Acoustasonic Hollowbody II: wanted to buy

[presence]

Please please please. This would be so awesome!

I wonder if Fender has some kind of exclusivity on building the tech into their guitars?

 

[goat-n-gitter]

Please please please. This would be so awesome!

I wonder if Fender has some kind of exclusivity on building the tech into their guitars?

Aside from getting a nice amplified acoustic tone, the "acoustasonic" guitars do nothing for me. The various PRS models with piezo bridges do a great job for an acoustic/electric with the right processing, and then you still have an absolutely KILLER electric guitar in your hands.

Plus, there's always Private Stock, who will make you almost anything you can dream up and pay for (this is not my guitar):

 

[presence]

My guess is that Paul would love to integrate the Acoustasonic tech into one of his acoustic or electric guitars.

It would be a logical evolution of the Hollowbody series.

 

[Hotspur]

So do you mean the digital amp and acoustic guitar simulation stuff?

It's such a specific niche market, to me. But maybe I just don't get it.

 

[presence]

So do you mean the digital amp and acoustic guitar simulation stuff?

It's such a specific niche market, to me. But maybe I just don't get it.

I mean like the Fender Acoustasonics. Same market as the Hollowbody Piezo models, but with much better acoustic sounds.

 

[Hotspur]

I mean like the Fender Acoustasonics. Same market as the Hollowbody Piezo models, but with much better acoustic sounds.

See, I don't really see them as the same market at all. Or, at least, once I got familiar with the Fenders, I didn't.

A PRS HB2 Piezo is a normal electric guitar with added acoustic sounds - not the best available acoustic sounds, but well within the range of normal, not worse to my ears than your typical piezo'd acoustic (which is to say, not as good as the better dual-system acoustic setups with an imaging pedal). The Acoustasonics put all that imaging software in the guitar so they are acoustic stage guitars with exceptional onstage acoustic sounds out of the box and ... somewhat limited electric sounds since they don't necessarily play with amps or pedals that well.

So I see the HB2P as an electric guitar for a player who also wants to be able to play some acoustic tones, and the Acoustasonic for an a plugged-in acoustic player who wants to be able to play a few electric tones.

That being said, the friend of mine who has an acoustasonic tele LOVES it. I'm not slamming them at all.

 

[CrimesAgainstMusic]

See, I don't really see them as the same market at all. Or, at least, once I got familiar with the Fenders, I didn't.

A PRS HB2 Piezo is a normal electric guitar with added acoustic sounds - not the best available acoustic sounds, but well within the range of normal, not worse to my ears than your typical piezo'd acoustic (which is to say, not as good as the better dual-system acoustic setups with an imaging pedal). The Acoustasonics put all that imaging software in the guitar so they are acoustic stage guitars with exceptional onstage acoustic sounds out of the box and ... somewhat limited electric sounds since they don't necessarily play with amps or pedals that well.

So I see the HB2P as an electric guitar for a player who also wants to be able to play some acoustic tones, and the Acoustasonic for an a plugged-in acoustic player who wants to be able to play a few electric tones.

That being said, the friend of mine who has an acoustasonic tele LOVES it. I'm not slamming them at all.

I think you have actually explained both the HB 2 Piezo, and the "Acoustasonic" for me ...

This explanation makes sense, and maybe its because it dovetails with my own conclusions to focus on a HB2 as the killer hollowbody electric, and to use a well performing "acoustic simulator " pedal when I want "acoustic" sounds

That, and the realization, that only an un-amplified acoustic actually sounds like an acoustic ...

 

[presence]

I'm just saying that in addition to the Piezo sounds, wouldn't be great to access the Acoustasonic sounds in a Hollowbody?

I understand that the Acoustasonic guitars are built to be more like an acoustic guitar. However, my guess is that if a Hollowbody had the software built in it would sound as good as the Fender guitars through the XLR out.

I really wanted to like the Acoustasonic tele, but the feel, balance and action were not great in my opinion. I'd much rather have that tech in a Hollowbody.

 

[presence]

This explanation makes sense, and maybe its because it dovetails with my own conclusions to focus on a HB2 as the killer hollowbody electric, and to use a well performing "acoustic simulator " pedal when I want "acoustic" sounds

Yeah, Fishman makes a killer sounding acoustic sim pedal, the Aura Spectrum. I bet the piezo output from the Hollowbody would sound great blended with one of the models on the Aura Spectrum.

 

[Nice F Holes]

My next guitar will be HB II (if buying new). I would go out of my way to NOT have more electronics in a PRS hollowbody. The Piezo is more than enough. In my opinion, of course.

 

[Hotspur]

I'm just saying that in addition to the Piezo sounds, wouldn't be great to access the Acoustasonic sounds in a Hollowbody?

A lot of people really don't want a lot of digital electronics in their guitar. While I understand the appeal, there's a downside: electronics fail. And while you're already taking that risk with the piezo unit (one of the reasons why it's nice that there's a mag output completely isolated from the piezo on the HB2) there's an unfortunate long history of built-in-electronics being irreplaceable on electric guitars because the market isn't big enough to support aftermarket replacements or a key company goes out of business or changes their product line.

So I actually think there's a good argument for using an imaging pedal instead. It also lets you pick the specific imaging options you want, rather than just getting the choices Paul made.