PRS Newbie - Just brought home an SE Hollow Body II

tothemax

New Member
Joined
Dec 2, 2019
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5
Location
Annapolis Area
I've been playing quite a few years and when I saw the new 2020 Hollow Body announcement I got pretty jazzed. My main gig axe has been an Epi ES-339, and it's been a solid worker. The Epi workmanship and quality control can vary, but with a few upgrades this one has been pretty decent. Anyway, when my local store got a couple of the new Hollow Body's in stock I dashed in to check them out and was not disappointed. What amazed me, was how light they are. In an attempt to hold back the GAS reflex, I decided to wait until after Thanksgiving and family had left, to go down and do a side by side test drive. I really fell for the Hollow Body II Tri-Color Sunburst. Test amp was a Mesa Boogie Fillmore 25 combo, another really sweet item (I normally play through a Hot Rod Deluxe). This was my first drive on the PRS and I was a little concerned about the wide / fat neck, but the 339 neck is a little wider than normal Epi/Gibson semi-hollow. It was love at first play, out of the box. From Van Morrison to Skynard, this baby had the tone, and my thoughts for a coil tap like my 339 went right out the window. I've had a weekend with my new axe and I'm still glazed. Kudo's to PRS for building a sweet guitar and keeping in the working man's price range.

Older these days, two sets with a heavy Les Paul or Strat (mine is 77' and matches weight with my Epi LP) got me looking at the ES-339. The HB II SE is the icing on the cake, beautiful workmanship, plays great, sounds great. At first I was a little concerned about feedback with the "full" hollow body design, for my volumes it was not an issue. Love the PRS pickup combination, not sure how they do their wiring but I was able to get all of the tones I get with the 339, and more.
 
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Tell us about the case! I am curious how well made the case is, and whether it is likely to fit core hollowbodies or other guitars.
 
Thanks for the hearty welcome... my local store had PRS build a special "Chessie Fade" series based on a satellite photo of the Bay, they were really over the top and far beyond my budget. P.R.S. being a local to these parts was at the showcase event to show off these guitars. He was very personable, telling old gig stories at local bars. That planted the bug... When I saw the SE hollow body description, I was hooked. You can check out the Chessie Fade on the Bay Tunes web site, they have one left.
 
Follow up on the case, it's pretty generic. It fits the guitar well, but really looks like a basic aftermarket hard case. A few steps above a high end gig bag.
Do you mind posting pics, inside and out? I’m wondering if other PRS models (Vela, in particular) could work with it, too.
 
Just received my se hollow body ll today.
I’m very pleased.looking inside the f holes
I can see highly figured maple looks like a match to the back!? I thought it was laminated ? Anyway the guitar sounds as
Good as it looks played through a blues jr.
The case though, is nothing to written home
About. It serves its purpose barely.
I didn’t buy the guitar for the case.
The action was alittle high, and the intonation
Sharp on all strings. Easily fixed by me already. I’m extremely pleased.
Go buy one!!!
 
I really fell for the Hollow Body II Tri-Color Sunburst.

Ok... Did you get a really stripey /flamey one ?

Yes, I know it sounds silly, but as a man high on PRS Kool Aid, you will see what I mean, if you hang around here long enough ! :)

Check out the threads like the "Red Guitar Thread", or the Mc Carty 594 Thread and inhale the figuring ...
I'm sure the amount of flame, bears not one whit as to what the guitar sounds like ...But there's gotta be reason as to why they generally cost more (more scarce wood ?)
and incredible sexyness ...:cool:

Then to really mess you up ... Watch under "PRS Greatest Hits" ... The Moderator Shaun 15 Year Anniversary Guitar Thread ... Stuff like that oughta be illegal ! ;)
 
The only reason I ask, is that the degree of flame, seems to vary a lot. If I was not so beholden to "flame", I' d go with a Standard in Tobacco. I saw one the other day, and it was beautiful. But it was next to one with a fair amount of flame, so I would go Tri Color. I was "unarmed" at the time (no $$$ ) so it had to stay in the store...
 
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