A Hollow Victory?

Congrats! Looks like a nice one - digging that figured hog top! Nice to hear the build quality and tones are equally as good.
 
Awesome!

If I didn't already have a couple of HBs I would have been all over one of the new SEs. The ebony FB is a really nice touch, IMHO, to have on these.
 
A coupla more things I like as I spend more time with her:

1) The Finish: it's t h i n like you can see the grain a bit when you hold it to the light. Much different than the older super-thick-finished SEs that I have played (and loved) and I think this has alot to do with the resonance and acoustic volume.

2) The Strap Buttons: they are like BEEFY like super-thick versions of a typical F-type pin, but larger and thicker. With proper padding behind. The screws are thick as well.

3) The Geometry: this is a really comfortable guitar to play both standing and sitting. Sitting down, she disappears, body is the perfect size and my picking hand falls right in the perfect place for pinch harmonics. No neck dive and no forearm annoyance.

4) Teh Soundz: this definitely has them...in abundance. I am totally a mini-toggle coil split phase reversal flux capacitor inversion gimmie switches kinda guy. It's odd to have a 1V 1T 3-way setup again (my lone holdout in this regard is my beloved NE Music Center 2015 McCarty WL but even that has a coil tap). But with the interaction between the pots and pickups, pretty much every sound the SE HB makes is (to quote Taylor's Andy Powers) "musically useful" and it encourages knob-play (heh heh).

Again, really impressed with the overall design, fit, feel, finish, the whole 9. This is the most core-like non-core PRS I've ever played, even out of the box. Can't wait to get the locking tuners, unplated studs and new strings on her...
 
So just a quick update...got the SE locking tuners, unplated brass studs and new NYXLs on her.

I got the PRS brand locking tuners because they have the unplated shafts. I love MannMade stuff but John's look to be plated. Got the studs from John. You know...oldskewel rulez of tone junkie here.

Anyway, these were mostly personal preference mods and nothing has dissuaded me from the opinion that the SE HB Standard is a truly phenomenal out-of-the-box axe.

It's the first non-Core PRS that I can say gun-to-the-head honest can hang with a Core 100% tone, feel, etc.

A / B / C with a PRS SSH and 97 Gibby Nashville 345 (which is just otherworldly) and it just delivers. Obviously there's alot of differences between the three, construction, scale length, fret size, bling, etc. But no concessions.

In fact, truth be told, while the stock burstbuckers on the 345 are amazing under gain in that guitar, the clean tones in the SEHB were clearer and woodier. And the weight and ergonomics make it a much more comfy experience for me. It sounds much bigger than it is!
 
So just a quick update...got the SE locking tuners, unplated brass studs and new NYXLs on her.

I got the PRS brand locking tuners because they have the unplated shafts. I love MannMade stuff but John's look to be plated. Got the studs from John. You know...oldskewel rulez of tone junkie here.

Anyway, these were mostly personal preference mods and nothing has dissuaded me from the opinion that the SE HB Standard is a truly phenomenal out-of-the-box axe.

It's the first non-Core PRS that I can say gun-to-the-head honest can hang with a Core 100% tone, feel, etc.

A / B / C with a PRS SSH and 97 Gibby Nashville 345 (which is just otherworldly) and it just delivers. Obviously there's alot of differences between the three, construction, scale length, fret size, bling, etc. But no concessions.

In fact, truth be told, while the stock burstbuckers on the 345 are amazing under gain in that guitar, the clean tones in the SEHB were clearer and woodier. And the weight and ergonomics make it a much more comfy experience for me. It sounds much bigger than it is!
That is indeed a ringing endorsement.
Thank you for that. What a great guitar!
 
Damn, can only see the box pic for some reason. The SE HB standard really piques my interest though. The demos I’ve heard sound fantastic.
 
Helping a forum brother out, because this beauty deserves to be on this thread for all to see!


Thanks! I have NO idea what I'm doing wrong, but hopefully I'll figure it out soon :) It is some really nice figuring, front and back. 6.2 lbs of airy goodness even with the slightly heavier locking tuners.
 
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