Returning to the fold and looking for some guidance... considering LE Special Semi-Hollow

[Joesnewmatch]

I was a huge PRS and and spent most of my online time in Birds and Moons back in the day, but eventually sold off my last PRS to fund another buy and left the fold. Now, I think I'm ready to jump back and need some guidance -- thinking about the LE Special Semi-Hollowbody.

For perspective, my first PRS was a Cu22 (sold because batwing wouldn't stay in tune). The I added a gold top McSoapy (great guitar, but sold when I had a bigger sounding LP with P90s). My last two PRS included a Sunburst 245 and a DGT, the latter being my number 1 for a long time. I sold those after acquiring an amazing R8, SG, and some F-style guitars that scratched all those itches, separately. I never renounced or became a hater, I just moved into a different direction for a while.

I keep up from time to time, but I was recently blown away when I discovered the Limited Edition Special Semi-Hollowbody. What intrigues me is that it seems extremely functional, lightweight, and that it might be the perfect gigging guitar for me. You see, my guitar chase led me to eventually own a perfect LP, LP Special, SG, 335-style, Tele, Strat, and Jazzmaster. I love all of them and play all of them at HOME, but it's a constant push pull on which to take to band practice or gigs.

My primary guitars are the SG and Jazzmaster, because I play lead with three guys, two of whom sing and play acoustics amped, and the third playing electric bass. The SG and JM to balance out the tone pallet and those guitars just feel like home. I used to hate Strats, but the Strat works really great in the mix with my band, so I've come around (yes, I'm thinking about a Silver Sky, but hesitant about the 7.25" radius).

So I'm minding my own business and one day run across a NGD post on TGP about the LE SSH and I'm thinking maybe that "jack of all trades" (something I previously swore off) would actually be the perfect gigging guitar for me, in the interest of covering all bases and taking the least gear.

I usually follow my instincts and nail it, but I'm a little curious this time, about one thing here -- the Custom style body. I remember back in the day starting with that Cu22, but realizing that the McCarty body had more of the vintage tone that I liked. Was it the bigger body dimensions, the pickups, in my head? Don't know.

So I'm curious if y'all think the SSH might be offered in a McCarty body? Regardless, would the current 22-based SSH satisfy me or leave me wanting? I should mention that I mostly play clean, with some drive, other fx, through a blackface and our band plays blues, cleaner-style classic rock, 80s/90s alternative (again cleaner stuff), and some alternative country. I'm not looking for a shredder, not playing metal, so keep that in mind.

Any comments would be appreciated! Thanks.

 

[Tone-y]

I don't think you will have to worry about the Custom/McCarty body thickness issue. Since the introduction of the 57/08 and subsequent 5x/xx pickups vintage voicing has been available across a range of PRS guitars rather than just the McCarty models. I don't think it ever came down to just body thickness - that was purely to get the guitars more into a LP zone, but there's more to a vintage sound than just LP guitars.
As you say your primary guitars are the SG and Jazzmaster then I think the thinner Custom body will be fine. I have a Custom 22 bodied guitar with the 53/10 pickups and it can cover vintage SG sounds fine. Only if you were trying to cover your LP sounds would I say the thicker body would be an advantage.

 

[Mozzi]

Personally, I think the 509 is more a jack of all trades but master of none - I say master of none because it doesn't offer everything a Les Paul, Strat and Tele combined does but can pull off some aspects of each rather well. For example, the two humbucker positions can sound great like any 2 humbucker guitar can but want the two together, you can't. The bridge in SC is quite tele like but the middle and the neck are more stratty - even more if you find a Swamp Ash, maple neck 509.

The Special 22 Semi Hollow is much more like an 'expanded' Custom 22-08. I know PRS don't make a 22-08 (yet) but its the same principal as the Custom 24-08 and same Pick up selection options. However, with the Narrowfield in the middle, that gives the Special a few extra options - The Narrowfield with either neck or bridge Pick-up which can be full or tapped. With the NF being more 'humbucker' you don't quite get the Strat type sound you get in positions 2 and 4 - even if the Bridge or Neck are tapped. You also don't get the Narrowfield on its own option so if you want a middle single coil (either on its own or with either neck or bridge pick-up), you can't do that. The reason I think its more an expanded Custom 22 is because you can 'fine tune' the Tone. If, for example, the bridge pick up is too bright with the Neck, you can use the Narrowfield instead, if the neck pick up is too round with the Bridge, you can use the Narrowfield. Its like a halfway humbucker if the separation between neck and bridge is too much.

Position 1 is just the humbucker
Position 2 is Humbucker and Narrowfield (short distance between PU's)
Position 3 is both Humbuckers (long distance between PU's)
Position 4 is Narrowfield and Humbucker (short distance be tween PU's)
Position 5 is just the humbucker.

 

[Mozzi]

Sorry for the split post but for some reason, I keep getting an 'error' when trying to post this in one single post. - this is a continuation from the above post....

Positions 2-4 are like having more fine control over the dual humbucker tone that you get rather than being like a Strat or like a tele. Its very versatile none the less and offers a lot of different tones but whether it could replace a Strat and/or Tele, I don't think so. You wouldn't take a 594 or Custom 24-08 to replace a Strat and tele because the Split neck and bridge PU's are close enough to pass. If I wanted that type of versatility, my 509 would would be better because it does have more 'single coil' sound and I can run the guitar in a SSS way like a strat - or even HSS if I wanted including being able to use the middle Single coil on its own.

Its up to you of course and you may feel that the Tapped 58/15's can replace your tele/strat/jazzmaster type tones but I feel my 509 is the better guitar to handle more 'fender' type tones whilst also able to give some Les Paul type tones. My Special is much more like a Custom 22 with a lot more fine tuning of the sounds. It can do the usual 5 you get, even the 8 you would get from a Custom 22-08 but you also have a couple of inbetween sounds if the gap between Neck and Bridge is too much. I love both my 509 and Special 22 but I feel the 509 is more equipped to cover multiple types of instrument with the Special being much more of an expanded Custom 22.

Apart from the first and this line, nothing has been changed so I do NOT understand why it won't post the whole thing as 1 message

 

[bodia]

I love, love, love my SSH. Amazing sounds. The MT pickups splits are divine. It covers almost all of the ground you'd be looking to cover. Having said that, I have to side with Mozzi. The 509 is more of a "Jack Of All Trades" guitar. I have a WL version with Swamp Ash body, Maple cap, and Maple neck and fret board. That thing covers some serious ground. If I had to chose one to be my only, it would be a very, very tough decision. Some days I think 509, and some days I think SSH.

It may come down to the pickups. The SSH being more Vintage PAF voiced. Not sure where you're at, but if you had the opportunity to try them out, that would be key.

I'll add this, I was at Rider1260's house about a week after I got my SSH. He loved it so much he had one within the next week. He's also got a 513, so maybe he can chime in with his opinion. @Rider1260

 

[Rider1260]

My take on the Special Semi Hollow is that it is a warmer sounding CU22 and I love it. as set up it does not "quack" ( 2+4 position ) like a strat at all
The Narrowfield with the tapped neck or bridge are killer tones and its like having in extra gear just more push to the tapped settings then go to full Bucker and narrowfield and there is even more oomph
Now lets talk 513 it has the heavy humbucker mode , the vintage or standard humbucker mode , it has single coil mode ALL very nice sounds.
It has a longer 25 1/4 scale that gives it a slightly tighter feel ( that I like ) .

The SSH and 513 are both keepers for me for different reasons the 513 has a more compressed sound that I like its also so good at SO many things it can be the only guitar I bring to a jam.
The SSH is a more unique sounding guitar with the different pickup combos, I like it a ton but I haven't really recorded it or done a big jam with it yet. to be honest the Silver Sky has me off track on playing my other guitars at the moment.

 

[Joesnewmatch]

Thanks, guys - I really appreciate the detailed responses!

@Tone-y , thanks for the commentary on the Cu22 vs McCarty body thickness question. That's one of my biggest concerns. I haven't played a Cu22 in a long time and never gave them much thought again. I just got it into my mind that the McCarty was more my speed. I was a big fan of the 57/08s that I had in my old Sunburst 245 and also really enjoyed the DGT pickups, though I found them a bit too "Texas" for me, if that makes sense. But I may have been trying to compare those apples to other oranges at the time and also justify the sale of perfectly great guitars for newer different perfectly great guitars.

@Mozzi, thank you so much for that really detailed response! I was actually thinking about a 509, initially. I remembered the 513s and never got into those, and I was completely unaware of the 509 until I started seeing really impressive videos posted by Terence Young II over in the Helix Family Users (I use a HelixLT with my Princeton Reverb). My initial internet investigation suggested that the 509 pickups are a little hotter than the SSH pups and also that the 509 is heavier. Both of those points started pushing me in the SSH direction. Also, I prefer light and more comfortable guitar that I will be able to enjoy more as I get older.

I live in South Florida and despite the number of guitar stores, there are not a lot of models to try down here, at least not in my experience. But, I was on vacation recently and was able to play a SSH for about a minute under less than ideal circumstances, including an unfamiliar amp, at an out of town store. I don't trust my recollection of the exact tone, but I remember loving the way it felt, played, and looked -- and I have continued to think about it.

Yeah, I know from experience that a PRS is never really going to sound like a LP, or Strat, or Tele -- totally get that -- and a Jazzmaster, forget about it! But, yeah, I'm thinking about something that could cop decent hum bucking and single coil tones without hum or anemic coil taps. My recollection was that the SSH taps worked great in that department, much better than my old 245 or DGT.

@bodia , really appreciate the feedback. I should clarify that, although I practice with my band a lot, we rarely get to gig due to our demanding jobs and family obligations. So it's not like I'm not in a wedding band or playing 5 weekly and needing a guitar to cover really diverse requests. I'm mostly looking for a great playing all-around guitar that will cover a lot of sonic territory, so that I can get a nice Tele-esque bridge tone for Folsom Prison (even though recorded on a Jag), hum buckers for some blues and heavier songs, single coils for other blues and rock songs, etc. You get the idea.

 

[Joesnewmatch]

@Rider1260 , I missed your post when I was responding just now, but thank you for chiming in. A warmer Cu22 does sound like a good thing, more what I like. And I could see how the Silver Sky has you distracted. I also played one of them finally at that same store and I was very impressed. It was one of the most comfortable and easy playing Strats that I have encountered and the slightly fatter tone was awesome.

Here's a question for all of you -- I see there is a fair bit of swing in the weight department, with some in the low 6 pounds and others above 7. Do you y'all have any opinions on weight factoring in to the tone on these? I'm thinking probably not, but I've only ever seen one in person. Curious if anyone had the chance to try multiple versions at the same time.

 

[Mozzi]

@Rider1260Here's a question for all of you -- I see there is a fair bit of swing in the weight department, with some in the low 6 pounds and others above 7. Do you y'all have any opinions on weight factoring in to the tone on these? I'm thinking probably not, but I've only ever seen one in person. Curious if anyone had the chance to try multiple versions at the same time.

My SSH is rather on the 'heavy' side for these at 7lb8oz and I have seen them in the 6lb something range too. I can't remember exactly how heavy my 509 was but it wasn't Les Paul heavy. I would think its in the 8-9lb range. As far as tone goes, I don't really think they vary very much at all based on the weight and all seem to be as similar as you would expect a guitar made with natural materials can be. Just because mine is more on the heavy side, I don't think it has any extra or fewer qualities, no longer/shorter sustain etc etc that are directly attributed to being heavier. I haven't tested mine against every possible one in the country to see what, if any audible differences I could find and particularly looking for any correlation between the tonal qualities and weight.

Personally I feel my 509 has more of a tele sounding bridge than a tapped 58/18 on the SSH. I can also get the quack you can get from a Strat because the Middle pick-up isn't like a humbucker as the Narrowfield is. The SSH is a Custom 22 with a LOT of tone shaping possibilities but apart from using either neck, bridge or both together tapped - ALL other 9 PU options have some 'Humbucker' flavour. You don't get that tele or stratty tone you get with single coils and the 509 can be run like a Strat SSS configuration or the HSS strat - I think of it more as PRS's SuperStrat because you can get close to a tele bridge and the stratty quack too - its close enough that you could easily take it out as the only guitar in a covers band because it covers so much variety. Yes the PU's are a bit hotter but you can work around that, turn the gain down for example or volume on the guitar so its not hitting the amp as hard but its much more versatile in that sense.

The SSH offers a lot of fine tuning to shape the tone but its much more a Custom 22 with multiple shades between all 5 positions of the blade. Every position offers 2 shades with the middle position offering 4 shades of tone depending on whether the Humbuckers are tapped or full. In positions 2 and 4, you are still getting at least one humbucker tone rather than a SC from the Narrowfield. Its pretty much the most versatile double humbucker guitar on the market whilst the 509 is a super strat.

If you want something to save having to take 2 or 3 different guitars, guitars with Humbuckers and SC's, then the 509 is better (or the 513 I guess if you can find one) but if you want the most versatile and varied humbucker guitar, a custom 22 with 7 more possibilities than the standard 5 way offered, then the SSH is better.