What's the difference in Hollowbodies?

[pandarocket]

I was thinking about getting a hollwbody recently and got a bit boggled, so could someone please explain the differences between: ES335, ES 355, Casino, Dot, Sheraton and any others you may be able to think of in the same family. I think I can at least say the Riviera has a Bigsby on it. But after that I am a bit stumped.

 

I did end up with a hollowbody, however. It is a new Gretsch 5420T in Fairlane Blue, which is a thing of utter beauty and joy.

 

I am aware that a certain member will tell me about Gretsches not being proper because they're not Gibsons and then post images of his LP Junior, but I will just ignore him.

[capmaster]

Congrats on your Gretsch 5420T, HNGD! Looks nice to me.

 

As far as I know, the Casino is a hollowbody guitar while ES-335, ES-355, Riviera, Sheraton, and Dot are semi-hollows (or semi-solids from another point of view ;) )

[Parabar]

Capmaster is correct. Here's a further breakdown of Epiphones:

 

Semi-hollow with center block: Dot, Dot Studio, Riviera, Sheraton, 335-PRO, ES-339, ES-345, ES-355, B.B. King Lucille, Elitist Country Deluxe

Semi-hollow with routed body: Wildkat, Alley Kat, FlameKat

Hollow body: Casino, Casino Coupe, Sorrento, ES-175, ES-295, Joe Pass Emperor II, Broadway (both regular and Elitist), Elitist Byrdland, Emperor Regent, Herb Ellis ES-165, Zephyr Blues Deluxe, Zephyr Regent

 

BTW, I also have a Gretsch 5420 in Ice Blue Metal Flake, and love it. It has a completely different voice to anything made by Gibson or Epiphone, and is like having a different set of colors to paint with.

 

[Supersonic]

so could someone please explain the differences between: ES335, ES 355, Casino, Dot, Sheraton

 

The Casino is fully hollow and has P90's. All of the others you mentioned are semi-hollow with humbuckers, just different cosmetic appointments.

[pandarocket]

Thanks guys, that does clear things up for me.

[deeman]

This is Epiphone, get that Gretsch out of here.

 

 

Here is a real epiphone

[Parabar]

This is Epiphone, get that Gretsch out of here.

[pandarocket]

Final question and then I'll leave you all in peace. Which are Epiphone's own models and which are Gibson ones?

[Parabar]

Final question and then I'll leave you all in peace. Which are Epiphone's own models and which are Gibson ones?

The Wildkat (and the other discontinued Kats) and Joe Pass Emperor II are the only Epiphone proprietary designs.

 

The current Broadway bears more resemblance to the Gibson L-5CES than it does to the original Epiphone Broadway from the 40's and 50's; likewise the Emperor Regent as a budget Johnny Smith.

 

The Sheraton is based on the Gibson ES-355, but with different finishes and mini-humbuckers could be seen as an original design.

 

The Casino is an Epi version of the Gibson ES-330, the Sorrento is based on the Gibson ES-125 thinline single cutaway, the Zephyr Blues Deluxe is Epi's version of a Gibson ES-5.