PRS Hollowbody II - Please Convince Me To Buy One

CVS

CVS

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I have been thinking for some time now about selling my Taylor T5 and buying a new PRS Hollowbody II. I purchased the T5 because I wanted to take only 1 guitar to gigs and I need some acoustic capability as well as electric. I play blues, jazz (think Larry Carlton - but not close with respect to capability) and classic rock. The guitar must have a great sound when played either clean or with overdrive. I would want the guitar equipped with .10 gauge strings as I do quite a bit of string stretching/bending. The T5 is a good versatile guitar and easy to play, but I feel like it lacks the right tone, especially when you play on the electric settings. FYI - I own 3 PRS's at the moment and would never consider selling any of them!

Please help convince me that I have "seen the light"!!!

Thanks for your help.
 
I think you convinced yourself. You play a wide variety of styles and the HB does stunning cleans to rippin' gain tones. Its a not compromise instrument and I think its unmatched in its versatility. Also they are definitely not hard on the eyes...
 
Check out the Singlecut HB, too. Definitely my favorite, and would sit nicely with your styles of music. Be prepared, though. Once you spend time with one, you'll have a hard time going back!

I play 10s on my SC HB Standard, but 11s (with an unwound G string) on the SC HB II, which is my main gigging guitar. It took less than a month and now ey feel great. I do feel the acoustic tone is better with the 11s.

Oh yeah, I also had a T5, but it didn't handle the electric side as well. If hey would have put their mini humbuckers in that guitar, it would have rocked.
 
The newer ones are better, as the older (original) pickups leave something to be desired (IMHO). Either look to a newer one oo find an older one with replaced pickups or be prepared to upgrade them.

I have had this one since new in 1999. I did not know how good it could be until I upgraded to Wolfetone Dr. Vs. By that time I had a new one with 57/08s, so ONE of them is going to have to go.



 
I love mine, a Spruce HB, with the "old" pickups (which sound great for what I do - yeah, they aren't very hot, but that is just fine for how I use them!)

I have recently been tempted to pick up another (edit: a HB II, so I can get the maple top and back - different sound), but even more recently I am Jonesing for a P24 Trem (I want 24 frets, and well, a trem).

If you get a HB, get one with the piezo (might be standard on new builds, but wasn't always). It really helps create that acoustic-like sound (the sound of an acoustic guitar plugged into the PA, not the natural sound of an acoustic guitar). If you rarely use it, that's ok, you don't need to, but when you choose to use it, it is great, IMHO.

I use my HB in piezo mode 95% of the time. Even doing rocking lead solos with dirt sounds good using just the piezo. (Occasionally I mix in or switch to the mag pups.)

Oh yeah - if you get the piezo, I suggest you put on 11s - the piezo prefers that according to PRS. And I have no problems bending for solos.
 
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Brilliant guitars. The level of craftsmanship is extremely high on these, they exude class...

I've toyed with selling mine recently mainly due to the fact that I have to downsize the number of guitar I own but the only reason is the lack of a trem which I use often... and unless the right offer comes along I'm just not going to move it on. I love everything else about the guitar. It's a 2012 10-top in Faded Gray Black.

14917332781_5c07ef6de5_b.jpg

14920077182_939dd23c0c_b.jpg


I also don't mind the 11s (they are factory stock - I thought I might changeover to 10s but it's not too bad and the tone is much fatter on both the piezo and the mag outputs).
 
Thanks to all for the feedback! You all have pretty much confirmed my thoughts. Not sure my fingers can take 11's but I see the trade off, so I am thinking about it. The T5 came with 11's, I switched to 10's but had the same concerns about the acoustic sound as mentioned above, so I switched back to 11's.
I am inching ever closer to "D" (decision) day. I have never sold a guitar before. Any thoughts on how to sell???
 
shinksma said:
I love mine, a Spruce HB, with the "old" pickups (which sound great for what I do - yeah, they aren't very hot, but that is just fine for how I use them!)

I have recently been tempted to pick up another (edit: a HB II, so I can get the maple top and back - different sound), but even more recently I am Jonesing for a P24 Trem (I want 24 frets, and well, a trem).

If you get a HB, get one with the piezo (might be standard on new builds, but wasn't always). It really helps create that acoustic-like sound (the sound of an acoustic guitar plugged into the PA, not the natural sound of an acoustic guitar). If you rarely use it, that's ok, you don't need to, but when you choose to use it, it is great, IMHO.

I use my HB in piezo mode 95% of the time. Even doing rocking lead solos with dirt sounds good using just the piezo. (Occasionally I mix in or switch to the mag pups.)

Oh yeah - if you get the piezo, I suggest you put on 11s - the piezo prefers that according to PRS. And I have no problems bending for solos.
Click to expand...

Wound/unwound third? Being mostly a rhythm player, I always had a wound third and hated(still do)a plain third.
 
shinksma said:
I love mine, a Spruce HB, with the "old" pickups (which sound great for what I do - yeah, they aren't very hot, but that is just fine for how I use them!)

If you get a HB, get one with the piezo (might be standard on new builds, but wasn't always). It really helps create that acoustic-like sound (the sound of an acoustic guitar plugged into the PA, not the natural sound of an acoustic guitar). If you rarely use it, that's ok, you don't need to, but when you choose to use it, it is great, IMHO.
Click to expand...

I'm in the same boat as you I think - same model fiddle but no Piezo. I have been searching for one and almost pulled the trigger a few months ago, but I agree, definitely worth getting with the Piezo. Like you I also prefer the stock McCarty Archtop pickups. Even with heavier distortion there's a lot of clarity in each note.
 
tabl10s said:
Wound/unwound third? Being mostly a rhythm player, I always had a wound third and hated(still do)a plain third.
Click to expand...

It really depends on your playing style and taste. I do run 11s on my SC HB II. I bend lots, so the unwound was the only option. It's what came on the guitar, and the tonal balance is perfect.
 
Haven't done 11's in 35 years. Mine won't be here till next week. I'll you know.
 
They're awesome. Buy one. The end. :biggrin:

Really though, I've always thought of the T5 as more of an acoustic that happens to have an electric pickup. The HB series are very serious electrics that also have the option of very serious acoustic.

If you like a fat jazzy tone, you may like an older one with the Archtop pickups. They sound best clean, but get rather "woofy" with overdrive. I just swapped them out on mine for a set of Lollar Imperial low winds and man I'm in love again.
 
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