guitar for rockabilly

[blank20]

I'm looking for nice looking hollow body guiar. I like models like theese
[url]https://gb.muzyczny.pl/159099_VGS-VSH120-Raven-Black-Mustang-Semi-Hollow-electric-guitar-paint-flaw.html[/url]
[url]http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/AFS75TTRS[/url]
[url]http://www.ebay.com/itm/Epiphone-Wildkat-Semi-Hollowbody-Electric-Guitar-with-Bigsby-BLEM-/222118494299[/url]
Which one will be better for rockabilly and heavier playing?

[BigRedX]

Are you going to be playing that in a rockabilly band? The scene can be quite conservative and your bandmates and other bands may turn up their noses at anything that doesn't say "Gretch" on the headstock.

On a slightly more serious note, I wouldn't consider anything that doesn't have a vibrato unit, so that rules out the guitar in your first link.

Our guitarist used to have an similar model Ibanez Artcore. The thing to watch is that the vibrato unit doesn't have the bar at the front to hold the strings down. The advantage of this is that it is less like to go out of tune as quickly with enthusiastic vibrato arm use, however the downside is that the break angle of the strings over the bridge is very shallow and if you are a reasonably aggressive player the strings will be forever popping out of their saddles.

Ultimately you really need to try these guitars for yourself. IME the things that make a good rockabilly guitar - big hollow bodies and Bigsby style vibrato units don't always suit heavier styles of music. You'll need to decide which is the best compromise for everything you want to do.

IMO the Artcore looks the part and sounds pretty good although I'd prefer P90 style pickups, the Epiphone might be more versatile.

[TrevorR]

The gut who played in the same covers band as me was a a bit of a rockabilly rebel at heart. He had a lovely Gretsch Electromatic - one of the Korean models. Always sounded great, especially on the rock and roll numbers..

http://www.dawsons.co.uk/gretsch-5422tdc-electromatic-electric-guitar?prod=96921&gclid=CjwKEAjw1Iq6BRDY_tK-9OjdmBESJABlzoY7fs6tRGzu_zHZ7hYtJIE2UltdtfwiAlG2xZ2FeqQWDhoCtsXw_wcB

[Mykesbass]

BRX will have the knowledge on what is and isn't frowned upon in those circles but I'd like to add the Cort Sunset to the list (sorry, can't figure out adding links on my phone).

[Cat Burrito]

I play guitar in a rock 'n' roll band (there is a difference between RnR and Rockabilly, a whole thread in itself!) and have played with rockabilly bands. Gretsch is obviously king but any single cutaway hollowbody is usually acceptable. And there is nothing wrong with playing whatever you want! The Ibanez is good and I rate the Wildkat too. Personally I flit between a Gretsch, a couple of Epiphones and a tele but even play a strat too - all 50s stylings rather than modern versions.

I've posted this before but I urge anyone to watch the experiment 2mins in - it really does say it all!

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1hYbd3ebPQ&feature=youtu.be [/media]

(edited because I hadn't embedded the clip before)

Edited August 25, 2016 by Burrito

[organic]

I use a Gretsch Tennessee Rose... whereas the 6120 is regarded as THE rockabiily guitar, I still prefer my Tenny as it's longer scale and hence more twang down the bottom end.

[ezbass]

The Epiphone Swingster punches well above its price point and easily holds its own against the Gretsch Electromatics (and I'm a huge Gretsch fanboy).

[randythoades]

I play a mix of rockabilly and country both on guitar and upright bass. BigRedX is right, it is a very conservative scene. I play a Telecaster but even this raises eyebrows on occasion. Bear in mind that if you are doing 50s rockabilly, a good portion of that was played on solid body guitars (cliff Gallup for instance played a Gretsch Duo Jet slid body) but the image of the Gretsch hollowbody was really cemented in the public mind by the likes of Brian Setzer.
I think that the amp has more to do with the sound than the guitar but if you have the chops then no one will really mind. And the spirit of Rockabilly is about being a rebel so play what you like...