Semi-acoustic guitar

A guitar with a partly hollow body and pickups, built so it can be played quietly at home and amplified for a band without the feedback of a fully hollow instrument.

The construction keeps some of the air of a hollow guitar but adds enough solid mass, often a centre block, to control how the body reacts at volume. Thin, laminated tops are common, since they resist feedback and are cheaper than carved solid plates, and the result is a warm but controlled tone rather than the lively acoustic voice of a carved archtop. It is a compromise instrument, designed for amplified work first.

Example: a thin semi-acoustic through a small valve amplifier at modest gain has an airy, woody tone without howling.

Semi-acoustic guitar

See also