The Early SE Hollowbody II Piezo Jones

CandidPicker

CandidPicker

Tone Matters. Use It Well.
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Many of you have likely seen this on various YT channels...demoes of the new SE HBII Piezo...

I've got to admit...this guitar piques my interest only because it has the potential (at least for me) to become a decent player's guitar.

My hope is to save enough cash in the next several months to afford this guitar, and I'll likely need to speak with my banker to determine what the best way of going about this might be. (Short term money market, CD, etc). The reason for this is because 2 of my guitars are essentially the same in make/model (save for finish), and my leanings are towards rock/blues/jazz. One of my guitars could be sold so as to defray the cost of the HBII, but it will take a while before I'll have enough for a purchase.

Just for a head count, how many of you folks are also considering the recently released SE HBII Piezo?

I think that PRS has hit upon a viable concept that should have legs, once more of these are available online or in retail stores. If perhaps you've not heard these instruments on YT, skedaddle on over there and have a listen. IMHO, they're pretty awesome pieces.
 
The hollowbody platform is awesome.
I think that would be more popular if they were more visible, although I saw Ed Sheeran play one in a video once.

Those of us lucky to own one know they are magic.

I looked for YouTube videos when I got mine and couldn't find many, expect a guy that didn't know the chords to wish you were here,but seemed to have fun playing it anyway.

Oh and good work saving up. they will be waiting when you are ready, no guitar is worth putting you under financial stress
 
Callan said:
The hollowbody platform is awesome.
I think that would be more popular if they were more visible, although I saw Ed Sheeran play one in a video once.

I looked for YouTube videos when I got mine and couldn't find many, expect a guy that didn't know the chords to wish you were here,but seemed to have fun playing it anyway.

Oh and good work saving up. they will be waiting when you are ready, no guitar is worth putting you under financial stress
Click to expand...

Thanks for the encouragement; the place I checked for YT vids was Sweetwater's site. Bryan Ewald did a great job showcasing the SE HBII Piezo.

Regards saving cash, it may not be that easy, but it's nothing losing sleep or stressing over. My boss has recently increased my workshift schedule slightly (which I can handle) that may make it easier to set aside some cash sooner than later. Will check with my banker next week regards savings plans.
 
Hi All,

I just bought one. It is in the mail. I did so after viewing every YT video I could find. I had it upgraded with locking tuners and strap lock buttons before it was sent. It was the last one, of two, the dealer had and he expected a four-month waiting period for new deliveries to his store.

I am a fingerstyle player and I would love to have a better hollow-body sound on a great deal of the music I play. As far as finances go, I am 80 and they are a real concern. I am currently selling my last other brand guitar to pay for the SE Piezo. When the Piezo arrives, I will just own two guitars, a PRS 24-08 and the SE Piezo - hopefully, the only guitars I will need for the rest of my time. :)

Enjoy, life really is short! Regards, Scott
 
I had just gotten a Hollowbody Standard when they introduced this guitar. I love my hollowbody, but the II w/piezo comes in blue so it's become a no brainer. I have my fingers crossed that one of my my DC3's gets bought soon. Then I get this guitar and decide if I want to keep the Hollow body standard, which is a real hollowbody in sound. If I keep it, than another one has to go.
 
I am deeply torn. I had my eye on an S2 594 and was expecting to buy one probably some time in the fall. The simple truth is that I really play in two styles - I play blues rock stuff where I have a very vintage-oriented style where the 594 is basically exactly what I want ...

... but I also do more folk-oriented stuff where being able to mix acoustic and electric would be incredibly valuable. I have one friend I perform with where I'm always bringing two guitars, and this would give me the ability to do it with one and do it better ... I'd sort of been side-eyeing the Fender Acoustasonics because I didn't think a guitar like this at this price point was coming.

I do prefer the electric tones of the 594, I think (as far as I can tell without playing them both).

So I am significantly conflicted. I have a Chris Robertson I'll probably sell if I get the 594, less certain I'd sell it if I got this.
 
dogrocketp said:
I had just gotten a Hollowbody Standard when they introduced this guitar. I love my hollowbody, but the II w/piezo comes in blue so it's become a no brainer. I have my fingers crossed that one of my my DC3's gets bought soon. Then I get this guitar and decide if I want to keep the Hollow body standard, which is a real hollowbody in sound. If I keep it, than another one has to go.
Click to expand...
I have a new 24-08 and just ordered the SE Piezo. I want to keep just two guitars. I like the idea of having hollow-body sounds. Since, with the virus and my old age, finances are becoming more important each day, if I like the SE Piezo, I am already considering selling the expensive 2020 24-08 and replacing it with a much less expensive SE Standard Hollow-body. You are the first person I have talked to who has an SE Standard Hollow-body. What do you think of my idea of replacing my 24-08 with an SE Standard Hollow-body to go along with my SE Piezo?
Thanks, Scott
 
dogrocketp said:
I had just gotten a Hollowbody Standard when they introduced this guitar. I love my hollowbody, but the II w/piezo comes in blue so it's become a no brainer. I have my fingers crossed that one of my my DC3's gets bought soon. Then I get this guitar and decide if I want to keep the Hollow body standard, which is a real hollowbody in sound. If I keep it, than another one has to go.
Click to expand...

It's both an important but not so clear cut choice between the SE HB Standard, the SE HBII, and the SE HBII Piezo. Each time I hear Bryan Ewald play the separate guitars, I'm in awe of what each of the 3 can do.

The all-mahogany HB Standard is throaty with a leaning towards lower mids, the HBII, slightly brighter/clearer-toned with a leaning to mid-upper-mids. The HBII Piezo, over the top with evenly balanced pickups, and snappier piezo tones. Blend the magnetic and piezo pickups together, and it's almost like 2 guitars in one.

To be totally honest, I like the SE HBII with its laminated maple top and back, but what sets the SE HBII Piezo apart is both the piezo and birds. The combination of the magnetic/piezo plus abalam birds just makes for a higher quality instrument.

Will need to calculate my costs, and set about saving for either the SE HBII or SE HBII Piezo. I'll just need to adopt a waiting attitude for the one that catches my eye. I've got several on my watch list on Reverb now, but nothing I can move on until my cashflow improves.

That being said, there's quite a few afield I've love to snag, but realistically, the nice ones seem to be chosen by high-end dealers along with their good stuff. I feel somewhat unworthy of rubbing elbows with these folks, yet I hope to make their acquaintance someday with a purchase of this kind...one can certainly hope...
 
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The hollowbodies are definitely my favourite PRS model. I'm glad that PRS has made the SE version available for people to get their hands on this fabulous model at a lower price point. Too many people just look at them and think it's just a jazzers guitar or an acoustic, but it's soooo much more than that. The piezo model is extremely versatile.

Hopefully it won't be too long before you get one and we can all drool over pics of it. :D
 
YouTube AI fed me the early videos of usual suspects that get guitars early to demo on their YT channels. I think Darrell Braun Guitar did a pretty good job for all things except the Recto drop D example. Moore Music Guitars did a nice take. The English bird had great lighting with high contrast detailing the Peacock Blue, but sound samples not so great. And I have been listening to that great fusion demo Guitarist did of the SE HB I and SE HB II. There was enough goodness there to make me jump.

My experience with dealers was disappointing. My local dealer, Alto Music, said they had one on the way. I asked when it was due in. They said about a week. Great, I want to try it when it comes in (and thinking of a SE Custom 24 FR trade, as I have two and only use one). Nothing happened. I called back a little more than a week, and still no guitar. They asked for a deposit of $300. DEPOSIT? Uhhhh, no dude. By that time the dealers that got them were selling out fast. And they were all singing the tune of having me make a deposit for them to order one in. NO! I don't do business that way. So I searched for some of the very few that still had stock, and purchased from a dealer in MD.

I've had a 2009 Gibson Memphis ES-339 and 2013 Gibson Memphis '63 ES-335 in my stable since I bought them new, and I will tell you right now the PRS SE Hollowbody smokes the 339, and is up there with the 335...if not beyond it on bridge tone. As for the Piezo, it's awesome. I have many thoughts about this great guitar, but should do a proper review thread on it. But it's a quality instrument in every way. The TONE is outstanding. You hear the hollowbody tone come through. The bridge pickup with good breakup sounds killer. One of my best. Playability is fine after a proper setup. Choice of woods very good. Ornament detail and blue color finish remarkable. Just buy one. You won't be disappointed.

Phil
 
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