body moves with the strings, adding a warm, resonant bloom and a touch-sensitive response that a solid body does not produce. That touch sensitivity lets a blues player vary volume note by note, and rolling the guitar volume back cleans it up naturally. The main cost is feedback, which is why most blues hollow bodies are semi-hollow with a center block.
Do hollow body guitars feed back more than solid bodies?
They do, and the reason is physical. A hollow body has an air cavity that vibrates and pushes sound back toward the pickup when the volume is high, creating a feedback loop. A semi-hollow center block reduces this by anchoring the middle of the body, and a solid body removes it almost entirely. You can also manage feedback by rolling the guitar volume down, angling the body flat, and placing the amp off-axis.
What are the best hollow body guitar brands?
The brands in this roundup fall into three groups. Mass market names include Ibanez, Epiphone, Squier, Gretsch and PRS, which offer consistent models with regular hardware upgrades above the entry tier. Value-first imports such as Grote deliver usable instruments at the lowest cost and are the easiest to modify. Boutique builders like Heritage and Eastman are recommended repeatedly by owners for build quality, but sit far above the ranges covered here.
Final Verdict: The Best Hollow Body Guitar for Blues
Buy the Ibanez Artcore AS53. It is the best hollow body guitar for blues in this roundup because it answers the three questions that decide the outcome: it has a semi-hollow center block so you can play louder than a fully hollow, it weighs 7.4 pounds so you still want it on at the end of a set, and it holds a 4.7 rating across 151 owner reviews who describe the same warm, balanced tone.
If your budget stretches, look at the Epiphone ES-335 for the classic maple-top voice. If you play clean, look at the Grote Jazz P-90 for character and sustain. And if you want the widest range of blues styles covered by one instrument with the most owner history behind it, the Grote MG-404 is the value pick of 2026.
Whichever one you choose, buy the setup along with it. A hollow body that feels good in the hand, plays at low action and stays in tune will be on your stand every day. That is the whole game.