Jimi D
Kid wrangler, cat herder, six-string samurai
I'm sure everyone will remember this pic from the tail end of my McCarty 594 Hollowbody NGD thread 
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Whelp, I've been living with my new Hollowbody SE Standard for a week now, and with the new tuners and knobs installed, here are my NGD pics and impressions. First the important stuff:
Let me say this right out of the gate: one of these things is not like the others.
I've been reading some really great reviews of the SE Hollowbody line, and though I can't speak for all of the examples out there, I can say that this SE Hollowbody Standard is a fine guitar; the build quality is great, the tones are generous and kind to the ear, the neck is smooth and easy to navigate. Basically, it's a perfectly useable instrument with a solid build, attractive cosmetics and quality parts. What it's not is any kind of competition to a core Hollowbody. AFAIC, these are a very, very different class of guitar.
Which is not to say I in any way dislike my Hollowbody SE. In fact, I have no doubt I'll be reaching for this one first for some stuff (particularly Jazz - and especially Jazz in the Park!). It has a great, woody thump to the tone when thumb strumming that I really like, and the smooth, clear, articulate and round notes from the neck pickup are really delicious.
However, despite sharing the same "name", it's really a very different guitar to a core Hollowbody II or McCarty Hollowbody. We're familiar with the differences in construction, but what I wasn't really prepared for was how these instruments are even noticeably different sizes; you can't fit an SE Hollowbody in a core HB case, for instance, and a core HB will rattle around in the SE case. In the end, I don't feel the excellent design realized in the perfectly machined competence of the SE's assembly can really stand up to a detailed comparison with the artful finesse in a core build. But I'm keeping the SE because it's a great guitar in it's own right.
Finally, this one needed just a couple minor tweaks to my taste: the locking tuners just make life so much easier, and I like the idea and the look of the brass posts, though I couldn't tell you if there are any tonal differences as a result (none I heard, anyway). And, of course, I've become hooked on PRS lampshade knobs for their size and feel, so a couple of amber/black ones were required...
:
Whelp, I've been living with my new Hollowbody SE Standard for a week now, and with the new tuners and knobs installed, here are my NGD pics and impressions. First the important stuff:
Let me say this right out of the gate: one of these things is not like the others.
I've been reading some really great reviews of the SE Hollowbody line, and though I can't speak for all of the examples out there, I can say that this SE Hollowbody Standard is a fine guitar; the build quality is great, the tones are generous and kind to the ear, the neck is smooth and easy to navigate. Basically, it's a perfectly useable instrument with a solid build, attractive cosmetics and quality parts. What it's not is any kind of competition to a core Hollowbody. AFAIC, these are a very, very different class of guitar.
Which is not to say I in any way dislike my Hollowbody SE. In fact, I have no doubt I'll be reaching for this one first for some stuff (particularly Jazz - and especially Jazz in the Park!). It has a great, woody thump to the tone when thumb strumming that I really like, and the smooth, clear, articulate and round notes from the neck pickup are really delicious.
However, despite sharing the same "name", it's really a very different guitar to a core Hollowbody II or McCarty Hollowbody. We're familiar with the differences in construction, but what I wasn't really prepared for was how these instruments are even noticeably different sizes; you can't fit an SE Hollowbody in a core HB case, for instance, and a core HB will rattle around in the SE case. In the end, I don't feel the excellent design realized in the perfectly machined competence of the SE's assembly can really stand up to a detailed comparison with the artful finesse in a core build. But I'm keeping the SE because it's a great guitar in it's own right.
Finally, this one needed just a couple minor tweaks to my taste: the locking tuners just make life so much easier, and I like the idea and the look of the brass posts, though I couldn't tell you if there are any tonal differences as a result (none I heard, anyway). And, of course, I've become hooked on PRS lampshade knobs for their size and feel, so a couple of amber/black ones were required...
