Hollowbody II with 57/08s Sound Clips Anyone?

[CantankerousCarl]

Does anyone have sound clips of a 57/08 equipped Hollowbody II, magnetic only, with both clean and moderate gain?

I don't have alot of experience with the 57/08s, and zero with any other PRS HB...but the HBII I have been auditioning does not sound like I thought it would on the magnetic end. Pickups are reading as-expected resistance, so they appear to be functioning properly.

The guitar does not sound bad, but it does not sound at all as I anticipated - so that could itself be the main issue, in my mind. I'd like to be able to hear same guitar, same amp with both clean and moderate gain on one...been searching the interwebs alot and so far most clips are heavily clean-focused on these.

 

[Egads]

I dont have any clips of my SC HB II or SC HB Std (both with 57/08s). What are you hearing that's unexpected. I was a little surprised to hear so much low end growl with the SC HB II compared to the Std. It's a very bassy guitar compared with everything else I have. I can hear it acoustically, too.

 

[C&M Music - Lafayette]

You may have seen it already, bu at the bottom of the HBII page there are two videos. The lower video seems to answer your question. They have some gain going on.

 

[vchizzle]

One him I've noticed w/5708s is I have the pickup height quite a bit higher than most of my other pickups. They sound great when dialed in.

 

[CantankerousCarl]

I dont have any clips of my SC HB II or SC HB Std (both with 57/08s). What are you hearing that's unexpected. I was a little surprised to hear so much low end growl with the SC HB II compared to the Std. It's a very bassy guitar compared with everything else I have. I can hear it acoustically, too.

I guess the best way I can describe it is that there is more crunchiness, and less roundness, than I would have expected. The neck pickup seems to have an underlying grit that sits on top of the warm flutey sound I would have thought I would heard. Not sure if that makes sense or not. Maybe this is just the hollowness / acousticness of the hollowbody coming though?

You may have seen it already, bu at the bottom of the HBII page there are two videos. The lower video seems to answer your question. They have some gain going on.

Thanks, Audie, I did see these, not quite what I am looking for...too many variables, and with a HB spruce involved I am pretty sure not the same pickups either.

One him I've noticed w/5708s is I have the pickup height quite a bit higher than most of my other pickups. They sound great when dialed in.

I do tend to have my pickups on the high side anyway; I guess I am being a bit silly, but I did raise them a bit, and lowered the action too, and I think if they are any closer, I will start hitting the covers if I strum or play harder...

 

[CantankerousCarl]

After playing a bit more this morning, I think the best way I can describe it is that it always sounds and feels like I am playing an acoustic, rather than electric, guitar, even with mag pickups only. Maybe it's the .11s or maybe it's just the nature of the I instrument? Maybe it's just not my thing. Dig the clean tones, and the pixel, but lukewarm on the electric tones so far...

 

[Egads]

Try 10s and see what you think. I still have 10s on my Std, and 11s with a plain G on the II. I have always loved the airy-ness I get with mine. They feel like they breath.

Are you running two different amps/an amp and a PA? I really feel feel that the only way to truly appreciate the combination is to have two different sound sources, each dialed appropriately. That way, you aren't making any compromises on either tone.

 

[Sage]

I briefly had 57/08s in my 2002 HB II. I had to return them to the guitar they came out of, so I replaced them with a set of GFS Classic II Alnico 2 pickups, which sound very similar to the 57/08s. To me, the guitar sounds like an ES-335 with a bigger, fuller bottom end.

 

[CantankerousCarl]

Try 10s and see what you think. I still have 10s on my Std, and 11s with a plain G on the II. I have always loved the airy-ness I get with mine. They feel like they breath.

Are you running two different amps/an amp and a PA? I really feel feel that the only way to truly appreciate the combination is to have two different sound sources, each dialed appropriately. That way, you aren't making any compromises on either tone.

Egads, I am currently running only one sound source, but for my basement noodling, I have no issue with the piezo sounds at all - it sounds very good on the clean channel with the piezo. I also think it sounds excellent clean on the 57/08s through the clean channel on the same amp. But for some reason, with gain, the guitar sounds very different than I expected with the 57/08s. Maybe I am hearing the percussive attack, due to the hollow-ness, which is made more apparent from the thicker strings with the wound G? It does seem to be less apparent when I play really gently. And that amp is a Boogie, which can definitely flab out a bit at lower volumes, but I do have it dialed in nicely for my stable.

Sage, don't have an ES-335 to compare it to don't remember the one I had either, too long, many amps, guitars, and haircuts ago...

 

[zebraprs]

I immediately went with 10s and a plain G. it plays and sounds great. I did however have the guitar modded by the PTC to put is 5way rotary and Artist PUs but only because the 57/08s did not have the white wire installed. had it, I would have kept them in there...

 

[SteveB123]

And that amp is a Boogie, which can definitely flab out a bit at lower volumes, but I do have it dialed in nicely for my stable.

Hi Carl,
I play my 2011 HBII through a Mesa amp too. I tend to use different amp and guitar control settings than I typically use for my solid guitars. You've probably already toyed with the settings you normally use to dial in your tone, but if not, that would be worth a try. I get great vintage growly tones from the amp's lead channel using its mid-gain voicing. Also get some great jazzy tones on the clean channel, and its character changes nicely as you adjust the gain settings. Unlike you I don't care much for the blended piezo tones through the mixed output. The blend control seems to favor the piezo too much, and overwhelms the magnetic tone at settings over 1-2. But at the end of the day it always sounds like a hollow guitar, which I enjoy as a departure from my other guitars, but as you say, maybe it's not for you. (I continue to use the 11/49, wound G strings for the same reason - a bit of variety.)

Good luck!