PRS's take on a 335

[fgeorge097]

Have they ever done anything like this? Think I could get it through private stock?

 

[kingsleyd]

The Hollowbody model is seen by some as being 335-like, and I think PRS' original marketing went there. Having owned a few HBs and several 335/345/355s, I don't see it that way so much. The Hollowbody is more hollow -- there's a block (sort of like the old Gretsch "trestle" but a little more substantial) under the bridge but otherwise it's pretty hollow in there. The other thing is, the Hollowbody has a solid, carved top & back whereas the top and back of the 3x5s are laminated. Overall the feel, response, and timbre is just very different. To my ears, hands, and gut anyway.

In my experience some of the semi-hollow guitars with single f-holes, e.g., the Custom 22 semi-hollow or the DGT semi-hollow ("Birds of a Feather," aka "Miss April 2016") are a little bit more akin to 3x5s, sound-wise. I also have a private stock McCarty Trem that has a single-cut thickness body (thickness on the edges is exactly the same as my 1962 ES-335!) and chambering that effectively makes the inside pretty close to what it would be on a 335 although it's achieved by completely different means. No f-holes on the PRS, but again when I play the 335 and the McCarty side-by-side there's a distinct similarity that I never heard in the PRS Hollowbodies I owned. Certainly one could add an f-hole to those specs to get a little more "335" vibe happening.

Here's the McCarty in question in action.

 

[C&M Music - Lafayette]

Very nice playing and demo. Thank you Kingsley!

 

[django49]

I like the demo.....Like a lot of people, I often forget how versatile that in between position can be. It is great that PRS is expanding the options for getting guitars with two volume controls.....Esp for those of us that "came up" with the traditional "Gibson" sort of controls.

 

[László]

I agree with Kingsley, and got some very fine 335 type tones with a Semi-hollow CU22 Ltd. a while back. Another guitar I shouldn't have sold...

 

[kingsleyd]

To nudge it a little more into the 335 zone, you could spec it as a 594 -- thereby getting a couple of essential Gibsonian elements: the 24 19/32 inch scale length and separate volumes and tones for each pickup, with the same interactive wiring scheme that's on the McCarty in my demo. Single-cut thickness, chamber out both sides of the interior but leave the middle solid, and put an f-hole on the topside. That would be a damn nice guitar IMHO...

 

[Mr_You]

Here's a video that does a pretty good A/B clean tone comparison of a Gibson 335 and a PRS McCarty Hollowbody which is similar to the Hollowbody I.

I definitely prefer the PRS. I imagine you could get closer to a true 335 sound with different pickups and/or rolling the tone back a bit.

I honestly don't see my purchasing another guitar until PRS produces an S2 Hollowbody. Please Vote!

EDIT:

Have they ever done anything like this? Think I could get it through private stock?

I think you could get similar or better with a PRS Hollowbody II with the 58/15 LTs and rolling the tone knob back.

 

[watelessness]

Swapping in some Mira pickups and mini coil-split switch gave mine a very slutty, bluesey characteristic. It's awesome