Paul Reed Smith Guitars Hollowbody I

Ebay special, a bit beat up. As PRSs are such 'collector' guitars, if you can find one that's not in perfect condition, but still a great player, you can ge yourself a bit of a bargain on ebay. This is a 89 non-piezo, just moons (not birds). Finish is I think Charcoal, which is not an available colour anymore. You know the spec, so I won't bother.

I've had a solid body PRS for years (standard 24) which is just fabulous. This though is another dimension entirely, not as versitile but man can you hear that wood!! Just stunning. Not a jack of all trades, master of one (or a few, with mods). Which brings me to mods. I'm always inside guitars with the soldering iron, and has been remarked elsewhere, this is a bitch to work on. However, I've found a couple of worthwhile mods. I really like to have a bleed cap on the volume control, in fact I use over-size ones so you get a lot of brightening on turn down. You can't get to the volume on this guitar, but you can get to the switch (loosen & rotate, it will actually come out through the F hole) & the output jack socket. The output of the switch is the same place (circuit-wise) as the top of the volume, and the hot of the output is the same as the wiper, so you can put the bleed cap there (on some extension wires). Second thing is that there is a 470k resistor across the output jack socket, if you remove it the guitar gets hotter & brighter.

Even a PRS that's been well used is still just perfect, haven't touched the setup at all. Top's not a '10', but it never claimed to be and is still gorgeous. I wish PRS would offer wide/thin neck as an option on this, but it's only when I go back to my Standard that I think about it, and to be honest I don't go back to the standard often!

I'm sure you could break it if you tried, but PRS's are pretty bomb proof

Emailed them once, got a decent reply. They seem to have a poor reputation, so I'll score them a 'medium'

If you think you'd like one of these, you'll absolutely LOVE one of these. This is the first thing I been bothered to post here.

Flawless. 2004 McCarty Hollowbody I. Maple Ten-top. Paua birds. Really nice rosewood neck. Mahogany body. McCarty sunburst finish. Locking tuners. McCary Archtop bass and treble pickups. Fat neck. Nice case included.

This guitar is amazing. Full round sound. Warm sound through the neck and a really bright sound through the brigde. A nice mix when pickup selector is in the middle. Very versatile sound. When you adjust the tone pot you can get all sorts of sounds.

No action work needed at all. perfect. Pickup height was perfect also. Very responsive with no noise. Flawless.

Built like a tank, but plays and feels like a swan. It seems to be a very durable guitar. I mean i just paid a few grand for the thing so im going to treat it with special care, but im rather sure it could take some wear and tear. Very dependable. I would use this in a gig without a backup.

I have not dealt with them.

Stunning guitar. You really have to see one in person to see its beauty. And after you play it, I think you'll find yourself in love.

1999 Mcarty Hollowbody I. Maple top, with mahogany back and sides. I believe the finish is amber. It has moon inlays, which I much prefer to birds. I went looking for a spruce top, but I found this one with a very subtle flame and an understated color. It really looks beautiful. I like looking at guitars with wild colors and figured woods, but I would feel strange holding one on stage. This guitar attracts to much attention as it is.
It would be nice to have a separate volume and tone for each pickup. A coil tap would be good, too.

It takes me a while to really learn how to use the sound of any new guitar, and this was no exception. I love it now. I play it through either a boogie maverick or an old polytone. It is very lively and responds well to changes in pick attack, which actually took some getting used to. I had to refine my touch a bit.

Generally, the clean sound is very clear and cuts through a band without being shrill. I played it once with an old fender super reverb and it just came to life. Fantastic clean tones are in there. It doesn't sound like a jazz box or a strat - it sounds like itself.

Now the the distorted sound. I was used to playing through my maverick with the gain almost all the way up. That doesn't work for me with this guitar - it sounds like a mess. I had to back it off to a little over halfway. At that point I get a really great crunchy, responsive classic rock sound with the bridge pickup or both pickups. The neck pickup sounds just like Cream. The band, not the dairy product. I'd actually prefer more of a singing, jazz-fusiony sound (without the jazz-fusion itself), but I'm not getting it out of my current setup.

If an amp really prefers single coils, this guitar can sound boomy and strange. Then again, after 15 years of playing, I still suck at dialing in guitar sounds, so it may be me.

What I do like VERY much about this guitar (in contrast with all my others) is that if you get a good sound at rehearsal, it will still be a good sound at the gig. Many times, I'd plug in at a sound check (or more often 10 seconds before the set in front of an audience), and the nice tone I had earlier in the day was replaced by something hideous. This guitar has freed me from that, and it's a huge relief. I don't know why, but at the same clubs, with the same amp, in the same band, with the same sound guys, the problem is gone. So it really is the guitar.

This guitar plays just beautifully, and I don't like much of anything. Really, it's amazing. My other guitars now feel like crap. It's strung with 10's, but they feel lighter. I used to wish for more string tension, but I'm used to it now. I still may switch to 11's some day if I can't learn to pick lighter when I'm excited. Without adjustable saddles, I was worried about what I'd do if the intonation went south. 5 years into it, I've barely had to touch it, and the two set screws have provided enough adjustability.

The finish is beautiful.

If I were to gripe about anything, I'd say the nut slots were cut a bit too deep. Over the first several frets, the strings are right on the deck no matter how high you set the bridge. My brother-in-law's mcarty doesn't suffer from this. It's not really a flaw (there's no buzzing), just a quirk.

The finish has not worn or checked in 5 years, but it's a lightly built and lightly finished guitar, and it needs to be treated with some care. I leave it out at home, but at rehearsal/gig, I leave it in its case when I'm not playing. It's not much to ask, really. I hate guitars that are dipped in polyurethane. (Isn't that what they make skateboard wheels out of?) It's an audible difference.

The nickel (or whatever it is) cracks off the hardware much too easily. Be very careful when turning those big screws in the tailpiece and tightening the tuner bolts. Or don't. They'll get messed up either way. I'm no ogre, but I ran into this problem on day one, and was pretty surprised and bummed. I'm over it now, but I had just spent well over two thousand dollars... I should have contacted prs about it, but instead I'm complaining to no on in particular 5 years after the fact.

Do people really bring backup guitars? I HATE shlepping gear, so one guitar and one amp (no pedals) is still too much for me.

Never dealt with them directly.

Overall, it's a great guitar. It's in a different class than my other 3 electrics. I was really looking for a guitar like this for years, and couldn't find it until these came out. (I didn't want a 335, I wanted something smaller.) If it were lost or stolen, I'd replace it with something around $1000, since I don't see an opportunity to spend so much money on a guitar anytime soon. I'm not sure how you "lose" a guitar other than on an airplane, so I guess theft is my only worry. The real question is: Was it a good purchase? Yes.

2004 McCarty hollowbody I w/birds.. Beautiful Violin amber finish! The back, sides, and neck are all solid Mahogany.. Top is a non-10 figured maple. It's not a 10 but it looks great.

I went with the non piezo set up because I wanted a very simple set up.

I scored a 9 because it was the features I wanted.......I could have gotten more.

I play mainly jazz/fusion and blues/rock. This guitar is unreal. It has such a harmonic sustain..
For Jazz....It has everything you want. Tone control is so great, I can get tone at any point on the level.
Rock/fusion/blues....I will never need a new guitar.. Has enough control to really work feedback at high gain. Is Awesome!!

This guitar came to me perfectly set up. Fret work was unbelievable.
Guitar had no flaws.

built really solid....seems really solid in your hands.. for such a beautiful guitar, I have no problem playing hard. will play without backup

Don't know yet!!!!!!!!!

but company has been very helpful

I have been playing for 26 years. This is the best instrument i have ever played. Some people have complained about the output of the p-ups. I think the output is great for what i do. I have a Mesa f-50 and I don't want any other sound.

I have found a friend for life!!!!!

O.K. I have got a black cherry HBI 2003 and this thing is sweet! light weight,superb sustain, wide fat neck. I must say I really like the wrap around tail and the nice deep cut. Tonally the wood is sultry & warm the Michigan Maple also has looks to boot. Standard locking tuners with the ebony tips balance the guitar out very nicely. The controls are standard in the means of 3 switch dual humbucking 1 volume 1 tone. Nice leather case, truss rod wrench, other goodies.

As far as style goes I enjoy funk,reggae,jazz,rock,blues...I have been using Fender & Mesa combo amps smaller more portable the better. I will throw in a 2x10 or 2x12 cab if needed. Effects that I'm using are all analog. Now when it comes to tone I love the HBI sweet & creamy the tone control does affect the guitar my only dislike is the volume roll off which happens at around 8. It would be nice if they just put volume numbering 1-3. I like the fact that I can stand for 2+ hours with out having to go to the chiropractor! as I also own a heavy les paul.

Very well setup no complaints here. Pickups are nice I have thought about placing a dirty finger pickup in the neck though? The nature of hollow I have found that I find odd vibration on parts (i.e.) pickups,selector no big deal. The top is not a ten but I could of been fooled. The finish is awesome as I also ordered the care kit. Now I do not know what to think of the durability as I wear blue jeans and the rivet on the pocket marred it, looks like a worm hole on the back so I dubbed it "rivet rash" heck I even cover or take off my belt! I'm afraid my finger nail may gouge it bummer.

This is a solid guitar. We are living in the golden age of guitars and this guitar is a product of this era.
Strap buttons love'm will not replace 'em.
This guitar has become my mistress.

Order the care kit came fast. No prob here.
I think the warranty should be transferable at least for saftey and insurance reasons.

I have been playing for a number a years. I own lots of great gear it has become a part of my family. If it were stolen I'd file my claim and hope to replace it and I would get the piezo option. I love the weight of balance of this guitar. Tonally this is the style I have been working towards. I dislike the volume roll off if may put a new cap on it. I love how the tone control really does something. Did I mention I love the tone? I have to say I am a Paul player and I thought of getting a 335 or something close but I am rather pleased with the quality and feel of this guitar

2003 Model. Nice looking Whale Blue top, not a 10 top, but I like my wood to look natural: variations in wood is not a sin!!

Peizo bridge which I thought was a must, but I would say it is not vital, but if you;ve got the extra cash, go for it.

Distorted, this thing is absolutely phenomenal. People complain about the pickups but I think it sings. Great sound. Clean is stil very nice, and I did buy it to use manily clean. It can be a tad thin, but I love mixing the peizo sound with the magnetic pickups to get a nice sound. I like the clean sound, but it still wont do that lovely clean bluesy Strat sound, but I suppose if you want a Strat, you'd buy one (I'm abou to get one...!)

Played clean, you can get some wonderful sounds through a normal amp. I do a lot of fingerpicking, and on this they sound beautiful, a lot more full than a standard acoustic because you can mix in the magnetic sound. WHat can I say, its very expensive, but really bloody great guitar.

Action is very low, neck relief low, a baby could play this thing. Which means it buzzes if you strum a lot. I am going to raise the bridge when i get around to it. Like i said, sounds great distorted, and you don't really notice the buzzing when its distorted.

The pickups are very high, which i'm not used to, but they sound nice.

The guitar looks so nice. Even after a few months I still open the case and think, geez, this thing is so beautiful!!!

Very light guitar. The lightest I've ever played. WHich makes it so easy on your shouloder under the strap!! Its certainly not as durable as a some guitars, it looks like it would scratch/break/dent quite easy, but that is because of what it is: hollow and beautiful!

Strap buttons very solid, I dont think i'll bother with strap locks at the moment. I'd gig with a backup.

I must say, I kinda feel guiloty playing it just at home. It feels like it's designed for the stage and the studio! I'm afraid I'm going to bump it.

Haven't dealt with them. My warranty is only valid in the US and I'm in Australia, so i won't deal with them!

8 because it is very expeniseve, even though I saved nearly $2500 (australian) by iumporting it.

I think its great, but it wont quite do everything. It is really quite extravagent, but I reckon, go for it ;)

I bought and sold a 2001 Hollowbody I purchased on ebay in mint condition. The guitar was about a year old when purchased. The Hollowbody I comes with a maple top, mahogany body and sides. It is a bit less bright than the Hollowbody II and the reason I could afford it was because of it's color, basic black. Standard specs and features are well documented in the previous reviews. The differences in models usually comes down to finishes and woods. My particular model was very "utilitarian" because it was black, with no birds (abalone dots are still quite beautiful), and had the LR BAGGS piezo system. I got used to having only one tone control, it was very musical. The lack of tone control for the piezo system is something I would have liked, but most users seem to output in stereo and have enough eq at the amp or board.

I had a love/hate relationship with the sound of this guitar. The McCarty pickups are low-med output humbuckers. They don't have a lot of depth in their basic sound, and didn't respond all that dynamically for my playing. The neck pickup was especially woofy on the wound strings. I wanted to try swapping pickups but ended up selling the instrument (see overall rating). Part of my sound problem was the sweep of the master volume control, which uses a steep audio taper. Most of the usable volume came in the top part of the sweep (from 10 down to about 8 1/2). After that, the volume dropped off rapidly. I found myself needing to play with the volume pot wide open and changing the volume with pedals. This didn't allow for tonal changes at the guitar itself, making the guitar seem overly one dimensional. I had my guitar serviced by PRS. They informed me that the volume pot is specially designed to work this way, most PRS players use high gain settings. I do admit, it did work well with high gain, but I did not find it usable for clean to low gain settings.
The guitar is prone to feedback in close quarters at high volume. This is not unreasonable for a hollow body, and I was able to control feedback most of the time with my hand and judicious placement of amp and body.
The addition of the piezo system - when working properly - is wonderful (see reliability section). I've used transducers with acoustics for over 30 years, and this sounds as good as any plugged in under saddle system. It was wonderful to mix piezo and humbuckers to provide for a variety of tones.

This is the part that I cry over. The guitar felt great. It played great. It was the nicest instrument I've owned. The wide fat neck, light body and overall design is superb. Action was low (11-50) but not floppy. I made two small improvements - installing Tone Pros locking bridge studs for increased sustain , and Straplocks to be safe.

Overall, I'd say this instrument has excellent construction and is built to last. Quality control is a possible reason my instrument had a faulty piezo system. Yes, I bought was used, but it was fairly clear that the piezo system was not working properly from the start. Because they do not have a transferable warranty, I was charged for repair. To their credit, PRS replaced the system "for labor costs only" (still a few hundred dollars). Once it worked properly, all was well. I have no way of knowing how it would hold up over time. I always took a backup guitar to play out.
The finish is the famous PRS shine, and I do love the look. It is prone to surface pick scratches, but does not appear delicate.

Oh boy, this is a mixed bag. I was able to get email responses for basic questions, but urgent phone messages (help, what's wrong with my guitar?) were never returned. The one tech/repair person in the service department was helpful, but always very busy and sometimes hard to reach. My specific problems needed lots of attempts at communicating - my detailed notes included with the instrument for repair seemed to be unread - and it became obvious that my problems were not typical repairs. Specific knowledge of this piezo circuit design was necessary to facilitate repairs, and it was easier (and probably cheaper) to swap the entire unit.
It's interesting to note that in my search for repair information, I contacted LR BAGGS as the co-designer of the piezo unit. They were as helpful as possible, even sending me a free pot, but had to defer back to PRS because of it's proprietary circuitry.

I've played guitar for 38+ years, and the PRS Hollowbody I was almost my dream guitar. To be honest, it plays like a dream. The feel and design are just what I'd been looking for. Alas, the sound fell short and my desire to do what I always do (swap pickups, change pots, etc) became an obstacle.
This model (with the piezo system) is totally proprietary. It mixes an ACTIVE piezo system with PASSIVE magnetic circuitry. Even the passive part of the circuit has PC boards attached to the volume and tone pots. This, combined with the fact that the only access to the guts is through the pickup cavities makes simple tasks difficult. It is NOT something you try at home. My trusted guitar repair tech of 20 years ran screaming from the room when faced with a basic pickup swap or pot exchange. PRS offered to do this work for me. Without promising success, I could "try" a different volume pot for a few hundred in labor. No thank you.
Call me overly sensitive about this stuff, but an attitude seems to come through in little ways. When inquiring about improvements (Tone Pros and Straplocks), the PRS response was "do it if you feel you must - we don't feel the guitar needs improvements". This doesn't add to the PRS mystique, it only serves to drive me away.
The bottom line is if the instrument was somehow perfect for my needs AS IS, I would still own it. It is because all of my instruments have to be tweeked to some degree, it made sense selling it to someone who loves it as is.

My PRS I bought from Chuck Levins Washington Music Center (I highly recommmend them as guitar dealers) and its a 2002 Hollowbody I with birds and piezo bridge. The piezo is amazing and if you're going to spend this kind of money on a guitar, then you should definitely get this option. The tuners are nice but I had some problems (see below). The finish is McCarty Sunburst.The neck is really nice and fat too. It fits like a glove. Hard Case inclused. I realize that when i read reviews and people put their setups i usually just skip it. I realize also that no one gives half a shit about what amp and pedals i use and if i put them id be a hypocrit. This guitar is no value by any stretch but it is easily the finest guitar i have ever had the pleasure of playing and it sounds AMAZING.

The sound on this instrument is, simply put, unbelievable. It is very mid-ranged and focused. I play mostly rock and jazz which this baby handles with ease. I can play with thick distortion and i can hear every note i play without loss of tone. This isnt just a jazz guitar and it can rock with any other guitar out there. Amazing. I can turn my distortion off and get a sweet, smooth jazz tone like none ive ever heard. You can get just about every sound out of this thing that you could ever want. If you can't get the sound you're looking for then chances are you're looking for a shitty sound in which case you should go buy a cheap ibanez and play it through a Crate practice amp. The piezo is very versatile and i combine it with the mag pickups for a smooth jazz sound. The sound is fat without covering the articulation of the notes im playing. fabulous.

The finish is amazing. It shimmers and looks almost 3D. Everything was set up nicely except for some fret buzz on the lower strings. Easily fixed. I noticed about a week after i purchased this guitar that one of the tuners had some nickel finish that was flaking off of the post. Very disappointing. Would be 10 except for the tuner.

Looks sturdy but i dont have any stories of me dropping and it it still being in tune. i try not to drop guitars. everything looks to be built like a tank except for the tuning posts. The wood has an industrial clearcoat on it and could probably survive a chemical weapon attack from Saddam (we all know he has them). The strap buttons are huge so i dont think its going anywhere. I'd gig without a backup.

I called about the tuning post with the chipped nickel finish and left a message. I got a call back 25 minutes later and i was greeted with a helpful answer to my problem. I have to take it back to the dealer which is a bummer but they can fix it for free under my lifetime warranty.

Im not going to repeat everything i said but i just want to recommend this guitar to anyone searching for a thick sound for jazz or rock. Its just very expensive so i give it an 9 for its value but if i lost it or it was stolen, id save up and buy it again. its worth it

This is a 2002 PRS HollowBody I. Dark cherry sunburst.
Rosewood fingerboard, mahogany back/side/neck,maple top with large soundpost joining the back to the top. Moon inlays, stop tail bridge (non-adjustable).
Finish is heavy, glossy poly-urethane. PRS "Archtop" pickups.
The style of this instrument can best be described as electric hollowbody with soundpost. Double cutaway. 3 inches thick at rims and approx. 13" wide at the lower bout.

My style is jazz (both be-bop, soul jazz) and blues. The amps I use are classic for jazz, and eletric blues sounds. Vintage Fenders.
The sound of this instrument is it's greatest drawback. The instrument is clear sounding with decent note seperation. That's the best of it. I would describe the sound as weak, somewhat sterile. It has decent bass frequencies but the high strings (e, b, g) have very little tonal quality. There is no "bell-like" sound that I expect to hear from a good hollowbody. It's a lovely guitar to play but like so many other PRS's that I have owned and played, the sound is simply weak and lifeless.

PRS is known primarily for it's outstanding quality control, and excellent factory setups. This guitar played just beautifully with 11 - 49 guage strings. The intonation was excellent, and the action was easy and precise. The dark cherry stain was beautiful.
I feel that the poly urethane laquer on these guitars is a major drawback. It's extremely thick, and shiny. I would give this section a 10 if this guitar was finished with either a nitro laquer or if the urethane was applied a little less heavy.

This guitar is built extremely well, as most every PRS is built well. All of the parts are good quality. The strap button are unusually large and don't fit on a conventional strap.
The guitar is built very well and is dependable.

PRS customer service was really poor when I've dealt with them in the past regarding questions about the product. They just didn't answer e-mails and took 4 weeks to get a catalog to me. They are a large guitar manufacturer and I expected their supoort to be bad. Luckily, I doubt you would ever need to get this guitar repaired because it is built so well.

I am an experienced player who has studied and played music for over 25 years. I'll make a simple overall statement about this guitar.
PRS guitars are very well made and just don't sound very good. Particularly when played through a clean amp. I had about 12 gigs with this guitar.
I want to like them and have owned 6 or 7 over the last 8 years but always dump them after a while because the sound is just weak and without much character. They are great guitars to play, as they are lightweight and well made.

2001 Hollowbody I w/ Piezo. Made in...where else? Stevensville MD. 22 frets w/ Birds. Solid Maple non 10 top. Volume/Tone for PRS Humbucking Magnetic pups, Volume for LR Baggs Piezo pup, toggle switch for mag only/mixed/piezo only. In mono mode...the piezo volume control acts as a blend between mag/piezo through a single amp. Otherwise, the guitar has two separate 1/4" inputs. Maple top in McCartyburst, sides, back, and wide/fat neck are mahogany. Non locking PRS tuners with ebony buttons. Form fitted leather case. Weight around 6 lb.

In a word...this guitar is the most versatile that I currently own. I play everything from classic rock to jazz fusion to r&b. The HB1 covers everything I do with ease. I really like the deeper, richer bottom end that the mahogany lends to the instrument. This is the main reason I selected the HB1 over the spruce top or the HB2 (all maple). The '2' was a tad bright for my taste. If you like a nice 335 sound with an acoustic doubling effect...this guitar will give it to you on the gig in realtime. And as far as distortion...the pickups are creamy and smooth through my Bogner Shiva in the overdrive channel. Very sweet...

It's a PRS guys...set up from the Store (Chuck Levin's WMC in DC) was perfect. Kudos to Brian Meader for great service, and patience while I finally made a choice! I have noticed no flaws in the body/neck or headstock. I am not in love with the .011 d'Addarios with the wound G. I am going to replace these with Pyramid .011's, as these strings sound like .011's, but bend like .010's.

It remains to be seen if the lightweight HB1 will withstand the rigors of gigging with my fusion/r&b band. I have owned a few PRS guitars before, and currently have two others...both of which are rock solid and have aged quite well so far. The only niggle I have is that the strap buttons are too darned big. Tough to get a strap to fit on the fly. I always take a 2nd guitar to gigs, so this is not a pertinent issue.

PRS has had the good fortune to select some of the finest dealers around...especially out east. I have no hesitation in recommending Levin's WMC or Magdon Music or Garret Park Guitars. Great folks, all. Again, Brian Meader at WMC is a great guy, and a considerate sales rep who obviously loves what he does.

I've been playing guitars for 30+ years, and own PRS, Gibson, Grosh, and Reverend. I play through Bogner and Matchless amps, and own a Roland Keyboard amp for the piezo input from the Hollowbody 1. I have played many many high end guitars through many many high end amps in my time...and I rate this PRS Hollowbody 1 up there with the best of them in every category. If it were stolen or lost, I'd replace it as soon as humanly possible. All of you players out there with a hankering for that semihollow sound, clean or overdriven, need look no further. Add to that the piezo option, and you are in whole new class of live tonal options that will give you a sound you've not had before.