Happy Monday everyone... what better way to start the week then dreaming of another PRS to add to the stable! Does anyone know when Core Special Semi Hollows are expected to be hitting stores? I have one on pre-order and am super excited to get the notice its instock but I am thinking it could be a while. Who knows. Anyone have any insight?
Is that a Limited or Core SSH model? I thought the Limited had 58/15 MTs with the neck pickup mounted with the screw coil facing the bridge like yours and the Core models have the 58/15 LTs with the neck pickup screw coil oriented towards the neck like mine.
Core SSH, with Artist Package. 2021 model. The pole pieces in the neck pickup are stock. Bryan Ewald demo'd one of the new ones where they faced the other way, but the pictures on the PRS site have them facing the bridge. I see yours faces the neck as well. What can I tell ya? Maybe there was a running change, or maybe it's a random thing.
So I'm going to waiting a while, I misunderstood the pre-order process. I though the guitar was on order and I was putting it on hold but turns out it was ordered when I placed the preorder. So looks like next June is the ETA... June 2022 is gonna be great!!
love to hear some reports from those who own one of these beauties...I'd be especially interested in knowing how people get on with the middle pickup...I was convinced I wanted a 509 until I played one and found my picking style completely incompatible with the height of the middle pup - the Special with its narrow filed looks lower profile but curious was owners say...
The Middle on a Special is only ever active with either the Neck or Bridge - you can't actually play 'just' the Narrowfield on its own - at least not without modding. The Special is a 'Custom 22-08' essentially so in the 'middle' position, you get both Neck & Bridge. Positions 2 and 4 engage the NF but only with the Neck or Bridge pick up. That difference gives the Special 12 different selection options compared to the 9 in the 509 because position 3 has 4options (Bridge & Neck in either HB or SC so HH, HS, SH or SS) on the Special and just the 1 option - the middle 'Single Coil' on the 509. The 'middle' pick up on the Special is great but like I said, on a stock Special, you only get to hear it in combination with either the Bridge or Neck pickup. You can do the 'Position' 4 on a Strat type combo with a Split Neck and NF for example. As for the middle pick up in the way, I would imagine you'd have similar issues - maybe more as the NF's are stepped compared to the more 'smoother' profile of the 509 pups. Like everything though, I recommend trying one if you can as it might not be in the way of your playing style or you might be able to lower it a bit...
@SundanceSanDiego, I sometimes find the middle be in the way when playing unplugged but it doesn't bother me as much when plugged in for whatever reason. Even if not optimal, the 2 and 4 positions are so good, I'm happy to adapt. YMMV
It was in the way for me, just like the middle on my 509 was. I grabbed an ME-V and don't have that problem at all. That middle pick up is a little closer to the neck p/u. For reference....
This concern over the middle pickup interfering with playing/strumming is intriguing to me. For all of the above folks, did you / do you not play Strats very much? Playing a strat with its middle pickup seems to be the same "struggle" as you'd find with the 509/513 and Special Semi-Hollow. I guess I've played Strats enough (along with HB guitars like LPs) that I just adapted early on. My Strat was my first name-brand guitar (even if it was just a Squier Mexi-Strat) after playing a knock-off Flying V for years. Or do you somehow find the strat S-S-S (or S-S-H) PU config different enough that it is two different conditions for your playing?
I'd say I probably had that issue on Strats, too. Honestly, it's been so long since I've owned on that I don't really recall.
I love the middle pickup, but I’m not at all bothered by picking between the pickups (above or below the middle pickup). My picking is pretty accurate, and I use a small pick on all of my guitars. So I never hit the pickup when playing. We’re all different! If it’s a potential problem don’t get one.
I play Strats and find the spacing between pickups much more conducive to different styles of picking. On the SSH it's a very tight space and I typically just aim for the space between the neck up and middle. Most of the time, it's no biggie. Also, my action is very low, so that might be a contributing factor.
I’ve had a few strats but always sold them because I couldn’t get them to sound good and I didn’t like the middle pickup being in my way, they sound amazing in other peoples hands but just not for me unfortunately. I was really intrigued by the SSH so I decided to give it a shot and see if I could live with the middle pickup. It took awhile but I’m pretty well adjusted to it now so it’s definitely possible to get used to. It sounds amazing too so that probably helped motivate me to learn to play around the middle pickup.
They really do sound great. I used my new one on an ad track, and the clients were happy with the tone, so the guitar is paying its own way. That's a good thing!
Hmm, thanks for your insight (and from the others that responded). Looking at your profile pic (as of the date of this post! Because three years from now or even tomorrow it might be different) I can see the differences in the spacing, and I guess that is a consideration. Very interesting!
