Gibson Gibson Gibson Gibson Gibson Gibson Gibson Gibson, and if at all possible, Gibson, unless you go to some antique or junk store in the middle of nowhere and find a beat-up Gretsch New Yorker, in which case the price of restoration will be a fraction of its value. (It has happened; never pass by a gut feeling when you see that garage sale) Gibson hollow bodies have a very nice low action for more stylistic fluorishes, excellent tone, and are very easy to adjust and keep tuned. You may even be able to find a Gretsch hiding somewhere in a pawn shop if you're lucky. But that's more acoustic hollow body, for the likes of Western swing, flatpicking, and jazz. If you can find any hollow body more than 25 years old, it may have personality even if it was inexpensive at the time to make. You may have to get the neck adjusted to improve the action, but still. They do LOOK cool.

AllieKatt