Help with Hollowbody Spruce Goldtop

[( . )( . )]

I acquired this guitar in a massive trade about two years ago, and I’ve honestly not given it the attention that it deserves. It’s a wonderful instrument, but as I have a lot of guitars, this one has remained a case queen after an initial honeymoon period. I would like to know more about it, but it seems that there isn’t much information out there online. I did find an old Musician’s Friend listing page with the specs, but after clicking on it, the page has seemed to disappear (no idea how that’s possible).

EDIT: Here’s the link

JBL CHARGE 5 Portable Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker With Powerbank

Get the guaranteed best price on Bluetooth Speakers like the JBL CHARGE 5 Portable Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker With Powerbank at Musician's Friend. Get a low price and free shipping on thousands of...

www.musiciansfriend.com

Any help is appreciated…

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[theDeepender]

I acquired this guitar in a massive trade about two years ago, and I’ve honestly not given it the attention that it deserves. It’s a wonderful instrument, but as I have a lot of guitars, this one has remained a case queen after an initial honeymoon period. I would like to know more about it, but it seems that there isn’t much information out there online. I did find an old Musician’s Friend listing page with the specs, but after clicking on it, the page has seemed to disappear (no idea how that’s possible).

EDIT: Here’s the link

JBL CHARGE 5 Portable Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker With Powerbank

Get the guaranteed best price on Bluetooth Speakers like the JBL CHARGE 5 Portable Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker With Powerbank at Musician's Friend. Get a low price and free shipping on thousands of...

www.musiciansfriend.com

Any help is appreciated…

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Curious.
Couldn’t tell from the photos; does it have the logo on the headstock? Is there a serial number on the back of the headstock that can be used in identifying? At first I thought it may get be a special order or an employee Guitar, but I’m not so sure.

 

[nussbajh]

It’s beautiful. I’d love to have an arch top spruce someday. I’d say it is a McCarty Hollowbody I Spruce. Has a mahogany neck and body, with a spruce top and rosewood fretboard and moon inlays. These came with Archtop pickups and a 25” scale if I remember it right. They had an option of a piezo, but that is not present on this one. Love that gold top.

 

[gush]

Oh man.......I'd love to have that!

 

[JasonE]

Nice McCarty HB I. If that were mine, I would put amber lampshades on it. Those are not the stock knobs on it. That would have had amber speed knobs. These are nice guitars that play and sound great.

 

[bodia]

Man, Spruce tops are fantastic guitars! Love it!

 

[RickP]

The HB I spruce top is a masterpiece of a guitar, and won’t stay in the case much once you spend some time playing it. As mentioned above, I don’t think those knobs are original, but otherwise it is a great looking instrument. I have two of them, and they are superior instruments that get lots of regular playing time. You can see many of the ones owned by forum members (and add yours too!) Here.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

Hubba hubba

 

[veinbuster]

All that matters is that it is good as a hollow body can be.

 

[archtop]

Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Time to play that beast!

Don't trust the MF listing as it says "Hollowbody II" while the pics are a Hollowbody I, and " PRS crafts the Hollowbody Spruce with solid mahogany rims and a solid, deeply carved figured maple top and back" but yours (and MF's title) are spruce top and mahogany back.

 

[Alnus Rubra]

Nice McCarty HB I. If that were mine, I would put amber lampshades on it. Those are not the stock knobs on it. That would have had amber speed knobs. These are nice guitars that play and sound great.

Everything is better with Amber Lampshades.

 

[( . )( . )]

Thanks for the replies, help, and compliments so far.

Yes, the knobs are made of ebony and painted gold. I do not have the lampshades that it seems like should have been stock. I do have another set lying around, but I need to get more details on these first.

I just emailed the guy that I got it from to get more of the history. He’s a good friend, so I’m sure he can enlighten me a bit more. He might have made the ebony knobs himself, but there is something telling me differently in the back of my mind. I know that he didn’t know a ton about it, but I believe that he told me that it was selected as a personal guitar for somebody famous. Of course, I have no provenance if that’s the case, but I’ll try to find out who it is.

It does not have a piezo pickup, and is just like the one in the Musician’s Friend link above, except for the knobs. They also had another version with birds and the piezo, but I cannot find the link.

Here is the case that it came with. Again, I don’t know if this is stock, but I’m not familiar with PRS Hollowbodies or Archtops. I do not have a hang tag, and there is no MODCAT on the case, so I’m pretty lost.

 

[( . )( . )]

Curious.
Couldn’t tell from the photos; does it have the logo on the headstock? Is there a serial number on the back of the headstock that can be used in identifying? At first I thought it may get be a special order or an employee Guitar, but I’m not so sure.

I think it is a standard series guitar, but again, I’m just having trouble finding a lot about it.

 

[garrett]

Originally there was the Hollowbody and the Hollowbody II. Hollowbody had a spruce top with the option to upgrade to maple. They realized this was confusing so they split it to Hollowbody Spruce, Hollowbody I, and Hollowbody II.

PRESUMABLY that's a Spruce, but you could've gotten an HBI in Goldtop as well. Would need to check the hang tag, MODCAT (under neck pickup), or do a visual inspection to confirm. Should be clear by checking the faux binding.

That's a 2004, so it'll have the typical features of the era. Phase II "low mass" tuners; the hollows got ebony buttons to keep the weight down. Wide Fat neck. McCarty Archtop pickups; a quite under-wound version of the the McCarty humbuckers. Vol, Tone, three way toggle; NO coil tap, NO treble bleed. Piezo and birds were options.

Those knobs are definitely aftermarket. It would've had speed knobs, as this predates lampshades, but I don't remember if Goldtop got black or amber back then. I'd guess amber. Anyway, amber lampshades is the only correct answer now, so get those gold painted things offa there.

Oh and that's the original case.

 

[theDeepender]

I think it is a standard series guitar, but again, I’m just having trouble finding a lot about it.

Very nice.

 

[RickP]

I think it is a standard series guitar, but again, I’m just having trouble finding a lot about it.

@garrett nailed the info, it’s an ‘04. I have a 2004, as well, and it has the speed knobs. I’d guess yours would have been amber, as my ‘99 HB-S has amber speed knobs on it. My ‘04 is gloss black, and you can clearly see the wood is different from maple when looking at the “binding.” My serial number is lower, but close. Very similar overall, except mine has the bird inlays. And that’s definitely a PRS HB case.

You’ve got a great guitar there. I’d hang on to it!

 

[( . )( . )]

A delayed update on this guitar…

So, apparently, this was one of the “rejects” made of a specific run for Jimmy Herring to choose from years ago. I have no provenance to back this up, but the guy that I traded with is personal friends with a lot of big names (some of whom, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting), so my guess is that it’s probably truthful.

I’ve replaced the knobs with lampshades, but according to the trader, these were custom ebony knobs painted in gold as part of the spec of the limited run through the local dealer that facilitated the order (so, I’m keeping them in the case).

Of course, I really don’t care if any of this is factual or not…I just have come to find out that this guitar is the absolute best that I have for playing a lot of my original pieces that use hybrid picking and could be played on an acoustic or electric, depending on the arrangement.

The neck is basically the perfect in-between electric/acoustic (it feels slightly fatter that a normal wide/fat McCarty - don’t know if that’s a custom ordered spec), and I have been using this guitar a ton for the past 6 months for a lot of pieces that I couldn’t figure out if they should be electric or acoustic.

I have owned over 100 guitars, including many PRSi, and this one won’t get sold, as it really seems to help me determine the “orientation” of where a song should go when I’m unsure. Now I probably just sound like a fanboy, but this instrument has helped guide my music when I’m unsure of the direction more than almost any other that I’ve owned (if that makes any sense).

Oh - and PLEASE BRING BACK MOONS as and option on more guitars. I love them.

 

[RickP]

A delayed update on this guitar…

So, apparently, this was one of the “rejects” made of a specific run for Jimmy Herring to choose from years ago. I have no provenance to back this up, but the guy that I traded with is personal friends with a lot of big names (some of whom, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting), so my guess is that it’s probably truthful.

I’ve replaced the knobs with lampshades, but according to the trader, these were custom ebony knobs painted in gold as part of the spec of the limited run through the local dealer that facilitated the order (so, I’m keeping them in the case).

Of course, I really don’t care if any of this is factual or not…I just have come to find out that this guitar is the absolute best that I have for playing a lot of my original pieces that use hybrid picking and could be played on an acoustic or electric, depending on the arrangement.

The neck is basically the perfect in-between electric/acoustic (it feels slightly fatter that a normal wide/fat McCarty - don’t know if that’s a custom ordered spec), and I have been using this guitar a ton for the past 6 months for a lot of pieces that I couldn’t figure out if they should be electric or acoustic.

I have owned over 100 guitars, including many PRSi, and this one won’t get sold, as it really seems to help me determine the “orientation” of where a song should go when I’m unsure. Now I probably just sound like a fanboy, but this instrument has helped guide my music when I’m unsure of the direction more than almost any other that I’ve owned (if that makes any sense).

Oh - and PLEASE BRING BACK MOONS as and option on more guitars. I love them.

Pretty much all of us with HB Spruce guitars have had similar revelations about it, and developed a real bond with this model. I’m glad to see that this one has come to occupy a front row seat in your world. It’s a super-nice instrument.

 

[Moondog Wily]

Don't know how I missed this in January, but congrats on this beauty! I look forward to owning a spruce HB myself one day ;~)) Sounds like some fun backstory on this one as well, have you contacted PRS with the S/N to see what they have to say? It may confirm some of what you have heard and maybe more!!!

 

[Kiwi]

A delayed update on this guitar…

I just have come to find out that this guitar is the absolute best that I have for playing a lot of my original pieces that use hybrid picking and could be played on an acoustic or electric, depending on the arrangement.

I have been using this guitar a ton for the past 6 months for a lot of pieces that I couldn’t figure out if they should be electric or acoustic.

This one won’t get sold, as it really seems to help me determine the “orientation” of where a song should go when I’m unsure. This instrument has helped guide my music when I’m unsure of the direction more than almost any other that I’ve owned.

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I've long believed that a great guitar is one that calls you by your secret name.

But this one even helps guide your musical direction. That's an extraordinary connection to make with a guitar. It's the definition of a keeper.

=K