# Semi-acoustic guitar
A semi-acoustic guitar, also called a semi-hollow or semi-solid guitar, is an electric guitar whose body is partly hollow but contains a solid block of wood running through the center, so that its sound sits between that of a fully hollow electric guitar and a solid-body electric guitar. Yamaha's instrument guide describes the type as having a thinner body than a hollow body guitar, with the central portion filled with wood and the left and right sides hollow[1](https://www.yamaha.com/en/musical_instrument_guide/electric_guitar/structure/structure002.html). The solid center, usually maple or mahogany, runs the length of the body and serves to improve sustain and reduce feedback[2](https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/center-block/).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Construction | Hollow body with a solid center block, typically maple or mahogany, running the length of the body under the bridge and pickups[2](https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/center-block/) • [3](https://usa.yamaha.com/products/musical_instruments/guitars_basses/el_guitars/hollow_body/features.html) |
| Defining model | The Gibson ES-335, introduced in 1958, was an early semi-hollow electric guitar model[4](https://www.gibson.com/blogs/gibson-gazette/gibson-custom-es-335-130th-anniversary) |
| First-year output | 317 ES-335s shipped in 1958: 267 sunburst at $267.50 and 50 natural at $282.50; production peaked in 1967 at 5,718 units[5](https://www.gibson.com/nl-eu/blogs/gibson-gazette/seven-reasons-why-you-need-a-gibson-es-335) |
| Feedback behavior | Measured feedback onset around 112 dB SPL at 1 meter, about 14 dB higher than comparable hollowbodies[6](https://gearstrings.com/music-theory/trying-three-semi-hollows) |
| Tonal position | Sound falls between the brightness of a solidbody and the warmth of an acoustic guitar[7](https://guitar.com/features/why-semi-hollow-guitar-ultimate-road-instrument/) |
| Typical styles | Blues, blues rock, indie, rock, jazz fusion, gospel, and jazz[8](https://treblemakers.shop/compare/hollowbody-vs-semi-hollow) • [9](https://www.yamaha.com/US/houseofworship/downloadables/How-to-Choose-Guides/How-to-Choose-an-Electric-Guitar.pdf) |
## Construction and how it shapes sound
The defining feature is the center block. It gives the pickups and bridge a solid mounting point, adds mass and sustain, and connects the bridge to body mass in a way that reduces the feedback vulnerability of a fully hollow guitar[10](https://www.myguitarmatch.com/blog/best-semi-hollow-guitars/). The hollow sections on either side of the block, combined with it, produce a sound between the brightness of a solidbody and the warmth of an acoustic guitar[7](https://guitar.com/features/why-semi-hollow-guitar-ultimate-road-instrument/). Yamaha's buying guide summarizes the trade-off: a semi-hollow has more resonance than a solid body, and the solid center block adds stability and sustain while cutting down on feedback[9](https://www.yamaha.com/US/houseofworship/downloadables/How-to-Choose-Guides/How-to-Choose-an-Electric-Guitar.pdf).
The practical consequence is stage usability. A semi-hollow resists feedback up to approximately 112 dB SPL before onset, about 14 dB higher than comparable hollowbodies, in measurements taken with a Brüel & Kjær 2250 sound level meter at 1 meter during full-band rehearsal simulations[6](https://gearstrings.com/music-theory/trying-three-semi-hollows).
Compared with a full hollowbody, a semi-hollow is also the more practical instrument to carry and handle, feeling closer to a solid body in depth and handling while remaining lighter than most solid bodies[11](https://www.musicstreet.co.uk/blogs/blog-post/semi-hollow-vs-hollow). For very high-gain styles or extremely loud stages, reviewers still recommend a solidbody[8](https://treblemakers.shop/compare/hollowbody-vs-semi-hollow).
## History
The type traces to Gibson's ES-335, which entered production in April 1958. Gibson president Ted McCarty described the idea as putting a solid block of maple in an acoustic model, so the instrument would get some of the tone of a solidbody while the hollow wings vibrated, giving a combination of the two[5](https://www.gibson.com/nl-eu/blogs/gibson-gazette/seven-reasons-why-you-need-a-gibson-es-335). The design built on [Les Paul](https://www.edgepedia.org/les-paul)'s late-1930s "Log" prototype, a 4"x4" piece of wood with Epiphone archtop wings glued to the sides, though McCarty's approach differed by incorporating the center block into a new symmetrical 16-inch thinline archtop with pressed-laminate back and top[5](https://www.gibson.com/nl-eu/blogs/gibson-gazette/seven-reasons-why-you-need-a-gibson-es-335) • [12](https://www.guitarcenter.com/riffs/gear-tips/guitars/gibson-es-335-history).
The original ES-335 body measured 16 inches across with a depth of 1 3/4 inches, with an arched, single-bound laminated maple top and back[13](https://www.guitarplayer.com/gear/gibson-es335-history). It launched with Gibson's Patent Applied For humbucking pickups, a Tune-O-Matic bridge, and a stop bar tailpiece[5](https://www.gibson.com/nl-eu/blogs/gibson-gazette/seven-reasons-why-you-need-a-gibson-es-335). The more ornate ES-345 and ES-355 joined in 1959, and the Trini Lopez Standard arrived in 1964[5](https://www.gibson.com/nl-eu/blogs/gibson-gazette/seven-reasons-why-you-need-a-gibson-es-335). The ES-335 has remained in continuous production since 1958 and has appeared in nearly every genre in the hands of players from [B. B. King](https://www.edgepedia.org/b-b-king) and [Eric Clapton](https://www.edgepedia.org/eric-clapton) to [Dave Grohl](https://www.edgepedia.org/dave-grohl) and Sheryl Crow[4](https://www.gibson.com/blogs/gibson-gazette/gibson-custom-es-335-130th-anniversary).
Fender's entry came later and differently. In the late 1960s, with a plentiful supply of heavy ash, Fender assigned the German luthier Roger Rossmeisl, who had previously worked with Gibson and [Rickenbacker](https://www.edgepedia.org/rickenbacker), to hollow out a Telecaster body by routing sections on both sides from the rear and gluing a thin panel over the back. The Telecaster Thinline debuted in 1968 with a single f-hole and two single-coil pickups, and weighed only half as much as its solid-body sibling[14](https://www.fender.com/articles/instruments/country-tradition-soul-survivor-rock-legend-the-thinline-telecaster).
## Use and repertoire
Semi-hollows cover a wide stylistic range. Yamaha's guide lists gospel, blues, and jazz, noting that blues and country gospel players like the warmth of the semi-hollow and the increased attack and sustain offered by the center block[9](https://www.yamaha.com/US/houseofworship/downloadables/How-to-Choose-Guides/How-to-Choose-an-Electric-Guitar.pdf). Comparative guides place semi-hollows with blues, blues rock, indie, rock, [jazz fusion](https://www.edgepedia.org/jazz-fusion), and jazz, while assigning full hollowbodies to jazz, bebop, fingerstyle blues, and clean studio work[8](https://treblemakers.shop/compare/hollowbody-vs-semi-hollow).
The amplified tone differs measurably and audibly from a solid body. MusicRadar notes that a semi-hollow has a greater frequency response than a solid-body guitar, and that the center block provides a solid mounting spot for the pickups and bridge along with added structural strength[15](https://www.musicradar.com/news/best-semi-hollow-guitars). Reviewers of specific models describe the character consistently: the PRS DGT Semi-Hollow, for example, has what its signature artist David Grissom calls a bit warmer top-end and a little less bottom than the solidbody version, with more controlled feedback, and rings more loudly unplugged than solidbody references[16](https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/electric-guitars/prs-dgt-semi-hollow-review).
## Terminology
Usage varies. Yamaha treats "semi-acoustic" and "semi hollow" as synonyms for the center-block design[1](https://www.yamaha.com/en/musical_instrument_guide/electric_guitar/structure/structure002.html). Some study guides use "hollow-body (semi-acoustic)" for any thin hollow electric, and Ibanez catalogs describe semi-acoustic guitars as featuring a sustain block into which the pickups are mounted[17](https://files-backend.assets.thrillshare.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/4094/Salk/6351d3fa-b273-4d3b-867c-6b0498e770e5/Types_of_Guitars_Study_Guide.pdf?disposition=inline) • [18](https://www.hoshinogakki.co.jp/pdf/ibanez/catalog/2004_Artcore_USA.pdf).
## References
1. [The Origins of the Electric Guitar: The electric guitar family, Yamaha Musical Instrument Guide](https://www.yamaha.com/en/musical_instrument_guide/electric_guitar/structure/structure002.html)
2. [Center block, Sweetwater InSync](https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/center-block/)
3. [Hollow body features, Yamaha USA](https://usa.yamaha.com/products/musical_instruments/guitars_basses/el_guitars/hollow_body/features.html)
4. [Gibson Custom reveals three new 1958 ES-335 models celebrating Gibson's 130th anniversary, Gibson Gazette](https://www.gibson.com/blogs/gibson-gazette/gibson-custom-es-335-130th-anniversary)
5. [Seven reasons why you need a Gibson ES-335 in your guitar collection, Gibson Gazette](https://www.gibson.com/nl-eu/blogs/gibson-gazette/seven-reasons-why-you-need-a-gibson-es-335)
6. [Trying Three Semi-Hollows: A Hands-On Comparison of Gibson ES-335, Epiphone Sheraton II Pro, and PRS SE Custom 24 Semi-Hollow, GearStrings](https://gearstrings.com/music-theory/trying-three-semi-hollows)
7. [Five reasons why a semi-hollow guitar is the ultimate road instrument, Guitar.com](https://guitar.com/features/why-semi-hollow-guitar-ultimate-road-instrument/)
8. [Hollowbody vs Semi-Hollow Guitars, Treblemakers](https://treblemakers.shop/compare/hollowbody-vs-semi-hollow)
9. [How to Choose an Electric Guitar, Yamaha House of Worship guide (PDF)](https://www.yamaha.com/US/houseofworship/downloadables/How-to-Choose-Guides/How-to-Choose-an-Electric-Guitar.pdf)
10. [Best Semi-Hollow Guitars: Warm Tone, Less Feedback, More Character, MyGuitarMatch](https://www.myguitarmatch.com/blog/best-semi-hollow-guitars/)
11. [Semi-hollow vs hollow body guitars: the full guide, MusicStreet](https://www.musicstreet.co.uk/blogs/blog-post/semi-hollow-vs-hollow)
12. [The History of the Gibson ES-335, GC Riffs, Guitar Center](https://www.guitarcenter.com/riffs/gear-tips/guitars/gibson-es-335-history)
13. [The History of the Gibson ES-335TD, GuitarPlayer](https://www.guitarplayer.com/gear/gibson-es335-history)
14. [Country Tradition, Soul Survivor, Rock Legend: The Telecaster Thinline, Fender](https://www.fender.com/articles/instruments/country-tradition-soul-survivor-rock-legend-the-thinline-telecaster)
15. [Best semi-hollow guitars: For all styles, MusicRadar](https://www.musicradar.com/news/best-semi-hollow-guitars)
16. ["No guitar does everything, but this comes dangerously close": PRS DGT Semi-Hollow review, Guitar World](https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/electric-guitars/prs-dgt-semi-hollow-review)
17. [Types of Guitars study guide (PDF)](https://files-backend.assets.thrillshare.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/4094/Salk/6351d3fa-b273-4d3b-867c-6b0498e770e5/Types_of_Guitars_Study_Guide.pdf?disposition=inline)
18. [Semi-acoustics, Ibanez Artcore catalog (PDF)](https://www.hoshinogakki.co.jp/pdf/ibanez/catalog/2004_Artcore_USA.pdf)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Technology and the built world › Communications and everyday technology › Broadcast engineering and radio equipment › Broadcast transmitters › Broadcast power amplifiers (tube and solid-state)*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 15, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026 · Last review: Oct 15, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license