My first PRS

[KPFX]

Just got a brand new (2022, but I'm the first owner) Hollowbody SE. I noticed a couple nuances.... Overall, the tone is very "muddy" -- lacks treble (compared to my Les Paul and Telecaster). I have to greatly modify the settings on my amp (Boss Katana 50MK2) to brighten the tone. Also the volume knob drops from sound to dead between 1 and 2, and the entire range of volume control appears to be between 2 and 3-- 3 to 10 does not change volume at all. Is this something normal for this guitar? Any feedback (no pun intended) would be appreciated. (Pardon my excessive use of parentheses.....)

 

[guitar_man_man_man]

Tele and Les Paul pickups are both pretty bright typically, and I would classify the Hollowbody as darker/warmer sounding. I don’t have experience with the SE pickups in particular, but have heard they tend to be dark/warm as compared to the core pickups. That may take some getting used to if you’re accustomed to the EQ of the tele and Les Paul. The volume pot behavior does not sound normal to me. I’d take it back to get looked at or exchanged.

 

[Birdsofprey]

Keep in mind it’s a different guitar than the other two. Anytime you plug a different guitar into any amp you’ll have to adjust the settings if you’re trying to replicate the tone of the last guitar plugged in. Embrace the difference and add to your tonal palette. Take some time with your new guitar things like string gauge, pickup heights, pickup pole adjustments all make a difference including your amp settings. I don’t want all my guitars to sound the same, otherwise I would just own one guitar.

 

[Abe]

Hi. I played for years on my old Gibson Les Paul Studio. A couple months ago I acquired a PRS SE Hollowbody II. I’ve for a while wanted a hollowbody electric I liked, and the Ibanzes Artcore I bought years ago just didn’t cut it. I knew when buying it I’d be working with a different range of tone.

It does not have to be muddy. And you can get more edgy treble out of it with adjustments. Amp and EQ settings will help but I also suggest trying some pickup height experimentation. You probably want the bridge and neck pickups to match pretty closely in output with a good balance when they’re both activated.

I ended up liking this PRS SE HBII more than I liked my Les Paul. And here are the pickup heights I settled on after some experimenting. Notice the heights being graduated and the bridge pup being closer. Measure from the top of the pups’ pole pieces under the Low and High E strings to the bottom of those strings.

Neck Pup @ Low E = 5/64th”
Neck Pup @ High E = 4/64th”
Bridge Pup @ Low E = 4/64th”
Bridge Pup @ High E = 3/64th”

For something handy with the right thicknesses for measuring you can use coins.

Dime = 3/64th”
Penny = 4/64th"
Nickel = 5/64th”

Mine might not be right for you but just to give you an idea how I achieved more balance on mine with these pickups on my SE Hollowbody.

 

[dogrocketp]

Interesting. My SE Hollowbody piezo is a little too bright for me, and I play a lot of P-90’s and single coils. Put a set of NYXL’s on it and tell me what you think. My pickups aren’t real close to the strings.

 

[show_a_little_faith]

Just got a brand new (2022, but I'm the first owner) Hollowbody SE. I noticed a couple nuances.... Overall, the tone is very "muddy" -- lacks treble (compared to my Les Paul and Telecaster). I have to greatly modify the settings on my amp (Boss Katana 50MK2) to brighten the tone. Also the volume knob drops from sound to dead between 1 and 2, and the entire range of volume control appears to be between 2 and 3-- 3 to 10 does not change volume at all. Is this something normal for this guitar? Any feedback (no pun intended) would be appreciated. (Pardon my excessive use of parentheses.....)

As others have mentioned, pickup adjustments could help the muddiness. But I'm concerned about your electronics issues too - those are definitely not right. Did you get this from a dealer? If so, then you should have the full warranty. I'd start by bringing it back to them (presumably they have an in-house tech?) and see if they can sort things out.
I have a couple of these myself, and although they're certainly not overly bright, I would not describe them as muddy. There may be overall problems with this guitar, unfortunately...

 

[Abe]

Also the volume knob drops from sound to dead between 1 and 2, and the entire range of volume control appears to be between 2 and 3-- 3 to 10 does not change volume at all. Is this something normal for this guitar?

Yea my SE HB II does not do this. From level 3 to 10 makes significant change, so you may want to have this looked into while you're covered.

 

[KPFX]

Thanks everyone for replying..... My guitar is on its way to Maryland for warranty repair. They suspect the volume pot is bad.

 

[KPFX]

Interesting. My SE Hollowbody piezo is a little too bright for me, and I play a lot of P-90’s and single coils. Put a set of NYXL’s on it and tell me what you think. My pickups aren’t real close to the strings.

Mine is not a piezo, but the strings theory makes some sense.... it is 2 years old, but I am the first owner. Strings can get funky just sitting in a store for that long.

 

[dogrocketp]

I’m flabbergasted you haven’t changed strings. That, and a quick setup, are the first things I do.

 

[Abe]

I’m flabbergasted you haven’t changed strings. That, and a quick setup, are the first things I do.

Always a possibility that the right new strings make a world of difference.

 

[aphantomvaper]

Thanks everyone for replying..... My guitar is on its way to Maryland for warranty repair. They suspect the volume pot is bad.

They fixed up my SE HB II Piezo and gave it a fantastic setup. Its in good hands. You made the right decision.

 

[William578]

Just got a brand new (2022, but I'm the first owner) Hollowbody SE. I noticed a couple nuances.... Overall, the tone is very "muddy" -- lacks treble (compared to my Les Paul and Telecaster). I have to greatly modify the settings on my amp (Boss Katana 50MK2) to brighten the tone. Also the volume knob drops from sound to dead between 1 and 2, and the entire range of volume control appears to be between 2 and 3-- 3 to 10 does not change volume at all. Is this something normal for this guitar? Any feedback (no pun intended) would be appreciated. (Pardon my excessive use of parentheses.....)

hey!I have similar experiences with my SE Hollowbody.Indeed the tone is darker and more "muddy" than in my other guitars.But its normal for this type of construction

 

[Greywolf]

Welcome , glad you got it dialed in , ENJOY!