Which guitar is a better semi-hollow body guitar, Ibanez Artcore AS73 or Epiphone Dot Studio?
Deciding on which guitar to buy can be extremely challenging. Whether you’re an amateur or an intermediate guitarist, the struggle is always the same. There is just so many options available! In addition, each online review says something different. Are you in that situation? Trust me. I know that pain. That’s why I created Best Guitars now – a truly reliable source of information about guitars.
As an intermediate guitarist with over 13 years of musical experience, I know exactly which guitar models are the best. In fact, finding something really good and affordable is not that difficult when you use good resources. Today we’re going to review two amazing semi-hollow body guitars: Epiphone Dot Studio and Ibanez Artcore AS73. Let’s see detailed overviews of both guitars. Ready? Let’s rock n’ roll!
Epiphone Dot Studio
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If you’re into blues, jazz or similar music genres, this semi-hollow body guitar will be ideal for you. This instrument is fantastic. Epiphone somehow managed to lock a truly vintage 1950s guitar sound and remarkable quality in a really modern instrument. In addition, the unique appearance is a truly unique selling point of this guitar. Dot Studio model is highly inspired by the famous Gibson ES-335, a legendary and prestigious semi-hollow body guitar. The guitar features a laminated maple top and body. In addition, the neck is made of maple. The body is quite large, although it’s really comfortable to play. Surprisingly, the guitar is not heavy.
In terms of sound, the guitar sounds really warm, clean and resonant. Similarly as the other semi-hollow body instruments, you don’t really need an amp to play loud and clear. Being able to practice without plugging in is a major advantage of all hollow body guitars. Dot Studio pickups create a really warm tone which will be ideal for jazz and blues music. What’s more, if you prefer playing with a bit more crunch, you can always use the bridge pickup. The instrument sounds absolutely amazing. No doubt!
Epiphone Dot Studio Is Comparable with Gibson ES-335
Feel free to check out this sound test below. In comparison with Gibson ES-335, the Epiphone Dot sounds absolutely amazing.
Sounds great, right? Nevertheless, although this guitar is versatile, I do not recommend it for metal music If you’re a metalhead, you should probably look for something different. In fact, I created a list of best metal guitars within the same price range. Feel free to have a look, you might find something for you in there. Still, Epiphone Dot Studio offers amazing quality at really reasonable pricing. If you want to use similar instrument as Dave Grohl, B.B. King and Chuck Berry, you should definitely check out the Epiphone Dot Studio. You won’t be dissapointed!
Ibanez Artcore AS73
Similarly as the previous guitar, Ibanez Artcore AS73 sounds absolutely great. This model is currently manufactured in Indonesia. In the past, it used to be China. Although it doesn’t really matter – they quality of Artcore Series was always absolutely outstanding. In my opinion, in terms of appearance it looks a little bit more unique. This guitar is also inspired by the legendary Gibson ES-335. Undoubtedly, there is something really cool about that tobacco brown color. What’s more, it’s also available in the metallic olive color. The guitar is very easy on the eyes.
In terms of sound, the ACH humbuckers offer a really versatile sound. Nevertheless, personally I prefer the pickups used in Epiphone Dot Studio. It might be just me, but this guitar sounds a little bit more flat in my opinion. Although, it happens only when plugged in. When you want this guitar to be really loud, the sound tends to crank. Nevertheless, it’s still an amazing guitar. It will be ideal for lovers of classic rock, blues and jazz. At the same time it will also be really cool for indie and alternative guitarists. Feel free to check out this sound test below.
Hollow Body Guitars – History
This kind of guitars have a really long and interesting history. Semi-hollow body and semi-acoustic guitars were widely used by jazz musicians and their communities in 1930s. As new models emerged, the hollow body guitars started to become more popular. Hence, they entered the mainstream pop, folk and blues genres. What’s interesting, due to the hollow shape, the guitars tend to produce feedback. It was particularly hearable when guitar amplifiers were at a loud level. Nevertheless, in a few years time the music industry became way more experimental. Hence, musicians started using this feedback as more creatively. Combined with guitar effects pedals, the feedback resulted with truly exceptional psychodelic sounds. As an example, Ted Dugent used that tone very frequently in his music. Certainly, his hollow body Gibson guitar was made for it.
Semi-Hollow – what does it mean?
Semi-hollow body instruments try to mix the pushy, compact, feedback-resistant tone and the open and warm voice of hollow bodies. As a result, the guitars have a solid piece of wood in the middle of semi-hollow wings. Indeed, that center block is what defines semi-hollow guitars. What’s interesting, that small wooden part stabilizes the guitar bridge and reduces both harmonic and acoustic feedback.
Used By The Best
Semi-hollow and hollow body guitars are still relevant in the music industry. Today’s guitarist often choose these guitars for studio recordings and live gigs. Examples include Dan Auerbach (The Black Keys), Alex Turner (Arctic Monkeys), George Benson and many, many more famous players. In the past, it was also often used by Paul McCartney, John Lennon and B.B. King. In addition, the last two of them actually released their own signature hollow body models. As you can see, the hollow body guitars are extremely important for the music industry. Their popularity is also a result of their light weight.
Ibanez Artcore AS73 vs Epiphone Dot Studio – Final Thoughts
Both guitars are equally amazing. No doubt with that. Whether you choose Ibanez or Epiphone, you will definitely be satisfied. Amazing tone, versatility and affordable price – who needs more! The models produced by Ibanez and Epiphone are definitely inspired by the legendary Gibson ES 335. It’s great that we can all get a glimpse of this special guitar without breaking the bank.
Which guitar would you choose? Let me know in the comments below.
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Dave, the creator of Best Guitars Now, is an advanced guitar player with over thirteen years of experience. The aim of this blog is to educate beginner and intermediate guitarists about the best and affordable guitars. In addition, we’re trying to promote the most efficient ways of learning guitar playing. We also want to create a supportive community of musicians. Thanks for checking out this blog!
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