No matter how aggressively I picked or
set up the amp, the chambered body and
maple/mahogany combination contributed
a woody resonance, while single notes
remained crisp and articulate.
Great Feel and Killer Sounds
When I first took our Semi-Hollow from
its big Cedar Creek case, I was pleased to
find it light at just 6. 85 pounds. I gave
both the headstock and bridge a little tap
and they resonated noticeably—a clue that
this would be a toneful guitar.
Hanging on my shoulders, the Semi-Hollow felt balanced and comfortable.
It also felt very compact, especially compared to Gretsch semi-hollowbodies or an
ES-335, which is a full 2" wider.
The neck has an inviting medium-sized
C profile, and with its 25" scale, 12" radius,
and smooth, low action, the guitar can feel
like it’s playing itself. It takes very little
effort to traverse the neck playing single-note lines or barre chords along its length.
The guitar feels just a little tight for bending, but that’s certainly attributable to its
.011 set of strings.
Unplugged, the Semi-Hollow has a
colorful and echoic character, thanks to
its chambered construction and wooden
tailpiece. The sound is warm and at times,
unmistakably mahogany-like, with a little
extra snap that’s likely attributable to the
maple top.
Running through a Fender Pro Junior,
our Semi-Hollow—equipped with twin
Seymour Duncan ’ 59 humbuckers that can
be coil tapped—offered a broad spectrum
of killer tones. On the neck humbucker, the
tonally more diverse than a standard semi,
and its Brazilian-rosewood components
reflect a design sensibility you don’t often
see on offerings from major manufactur-
ers. And at around $5000, this completely
handmade guitar isn’t that much more than
a lot of big builder’s high-end offerings.
Artinger is rich and open sounding, which
called for some blues-rock meandering—
especially with an overdrive pedal in the
mix. And rolling back the tone and volume
conjured a harmonically rich jazz tone that
was perfect for some Wes Montgomery
chordal fatness.
But the Semi-Hollow also has a rude
side. The bridge humbucker has a penetrating tone that will cut and command
attention for fierce rock soloing and driving, forceful rhythm work. No matter how
aggressively I picked or set up the amp,
the chambered body and maple/mahogany
combination contributed a woody resonance, while single notes remained crisp
and articulate.
The Semi-Hollow would be a remarkable guitar on the strength of its humbucking sounds alone. But the coil-tapping
capabilities are a big bonus. By tapping
both coils and using various pickup combinations, each alone or together, I was able
to get sounds that were almost Fender-like
in the manner of Ernie Isley, but with some
of the hollowbody color of Leo Nocentelli’s
funk moves.
Rating:
Buy If...
you’re in the market for a serious,
professional, and capable semi-
hollow that deviates from the norm.
Skip If...
you’re a traditionalist when it comes
to guitar design, or your billfold is
a little thin right now.
The Verdict
If you’re a semi-hollow aficionado searching
for a guitar that departs from the traditional
templates, you should definitely check out
an Artinger Semi-Hollow. This guitar looks,
feels, and sounds awesome. The mahogany
back and maple top tonewood combination
gives the Artinger an expansive range of
colorful and detailed tones. It’s lighter and
Artinger Custom
Guitars
Street $4990
artingerguitar.com
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audio clips of the guitar at
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