Ambient Guitar Gear Review - Electro-Harmonix Mel9 Tape Replay Machine (EHX, Mellotron)
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- Опубликовано: 22 окт 2024
- If you play guitar and are a fan of the mythical Mellotron keyboard, this EHX pedal is for you. Learn about the features of the Mel9 and listen to its lush re-creation of one of the coolest keyboards of all time. Does it do Ambient Guitar? Oh yeah!!!!!
Be sure to check out the Mel9 sounds when the Neunaber Immerse is added into the mix. Huge!! Starts at 8:57
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Equipment used:
Electro-Harmonix Mel9 Tape Replay Machine (EHX): amzn.to/2faJeeY
Wampler Ego Compressor: amzn.to/2dZDTHf
Morley Little Alligator Volume Pedal: amzn.to/2es8L2M
Strymon DIG
Neunaber Immerse Reverberator:
Avid Eleven Rack: amzn.to/2dyFaWF
Focusrite Saffire Pro 40: amzn.to/2es9elp
Apple Logic Pro X
Shortcuts to demos:
Orchestra 3:41
Cello 4:11
Strings 4:40
Flute 5:15
Clarinet 5:54
Saxophone 6:36
Brass 7:19
Low Choir 7:52
High Choir 8:23
Orchestra with Reverb 8:57
High Choir with Reverb 9:54
chords of orion - ambient/post-rock guitar music for the mind and heart.
bill vencil - guitars
web: chordsoforion.com
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![ELECTRO HARMONIX Mel9 // Tape Replay Machine | ALL THE SOUNDS [NO TALK / ONLY TONES]](/img/1.gif)
I'm running a self built electric violin through this pedal in a local Prog band! It works GREAT on the full range of the instrument!
Henry Lowman how did you built the violin?
Just got one. Like using a volume pedal with it to get the type of sound I want.
That sounds dope
I fell in love with this pedal when I first saw it 2 years ago. I thought it would be one of those pedals that in theory sound great, but in actuality are useless. I finally got one yesterday and have to say it is the best $220 I’ve spent in a long time.
Cool - glad you are liking the pedal. For me, it continues to be a specialty pedal, but when I need it - I am really glad that I have it.
I would love a multi effect pedal with all the sounds of the 9 series (C9 B9 Mel9 Key9 and Synth9) kind of like the Boss SY300 but with better pre sets and sounds. Also the Mel9 and the Superego are godsend for pads.
Bought one of these when they first came out as I have always loved the original Mellotron’s capabilities and sound, though not the cost or problems associated with them. I was truly blown away by this little box, and played “In the Court of the Crimson King” so authentically it amazed my keyboardist friend, who owns a high end Nord!
I bought it today. 110% satisfied with the purchase. Nights in White Satin sounded amazing when I played it along with the Moody Blues video. RUclips does not do it justice compared to coming out of your guitar amp. HUGE! Get it!
Nice!!!
Your reviews are great, but I'd like to hear single notes as well as chords being played with some of these effect pedals. Maybe play a couple of octaves worth of a scale slowly? I'd be interested in hearing the texture of single tones as well.
The mellotron on Strawberry Fields Forever by the Beatles defines the original mellotron sound.
hell yeah.
Thank you Ser Davos! Great review!
:-)
Amazing! How do they get all the tapes into that little box?
Ha!
little Keebler elves build these when not making cookies
Sorry to be off topic but does any of you know a way to get back into an Instagram account??
I was stupid forgot the account password. I would love any tricks you can offer me!
@Kolton Rowan instablaster =)
Amazing, this thing actually sounds like a mellotron. Excellent demo!
As lovers of all manner of Mellotron, we approve of and love this pedal.
mah boi Bill looks stoned out of his gourd.
no stones here!
Well played sir! It appears that I have the stones. haha
Fantastic review. Mine comes in the mail on Wednesday!
Awesome!
chords of onion, is that a half capo?
iThrashNano
Looks to me like he might be having some allergies going on but nothing else.
Potential buyers keep in mind the max sustain cuts off pretty quick like the original machine. I wish they pushed this beyond the limitation of the sample lengths in the old machines, looks like they're going for authenticity over new school functionality. As mentioned in the comments, add reverb and delay to round out this pedal.
Agreed about the sustain cutoff - some are longer than others, but you do need to be aware of it when you are playing. The instructions that come with the pedal mention that you will likely need to adjust your playing to get the most out of the pedal, and I have found that to be true.
It's fun with vocals as well when in choir mode. Also put a tube screamer running through fuzz pie through the Mellotron and you get awesome solos.
Great suggestions!
I use the Mel 9 on the strings setting and fingerpick a few songs with it. Love the strings in the background!!
I use this pedal with piezo (under bridge) classical guitars. The signal needs a boost in order to achieve decent sound output. I use the electro harmonix LBP1 clean linear boost. Any clean boost will do.
Great demo. This is not an easy pedal to master as the different settings require delicate adjustments to sound best.
Thanks
Was kind of wondering the same as I have a Parker fly bronze that only has piezo pickups
This is the core sound on my main board. Solos might use the flute voice. Big washes of sound are generally orchestra or one of the choirs; they go through shimmer & phaser. The dry signal goes through its own FX. Psychedelia lives!
I just took delivery of my Mel 9 and although I havn't had time to experiment yet, I did go through the settings briefly and all I can say is buy one today!!! .... I had already bought the C9 and B9 some time ago and wasn't impressed so returned them but this is in a class of it's own....love this pedal....just buy one!!
Nice!
I like the cello, violin and flute settings the best. Not to sure about the rest straight up but I'm sure you could find some use for them with other pedals involved
I'd be curious to see how this sounds on a baritone guitar. May have to pick one up
Love that thing! Albert Hammond Jr used it in Ode to the Mets, and I cannot get away from that sound since!
So ironic you release a video about this pedal on the same day i chose to order one. Going to have a lot of fun tomorrow!
Excellent!! Sounds great with a little delay and reverb behind it...
Great demo. Makes me want to try one. This could be very useful in the right context. I think I would use the Cello setting the most. I could add some interesting/contrasting layers with this on top of a regular guitar sound.
Nathan Shafer The cello setting is my favorite as well. Gotta get this someday, but there are a few essentials in front of it.
awakeintulsa like?
Well, I need a phaser, tremolo, and expression pedal. After that I can get more unique pedals like this one. The new EHX Synth9 coming out soon sounds cool.
awakeintulsa oh ok
I bought the EHX Synth9 and although has some great synth sounds, I wouldn't use it that much so returned it, for me it was just a gadget.... something to play with when I got bored.
For those wondering about this pedal for Bass. I had it, switched it for something else. The pedal doesn't synthesize a lot of low notes very well. The only effects that decently worked were Orchestra and Flute. Low and High Choir we're very strange. When in High Choir: you were on the 4th fret of the E string they would be very low, ugly even. Move up 1 fret and all of a sudden you've got a dominantly high choir. The pedal also sustains and sounds better when using chords. So perhaps a Picolo bass would work for this. But from my own experience and having tried in band practise and at home this pedal is not so succesful for bass. (this was tested on a Fender Mex Jazz and a Fender Custom American Parts Precision bass)
Thanks so much for sharing your experience. This is really helpful!! I would agree that bass is not in the optimal range for the Mel9, given that it tries to replicate the actual range of a mellotron. For those of you considering the pedal, be sure to read the online instructions that EHX provides about the design goals and limitations of the pedal: www.ehx.com/products/mel9/instructions
@@chordsoforion I'm looking to put the signal to the Mel9 through an octave-up pedal first. Would this do the trick?
STRAWBS! "Grave New World." Sweet!!!
Really nice demo. Your technique compliments the Mel and it returns the favor. Inspiring sounds! I always look forward to your videos - do keep them coming.
Will do and thanks for the kind words!
Great demo Bill. I was wondering when the MEL9 would show up. What a fun piece of gear! Thanks!
Thanks!!!
So, Bill, what are your thoughts on it, four years later? I have it early in the chain on my board, and I find it makes a great base for really tweaking with lots of other things, afterwards, sounds great with ebow and some crazy delays. It's become a crucial part of my sound.
I love the high choir so much! Just that setting makes me want to buy one! It's the perfect setting for ambient songs I have in mind
Yes, works really well with reverb and delays!
Chords Of Orion Right on. Hopefully I can check it out soon. 😃 Thanks for the vid!
Hmm. I bet the choir setting combined with a talkbox could be interesting. Not necessarily to really vocalise, just choose the vowel sound etc.
Either way, I need one for the flute and cello.
Never knew of this pedal and now I definitely would love to try one!
Definitely worth a try!
Came down to thank you for the cool demo and shocked at all the negativity. Clearly this pedal isn’t for everyone, but why get nasty and personal.
There are voices I’d probably never use, then again it would make a great exercise to force myself to come up with something that sounded good on my least favorite setting.
The mellotron was used on some of my favorite tracks and by some AMAZING artists. There is so much potential here.
Thanks for the demo and the chilled out channel!
I wonder if the folks who are negative about it were expecting a more "modern" sound. But thanks for the comment and I agree, there is a lot of potential in the right setting.
Wow! This was a completely new effect for me. I expected it might sound good with strings and choirs and for the most part it did. But the shocker for me was the clarinet. That had some really great possibilities. Another expensive(?) toy to buy, I guess. LOL Thanks again.
I also have this pedal and I think the best sounds are: orchestra, cello, low and high choir.
Can you show how to do In the "Court of the Crimson King" opening?
I use #5 with the effects mix low coming underneath my dry signal. Nice ethereal sound😎
OMG this is my dream pedal!
It is still pretty cool for me, especially with delay and reverb mixed in.
I've been wanting to do some big, cinematic music using guitar and this really fits the bill.
Marc I literally flipped when I first heard about it too!
I would like ALL of the Electro Harmonix '9' pedals myself 😆
I think they're all nice sounding pedals but I wish they'd make just 1 unit with them all on it, to save some space. The only downside as far as I'm concerned is the price....at a little over £200 each, they mostly go for £204-£212 wherever I've seen them for sale. This is a bit overpriced in my opinion and if, like me, you want to get the set, you're looking at over a grand, and that's not including the new mono synth pedal they've just brought out.
I just have the 2 at the moment, the B9 & Mel9 and I'm happy with them both so I'll just get the others as & when I can afford any, and I reckon the Synth9 will probably be the next 1 I get, although some days I like the Key9 more so realistically the order in which I buy any more will depend on whichever 1 I see going for a reasonable price second hand on eBay. 😆
I've got the B9 & C9 already. Great little gimmick pedals. Can't say I'd use them with any regularity but for some quick needed organ/piano sounds they're a lot easier to use than hooking up the ol' Roland GR-55 MIDI.
Agreed that they are specialty pedals. I have to say that I finding some good uses for the Mel9 in some of my current recordings.
I was hoping you'd play "Rumble" in the Brass setting using a guitar with a Floyd and a wah wah pedal, but, I will hit the buy button and do it myself...
I've been enjoying watching your videos. I was curious what would the essential Pedals for playing ambient guitar be, if you were on a budget?
I would say that the 2 essentials (for me) are a volume pedal and a good delay. Everything else can be added one at a time afterward.
Thanks so much!
I love that tune being played.
Thanks!
ive been waiting for your to review this pedal. I really want one to make a review video. They are so cool. thanks man.
also this will help with your game of thrones cover. hahaha.
a clumsy buddy of mine dropped my Mel9 pedal twice but it still plays great....and my buddy is still breathing.
You mention the Moody Blues. You very much resemble Mike Pinder, the mellotron player, singer and song writer with the MB from 1963 to 1980. The MB have never been the same after Mike left! What a huge talent that they've lost! They have sounded more like ELO than the old Moody Blues! What a shame!
It's an interesting pedal, definitely I'll try soon... great video btw :)
Glad you liked the video! Tip if you do try it: Run the pedal into a full range speaker. It's much easier to get a pleasing tone that way. Also, take a look at EHX manual on the Mel9. They talk about the tonal quality and the playing response of the pedal.
Great, thanks for the tip :)
Hugely impressed. I m getting it. Thanks
Yes sir, I want this. Your review vids are the best. The Reverb one wasn’t go into detail.
The WAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLS ON WHICH THE PROPHETS WROTE..................
Yessss!
I didn't see the name of the chanel before I clicked on the review. Once I realized it's Chords of Orion, I knew I'm gonna go broke, again 😂.
Alright dude I've heard enough. When are ya
gonna go out & tour? Really enjoy your stuff!
I did play a live gig in upstate New York back in September!
Thanks Mr. Orion! That's only about 850 miles for me. Lol.
Awesome music tho, really enjoying all of it, music as
well as hardware stuff too. Amazing
I was 13 when "Nights in White Satin" came out. I became a mellotron/Moody Blues freak! The issue I have with this as a guitar pedal (and guitar synths as well) is that kids will start playing blues and pentatonic rock licks with this and wonder why it sounds like crap. There are only a handfull of artists who know how to use a mellotron effectively and most of them are retired.
That is a very good point. The instruction manual that comes with the Mel9 mentions that you need to change your playing to get the most out of the pedal.
freak49 "blues and pentatonic rock licks," you mean like Led Zeppelin? You douchebag. Zep sounds great with this pedal. As do MANY rock tunes. Moody Blues sucks, overrated one hit wonders.
I think it should be advertised as a pedal for guitar BUT MOSTLY FOR KEYS (or synth)... Because It's almost impossible to recreate on a guitar the way you play keys !
I have the B9 organ simulator, and you do have to 'think keyboard' to get the best out of it - the chord voicings, and even the way you play the chords matter. I pick them with a finger for each string so the notes sound at the same time, rather than strum. Keyboard tuition videos are a great help!
This one + EQD Transmisser must be CRAZY!
Can confirm, great set up :)
Nevermind that pedal. Look at that MAPLE!!! OMG, i'm in love 8-)
+wolfhorsky my Carvin had been a trusty friend for 13 years or so. Still enjoy looking at the top from time to time!
I noticed it on other vids, but here it really pops. Great job BTW.
Nice demo for the Mel 9, Bill. I think I'm just about convinced. Wonder how it might go hooked up alongside my Ravish Sitar?!
Thanks! and it would be interesting to hear the 2 together. I don't think I would try running one into another, but rather switch back and forth for different parts of a song.
Digging the Carvin,that fingerboard looks really wide in the video, really interesting that u capo'ed only part of the neck, real progressive,man..
Should have Carvin build you a double neck that looks exactly the same! It's awesome,a little Holdsworth-ish
Actually - the Carvin IS a Holdsworth model. :-) The HF2. And the neck is indeed fairly substantial with a 20" radius - very flat. I love it...
What happens if you play too fast through it? I wanted to use the flute setting to do some scale-ish things but maybe not if you can only hit chords
So it sounds like there is a tremolo/vibrato effect on the different sounds built in. Is there a way to turn that effect down or off?
Also how do you personally like it with distortion?
Great videos BTW, really liked the ambient baritone guitar tips. Thanks!
Hey Sam! The vibrato in the pedal is meant to mimic the tape recordings that were used in the real Mellotron. And no, it is not adjustable, again, just like the real Mellotron.
As far as distortion goes, I've not done a lot with it. Electro-Harmonix recommends NOT putting the distorion before the Mel9 as it can affect the tracking. So that leaves placing it after the pedal, which I suspect would tend to obscure the sound if overused. I could see some light crunchiness adding to the texture, kind of like a dirty Hammond organ sound.
No
I like the general overall sound of this but too many of the presets sound alike...more bang for your buck is the Electro-Harmonix SYNTH9 Synthesizer Machine.
As much as I like my Mel 9 I believe it was undeveloped. It requires a compressor limiter to control the wild fluctuating note levels as it just prefers some to others. A simple compressor built into it surely is not too much to ask Electro Harmonix? Good demo C O D
Thank you for the great review!Have been thinking of getting one,just because I "innagoddalahavit"! ; )
Nice demo. Congrats, man. That tremolo/vribrato on the sustain, can you adjust time/bpm for that?
Thanks! And no, the vibrato is not adjustable.
Chords Of Orion - Oh... Shame. But ok, sounds good, anyway. Thank you!
I just got the Mel9 and I like the sounds, but even with the attack turned long and the mix set all the way to effect, with lots of reverb, I still get a little pfft of pick noise before the note swelling in. I noticed it particularly on the Choir voice. Is there a way to avoid this other than volume swelling every note?
hello sir, I am a big fan of you, and I just wonder do you have any specific reason that you don’t post about Mxr M300? thank you..! It is too hard for me to choose between M300 and nernaber immerse..
The reason is simple - I do not have access to or own a M300. I just send a note to Dunlop to see if they will send me a demo unit.
Master, I feel that on the 4th string there of the 15th or 16 fret the sound drops considerably and just as it goes down to tone towards fret 12 or 10 the sound increases, is this normal in the master pedal?
Hey great video but a quick heads up on the title saying "reply" instead of replay.
Thanks so much letting me know you liked the video AND thanks so much for pointing out the title misspelling. Corrected!!!
Ehx needs to include a harmonica sound on a 9 style pedal. That would sell and would be much more used than a clarinet.
I notice you are using a partial capo on your guitar. What is the resultant tuning?
I swear he’s starting with grey street every time
I know, and it's kinda driving me crazy. :-o
How did you manage to make all the different modes sound almost exactly the same as each other?!?
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST!!!
THAT'S WHAT THAT'S FROM...
WAS DRIVING ME FREAKING NUTZZZZ!!!
(it's the end when Beast is turning into a man)
Love your vids ! What is that interesting capo device you use ?
It's a Shubb partial capo that covers strings 3,4 and 5. you can use it to create different tunings on the guitar. Here's a video I posted on capos if you are interested: ruclips.net/video/1KtT1ICCO_I/видео.html
You've got great channel here mate :) Do you ever listen to Dead Can Dance? I can hear a lot of possibiities for that style of music with this pedal. Nice review. Cheers.
I have listened to Dead Can Dance, but not for years, maybe decades. Will have to correct that situation!
Over a year since I saw this review and immeadiately went out and bought this and the Moor Ocean Machine, based on your excellent reviews/demos. They should be paying you for these mate! Both units got incorporated into my set up and I havent looked back lol.
Hi Bill. Have you tested the Mel9 with the Pitch Fork? How does it sound? Thanks in advance.
I have not, however, it would be a worthy experiment.
Hey bill if you still have that guitar thats an octave lower could you shoot something with this pedal and that/ the Pitch Fork? I know its a weird request but I think it has potential.
Based on the instructions from EHX, I would not use the Mel9 on anything lower than a baritone. They say it only tracks down to a low A, which would leave out string 6 on the SRC6. But it works great with a baritone. Here's a performance video I did with one of my PRS SE 277 baris: ruclips.net/video/VAj7NqcL2tk/видео.html
Oh, come on.
Why didn't you play the starless melody with the cello setting? ;)
Sounds awesome!
I should have!!! :-)
Did you not mention the Beatles on purpose?
They would fall into the "many others" comment. :-)
Beatles do not fit into any 'many others' category. The name is a category in it self.
Strawberry fields forever springs to mind😀
If you mention the Beatles on a RUclips video Paul McCartney has the legal rights to your soul.
The lack (isn't lacking but is kinda irregular) of dynamics is a characteristic of the original? Or you use a compressor? Thanks Bill, great videos as always
Yes, the original also had a limited dynamic range, in the sense that it did not respond to key touch like a piano, but more like an organ. I think that many players probably used a volume pedal to add dynamics, again, similar to an organ. If you listen to Genesis' "The Fountain of Salmacis" you can hear Tony Banks swelling in the Mellotron.
Excelente
It's nice sound, but half the charm of a real mellotron is the drift in tape speed affecting the pitch, this thing is missing the point by being perfectly in tune and stable.
Purchased a Mel 9 on the back of this and other reviews. Can't praise it enough . Awesome for ambient sounds. The choir and flute sounds are superb. Great review. Thanks
I wonder if they will make one for the ARP synthesizer. Ive waited years for the melotron!
I actually like the Logic Pro mellotron plugin. Works well with a midi keyboard.
hi!, cool vid! would this work on acoustic guitar? Thanks!
Hmm. I've never tried it with an acoustic guitar. I prefer to mic my acoustics and I know THAT won't work. Seems like you would definitely need a pickup system to get the Mel9 to trigger. Might be worth asking the question on the EHX.com user forums.
I love the sounds of the Mellotron, and had high hopes for this pedal. What could be better than triggering those classic sounds, that sit so well in a mix from your guitar? Especially when you are ham fisted on keys like me.
Unfortunately, when I tried it in person, to my ears at least, the Mel 9s sound is cold, sterile and harsh.
Worlds apart from the lush warmth of the original machine.
Fair play to EHX, it's a fantastic idea, but even a plugin emulation is going to sound way better than this pedal.
I have to admit that I was underwhelmed when I got the pedal. I almost sent it back. But once I had a chance to combine it with reverb and delay, I found the lushness I expected popping out. The other thing I discovered is that it sounds 100 times better through a full range speaker system. If you just plug it into a guitar amp with no tweaking it does indeed sound pretty crappy.
That is a really good point... I only tried it through a cab...
Through a guitar amp? No shit.
I just got it...but the stomp switch is damn hard to press, and doesn't go down smoothly (that's what she said...).
Did I get a bad one?Anybody noticed something similar?
My MEL9 does have a solid "click" switch. Not a problem for me...
I use this pedal effectively for modern Christian music.
Cool!!
Great Demo. As much as I love EHX's ideas and products I won't spend any more money on them. Their quality is very shady. Which is a real pitty given they have pretty impressive gear.
Playing with an acoustic and acoustic amp I get a background knock, when I pluck the string, beneath the Mel sound. Not tried it through a PA yet.
Interesting. I have not tried the Mel9 with an acoustic guitar. I wonder if the dynamics and complexity of the acoustic guitar signal is causing issues?
I suppose it could be the guitar amp. Great videos and playing!!
your a cool cat, you got your self a like and a sub!
Thanks very much!
Can you shred and do arpeggios on the choir mode????!!
I can't speak for all, but I would say that shredding would be very difficult. In the Mel9 manual, EHX says that the playing characteristics are very much like a real Mellotron, which has a natural lag as the tape head for a note meets the looped sound. So slow lines and chords are really where it shines.
Cool pedal but i was thinking of buying it to play strawberry fields forever and many other songs
The 'semi' capo? Never seen that before. Is this to have some kind of drone going?
Hey Alf - it's a Shubb partial capo. You can use one to create a "faux" DADGAD style tuning. They are pretty cool!
I see, yes that is a great idea. Thanks very much for your swift reply.
Just bought one of these Bill and I have to say I am a tad disappointed in that most of the sounds sound very similar in that not too much variety unless I need to play with this more and discover its secrets😊
It is definitely no an everyday pedal. And it sounds less than good when plugged directly into a guitar amp. I much prefer a full range speaker system.
I'm not saying it's a bad pedal at all though, indeed when coupled with copious amounts of reverb and/or some delay, it lends itself admirably to ambient so I will definitely keep it, I just wish the preset sounds were more varied.
Just had more chance to play with this pedal and by itself I think it is somewhat limited, however when used in conjunction with other petals such as reverb, distortion etc then there is plenty of mileage in this thing.
Very cool. I love the chello, and choir. How does the signal sound through stereo. 1/2 of my board is stereo and goes through a stereo effects look on my amp (fender Princeton stereo chorus). Would I set it up like my POG, which is last on my mono signal going into the front of my amp with my drives. I've been looking for something to sound like a chello.
Hey. Glad you enjoyed the demo, and the Mel9 definitely has some great sounds in it. As far as stereo goes, it sounds great through stereo delays and reverbs. Here's a playlist of performances I've done with the Mel9 - all stereo: ruclips.net/p/PLseB5HzFJKVwnm0rmdV_TPoFfIodj1cbW
After 3 mnutes of telling you what you already know (or you wouldn't be watching this video) he does get some cool sounds. Not exactly like a Mellotron but better than some expensive guitar synthesizers I've heard.
fantastic!
Have you tried the synth 9
Cool shirt!
This guy keeps jamming Dave Matthews tripping billies...lol
1122stardust it’s a cool melody I wanna learn it now lol
Far out. Right on. Out a sight.😊☺🐸🐴🐮🐶
Hi Bill. Where is the best place in the signal path to put the Mel 9?
Hey Rick. I prefer to put it at the beginning. Either guitar->compressor->Mel9 or guitar->Mel9->compressor. Try it both ways to see what works best for you.
Chords Of Orion
Thank you.
I want one of these
:-)
What kind of guitar is that? Never seen one like it before.
That is a Carvin HF2 Allan Holdsworth "Fatboy". It's got an enclosed hollow body and has a really unique tone especially with distorted leads. I've had it for 12-13 years...