Show your PS!
- Thread starter Tim
- Start date
Now for the serious answer. The F hole simply makes it jazzier sounding. Oddly, you hear the fundamental note in the middle, and then the hollowness around it. Without the F hole, you dont have that fundamental, so its a little fatter sounding, but not quite as clear or articulate. I love both equally. For a non jazzer, I say no F hole, but there are many rockers who love it, so its a hard call. You know what? If its your first one, go without the F hole. If you totally love it like I am sure you will, get another later on with the hole.
veinbuster
Zombie Three, DFZ
loosing marbles daily... must resist .... must buy.... must resist....
I totally forgot about this one when I stopped by.
veinbuster
Zombie Three, DFZ
jfb
Plank Owner
Now for the serious answer. The F hole simply makes it jazzier sounding. Oddly, you hear the fundamental note in the middle, and then the hollowness around it. Without the F hole, you dont have that fundamental, so its a little fatter sounding, but not quite as clear or articulate. I love both equally. For a non jazzer, I say no F hole, but there are many rockers who love it, so its a hard call. You know what? If its your first one, go without the F hole. If you totally love it like I am sure you will, get another later on with the hole.
Thanks for the description.
I'm surprised it wasn't the reason for the trip.
I am leaning towards the F-Hole. I wonder if I can get the inside stained so it doesn't look like raw maple when looking inside the cavity.
There are both chambered and semi hollow models, and both are specifically designed. Neither was for weight relief from everything I have heard. For starters, both have thicker bodies than their solid body equivalents . The chambered is about 1/4" thicker than solid, and semi hollow about 1/2" thicker. Oddly, the production CU22 semi hollow LTD with the F hole is the normal thickness of a Cu22. (KILLER guitar, but does not have the same bigness of tone as the thicker bodied Artist models. I have them all right here.) The Artist series offered the chambered and semi hollow bodies as options, and very few were made. IMO, they are still the finest sounding guitars PRS has ever made, although changing the Artist pups to 57/08s or Dragon 2s would improve them even more. Now that being said, I agree the F hole looks SUPER cool, and it does change the tone. But dont get it just because it looks good if you are a player. They sound quite different, and you want to get the one that sounds better to you!
jfb
Plank Owner
The thicker bodies of the Artist 3 chambered and sem-hollow intrigue me. Off to find one of each to try. Wish me luck.
There are both chambered and semi hollow models, and both are specifically designed. Neither was for weight relief from everything I have heard. For starters, both have thicker bodies than their solid body equivalents . The chambered is about 1/4" thicker than solid, and semi hollow about 1/2" thicker. Oddly, the production CU22 semi hollow LTD with the F hole is the normal thickness of a Cu22. (KILLER guitar, but does not have the same bigness of tone as the thicker bodied Artist models. I have them all right here.) The Artist series offered the chambered and semi hollow bodies as options, and very few were made. IMO, they are still the finest sounding guitars PRS has ever made, although changing the Artist pups to 57/08s or Dragon 2s would improve them even more. Now that being said, I agree the F hole looks SUPER cool, and it does change the tone. But dont get it just because it looks good if you are a player. They sound quite different, and you want to get the one that sounds better to you!
One more point on this. Back on the original birds and moons, there were Xrays of both chambered and semi hollow guitars. Both were semi hollow, but the "semi hollow" had something like one additional small area hollowed out. That leaves the additional 1/4" body thickness as the main difference. I went through all of this in detail with PRS back when I ordered my first PS. I had no idea (and neither did most on B&M) at that time that there even was a "chambered" model. The same guitars were called both. It was not until my first PS came in, and I saw the body was thinner than my Artist 3 semi hollow that I found all this out. By sheer chance I ordered a "chambered" instead of "semi hollow" artist 3 because I used both terms interchangeably. If I ordered an hour later, I may have stated 'semi hollow", its just what my brain was thinking at that particular moment as to which term I used. Anyway, when I looked at the guitar and held it next to my production artist 3, I saw the thinner body and thought they sent me a solid body by mistake. My dealer called PRS, and they informed them on the spot of both varieties, and I had speced "chambered". They told us to hold it side by side with a solid bodied one, and we did. Sure enough, it was thicker than the solidbody, but thinner than the semi hollow I had really wanted.
Remember I had waited 2.5 years for the guitar!!!! This is when i found out how cool PRS was. It was my mistake, and they STILL offered to make me another guitar if I was not 100% happy. they told me to play it side by side with my production artist 3, and see what i thought, which I sat down and did. That particular artist 3 was the best sounding of all the artist 3s I had owned (many), and it sounded every bit as good. On top of that, look at that top!!! :rock: No need to build me another one!!!It took me years to find them. Especially with trems. That makes all the difference. :rock: By the way, "Markie" has one of my old ones, and its a KILLER, even with a WT neck. Oh yea, and I have never even seen a chambered one other than the one I own. I never knew they existed until PRS told me they did, and had me hold up my guitar next to a solid one. I have all three types now. The solid thickness CU22 semi hollow LTD, my first PS which is thicker and "Chambered", and my 2 semi hollows which are thicker yet. LOVE these guitars! Why PRS does not offer the option for them is a huge mystery to me. My second one (sky blue, F hole, Indian Rosewood neck) is the smoothest guitar in overdrive I have ever owned. Smoother than my old Fender Robben Ford Ultra Sprce, and that guitar was SMOOOOOOTH.
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Moss, you always have so many BEAUTIFUL PSs in your store. You need to order at least one Artist 3 semi hollow with trem. With the woods you pick out and the tone in those bad boys, it would be off the charts! (No I cant afford another right now myself)
veinbuster
Zombie Three, DFZ
Me too. Just like my Johnny Smith and most jazz guitars, but having one stained may be cool and unique.
jfb
Plank Owner
I will give it some thought. Yes, I need to play a trip soon. I am running out of 2013.
Sometimes really late at night, when everyone else in town is asleep, I grab a flashlight and just stare at the flame inside the F hole for hours on end.
:biggrin:
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tjordan2334
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tjordan2334
New Member
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