So far I'm extremely happy with the tone! I'd say it has just a touch more presence than hog. They are pretty similar but the one big difference, and this may have to do with the pickups, is that the lower frequencies seem more in control. It doesn't have the muddiness that my McRosie has (with 57/08's). I want to say that the Koa helps keep the bass response tighter and more defined. For me it's a bit tough to tell if that's all due to the wood or is also a part of what the 53/10's do, since this is my first PRS with 53/10's. It certainly has plenty of mids with a bright top end that I've been rolling off a bit with the tone knob (which I typically do anyway since I like a jazzier/bluesier clean tone).
For me this sonic character really fits into my wheelhouse. I tend to play on the neck pickup most of the time in a pushed clean tone (some hair on it). So to have a less boomy/muddy/flabby bottom end is really what I want! I can use the tone knob to adjust the higher freq response depending on which amp I play. The bass stays very intact no matter how the tone knob is adjusted without becoming too honky/boxy. When I stick my neck out a bit and hit the distortion (Plimsoul, thanks LSchef!) and go to the bridge pickup, she just sings! This is definitely where she shines the most! There's tremendous richness, sustain and note definition here when I go all out. She cuts through beautifully! Again, similar to mahogany but imparting her own signature. Slightly brigher… Just a hair, though, and why I decided to pair the Koa with a Rosewood neck, to add a touch of roundness. The Ebony board is incredible, I feel, and seems to impart some piano-esque attack/note bloom. I'm sure I'll be able to describe it better in a few more days.
She weighs in at a slightly more voluptuous 8.7lbs.
I hope to have some clips soon!