Moving to Rockabilly - Hollowbody recommendations please

Tuscan777

As the title suggests, I'm in the market for a hollowbody guitar so after some recommendations aside from the usual Gretsch route (although this is certainly attractive at the moment).

Budget is up to £1k and happy to go used. Will be gigging pretty soon so want to look the part!

I've got a Tele already, so that will be in the overall mix.

Thanks in advance

Whitecat

I have no idea what these are going to cost - could be a bit more than £1k (US MAP is $1795) and won't be available used for a while - but I want to take a close look at one personally - 

https://www.facebook.com/110559045640076/photos/a.111471815548799.12520.110559045640076/1491566050872695/?type=3&theater

octatonic

Will you be gigging?

Tuscan777

Ooh, nice Godin.

Yes, will be gigging sooner rather than later. 

guitars4you

For around 1K - try a used Duesenberg Starplayer TV - more semi than true hollowbody but will handle Rock a billy etc - Other than that loo at the current crop of Guild like the Starfire 111 or the X175 Manhattan

olafgarten

If you don't want a Gretsch, a thinline tele will get you 90% of the way there. 

octatonic

Tuscan777 said:

Ooh, nice Godin.

Yes, will be gigging sooner rather than later. 

I did a rockabilly band- had an ES295 for most of that time.
Fully hollow guitars feed back- you'd be stuffing it full of something to try to tame that.
I never fully solved the ES295 feedback problem.

A semi-hollow will be a hell of a lot easier to manage.
I ended up giggling with a Tele towards the end and no one cared a jot.

EricTheWeary

Is that the end of the ska band then?

Pre loved  Peavey Rockinghams come up cheap from time to time ( probably get two plus change in your budget) and they were made very much as a rockabilly guitar. Purple with shiny knobs and a bigsby ( or the Peavey equivalent, I'm not sure). Although he doesn't use them anymore they were effectively the signature model of UK rockabilly king Darrell Higham. 

rlw

What about the blue one on here - can't remember what it is - but it is priced at a quarter of your budget.  And its green....

http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/93856/fs-price-reduced-rockabilly-ibanez-af-75-artcore-sea-foam-green-235-delivered#latest

richh

I believe the older Epi ES295 was spot on for this, and as somebody said above, you can get a Peavey Rockingham for a very good price, if you are not a brand snob.  There are a lot of good options out there as well as the obvious Gretsch guitars, but don't forget to budget £30 or so for an old analog bucket brigade delay for the obligatory slapback delay.  And you'll need a fiver for your hair product - I recommend 'Dapper Dan'!

octatonic

richh said:

 And you'll need a fiver for your hair product - I recommend 'Dapper Dan'!

octatonic

My mother in law massively misunderstood what this ^^^ was for when they came and stayed with us and I left it out in the family bathroom. 

Teetonetal

I wouldn't bother. Just use the Tele.

richh

Use the tele instead of the cock grease?!?

p90fool

http://www.theloar.com/products/archtop-guitars/thinbody-archtop-lh-302-t

ewal

Reverend Club King RT in Rock Orange with a Bigsby - looks perfect for rockabilly

Tuscan777

Cheers all - hair product and slapback delay already purchased, as is the comb for the back pocket.

@Erictheweary yes, after 6 years of Ska i fancied a change, the band will still be marching on though, even a booking at the Isle of Wight Festival this year couldn't tempt me to stay!

EricTheWeary

I bumped into the bassist for my local big ska band before Xmas ( big as in eight of them and they play biggish gigs). They have been going for years but he is now the only original member, everyone is dispensable in these things. 

Tuscan777 said:

Cheers all - hair product and slapback delay already purchased, as is the comb for the back pocket.

@Erictheweary yes, after 6 years of Ska i fancied a change, the band will still be marching on though, even a booking at the Isle of Wight Festival this year couldn't tempt me to stay!

Tuscan777

EricTheWeary said:

I bumped into the bassist for my local big ska band before Xmas ( big as in eight of them and they play biggish gigs). They have been going for years but he is now the only original member, everyone is dispensable in these things. 

Yes - our trumpet player left a few weeks back, both singers also went at the end of last year - most bands with longevity become like Trigger's Broom after a while it seems.

ArchtopDave

I've got a Gretsch 5420 in Aspen Green (plus Hard Case). I'm no Gretsch expert, but it seems a very decent guitar. I haven't really used it much, so I'd would happily part with it.

musicman100

Save ur money n just use the tele as that will cover the sound