Sorry for the long comment: I've had mine for exactly 1 year. I spent several days in guitar stores for 4 hours at a time trying everything at every price point. On my last day I plugged this in, strummed a few and immediately bought it. What you don't get from videos or the pictures next to the price is that this guitar is an absolute treat for all your senses. The neck fills my hand and feels luxurious, it resonates beautifully against your body, I can't take my eyes off the binding while I play, you can smell the wood through the F-holes. To top it all off, just a hair of Piezo gives a tight percussiveness that you can feel through the amp. As corny as it sounds, this allows me to connect with it unlike any other guitar. When guests come over, they walk straight up to it like it's a piece of art...then I watch their jaws drop when they hear how gorgeous it sounds. The Piezo doesn't replace my acoustic electric, but splitting to an acoustic amp while having the electric side to an amp set up for just subtle, room feeling ambience is very cool. I could gush all day, but I really do love this instrument, it's a unique experience.
I’ve got a jazzmaster that sounds better than the tele in my profile pic. But I’m playing the tele more as it feels better. I wish I could combine these guitars or perhaps try something new. That’s what I like about Andre’s videos. Each review is that quest of beautiful agony that he painstakingly captures in words and sound. To me these videos are like adventurers journals that save the rest of us hours of research and speculation. Greatly appreciated and please keep up the excellent and valuable labour of love!!!
I thought the gloss finish made the neck feel like it was made of plastic, but it sounded so good I regret selling mine instead of just sanding it off.
I own two core PRS, I just love them and I want to replace my epi sheraton II pro which I also loved. I agree with you, where it is made nowadays is just silly. The best Luthiers are scattered all over the world and what matters is top quality and value. I was considering for the same money the sheraton 125th anniversary which is an insane guitar but this Hollowbody is all I love from guitars which I know already PRS do right and it also has a piezo. This one is 1st on my list for a few months now
Andre I don’t typically gravitate to guitar reviews but I have to say yours are informative and very well done. I like that you don’t make corny demo tracks and play an instrument in a way it’s not meant to be played. I also appreciate how let the instrument be itself and not talk about all the ways you could deface it or modify it into oblivion like some djent cretin bro.
I've had this exact guitar for almost 2 years now and love it. I checked out youtube reviews for at least a year and finally played one. I waited for about a year before this was available when I was ready to commit to the purhase. I play it almost every Sunday at church for both acoustic and electric guitar parts.......love it!!! Great review and I loved the tips for the acoustic sounds.
As a guitar fan I'm not sure what changed in the UA-cam algorithm that recently began recommending me a bunch of your videos but I'm all for it! Nice videos and keep it up!
I just played one of these! I agree 100% with everything that you said in your review. It is very much like a "mini" Gibson ES355. Great review, Andre!
Got one for Christmas. LOVE IT! I had a set of chrome Steinberger tuners lying around so I installed those. The only other thing I did was do a very gentle rounding of the shoulders on the fret ends. It didn't have fet sprout but the sharp angle of fret end slopes bugged me in a few places. Took me less than an hour for the fret dressing and the tuner swap. Perfection! Covers most of the bases quite well.
Man, I adore piezo-equipped electric guitars. I have one of these (in the same peacock blue), and a Kiesel CT6. I use the exact same IRs that Matthew used from Worship Tutorials, and I use it with one path of my Helix. I play in the band at my church and we don't ever seem to have a dedicated acoustic player, so doing a nice clean Fender tone for the magnetic pickups and a compressor/EQ/IR for the acoustic is wonderfully lush. I agree with basically everything you said about it in your conclusion. The fit and finish is top notch. That's also true of my Kiesel, but I love how attainable this is.
It really is an amazing guitar. The pick ups are hard to distinguish from the core 85/15’s. It does super clean to super heavy and sounds so full with a lasting sustain. So good….
I love the piezo mixed in with the electric sounds. Both clean and distorted. Gives my a similar sound to how I experience my guitar in the room: hearing the sound from the speakers plus the acoustic sound through the air. I always felt a disconnect between my recorded guitar sound because it lacked the acoustic aspect
Came for the guitar review, stayed for the thorough demonstrations and articulate explanations and opinions. Phenomenal playing! Great clarity and articulation. I also love jazz-influenced genres but am not a traditional jazz head. Subscribed!!
Can't wait to see the video on the Mark Holcomb! I'm a huge Periphery fan, and I'm thinking of picking one up, and I'd love to hear your thoughts on it!
Thanks for the thorough and insightful review punctuated with such nice playing/sound examples. I've got one on the way and hope I'm as happy with it as you are.
Another excellent review in the PRS SE series! Thanks for pronouncing piezo correctly!!! I think you're one of 2 or 3 people I've heard saying it right in a UA-cam video. :-) I've enjoyed a touch of piezo mixed in my guitar tone since I first played my Ibanez Artstar AE-200 back in the late 80's. For those without an Axe FX, I'd recommend a parametric eq for dialing in the tones of a piezo p'up. I have a Carvin HF2S which is completely hollow and it has a built in para eq for the piezo. (also separate outputs) I never felt the need or desire for a PRS guitar until this series you're doing. I have a feeling you'll help PRS in the sales dept; not that they need it. Great job Andre!
I was dead set on ordering a 594 hollowbody core model and wanted nothing to do with the 25” scale piezo. This review changed my mind. I ordered this same SE piezo model used for a great price to try it out and see if I would like it in the core version. I got such a good deal on it that I might even make money when I sell it! I loved the jazz tone you got out of it, hopefully mine will sound similar!
That was beautiful, that was one of the best sounding demos I’ve heard, great clarity! You hear so many demos where they turn up the gain, which to me is Annoying, if you want to really hear the instrument, play it clean, but that takes confidence In your playing.. So Bravo!
Excellent review! The mellow sounds in the start we’re really nice. After having forgot about PRS for some years, I feel a slight craving building. Thanks for the great content.
I bought mine back in March and frankly couldn't be more in love with it. It looks sick, it's got a great size and weight and is extremely comfortable to play, it's got sustain for days, blending the piezo with the pickups gives you a solid range of tonal versatility, and not to mention it looks SICK. My only real complaint about it (other than the mediocre tuners and poly finish [which i've gotten used to]) is that swapping batteries for the piezo is a pain in the ass - the clip that holds the battery in place is needlessly tight and requires a lot of force to remove. Other than that, this guitar is a 100% slam dunk and finally got me to sell a few of my other guitars because this PRS is so versatile that it's rendered them completely redundant. I got a nearly flawless used one on Reverb for under $1000 with a hardshell case, and it is easily the best money I've ever spent on a musical instrument because even at MSRP this guitar punches far above its' price level.
The funny thing is, I've had so many piezo guitars with really bad or tight battery compartments, I kind didn't even think to mention that annoyance. I haven't had a problem with the tuners but I might put locking ones on mine.
I bought the hollowbody standard, $250 or so less because it’s Mahogany back sides and front, & plainer birds, it also has a bone nut, maple body is too bright for my liking, but I do like the piezo, wish I had it, the combo musical color of magnetic passive and Piezo together is very compelling AND fitting to your style of playing! On my model the tuning pegs are the glaring weakness. And I upgraded all the wiring and neck PU as well. I chose the red over the tobacco sunburst.
My HB2SE Piezo is my main pop band gigging guitar. We do acoustic and electric songs and this guitar with my Fractal FM9 allows me to quickly move between songs without changing guitars. Also...nice additional clip from Matt on dialing in a nice acoustic tone with the Fractal. I just copied those settings and it sounds amazing. Thanks!
The experiment sure is heating up dude! I can honestly say the Piezo is absolutely not a guitar I would ever have any interest in owning but I'm very happy to learn about it from you, man. Stoked you love it and I can't wait to hear your thoughts on the Holcomb (and some chugs!) if this ties with it! 🤘
Great video! I've had mine for about a month, and loving it. I had figured out allot of this, but you added the icing on the cake for an extraordinary sound. First time I tried this guitar in the shop, I just plugged it into a Fender Tube amp, treated it like any electric guitar. Put it back on the rack, just didn't get it. After some research, I tried it again using a Fender Mustang GTX and what a difference. The SE is great, but I am thinking about trading up for the Core level.
Really want to try this guitar. I would also love to see more semi hollow guitar reviews and comparisons like the Epiphone Es335 and Sheraton models, as well as the D'angelico DC. There are not alot of other youtubers who go into the same level of detail as you keep up the good work.
Man Andre, I love your video’s. You are one reason I bought my Bob Weir Deluxe, amazing sounding and beautiful guitar. I really appreciate the time and effort you put into your reviews. I’ve been looking at other hollow bodies but I really like what you can do with the Piezo and the PRS Core series although amazing just to rich for my blood. Seriously…. THANK YOU and God Bless:-)
Andre is another channel I turn to first for his reviews. As usual awesome vid. I picked up the Bob Weir Deluxe version after watching your channel and Darrels. Good stuff.
Hi Dr. Andre1 This is my exact guitar. Had my eye on the Piezo McCarty for a decade, but waaaay out of my price range at five grand or more. I jumped at this a few years ago when they became available. I just love this instrument! Only thing disappointing is that the laminate top doesn't have the super deep stripey figured maple top like the top of the line core models...it's much more subtle with the laminate. I presume because it's so thin compared to the carved top. But otherwise it's wonderful and is a joy to play! Thanks for the review!
This is the best review I've seen on this guitar. Thanks for your Jazz input, because that's why I'm going to buy this guitar. Great review. Thanks for sharing!
You are my favorite new you tuber. I have the non piezo version of this guitar. I love the hollow body feel and sound. Plays well and I can’t put it down once I pick it up. I never thought I would play a PRS. Guitar is my second instrument so large investments are not reserved for the Guitar. Perfect value at the price I paid for mine used. Through a Fender Princeton makes great recordings. Humbuckers sound like humbuckers but not especially like a 335, but not completely different. Distinct. Good on you. nice one.
When the Epiphone Alex Lifeson signature guitar came out a couple years ago, I missed the boat. Now the current ones cost more and don't have piezo pickups. Pay more for less! But the tone you coaxed from this guitar is simply magical. The PRS SE Hollowbody II sounds like what I really wanted all along. I bought an HX Stomp XL and a 1x12 Powercab FRFR speaker to use with the Alex Lifeson that never arrived. Maybe I can finally use it for its intended purpose with the PRS hollowbody. I have a Gretsch 5420T that is also an electric hollowbody with a trestle under the bridge, but no piezo. It will be interesting to see how it stacks up to this PRS.
I had that Parker on order when they stopped makong them and cancelled my order. It's still the one that got away. I ended up getting a Seagull Artist Mosaic which is still going strong almost 20 years later. If you want a great archtop guitar that can do a lot of the same stuff as the HBII the Ibanez AM-93QM is about half the price.
Some people are complaining about the frets being too soft , when people do bends they have noticed a lot of metal shavings of the fretboard . Have you noticed the same issue?
Loved the demo of the blended piezo pseudo archtop type tone. Its been something ive been wanting experiment with for a long time because my favorite jazz tone ive ever heard was my instructors tone he got on his benedetto. But ive never really felt comfortable spending close to 6k for a new guitar that would only do 1 thing and wouldnt offer any ergonomic improvements over lower import models. The PRS Hollowbody seems like the perfect stopgap as it allows you to sort emmulate a lot of tones of traditional hollowbodies/archtops but also includes a lot of the comfort of a standard electric guitar. And you know they can handle gain too...just look at bands like Breaking Benjamin or Incubus that each used prs hollowbodies at different points.
Man I'd LOVE to buy a benedetto one day, but I agree with you and that's why I never have! I also didn't know BB and Incubus both had used PRS hollowbodies. I have to include that in the finale when I discuss this guitar again. Thank you, Daniel!
I would for sure have Sweetwater Plek this guitar as they have a couple of my other guitars. What a different. Always change to lighter strings. I would have them also change out to locking tuners. Sure makes a huge difference in changing my own strings.
This is certainly a beautiful looking, and sounding guitar. As someone who is very much into fast playing, ergonomics and comfort with their guitars, do you find that the more vintage style rounded neck of PRS’s makes them a bit less comfortable than other thinner more ergonomic shred style necks you play from the likes of Vigier, Strandberg etc… That’s always the one thing I dislike about PRS, the slightly more vintage style thick necks and rounded fretboards. In terms of the feel of the body, the sound and the overall looks I think they’re absolutely stunning, I just wish I could get on with them as well as I can with more classically ‘shreddy’ guitars
I paid 700 to have two rear shocks put on my compact car yesterday. 1000 for a finely crafted archtop electric is tremendous value for money. We guitar buyers are spoiled today.
LIKED! Phenomenal posting.Thank you. (I wonder what it would sound like if it had 8 pick up positions like the PRS SE 594 with identical pick-ups. This only has 3 pick up positions.) You deserve FAR more than 22K subscribers. So I subscribed.
Had mine for about a year now. I have the brown. It is extraordinarily beautiful. My only complaint if there was one is the bridge pickup has less output than the neck, which is the opposite to what I would prefer as a rock player.
Hey man, I just found your guitar videos and liked them, so I subscribed to the channel. So far I watched the DGT, Santana and now this one. It seems that all three are your "most favorite" ones !? What is your final conclusion/ranking?
@@andrefludd mine was used from 1994. It actually came from nyc so sorry to steal it away from your area. I’m no expert but I hear the older ones are something really special. No idea if it’s true. They’ve been made in a lot of different factories over the years so I could imagine they do vary a bit.
In your view, what would help making a single cut guitar (like the abasi larada) more playable? Or do you think that single cuts are just bound to be that much less ergonomic? As a hobbyist guitar builder, I adore the looks of guitars that lean on the asthetics of classical guitars, but it is tricky to balance the asthetics and ergonomy. I'd very much appreciate your insight.
Have you tried the PRS semi-hollow guitars? The special semi-hollow doesn't have piezo, but is very versatile, and there's also a less featured SE variant
Thank you! There are very limited options for a trem on a hollowbody and a trem on a hollowbody WITH a piezo, I can't think of anyone who has ever done it. It's a really cool idea.
You are singing my song … jazz blues fusion but not hard jazz or hard blues etc . I have the hollow body ii piezo in brown or. Black gold I think they call it… waiting for someone to approach this,guitar in the correct way and finally I found you ….. cheers
Value in the PRS line? Check out the overlooked, made in America...CE-24. Super versatile. Does it all from humbucker tones to Strat tones. Uber versatile. Not to be confused with the SE (Indonesia.)
I was wondering about the CE line too. Never tried them (nor have I tried the core stuff apart from the ones you saw on the channel). Maybe I'll check them out in store.
@@andrefludd Cool. The CE is my go-to for sure. I've got every major brand but the CE is my "Swiss Army Knife." Big plus: it's 3 pounds lighter than my Les Paul ! And I like the "bolt-on" tone. I just ran across your channel recently, and I'm a new sub. Love your content. Great channel. Please keep it up! Peace.
Hey, Have you checked out the Cort G290 FAT? I recently bought one cause I couldn't believe how easy it was to play. It feels like a 1500+$ Guitar for less than 600$!
I just traded some gear about two days ago including my premier dc Dangelico at GC and got an Eastman T486 it’s an amazing feeling and sounding guitar. I was very torn between that and the prs se piezo ii hollow body guitar. I’m really posting here to make sure I made the right decision this was the only Eastman I ever played and I compared heavily against my Dangelico, the prs and the Eastman just seemed better and felt more comfortable. Does anyone think I made the right decision in my trade? The set up wasn’t great on the prs and the bridge hardware was scratched and jagged it was used. Also felt that this wide fat neck was bigger than my Gibson les Paul special and my prs angelus acoustic.
I understand your perspective that country of origin does not necessarily directly affect the quality of the instrument. Foreign factories are quite capable of producing excellent guitars, as are small custom shops, which may be located outside the US. My reason for wanting an American made guitar is based on my desire to try to advocate for the idea of "buying locally ". Shipping products all over the world just to benefit from cheaper labor is something I don't want to support. Just thought I would mention that the quality of the guitar is not the reason that I seek one made in the US.
Enjoy your videos. I would love to see a video on your take of import Vs USA made guitars. Flows nicely from your PRS SE reviews. Some of those are from China and others from Indonesia. Curios your thoughts on the whole market to include Mexico, etc.
Would it be possible for you to review a caparison guitar. Might be the brand i am most interested in, as i have only ever heard that quality wise, they are a 10/10 only thing people dont like are the price
True on the import v usa (tho as EUcitizen, the usa guitar IS import😂). I have a custom build semi hollow piezo guitar (as a gift for myself and eyeing it since i saw Wes borland using it in 2001) build by George Gorodnitski livingn in the usa (). He quoted 6 months, but some how took him 3,5 years just for the electronics. Then refused to send the guitar before the final payment (i already paid 3500 euros out of 4500) and shipping it to me. He practically ghosted me, until i found his home number and made my distant USA cousin call him at his house to arrange a meeting. Btw he wanted the final payment thru western union and not paypal. Anyways, i flew to usa, get the guitar from my non-musical cousin and went back. Probably most worthless guitar: - not the requested neck dimensions - not the requested fretboard radius - 18 of 24 frets were unlevelled - cracks of the lacquer everywhere - black solder jobs - non-working piezo preamp - broken piezo crystals - damaged the bridge - the custom wound pickups were way too trebly for a jazz guitar… So my local luthier basically upgraded everything. New bridge, new piezo system, bare knuckle pickups, frets levelled, new electronics. Plays much better, but the neck feels chunky with a compound radius. Oh the neck inlays were supposed to be abalone, but he made it plastic… after 3 years still thinking about a new fretboard, new frets and redoing the inlays. Its the guitar i use the least 😢even the two guitars (prs 277 soapbar and chapman) im selling im playing those more often 😮
Sorry for the long comment: I've had mine for exactly 1 year. I spent several days in guitar stores for 4 hours at a time trying everything at every price point. On my last day I plugged this in, strummed a few and immediately bought it. What you don't get from videos or the pictures next to the price is that this guitar is an absolute treat for all your senses. The neck fills my hand and feels luxurious, it resonates beautifully against your body, I can't take my eyes off the binding while I play, you can smell the wood through the F-holes. To top it all off, just a hair of Piezo gives a tight percussiveness that you can feel through the amp. As corny as it sounds, this allows me to connect with it unlike any other guitar. When guests come over, they walk straight up to it like it's a piece of art...then I watch their jaws drop when they hear how gorgeous it sounds. The Piezo doesn't replace my acoustic electric, but splitting to an acoustic amp while having the electric side to an amp set up for just subtle, room feeling ambience is very cool. I could gush all day, but I really do love this instrument, it's a unique experience.
GREAT comment. I tried to mention the point of how it feels to play a full hollowbody but you did a much better job. Thanks for sharing!
Great commentary!
I’ve got a jazzmaster that sounds better than the tele in my profile pic. But I’m playing the tele more as it feels better. I wish I could combine these guitars or perhaps try something new. That’s what I like about Andre’s videos. Each review is that quest of beautiful agony that he painstakingly captures in words and sound. To me these videos are like adventurers journals that save the rest of us hours of research and speculation. Greatly appreciated and please keep up the excellent and valuable labour of love!!!
I thought the gloss finish made the neck feel like it was made of plastic, but it sounded so good I regret selling mine instead of just sanding it off.
I own two core PRS, I just love them and I want to replace my epi sheraton II pro which I also loved. I agree with you, where it is made nowadays is just silly. The best Luthiers are scattered all over the world and what matters is top quality and value. I was considering for the same money the sheraton 125th anniversary which is an insane guitar but this Hollowbody is all I love from guitars which I know already PRS do right and it also has a piezo. This one is 1st on my list for a few months now
Andre I don’t typically gravitate to guitar reviews but I have to say yours are informative and very well done. I like that you don’t make corny demo tracks and play an instrument in a way it’s not meant to be played. I also appreciate how let the instrument be itself and not talk about all the ways you could deface it or modify it into oblivion like some djent cretin bro.
Thank you, Sam. :)
I've had this exact guitar for almost 2 years now and love it. I checked out youtube reviews for at least a year and finally played one. I waited for about a year before this was available when I was ready to commit to the purhase. I play it almost every Sunday at church for both acoustic and electric guitar parts.......love it!!! Great review and I loved the tips for the acoustic sounds.
As a guitar fan I'm not sure what changed in the UA-cam algorithm that recently began recommending me a bunch of your videos but I'm all for it! Nice videos and keep it up!
Glad to have you :)
All these guitars all seem so amazing. Congrats on this amazing sponsorship
I second this sentiment.
I just played one of these!
I agree 100% with everything that you said in your review. It is very much like a "mini" Gibson ES355.
Great review, Andre!
Thanks man! Hope you are doing well
Yeah, this one and the Schecter C-1 E/A are VERY intriguing because of the f-holes and piezoelectric pups. People get God-tier tones out of them.
Got one for Christmas. LOVE IT! I had a set of chrome Steinberger tuners lying around so I installed those. The only other thing I did was do a very gentle rounding of the shoulders on the fret ends. It didn't have fet sprout but the sharp angle of fret end slopes bugged me in a few places. Took me less than an hour for the fret dressing and the tuner swap. Perfection! Covers most of the bases quite well.
Man, I adore piezo-equipped electric guitars. I have one of these (in the same peacock blue), and a Kiesel CT6. I use the exact same IRs that Matthew used from Worship Tutorials, and I use it with one path of my Helix. I play in the band at my church and we don't ever seem to have a dedicated acoustic player, so doing a nice clean Fender tone for the magnetic pickups and a compressor/EQ/IR for the acoustic is wonderfully lush. I agree with basically everything you said about it in your conclusion. The fit and finish is top notch. That's also true of my Kiesel, but I love how attainable this is.
Ayeee Kiesel fam! I have an SH6 with piezo and also love electrics equipped with piezos!
It really is an amazing guitar. The pick ups are hard to distinguish from the core 85/15’s. It does super clean to super heavy and sounds so full with a lasting sustain. So good….
I love the piezo mixed in with the electric sounds. Both clean and distorted. Gives my a similar sound to how I experience my guitar in the room: hearing the sound from the speakers plus the acoustic sound through the air. I always felt a disconnect between my recorded guitar sound because it lacked the acoustic aspect
Came for the guitar review, stayed for the thorough demonstrations and articulate explanations and opinions.
Phenomenal playing! Great clarity and articulation. I also love jazz-influenced genres but am not a traditional jazz head. Subscribed!!
Can't wait to see the video on the Mark Holcomb! I'm a huge Periphery fan, and I'm thinking of picking one up, and I'd love to hear your thoughts on it!
Same 😅 hyped !
Thanks for the thorough and insightful review punctuated with such nice playing/sound examples. I've got one on the way and hope I'm as happy with it as you are.
Another excellent review in the PRS SE series! Thanks for pronouncing piezo correctly!!! I think you're one of 2 or 3 people I've heard saying it right in a UA-cam video. :-) I've enjoyed a touch of piezo mixed in my guitar tone since I first played my Ibanez Artstar AE-200 back in the late 80's. For those without an Axe FX, I'd recommend a parametric eq for dialing in the tones of a piezo p'up. I have a Carvin HF2S which is completely hollow and it has a built in para eq for the piezo. (also separate outputs) I never felt the need or desire for a PRS guitar until this series you're doing. I have a feeling you'll help PRS in the sales dept; not that they need it. Great job Andre!
Sounds killer! 🔥🔥🔥
I was dead set on ordering a 594 hollowbody core model and wanted nothing to do with the 25” scale piezo. This review changed my mind. I ordered this same SE piezo model used for a great price to try it out and see if I would like it in the core version. I got such a good deal on it that I might even make money when I sell it!
I loved the jazz tone you got out of it, hopefully mine will sound similar!
I’ve never thought about adding a acoustic IR. Makes sense. Gotta try it this weekend.
Me either. That's why I'm doing my best to learn from guys like Matt with studio experience.
That was beautiful, that was one of the best sounding demos I’ve heard, great clarity! You hear so many demos where they turn up the gain, which to me is Annoying, if you want to really hear the instrument, play it clean, but that takes confidence In your playing..
So Bravo!
Excellent review! The mellow sounds in the start we’re really nice. After having forgot about PRS for some years, I feel a slight craving building. Thanks for the great content.
Damn. That's the sound I've been looking for. Thanks for the review.
I bought mine back in March and frankly couldn't be more in love with it. It looks sick, it's got a great size and weight and is extremely comfortable to play, it's got sustain for days, blending the piezo with the pickups gives you a solid range of tonal versatility, and not to mention it looks SICK. My only real complaint about it (other than the mediocre tuners and poly finish [which i've gotten used to]) is that swapping batteries for the piezo is a pain in the ass - the clip that holds the battery in place is needlessly tight and requires a lot of force to remove. Other than that, this guitar is a 100% slam dunk and finally got me to sell a few of my other guitars because this PRS is so versatile that it's rendered them completely redundant.
I got a nearly flawless used one on Reverb for under $1000 with a hardshell case, and it is easily the best money I've ever spent on a musical instrument because even at MSRP this guitar punches far above its' price level.
The funny thing is, I've had so many piezo guitars with really bad or tight battery compartments, I kind didn't even think to mention that annoyance. I haven't had a problem with the tuners but I might put locking ones on mine.
I bought the hollowbody standard, $250 or so less because it’s Mahogany back sides and front, & plainer birds, it also has a bone nut, maple body is too bright for my liking, but I do like the piezo, wish I had it, the combo musical color of magnetic passive and Piezo together is very compelling AND fitting to your style of playing!
On my model the tuning pegs are the glaring weakness. And I upgraded all the wiring and neck PU as well.
I chose the red over the tobacco sunburst.
My HB2SE Piezo is my main pop band gigging guitar. We do acoustic and electric songs and this guitar with my Fractal FM9 allows me to quickly move between songs without changing guitars. Also...nice additional clip from Matt on dialing in a nice acoustic tone with the Fractal. I just copied those settings and it sounds amazing. Thanks!
We are here to help! Check out his channel. He’s amazing at a lot of things
@@andrefludd already a subscriber!
The experiment sure is heating up dude! I can honestly say the Piezo is absolutely not a guitar I would ever have any interest in owning but I'm very happy to learn about it from you, man. Stoked you love it and I can't wait to hear your thoughts on the Holcomb (and some chugs!) if this ties with it! 🤘
Great video! I've had mine for about a month, and loving it. I had figured out allot of this, but you added the icing on the cake for an extraordinary sound. First time I tried this guitar in the shop, I just plugged it into a Fender Tube amp, treated it like any electric guitar. Put it back on the rack, just didn't get it. After some research, I tried it again using a Fender Mustang GTX and what a difference. The SE is great, but I am thinking about trading up for the Core level.
Thank you for that review and beautiful rendition of What a Wonderful World (needed that today). Thanks, Andre
Working on that song on this guitar has also lifted my spirits. Thanks for enjoying it :)
Really want to try this guitar. I would also love to see more semi hollow guitar reviews and comparisons like the Epiphone Es335 and Sheraton models, as well as the D'angelico DC. There are not alot of other youtubers who go into the same level of detail as you keep up the good work.
Awesome breakdown man, very thorough!
Man Andre, I love your video’s. You are one reason I bought my Bob Weir Deluxe, amazing sounding and beautiful guitar. I really appreciate the time and effort you put into your reviews. I’ve been looking at other hollow bodies but I really like what you can do with the Piezo and the PRS Core series although amazing just to rich for my blood.
Seriously…. THANK YOU and God Bless:-)
Thank you! I’m glad you like it and I’m going to try the Plek! Thats one thing I still haven’t tried myself.
Another great video - and another guitar to think about. Many thanks, as ever, for producing such intriguing content.
Thanks Simon! Have a great weekend and hopefully you are off Monday
@@andrefludd - you're welcome!
Andre is another channel I turn to first for his reviews. As usual awesome vid. I picked up the Bob Weir Deluxe version after watching your channel and Darrels. Good stuff.
That’s an awesome guitar! I hope you love it!
Hi Dr. Andre1 This is my exact guitar. Had my eye on the Piezo McCarty for a decade, but waaaay out of my price range at five grand or more. I jumped at this a few years ago when they became available. I just love this instrument! Only thing disappointing is that the laminate top doesn't have the super deep stripey figured maple top like the top of the line core models...it's much more subtle with the laminate. I presume because it's so thin compared to the carved top. But otherwise it's wonderful and is a joy to play! Thanks for the review!
Killer review, you keep getting me interested in guitar types I would be otherwise. Thank you!!
This is the best review I've seen on this guitar. Thanks for your Jazz input, because that's why I'm going to buy this guitar. Great review. Thanks for sharing!
You are my favorite new you tuber. I have the non piezo version of this guitar. I love the hollow body feel and sound. Plays well and I can’t put it down once I pick it up. I never thought I would play a PRS. Guitar is my second instrument so large investments are not reserved for the Guitar. Perfect value at the price I paid for mine used. Through a Fender Princeton makes great recordings. Humbuckers sound like humbuckers but not especially like a 335, but not completely different. Distinct. Good on you. nice one.
Thank you :)
Piezo and gorgeous inlays! Me likey!
Sounds incredible. Outstanding demo! Now I have to have one.
Beautiful playing in the intro Andre!
Thank you :). This guitar really inspired me to get back to some of the jazzy stuff.
When the Epiphone Alex Lifeson signature guitar came out a couple years ago, I missed the boat. Now the current ones cost more and don't have piezo pickups. Pay more for less! But the tone you coaxed from this guitar is simply magical. The PRS SE Hollowbody II sounds like what I really wanted all along. I bought an HX Stomp XL and a 1x12 Powercab FRFR speaker to use with the Alex Lifeson that never arrived. Maybe I can finally use it for its intended purpose with the PRS hollowbody. I have a Gretsch 5420T that is also an electric hollowbody with a trestle under the bridge, but no piezo. It will be interesting to see how it stacks up to this PRS.
Ok I’m sold. Amazing review as always!
that chord in the intro was so nice
Yay it's Fludd day!
TGIF. Thank god it's Fludd day...it sounded funnier in my head
Martin Taylor really is an amazing guitarist, and that tone you got with the piezo at the end sounded great.
I had that Parker on order when they stopped makong them and cancelled my order. It's still the one that got away. I ended up getting a Seagull Artist Mosaic which is still going strong almost 20 years later.
If you want a great archtop guitar that can do a lot of the same stuff as the HBII the Ibanez AM-93QM is about half the price.
Excellent review. Love your playing, too.
This was my first guitar!!
wow youre almost at 20k subscribers. well done.
Some people are complaining about the frets being too soft , when people do bends they have noticed a lot of metal shavings of the fretboard . Have you noticed the same issue?
Great review. I think you've talked me into pulling the trigger on one.
Make sure to use my link 😇. Also, shoot me an email and let me know what you think :).
Loved the demo of the blended piezo pseudo archtop type tone. Its been something ive been wanting experiment with for a long time because my favorite jazz tone ive ever heard was my instructors tone he got on his benedetto. But ive never really felt comfortable spending close to 6k for a new guitar that would only do 1 thing and wouldnt offer any ergonomic improvements over lower import models. The PRS Hollowbody seems like the perfect stopgap as it allows you to sort emmulate a lot of tones of traditional hollowbodies/archtops but also includes a lot of the comfort of a standard electric guitar. And you know they can handle gain too...just look at bands like Breaking Benjamin or Incubus that each used prs hollowbodies at different points.
Man I'd LOVE to buy a benedetto one day, but I agree with you and that's why I never have! I also didn't know BB and Incubus both had used PRS hollowbodies. I have to include that in the finale when I discuss this guitar again. Thank you, Daniel!
I would for sure have Sweetwater Plek this guitar as they have a couple of my other guitars. What a different. Always change to lighter strings. I would have them also change out to locking tuners. Sure makes a huge difference in changing my own strings.
great playing andrew.
Thank you!
This is certainly a beautiful looking, and sounding guitar. As someone who is very much into fast playing, ergonomics and comfort with their guitars, do you find that the more vintage style rounded neck of PRS’s makes them a bit less comfortable than other thinner more ergonomic shred style necks you play from the likes of Vigier, Strandberg etc… That’s always the one thing I dislike about PRS, the slightly more vintage style thick necks and rounded fretboards. In terms of the feel of the body, the sound and the overall looks I think they’re absolutely stunning, I just wish I could get on with them as well as I can with more classically ‘shreddy’ guitars
I was literally just looking at one of these the other day!
I paid 700 to have two rear shocks put on my compact car yesterday. 1000 for a finely crafted archtop electric is tremendous value for money. We guitar buyers are spoiled today.
Couldn’t agree more
I also prefer the other color. Overall a great guitar. I would go for a McCarty hollow body though
love that wonderful world arrangement!
Thank you, I’ll post the whole thing at some point.
LIKED! Phenomenal posting.Thank you. (I wonder what it would sound like if it had 8 pick up positions like the PRS SE 594 with identical pick-ups. This only has 3 pick up positions.) You deserve FAR more than 22K subscribers. So I subscribed.
Dude.. You're perfect. Stay like this, Keep going please.
Very kind of you! I will for sure keep going!
A very serious and very clean video i love it. Thanks a lot for this wonderful demo very good work 👍😉👏
Great demo, thanks.
Had mine for about a year now. I have the brown. It is extraordinarily beautiful. My only complaint if there was one is the bridge pickup has less output than the neck, which is the opposite to what I would prefer as a rock player.
Weird - mine is the opposite. Bridge is louder than the neck!
@@chrisgatland3177 that is weird.
Bought minez today from Guitar Center Northridge CA.
Last one in stock.
Hey man, I just found your guitar videos and liked them, so I subscribed to the channel. So far I watched the DGT, Santana and now this one. It seems that all three are your "most favorite" ones !? What is your final conclusion/ranking?
I’ll explain in more detail in the conclusion :).
i've seen death metal guys play these. They are so versatile
Pretty wonderful world rendition. Well done sir.
Thanks for listening
Of course brother. Jersey gotta stick together.
Great guitar and review. Recently picked up a Washburn hb-35 and have been doing the jazzy blues thing you mentioned
Thank you! I would love to try more Washburn stuff. I cant seem to get a hold of them
@@andrefludd mine was used from 1994. It actually came from nyc so sorry to steal it away from your area. I’m no expert but I hear the older ones are something really special. No idea if it’s true. They’ve been made in a lot of different factories over the years so I could imagine they do vary a bit.
In your view, what would help making a single cut guitar (like the abasi larada) more playable? Or do you think that single cuts are just bound to be that much less ergonomic? As a hobbyist guitar builder, I adore the looks of guitars that lean on the asthetics of classical guitars, but it is tricky to balance the asthetics and ergonomy. I'd very much appreciate your insight.
OMG!! That's what I called a great gear review. Congrats man and consider me a new subscriber of your Awesome channel
Awesome, thank you!
You're right about legato sounding better on hollows. Cliffs of dover was recorded on an gibson ES
Excellent, thank you.
Have you tried the PRS semi-hollow guitars? The special semi-hollow doesn't have piezo, but is very versatile, and there's also a less featured SE variant
Yep. I had one in red, but I sold it in December. It was good, but the piezo feature is what sets this apart for me personally.
if they have one these with a trem, i’m buyin it, on sight! great playing, great review 🔥
Thank you! There are very limited options for a trem on a hollowbody and a trem on a hollowbody WITH a piezo, I can't think of anyone who has ever done it. It's a really cool idea.
The ce is probably my favorite..maybe they'll send you one next :)
You are singing my song … jazz blues fusion but not hard jazz or hard blues etc . I have the hollow body ii piezo in brown or. Black gold I think they call it… waiting for someone to approach this,guitar in the correct way and finally I found you ….. cheers
Value in the PRS line? Check out the overlooked, made in America...CE-24. Super versatile. Does it all from humbucker tones to Strat tones. Uber versatile. Not to be confused with the SE (Indonesia.)
I was wondering about the CE line too. Never tried them (nor have I tried the core stuff apart from the ones you saw on the channel). Maybe I'll check them out in store.
@@andrefludd Cool. The CE is my go-to for sure. I've got every major brand but the CE is my "Swiss Army Knife."
Big plus: it's 3 pounds lighter than my Les Paul ! And I like the "bolt-on" tone.
I just ran across your channel recently, and I'm a new sub. Love your content. Great channel. Please keep it up! Peace.
Hey, Have you checked out the Cort G290 FAT? I recently bought one cause I couldn't believe how easy it was to play. It feels like a 1500+$ Guitar for less than 600$!
I have this guitar. I love it.
Yep, I have one coming in Brown today :). Playing on making a lot of music with it
@andrefludd Great I love the green one.
I want Fractal to release a VST plugin similar to Helix Native. Could be epic.
that guitar sounds how I feel
Babe wake up Dr. Fludd uploaded a new Prs se review
The radius was what? 20"? 25"? not sure I heard it right.
I’d love to hear your opinion on something from the Starla/Vela/Mira family.
I just traded some gear about two days ago including my premier dc Dangelico at GC and got an Eastman T486 it’s an amazing feeling and sounding guitar. I was very torn between that and the prs se piezo ii hollow body guitar. I’m really posting here to make sure I made the right decision this was the only Eastman I ever played and I compared heavily against my Dangelico, the prs and the Eastman just seemed better and felt more comfortable. Does anyone think I made the right decision in my trade? The set up wasn’t great on the prs and the bridge hardware was scratched and jagged it was used. Also felt that this wide fat neck was bigger than my Gibson les Paul special and my prs angelus acoustic.
Which is the best for jazz the new strandberg Boden or the prs hollow body ii?
What happens if you don’t do the things that Mathew Dale said to do? Will it sound bad? Sounds like a headache to do all that tone work
Well you only have to do it once and then it’s there forever. 🤷🏾
I understand your perspective that country of origin does not necessarily directly affect the quality of the instrument. Foreign factories are quite capable of producing excellent guitars, as are small custom shops, which may be located outside the US.
My reason for wanting an American made guitar is based on my desire to try to advocate for the idea of "buying locally ". Shipping products all over the world just to benefit from cheaper labor is something I don't want to support. Just thought I would mention that the quality of the guitar is not the reason that I seek one made in the US.
7:56 Thank God … I don’t have to do that anymore … My kids have long ago left the nest.
Mike Einzeger of Incubus used to play one of these guitars back in the day. Always thought these guitars were sick regardless
Finally someone saying piezo correctly.
I have 17 PRS guitars and this is in my top 4, not in value but in absolute.
People think I’m lying lol when they see 10 guitars disappear from my videos maybe they’ll believe me 😂
It's not one of the most expensive SE guitars, it's the most expensive SE guitar. And it's worth every cent.
Enjoy your videos. I would love to see a video on your take of import Vs USA made guitars. Flows nicely from your PRS SE reviews. Some of those are from China and others from Indonesia. Curios your thoughts on the whole market to include Mexico, etc.
Yep, that video is coming :)
Would it be possible for you to review a caparison guitar. Might be the brand i am most interested in, as i have only ever heard that quality wise, they are a 10/10 only thing people dont like are the price
I would love to. It's just a matter of getting my hands on one, which is the difficult part.
True on the import v usa (tho as EUcitizen, the usa guitar IS import😂).
I have a custom build semi hollow piezo guitar (as a gift for myself and eyeing it since i saw Wes borland using it in 2001) build by George Gorodnitski livingn in the usa (). He quoted 6 months, but some how took him 3,5 years just for the electronics. Then refused to send the guitar before the final payment (i already paid 3500 euros out of 4500) and shipping it to me. He practically ghosted me, until i found his home number and made my distant USA cousin call him at his house to arrange a meeting. Btw he wanted the final payment thru western union and not paypal.
Anyways, i flew to usa, get the guitar from my non-musical cousin and went back.
Probably most worthless guitar:
- not the requested neck dimensions
- not the requested fretboard radius
- 18 of 24 frets were unlevelled
- cracks of the lacquer everywhere
- black solder jobs
- non-working piezo preamp
- broken piezo crystals
- damaged the bridge
- the custom wound pickups were way too trebly for a jazz guitar…
So my local luthier basically upgraded everything. New bridge, new piezo system, bare knuckle pickups, frets levelled, new electronics. Plays much better, but the neck feels chunky with a compound radius. Oh the neck inlays were supposed to be abalone, but he made it plastic… after 3 years still thinking about a new fretboard, new frets and redoing the inlays.
Its the guitar i use the least 😢even the two guitars (prs 277 soapbar and chapman) im selling im playing those more often 😮
Aha, a replacement for the Parker, that's why you like it.
TABS please, I love that arrangement in the opening
Join the newsletter if you haven’t yet. I’m going to either do a course or free breakdown of this type of thing
Here in Texas, it's a 3 syllable word. Pie Eee Zo.
17:20 didn't know that.