Famous guitarists who use semi-acoustic guitars, known for their elegant looks and highly adaptable sound.
The semi-acoustic guitar, often called a “semi-acoustic” or “semi-hollow,” boasts an elegant, almost handcrafted look and a tone that sits between a solid-body and a hollow-body guitar.
Its history goes back to 1958, when Gibson introduced the legendary ES-335.
Since then, guitar makers have released countless models up to the present day.
“Semi-acoustic” isn’t the name of a single model but a term for a construction style, so each brand offers its own compelling lineup.
We’ve highlighted master guitarists who wield the semi-acoustic across a wide range of genres, including rock, blues, jazz, and fusion.
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With elegant looks and highly adaptable sound, here are famous guitarists who use semi-hollow guitars (21–30)
Johnny Marr
Johnny Marr, famous as the guitarist of The Smiths and a pioneer of UK alternative and indie rock.
He often plays a Fender Jaguar, but during The Smiths era he frequently used semi-acoustic guitars like Rickenbackers and the ES-335 as well.
Toshiyuki Abe
I’m a Japanese musician and the guitarist for Tulip.
Of all my instruments, the Gibson ES-335 is my favorite, but I also play Rickenbackers and custom-made guitars from Ibanez.
I’m active as a support musician as well, having participated in works by Mari Sugiyama and Piccadilly Circus.
I also publish essay collections and am involved in a wide range of activities.
John Lennon
When it comes to The Beatles’ frontman John Lennon’s guitar, the Epiphone Casino comes to mind.
It’s a very famous guitar because Lennon used it.
However, there’s frequent debate about whether the Casino is a semi-hollow or a full-hollow guitar, and some argue it’s not a semi-hollow—so keep that in mind.
Mick Taylor
Mick Taylor, Keith’s second partner in The Rolling Stones, often played semi-hollow guitars as well.
It’s a shame he’s underrated relative to his talent, but his slide guitar is truly exquisite.
There are very few players who can make a guitar sound that seductive.
Yasuhiro Suzuki
He is a Japanese singer-songwriter and a former member of Off Course.
He has been active in a wide range of fields, including writing songs for Hiromi Go and television commercials.
While he prefers to use acoustic and semi-acoustic guitars, he owns many other instruments as well.
He is trusted by many top-tier musicians.
nakajin
He is the leader and guitar sound producer of SEKAI NO OWARI.
His trademark is a hat and glasses, and he is said to be very serious and stoic.
In addition to the guitar, he plays a variety of instruments such as the tambourine and the sitar.
He has long favored a semi-hollow Gibson ES-335, and it seems to be used frequently in live performances.
Ritchie Blackmore
When it comes to guitars used by the hard rock legend Ritchie Blackmore, it feels like the Stratocaster is the only option, but he actually used a semi-hollow too.
It was in the early days of Deep Purple, and there’s even footage of it.
The songs from that period aren’t hard rock, but I think his playing is pretty cool.