PRS that does both Jazz & Rock?

[Lively1440]

Looking to purchase my first PRS Core guitar and would love some opinions on what would be the best if I’m trying to get both Jazz and Rock tones.

Have been considering the custom 24, hollowbody ii, and the semi hollow special?

If it was just rock I’d go custom 24 as I’m a 90s kid loving Wes Borland, Brad Delson and all the nu-metal bands. But on the other hand, Mike Einzinger of Incubus has some of my favorite tones coming out of a hollowbody ii.

Any and all suggestions are appreciated.

 

[GGJJGG]

I think my SSH gives a lot of tonal variety. I haven’t tried a full hollow body/piezo but those look to also have a ton of tone. For variety, I really like the SSH. The MEV also has a lot to work with but sounds more hi fi to me.

 

[Abe]

For me personally I'd want to go with a hollowbody with humbuckers, which isn't necessarily the only kind of guitar that can do jazz and rock or jazz rock, but I'm kind of a jazz rock inclined type player and found the hollowbody with humbuckers to be a step up for me from the solidbody with humbuckers guitar I played most of my electric guitar on in the past.

When I first acquired my PRS Hollowbody I found it to very much have a thick meaty low end jazz guitar type of sound and actually needed to dial it in to have the cutting high end access via adjusting pickup heights and EQ and amp settings. Now I can get my newfound hollowbody sound out of it I never had in the past as well as the same type of tone I used to get on the solidbody HH Les Paul on bridge pickup.

My PRS is just a PRS SE HB II btw so I'd guess you'd be very very happy with the Core HB II.

 

[RickP]

Possibly one of the older Hollowbody guitars with the Archtop pickups, particularly the spruce-topped ones, would suit you. In the newer lineup, a HBII or 594 HB II would be a winner. The newer pickups are brighter than the Archtops, but still have that PAF thing working. I don’t have experience with the others suggested.

 

[d^rren]

I’d say something with dual humbuckers and 22 frets. You’ll get a smoother, warmer neck position tone out of a 22 fret guitar. DGT, McCarty, Standard 22, Custom 22 semi-hollow, or Hollowbody.

 

[Anachronism]

I echo those endorsing the HBII. I love mine and it really can cover a lot of ground, especially after I had the PTC mod it a little.

 

[FJ4]

Hollowbody II

 

[Greywolf]

I have the Special and and HBII both Artists, the HB II is the better jazz box. If you can find one of th Archtops that fits your wallet they would be a strong choice. this would be my lotto choice ...

 

[watelessness]

i'll come at it from a different angle: play your favorite guitar through an MT15 paired with an MT15 cabinet, and roll off the guitar's treble through the clean channel. or get an SSH

 

[Mozzi]

Looking to purchase my first PRS Core guitar and would love some opinions on what would be the best if I’m trying to get both Jazz and Rock tones.

Have been considering the custom 24, hollowbody ii, and the semi hollow special?

If it was just rock I’d go custom 24 as I’m a 90s kid loving Wes Borland, Brad Delson and all the nu-metal bands. But on the other hand, Mike Einzinger of Incubus has some of my favorite tones coming out of a hollowbody ii.

Any and all suggestions are appreciated.

I've seen Jazz played on a Les Paul, arguably one of the guitars most synonymous with Rock and have seen Rock played on Hollowbody guitars that are synonymous with Jazz...

It really doesn't matter as all guitars have the same 'notes' and it really does depend on the 'set-up' and your own Personal preference to the 'tone' you are chasing. Most, if not all come with tone/volume controls to adjust and you have your Pedal Board and Amp too. Rock may require you to go to a 'overdriven' Channel on your amp, maybe add in some OD or Distortion with a Pedal, where as Jazz may require you to have a 'clean' Amp with a different EQ or maybe rolled off on the Tone control - but ANY guitar could 'work' for both genres of music.

You can play Jazz, Blues or even 'Worship' on a BC Rich Warlock - it may not have the right 'aesthetic', but it has all the right notes and functionality of any other guitar.

It's far more important to get the instrument that feels right to you and start there. They all have the same capacity to make the same music and you'll find examples where the same model/type of guitar has been used to play all genres - its more about the Guitarist and their 'preference'...

 

[Headset]

I think for the genres/range you’re looking at custom 24 piezo or special semihollow are worth looking into. The blend on the piezo can get you in the ball park of semihollow tones but the split pickup sounds on the special are a step above the custom. I would probably say to go with whatever neck carve you prefer (pattern thin for custom 24 and pattern for special).

 

[Lively1440]

Appreciate all of the feedback so far!

 

[Rider1260]

CU22 Special Semi Hollow
Studio
408
P24
Hollowbody 1 or 2
CU22 with McCarty pickups

Have fun shopping

 

[Bogner]

Several Could Work But I Would Give A Slight Lead To The Hollow Body Model. They Are Exceptional Guitars And Can Easily Cover What You Are Wanting And Needing Them To Do And A Lot More If You Wanted To. Depending On Pickups And Your Gear Set Up I Could See Some Pickup Options Possibly being Better Than Others But The Core Foundation Of The Hollow Body Is A Great Place To Start. A Pickup Swap (If Ever Necessary) Isn't A Big Deal. Getting The Right Guitar Is A Big Deal And Gun To My Head, Hand On Heart It Would Be My First Choice Without Question Or Hesitation.

Good Luck!

 

[Moondog Wily]

Or get a Selmer VI saxophone and you are in with both crowds ;~))







My 594 HBII is my daily player! I only play a couple of jazzy songs (rest of it rock, blues and country) but it does great on all of it ;~))

 

[danktat]

Something you may not have thought of, and may not be conventional, could be a CE24 semi hollow. You can get both modern tones out of it and airier tones because of the cavity. The crispness of the maple neck. But the open feel of the semi hollow. They aren't as commonplace as the CE solid body, but there are a decent amount of them floating around. If I wasn't so used to 22 fret guitars, I would already have one. And still have it on my list if I stumble across the "right" one.........(or one at the right price).

 

[The Bird]

McCarty 594 SC is the correct answer here. Put in a hotter bridge pickup if you need to.

 

[Gtrbldr]

McCarty 594 SC is the correct answer here. Put in a hotter bridge pickup if you need to.

I was thinking a McC incarnation as well. 594 is a food suggestion. SH will work too if you want to lean a little more to the jazzy side

 

[d^rren]

I've seen Jazz played on a Les Paul, arguably one of the guitars most synonymous with Rock and have seen Rock played on Hollowbody guitars that are synonymous with Jazz...

It really doesn't matter as all guitars have the same 'notes' and it really does depend on the 'set-up' and your own Personal preference to the 'tone' you are chasing. Most, if not all come with tone/volume controls to adjust and you have your Pedal Board and Amp too. Rock may require you to go to a 'overdriven' Channel on your amp, maybe add in some OD or Distortion with a Pedal, where as Jazz may require you to have a 'clean' Amp with a different EQ or maybe rolled off on the Tone control - but ANY guitar could 'work' for both genres of music.

You can play Jazz, Blues or even 'Worship' on a BC Rich Warlock - it may not have the right 'aesthetic', but it has all the right notes and functionality of any other guitar.

It's far more important to get the instrument that feels right to you and start there. They all have the same capacity to make the same music and you'll find examples where the same model/type of guitar has been used to play all genres - its more about the Guitarist and their 'preference'...

Exactly. I've seen jazz played on a Telecaster (Mike Stern and the late, great Ed Bickert come to mind). With electric guitars, you can sculpt the tone to be almost anything you want it to be. You can get jazzy tones out of a neon-painted pointy guitar, too... you just might raise some eyebrows… which is not necessarily a bad thing. We listen with our ears, not our eyes.

 

[Greywolf]

There is a whole thread about tele players and jazz on the Jazz guitar forum. Ed and Mike and Lenny Stern definetly have no issue with them nor did Robben Ford. I've played jazz on every guitar I own , but big box's with roundwounds make the job so much easier.
My dedicated jazz box is not capable of doing rock , hence the HBII being my go to in between .