Best Semi Hollow Electric Guitar Under $500 (2026): 5 Picks Compared
Updated Oct 28, 2026 · By 
Jonah Mercer · Ranked from listed specifications · How we rank
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The Grote Full Scale Electric Guitar Semi-Hollow Body leads this list: a semi-hollow basswood body with P-90 pickups and 22 stainless steel frets. If you want humbucker pickups instead, the REDID Semi-Hollow Body Electric Guitar RD-100 Jazz Guitar is the pick, with humbucker pickups and a 3-way toggle switch.
The picks at a glance
Which one should you buy?
- Players who want P-90 pickups in a semi-hollow body: Grote Full Scale Electric Guitar Semi-Hollow Body See pick 1More picks: Best Hollow Body Electric Guitar
- Players who want humbucker pickups in a semi-hollow body: REDID Semi-Hollow Body Electric Guitar RD-100 Jazz Guitar See pick 2More picks: Best Electric Guitar with Humbucker
- Players who want P90 pickups in a sapele body: GROTE Electric Guitar Semi-Hollow Body Guitar matte See pick 3
- Players who want HH pickups in a sapele laminate body: Ibanez Artcore AS53 See pick 4
- Players who want humbucking pickups in a semi-hollow body: ZUWEI Semi Hollow Body Electric Guitar See pick 5
The 5 picks, ranked
1Best Overall
It earns Best Overall with a semi-hollow basswood body, P-90 pickups, a maple neck and 22 stainless steel frets.
Who it suits
- Players who want P-90 pickups in a semi-hollow body
- Players who want 22 stainless steel frets on a guitar
Skip it if
- You want humbucker pickups instead of P-90 pickups
- You want more than 22 frets on a guitar
The Grote MG-404 has a 24.75-inch scale length, a maple neck and a black wood fingerboard with 22 stainless steel frets. Its body is basswood with a maple top, its bridge system is fixed, and its pickup configuration is P-90. The box holds a guitar cable and 2 picks, and the guitar has 6 nickel strings with a 1/4-inch audio jack.
2Runner-Up
REDID Semi-Hollow Body Electric Guitar RD-100 Jazz Guitar
- Pickup layout: Humbucker
It earns Runner-Up with a semi-hollow body, humbucker pickups, a maple neck and a rosewood fretboard.
Who it suits
- Players who want humbucker pickups in a semi-hollow body
- Players who want a 3-way toggle switch and tone knobs
Skip it if
- You want P-90 pickups instead of humbucker pickups
- You want a fixed bridge instead of a Tune-O-Matic bridge
The REDID RD-100 has a 24.75-inch scale length, a 42mm nut, a maple neck and a rosewood fretboard with stainless steel frets. Its body is basswood with a maple top and maple back, its bridge system is Tune-O-Matic, and its pickup configuration is humbucker. It has a 3-way toggle switch, 2 volume knobs and 2 tone knobs, and the guitar has 6 nickel strings with a 1/4-inch audio jack.
3Also Great
It earns Also Great with a sapele body, P90 pickups, a rosewood fingerboard and a matte finish.
Who it suits
- Players who want P90 pickups in a sapele body
- Players who want a matte finish on a semi-hollow body
Skip it if
- You want humbucker pickups instead of P90 pickups
- You want a glossy finish instead of a matte finish
The GROTE GR35-MTGR has a sapele body with a printed maple top, a maple neck and a rosewood fingerboard. Its pickup configuration is P-90, its bridge system is Tune-O-Matic, and its scale length is 24.75 inches. The box holds a guitar cable and 2 picks, and the guitar has 6 nickel strings with a 1/4-inch audio jack, plus a matte finish.
4Also Great
It earns Also Great with a sapele laminate body, HH pickup configuration, 22 frets and a mahogany neck.
Who it suits
- Players who want HH pickups in a sapele laminate body
- Players who want 22 frets on a semi-hollow guitar
Skip it if
- You want P-90 pickups instead of HH pickups
- You want a tremolo bridge instead of a stop tail bridge
The Ibanez AS53 weighs 7.4 pounds and has a sapele laminate body, a mahogany neck and a walnut fretboard with 22 frets. Its pickup configuration is HH, its bridge system is stop tail, and it has a Quick Change III tailpiece and a Gibraltar Performer bridge. It carries a 1-year warranty and has 6 nickel strings with a 1/4-inch audio jack.
5Also Great
It earns Also Great with a mahogany body, a maple top veneer, humbucking pickups and a tremolo bridge.
Who it suits
- Players who want humbucking pickups in a semi-hollow body
- Players who want a tremolo bridge on a semi-hollow guitar
Skip it if
- You want P-90 pickups instead of humbucking pickups
- You want a fixed bridge instead of a tremolo bridge
The ZUWEI TL has a mahogany body with a maple top veneer and a maple neck. Its pickup configuration is H, its bridge system is tremolo, and its scale length is 25.5 inches. It has a flower inlay and a gloss finish, and the guitar has 6 steel strings.
Side by side
| Product | Amp included | Frets | Case or gig bag included | Tuner included | Pickup layout | Weight | Warranty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grote Full Scale Electric Guitar Semi-Hollow Body | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | P-90 | Not stated | Not stated |
| REDID Semi-Hollow Body Electric Guitar RD-100 Jazz Guitar | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Humbucker | Not stated | Not stated |
| GROTE Electric Guitar Semi-Hollow Body Guitar matte | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | P90 | Not stated | Not stated |
| Ibanez Artcore AS53 | Not stated | 22 | Not stated | Not stated | HH | 7.4 lb | 1-year |
| ZUWEI Semi Hollow Body Electric Guitar | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | H | Not stated | Not stated |
How we ranked these electric guitars
Every pick has at least 100 customer ratings on Amazon and a listing with real specifications. The order mixes two things: how each model compares on the specs below (higher share of the best value in this group scores more), and how widely it is bought. The spec score runs from 9.0 to 9.8 and only compares these picks with each other. A spec the listing does not state is left out and the other specs are re-weighted; a listing with fewer than 2 stated specs is scored at half. We do not test gear in person. Full method.
- Amp included weight 2
- Frets weight 1
- Case or gig bag included weight 1
- Tuner included weight 1
Buying advice: semi hollow electric guitar under 500
Compare pickup layouts first
A pickup layout describes the pickups fitted to a guitar. The Grote MG-404 and the GROTE GR35-MTGR use P-90 pickups, the REDID RD-100 uses humbucker pickups, the ZUWEI TL uses humbucking pickups, and the Ibanez AS53 uses HH pickups. Compare the layout on each guitar before choosing, since the layout is part of the guitar itself.
Check scale length and frets
Scale length differs across this list. The Grote MG-404 and the REDID RD-100 have a 24.75-inch scale length, the Ibanez AS53 has a 24.7 scale length, and the ZUWEI TL has a 25.5-inch scale length. The Grote MG-404 and the Ibanez AS53 have 22 frets.
Check body wood and bridge
Body wood and bridge type differ across this list. The Grote MG-404 has a basswood body with a fixed bridge, the GROTE GR35-MTGR has a sapele body with a Tune-O-Matic bridge, the Ibanez AS53 has a sapele laminate body with a stop tail bridge, and the ZUWEI TL has a mahogany body with a tremolo bridge.
Frequently asked questions
Which pickup layout does the Grote MG-404 use?
The Grote MG-404 uses P-90 pickups, with a semi-hollow basswood body, a maple neck and 22 stainless steel frets.
Which guitar here weighs 7.4 pounds?
The Ibanez AS53 weighs 7.4 pounds, with a sapele laminate body, a mahogany neck, a walnut fretboard and 22 frets.
What scale length does the ZUWEI TL use?
The ZUWEI TL has a 25.5-inch scale length, a mahogany body, a maple top veneer and a tremolo bridge.
Does the Ibanez AS53 carry a warranty?
The Ibanez AS53 carries a 1-year warranty, with a sapele laminate body, HH pickups and 22 frets.
Gear that goes with it
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Specifications and availability come from each Amazon listing on Oct 28, 2026 and can change. Check the listing before you buy.