Semi-resonant guitar

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A semi-resonant guitar made by Guild / DeArmond. The very flat hollow body of the model can be clearly seen here

The semi-resonance guitar (colloquially also semi- acoustic guitar and semi- acoustic guitar ; English also called electric acoustic ) is a type of electric guitar developed in the mid-1950s . Semi-resonant guitars have a completely or largely hollow body . In contrast to full resonance guitars, instruments of this type have a significantly flatter body, due to the use of narrower sides . Semi-resonant guitars are used in many branches of popular music because of their varied sound. While from the late 1950s they were initially preferred in the genres of blues and rock 'n' roll , the type of instrument has been used in younger styles of rock music as well as in pop music , jazz , folk and others in the following decades . Three of the earliest semi-resonant guitars are the Gibson Byrdland , Gibson ES-225 T and Gibson ES-350 T models, which were introduced simultaneously in 1955 .

Semi-resonance guitar from Epiphone , Dot Studio model

Construction way

Semi-acoustic guitar having a hollow body ( English : Hollow Body ), and usually two sound holes in various modifications of F-holes and are similar in the Vollresonanz- archtop guitars such as the so-called " Jazzguitar ". The typical construction principle of the semi-resonance instrument body - separately manufactured and glued together parts: arched top (English: archtop ), back and sides - is similar to that of full resonance archtops. The top and back of semi-resonant guitars are rarely carved from solid wood using the traditional method of manufacture; Instead, the components are usually pressed into the curved shape during manufacture from laminated wood ( plywood , often maple wood ). The main difference to full resonance guitars is an instrument body that is sometimes considerably flatter. A frame width of a maximum of 5 cm is used as the benchmark for the designation "semi-resonance". An example of a particularly flat hollow body is the correspondingly named Höfner Verythin model with a frame width of only about 3 cm. The lower body volume due to this construction leads to a significantly quieter sound with a lower frequency range of the tone than with full resonance guitars when playing semi-resonance guitars without amplification. For this reason, semi-resonance guitars are usually only played electrically amplified by means of electromagnetic pickups via guitar amplifiers .

Some semi-resonant guitar models have a completely hollow body ( Epiphone Casino , Gibson ES-330); Most models have a sustain block built into the body . A solid wood beam about 8 to 10 cm wide is called a sustain block . This is glued in exactly from the base of the neck to the base of the body in the middle between the ceiling and the floor. In case of electrical gain in higher volumes prevents sustain block the swinging of the instrument cover and thus reduces the risk of acoustic feedback (Feedback) . Instruments of the semi-resonance type characteristically have at least one, more often two, body cuts ( cutaway ) at the base of the neck. The vast majority of semi-resonance guitar models are equipped with two pickups and the associated control unit - volume and tone controls ( potentiometers ) with rotary knobs and pickup selector switches - on or in the top of the instrument.

Another peculiarity of the construction of semi-resonance guitars is - as with full-resonance electric guitars - the lack of access to the electrical controls via a removable cover in the bottom or top of the instruments. In the event of changes or repairs to these components, the entire electronics must usually be removed through the sound holes using skillful fine motor skills and then reinstalled in the same way. Significant exceptions to this are, on the one hand, the Gibson Lucille model (a modification of the Gibson ES-355 model ), which for sound reasons does not have any F-holes and therefore offers access to the electronics via a screw-on lid in the instrument base; on the other hand the model Gretsch Country Gentleman, whose f-holes are painted on the body (English: fake f-holes ). The electrical system can be accessed through a hole on the back of the body. This hole is closed by a lid secured with press studs.

Due to the construction principle, semi-resonance guitars are to be distinguished from electric guitars of semi-solid construction ; the latter are from the construction forth Solid Body , are milled from the solid wood body during the manufacturing resonant cavities -E guitars. With semi-solid guitars, the wood components of the body are much larger than with semi-resonant guitars. Examples of the semi-solid construction are the Telecaster -Thinline, the Gretsch Duo Jet and some electric guitar models from Rickenbacker .

Typical models of semi-resonant guitars

The Gibson ES-335, which has been manufactured since 1958 , here with a Bigsby vibrato, is one of the most popular semi-resonance guitar models
  • Epiphone Casino (with hollow body without sustain block ; USA)
  • Epiphone Sheraton (Epiphones top model; USA, since 1958)
  • Epiphone Dot , equivalent to Gibson ES-335
  • Epiphone Riviera
  • Framus Atlantic, Sorento, Mayfield (Germany)
  • Gibson Byrdland and Gibson ES-350T (USA, since 1955)
  • Gibson ES-335 ( ES-330, ES-345 and ES-355; USA, since 1958)
  • Gibson Lucille (special stereo model for BB King, without sound holes; USA)
  • Gretsch Chet Atkins Country Gentleman (USA, since 1961)
  • Guild Duane Eddy DE-400 and DE-500 (USA, since 1961)
  • Hagström Viking (Sweden)
  • Höfner Verythin (with a particularly flat body; Germany)
  • Ibanez AS-200 (semi-resonance model from Japan), Artcore series
  • BC Rich Dagger Semi
  • Career The Rod
  • Collins Bluesmaster Series,
  • Hamer Echotone series
  • Heritage H-535, H-555, Prospect Standard
  • Johnson 335 series, Grooveyard
  • Keytone MG501-CS / EAG350M
  • Peavey JF-1
  • PRS SE Custom Semi Hollow
  • Vintage VSA 535, VSA 555
  • Washburn HB series
  • Yamaha SA series, AE series

In addition to semi-resonance electric guitars, semi-resonance electric basses are also manufactured. The best-known representatives of this design include the Höfner 500/1 (" Beatle -Bass") introduced in 1956 and still in production today , the Star Bass model from the German manufacturer Framus, which was made by the Rolling Stones bassist in the mid-1960s, among others Bill Wyman was played, as well as the Gibson models EB-2 (1958 to 1961; 1964 to 1972) and Les Paul Signature Bass (1973 to 1979), both of which are constructed similarly to the guitar model ES-335 .

Important guitarists with semi-resonance guitar

The rock 'n' roll guitarist Chuck Berry was one of the most famous musicians who only play semi-resonance guitars. In this photo, taken during a stage performance in 2007, he is shown with a Gibson ES-355 .

Semi-resonant guitars are played by many well-known guitarists in a wide variety of musical styles. While many musicians play such an instrument for a while in their careers, there are a few guitarists who commit themselves to a particular semi-resonance model, which makes it something of a trademark for them. Some of the most popular among these musicians are given a special model (English: Signature Model ) by the manufacturer of their preferred guitar model . Some of the most famous semi-resonance guitarists

  • Chuck Berry - Rock 'n' Roll ; played the Gibson ES-350 T from 1955 to about 1963 and recorded most of his early hits with it. Berry has been playing the Gibson ES-355 since around 1963 .
  • Larry Carlton - Jazz ; Nickname "Mr. 335 “, based on the Gibson model ES-335 he played .
  • Duane Eddy - Rock 'n' Roll; has been playing a signature model of the Guild brand since 1961 . Co-founder and authoritative representative of the twang guitar through his characteristic guitar sound .
  • John Lee Hooker - Blues ; played mainly Epiphone-Sheraton models in his late career .
  • BB King - Blues; only played the Gibson signature model Lucille, which was dedicated to him .
  • Alvin Lee - rock music ; Guitarist of the band Ten Years After , played a modified ES-335 (nickname "Big Red" ) with an additional third pickup. He was given a Gibson Signature model - the exact replica of his modified guitar.
  • John Lennon - Pop Music , Rock; Has preferred an Epiphone casino since the mid-1960s . The end of the 1990s, Lennon was posthumously the Signature model Epiphone Casino Revolution dedicated; a detailed replica of the guitar he modified.
  • John Scofield - Modern Jazz ; plays live only his signature model of the AS-200 from Ibanez (with the changed model name JSM100 ).

literature

  • Tony Bacon, Dave Hunter: Totally Guitar. The definitive guide. Backbeat, London 2004, ISBN 1-87154-781-4 .
  • Paul Day, Heinz Rebellius , André Waldenmaier: Electric guitars. Everything about construction and history. Carstensen, Munich 2001, ISBN 3-910098-20-7 .
  • Gibson 335 Story & Workshop. In: Guitar & Bass. UK. Vol. 17, No. 8, 2006, ISSN  1755-3385 , p. 22 ff.
  • George Gruhn, Walter Carter: Electric Guitars & Basses. The history of electric guitars and basses. Presse Projekt Verlag, Bergkirchen 1999, ISBN 3-932275-04-7 , pp. 203-222: Chapter Thinbodies - semi-resonant guitars.
  • Höfner Verythin Contemporary. In: Guitar & Bass. Vol. 18, No. 9, 2007, ISSN  0934-7674 , p. 110 f.
  • Electric guitars. Electric guitars, musicians, history, cult (= guitar & bass . Special 3, ISSN  0934-7674 ). MM-Musik-Media-Verlag, Ulm 2004 (published for the exhibition "Stromgitarren" in the State Museum for Technology and Work in Mannheim and in the German Museum of Technology Berlin).

Web links

Commons : Semi-Resonant Guitars  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Day, Rebellius, Waldenmaier: E-Guitars. 2001, p. 141.
  2. ^ A b Day, Rebellius, Waldenmaier: E-Guitars. 2001, p. 132 f.
  3. ↑ Höfner company catalog 2010/2011, p. 32 f.
  4. ↑ Day, Rebellius, Waldenmaier: E-Guitars. 2001, p. 137.
  5. ↑ Udo Pipper: Guitar Tuning - Gibson ES models. In: Guitar & Bass. Vol. 21, No. 4, April 2011, pp. 258 f.
  6. ↑ Tony Bacon, Dave Hunter: Totally Guitar - the Definitive Guide (Guitar Encyclopedia, English). Backbeat Books, London 2004. ISBN 1-871547-81-4 , pp. 454 f.
  7. ^ Gruhn, Carter: Electric Guitars and Basses. 1999, p. 172.
  8. ^ Franz Holtmann: Framus - Built in the Heart of Bavaria. In: Electric Guitars. 2004, p. 104.
  9. ^ Jogi Sweers: The Story of Gibson Basses. Part 1. In: Bass Professor. Vol. 24, No. 4, 2007, ISSN  1431-7648 , p. 100.
  10. ^ Jogi Sweers: The Story of Gibson Basses. Part 2. In: Bass Professor. Vol. 25, No. 1, 2008, p. 80.
  11. ^ Gruhn, Carter: Electric Guitars and Basses. 1999, p. 205.
  12. ↑ Carlo May: Vintage. Guitars and their stories. MM-Musik-Media-Verlag, Ulm 1994, ISBN 3-927954-10-1 , p. 22.
  13. ↑ Electric guitars. 2004, p. 140 f.
  14. ↑ Alvin Lee's "Big Red" on its official website.
  15. ^ Dave Hunter, Rod Cartwright: Guitar Facts. The Essential Reference Guide. Thunder Bay Press, San Diego CA 2006, ISBN 1-59223-673-1 , p. 17.
  16. ↑ Day, Rebellius, Waldenmaier: E-Guitars. 2001, p. 138.
  17. ↑ Udo Pipper: Guitar Tuning - Gibson ES models. In: Guitar & Bass. Vol. 21, No. 6, June 2011, p. 249.