<P> However, Gibson made the ES - 150 several years after Rickenbacker made the first solid - body electric guitar . The ES series was merely an experiment the Gibson company used to test the potential success of electric guitars . The experiment was a successful financial venture, and the ES series is often referred to as the first successful electric guitar . The ES - 150 was followed by the ES - 250 a year later, in what became a long line of semi acoustics for the Gibson company . </P> <P> In 1949 Gibson released two new models: the ES - 175 and ES - 5 . These guitars came standard with built - in electric pickups and are widely considered the first fully electric semi-acoustic guitars . Prior models were not built with pickups; rather, they came as attachments . As the production and popularity of solid body electric guitars increased, there was still a market of guitar players who wanted to have the traditional look associated with the semi-acoustic guitars of the 1930s but also wanted the versatility and comfort of new solid body guitars . Several models, including the ES - 350T by Gibson, were made in the 1950s to accommodate this growing demand by including a more comfortable version of the archtop model . </P> <P> Gibson and other makers followed these variations with an entirely new type of guitar that featured a block of solid wood between the front and back sections of the guitars cutaway . This guitar still functioned acoustically, but had a smaller resonant cavity inside, which makes less sound emit from the f holes . Gibson first manufactured this variant in 1958 . It is commonly referred to as a semi-hollow body guitar, because of the smaller, less open body . </P> <P> Rickenbacker also began making semi-acoustic guitars in 1958 . When the company changed ownership in 1954, they hired German guitar crafter, Roger Rossmiesl . He developed the 300 series for Rickenbacker, which was a wide semi-acoustic that did not use a traditional f hole . Rather it used a sleeker dash hole on one side of the guitar, the other side had a large pickguard . This model boasted a modern design with a unique Fireglo finish . It quickly became one of Rickenbacker's most popular series and became a strong competitor to Gibson's models . </P>

What is the point of a semi hollow guitar