Paul Reed Smith Guitars Hollowbody II

Bought a first year model from Fred Music, but the 6 month waiting period was painful. The second one I purchased was from Blues House Auctions for $1300 and was the original color scheme (dark cherry burst) I always wanted. This pickups are great but the tone is limiting. For that BB King tone, plug it in and you got it. For anythng else forget it.

For jazz or blues this is the perfect guitar for the sound. After owing one for years when I heard someone playing one I can certainly tell the tone is the same for everyone.

The 25" scale length, action, and finish is flawless, PRS certain has the workmanship down. Although I do prefer real binding as it will protect the edges. You will find these with nicks and that make the price reasonable for these instruments.

The finish is super thick so it will take a beating and cleans up nicely after a sweaty gig. The PRS polish that is like was make this instrument feel and look like it is brand new after applying.

No issues with instrument, but if you did have a wiring problem, you would have to find someone else to fix it. PRS will not change the pickups or make any modifications after the sale.

Been playing over 30 years, and played Gibson's mostly. This is the great guitar for under $1500 and the only other instrument I use is a 25.5 scale Byrdland. If you love BB king sound this is a must !!!

PRS Hollwobody 11 - additional detailed information to previous post by Sean
This is a 2 1/2 thick (about) inch full hollowbody with PRS 'horns'; mohogany body and maple neck. Mine has bird fretboard inlays.
Supurb workmanship in every detail.
Again, loads of feature due to magmetic 'buckers and excellent piezo; locking tuners are great. If you play live you'll appreciate how well it stays in tune.

Played acoustically (not pluged in) it's a very resonanct fell; sound is mid-trebble and sweet. You really can't use it as an acoustic guutar (except maybe for recording for a thin, bright sound).
I previously described the 'bukers and piezo for rock, classic rock. I forgot to mention jazz. I don't play jazz (maybe, someday). But I love to thake the Hollowbody 11 and run it thorugh an original blackface Super Reverb on 4. Wow; warm, thick, rivh. Mellow with ammazing sustain. It can't sound Like Wes becsuse the PRS is a thin guitar, Gibso CES is about 4 1/2 inches dep) but the woody, resonant character is there. I love this tone.
But as I said, I love the hollowbody 11's rock sounds, too.

This is a very expensive guitar and, if you've got the $, it's more than worth it.
If you love great wood, chraftmanship and a simple, elegant beauty, you'll love this axe.

My last comment is, it's a wonderfully versitle guitar.
You quasi-jazz folks ought to tray a couple of the Hollowbodys.
Rockers, it'll do do a good job and, important, has a classy stage image.

Maple top, Mahogany sides. 22 Frets. Piezo system. Amber color...I think. It's not a 10 top, but it's still very pretty to look at.

The PRS Hollowbody pickups were too dark for my liking. If you read, these pickups are both modified neck pickups, so they naturally have a mellow sound. Just not my sound. I replaced them with Gibson Burstbucker pickups, a #1 in the neck and a #2 in the bridge. Now I love it. If you have this problem, may I recommend these pickups for this guitar.

The Piezo is the best sounding fake acoustic sound I have heard from an electric guitar. You just have to remember: It's not a real jumbo acoustic guitar, so it's not going to sound like that. Great for an electric live setting though. I always forget to turn the switch back to the magnetic pickups though, and I spend the first part of the next song wondering what is happening to my tone.

This guitar plays VERY well. Since it was used, I can't say anything about the factory setup. The guitar is in great shape and very well made. "A" on quality.

It has been reliable so far, but I don't really have a "main" guitar on the road or in the studio, so it's kind of hard to give a hardcore report on this. Seems like it's very well built, so I don't worry about it. However, I have the uncanny ability to destroy music equipment while on the road, so I guess we'll see eventually!

N/A

- Great playing guitar.

- Light as a feather.

- Great finish.

- Good sound after I put the Burstbuckers in it.

-Piezo is best sounding fake acoustic guitar I have personally heard, but I haven't heard them all.

The Hollow Body II with a piezo pickup is a great guitar if you constantly change from an acoustic to electric sounds. I love the ease of tuning (after changing to the new style PRS tuners) and with the adjustable stop tailpiece, great intonation is easy to achieve. The guitar is LIGHT and has held up well on the stage.

This guitar sounds great with both the humbucking pickups and the piezo pickup. I use it to play heavy rock and for the acoustic ballads with no problems. My primary amp is a Mesa Triple Rectifier and I use either the Carvin AG100 or the Genz-Benz Shennandoah with great results. The variety of sounds you can get out of this guitar with both a tube amp and acoustic will allow you to play all of your tunes on one guitar. They sound AWESOME!!! (I now own two).

The guitar was set up professionally from a dealer and the action was perfect for my style of playing. The pickups did not fall out on string bends and they were much quieter than i anticipated. The flame is perfectly bookmatched and the fit and finish are great, which is typical of PRS Guitars.

I've been playing this guitar on stage for nearly a year and it has yet to have any problems. I don't see a lot of wear on the finish and I tend to sweat quite a bit while playing, especially outdoor venues. Although I trust the guitar to work perfectly everytime, I am a realist, so I always carry a backup guitar. The strap buttons were changed out for Schaller's simply because I play agreesively and don't want to drop a $3K guitar on stage (or anywhere else for that matter)! Keep loads of 9volt batteries...they last about 2 hours of constant play.

No opinion on customer support since I have not had any problems with the guitar.

I've been playing gigs about 2 years and I own numerous PRS guitars. The HB II w/piezo is always with me. If it were stolen, I would have to replace it or change the way I play. If you are playing in tight quarters with a high gain amp, you can expect some feedback, otherwise, this guitar is the one to own.

Controls are simple and easy to use. One volume and one tone control. I would have preferred two of each. It is nice to control the balance between the two pickups. Great tuners. The guitar stays in tune just fine. Mine came with a non-adjustable bridge which is a bit of a downer.

I play jazz and pop gigs . I wanted something versatile and more comfortable to play than a 335. I grew weary of taking two guitars to gigs. As the stratocaster was always my choice, this guitar's body shape and feel seemed to fit the bill. It sounded nice at the store. Having said that, I find that the guitar lacks mojo. A clinical, faceless, characterless sound. I have played it with my Hiwatt, Marshall. Princeton, POD, Twin, Champ...you name it....It's sound is just so so. As soulless as the Parker Fly.

Well made. It ought to be for the price.

No problems.

Never dealt with them and never will. I've got the guitar up for sale.

I have been playing for 35 years in various styles and settings. I wish I had tried it for a week at home before buying it because I would have passed. Will bear the weight of a Les Paul from now on because it's worth it.

I owned two PRS guitars a Hollowbody II with piezo option, and a custom 24 both are beautiful guitars and I agree with many of the other reviews that my Hollowbody II is a delicate guitar. I finally sold both guitars due my experience with customer service.

I play R&B, and Jazz I have no complaints about the sound; I have a Maeshell VS65R and a Crate GT200H amplifier with Crate Cab. I do not play in a band but play to enjoy myself over the last 45 years or so.

I needed adjust action to my liking, Pickups are great. The quality of this guitar is very good, Finish is perfect. Everything is tight. Pots are silent.

I have had this guitar for two years and had no problems

This is the area where PRS falls flat on its face. Having purchased two PRS guitars you would think PRS would care about that repeat customer. My 5 years old granddaughter was visiting my home and just had her fingernails painted. While setting down near me she placed her fingers on my leg and under the guitar, of course, I was setting playing the guitar. The finger nail polish got on to the control plate that that house the output jack. By the time I noticed that there was finger nail polish on the control panel the nail polish had bonded with the control panel?s finish. After trying a number of solutions unsuccessfully, I telephoned PRS and left a message and waited for a return telephone call which never came, after a couple of days I telephoned again and was able to speak to I believe his name was Dave, but I?m not sure about that. I explained my problem and asked to purchase a replacement part. I was told that PRS would not sell me that part and that I should try and get the polish off somehow; additionally I asked if PRS would give me the name of a manufacturer for the part, again that was sometime he would not do.

In my view it appears that PRS attitude is you need us we, do not need you. I believe that when companies get large and successful their attitude towards making money verses the quality of customer care goes out the window and the customer looses. I was actually was hurt that I had spent thousands of dollars to purchase two PRS guitars and the one time that I contact PRS for support, I was refused, PRS refused to support their product and not sell me a replacement part. Therefore I sold both PRS guitars and purchase a Les Paul and a PRS copy with I am very pleased with. The copy although not a PRS is very well made, the finish and action are excellent. I replace the stock pickup in the PRS copy with Gibson pickups and it sounds great. The cost was at a fraction of the cost of the PRS guitars. I believe if PRS keeps loosing customers who can afford to purchase their guitars and the word gets out about the problem former PRS owns have had, PRS will be forced to re-think its current support policy.

There is no question that PRS makes very good guitars, but my experience with customer support is very bad, so bad that I sole both my PRS guitars. In my view their support is 180 degrees opposite to their products. I would normally have rated PRS a 9 or 10 but due to there unreasonable, poor customer support I received I only give them a 6 rating

Well the features are fine considering the simplicity of this guitar.
It doesn't have as many features as my '87 PRS I bought new.( 5 way with sweet switch) But the 3 way pickup switch is all that is needed and the tuners are awsome. This guitar has the best intonation. It also stays in tune extremely well. The ability to set one's own action with the bridge being solid stop bar type like a Les Paul is really great. 10 top...so it says..2 PERFECT humbuckers..made 2004..

I have had the guitar long enough for the charisma to wear off. I play in a classic rock R$B cover band and have played for 35 years. I need a lot of different tones from clean, breakup 'stones'vibe to marshall power chords and 'Santana neck pickup dark' as well. This guitar will do them all of course BUT not as easily as my '87 will. The '87 I bought the first day I played it and quickly passed on the Les Paul. I knew this was the next way huge guitar line. It is mahogany set neck into solid mahogany body with maple top. The resonance and vibrations of solid mahogany to mahogany is the biggest most focused tone one can find. Total opposite of a Strat. The "fundamental" or note one is playing is very dictinct with either pickup. The HB 2 is a hollowbody of course and the 2 are very very different things. For example when a note is played with distortion the sustain is greater for the older PRS than the hollowbody. Untill now I have chosen the Yamaha DG-80 modeling amp for great tone, variety, simple, and small. In short the older PRS sounds awesome throught it.ANY sound except for death metal. With the HB2 however the game isn't as sweet. This guitar needs more gain to sustain like The '87 and I have tried many different amps to find what makes the holowbody happy.
In short I can plug the 87 solid body into just about anything and it sounds good. Not so with the HB2. It is finicky with all my amps..some it loves..some it hates. It is happier with a tube amp which is fine but not all tube amps. BOTTOM line...I bought the guitar because of personal PRS experience,the reviews, playing them and the light weight. I have to say that certainly some of the reviewers here have never played a vintage PRS and it's untouchable girth and astounding TONE. I am saying the newer PRS's are not what the older ones are for sure. That said ,I have to use the 87 PRS as a bar and give the sound of the HB2 a 7 at most.

I just bought this guitar in New Orleans after Katrina and Guitar Center was running a skeleton crew. So their guitar tech is out of state and I'm sure I got the factory setup. It was good..I just tweaked it for action which is so easy with this guitar. The bridge is shaped in the same arc as the neck so you just lift or lower as desired with 2 large bridge screws.
The pickups are absolutely awesome once you get an amp set right the neck will go from dark singing tone to brite Marshall by going to the
bridge pickup. It's amazing..without changing the amp setting usually. Both together is the best fat clean sound. The tone knob is the finest I have used...large tone sweep. The tuners are the best $ can buy..stays in tune like I have never seen...

NOW THE BAD...Rosewood necks can be very different in quality. It always has some 'open grain' meaning small tiny creaveces (sp) or caverns in the case of this HB2. I mean they are so bad that your finger, if calloused, 'scrapes' over these creases and makes an audible squeaking noise when using bends and vibrato which I do a lot of. I have never seen such a bad piece of rosewood on any guitar including VERY cheap ones. My Hammer $170 guitar is much better quality fretboard. Yes I saw this on this HB2 and 3 others..this one was the best of the 4. It just so happens that it is really bad over the 5 through 9th fret..where most of us spend a lot of time playing. The rest of the finish is great but even though it says "10" top they have really lowered their standards because it has less grain than the 87 I have.
I love the guitar but I hate the fretboard..I may continue to look for another one. BAD WOOD ON $ 3400 GUITAR ? WHY?
Also as far as the leather case goes what's up with leather so thin a toothpick would cut it? We need LEATHER.. not a woman's coat..6 is best I can do.

Other than the crap fretboard the 2 gigs I have done were fantastic. Lightweight with heavy weight tone. If the hardware is as good as my 87 oh yessss... It will last just fine. The strap buttons are tight as others have said..shelikes a very thin srtap and only that. I always take a strat for backup. I won't take the 87 PRS because I will be too tempted to play it. I was not half as tired after the gigs because of the light weight..OK I LOVE this guitar except the fretboard. This is a hollowbody and they are by nature much more fragile....

Having owned a PRS since '87 I can say for sure PRS is top notch with customer support...up there with Boogie.

I own several guitars including a 53 Tele my dad bought new. Playing for 35 years..drums as well in my youth..10 years. I wish I would have called Paul to ask if he had decent quality roeswood lying around. It plays good as far as neck size etc..I love the light weight...I really don't like one more thing and I'll shut up. These guitars as totally awesome but for many they are have become no more than expensive 'ornaments' for some. We have to deal with the "Don't scratch the thin leather case or that'll knock of 300 in value" syndrome..We see the "Fender reissue Vintage torn up look"..that people buy..then the PRS side is "don't let a single ding happen." What's up with those 2 dicotomys? Personally I don't care if it gets dings because it is a musical instrument played by a human being gigging with bass players and drummers..They will do it for sure..I can't treat guitars like china dolls..Ok I love everything about this incredible guitar design and workmanship ..but get some decent wood Paul !!!..{Dave goes looking for 0000 steel wool}

2004 model
Made in Maryland, USA
If yer reading...you know the rest. Two dial controls (1 vo./1 tone)
3x toggle
Wide/Fat neck...the way I like em!
Mine is the loaded "Artist Pkg." in BEAUTIFUL 'violin amber' doulble "10" top/back
Black ebony tuners
Nice unassuming HSC black
FLAWLESS all the way around

Rich and full tone
Overdrive sounds great as well
Good for anything except 'Country' perhaps
I use it for Blues and dabbling with Jazz
Nothing wrong with the tone of this instrument
I bought it to replace an ES-335, but it's a different animal...the PRS Hollowbody is its own thing
Great acoustics WITHOUT an amp!

Perfect!
Now detectable flaws, and I know my guitars...I have owned enough of them to nearly open a store.

This is my second PRS (the other is a McCarty rosewood). I went to PRS because I find Gibson(s) difficult to play. I like PRS, but I tend to get lost on the frets, because the markers are hard to find...that's my only knock on PRS. A 'double dot' on the 12th fret would be nice. Maybe that belongs in another category, but I will deduct a point here for that.

Strings are very bendable (if that's a word). Slinky feel just as smooth as can be.

I believe so. PRS has an excellent reputation and I believe it will stand up.

As a 'company', PRS has my respect. They just make great guitars without slapping a 'named artist'. Gibson and Fender get Clapton or Andy Summers (from The Police) and charge $$$$ for it. I find that offensive....done with my rant!

I just hope PRS can withstand that type of marketing game.

Have not had the need to call for customer support
The warranty is 10 years, but I cant imagine something that could not be fixed locally.
PRS includes pertinent info on hang tags, like names of luthiers, guage of string, quality control people. You get the feeling that you are purchasing a 'hand made' guitar, although I doubt it really is 'hand made'. I am just glad it's made on the U.S.A.

Been around longer than dirt...on and off player since the '60's
Heard others say they 'wish they had the Piezo option'. I played a Piezo version and found it lackluster.

The perfect hollowbody guitar? It's about as close as I can find.

"Fantastic value" bothers me. If you can afford one of these in a more stripped down version, perhaps. To give it less than a "9" means it's probably a lemon.

It will never leave the house, but if somebody breaks in it will be gone! Replace it...you bet

This is a 2002. 22 frets. Maple top and pack, as for all the IIs. Amber colored, very pretty. Not a highly flames 10ish top, but very elegant. The sides are an oxblood red, as is the neck. Rosewood fingerboard. A grown up looking guitar. Standard McCarthy Archtop pickups. Ebony tuning pegs with that locking PRS feature. No piezo - didn?t think I needed one.

No birds - who am I, Audubon? Moons instead.

One volume control, one tone, a 3-way switch. Very simple, quiet electronics.

It weights 5 pounds 6 ozs.

Standard case.

Go the PRS website to get the fine details.

It has every feature I want and none I don't. To me, that?s a 10.

The light gauge strings that it came with made it sound twangy. I have it strung with a set of round wound Pyramid 13s, and that made a huge difference.

I play it through my BOSE PAS with one bass unit, which makes an excellent guitar amp. I play a wide range of music ? jazz, blues, and studio and pick up stuff. The Hollowbody II gives me a huge range of tone. I can get a wonderful jazz tone with the neck pickup - big and woody and warm: not as warm as a bone fide archtop, but much nbetter thanclose enough.

I can go full treble on the bridge pickup and the thing drifts toward surf. And there is this singing tone in the middle that just makes you want to play very few notes and bath in the sound. It?s very pretty.

It has an underlying brightness because of the maple top, but you can roll it off if need be. I played a Hollowbody Spruce and was very disappointed with the undefined tone ? very soft. The Hollowbody II starts with more definition ? you can tell where the edge of the tone is - and you can manipulate from there.

It?s very responsive to different pick attacks and, with these strings at least, to finger picking and plucking. There are a lot of sounds in there.

I got it used, and the neck needed adjustment, as did the action. Pickups are great. The quality of this guitar is very high, the best I?ve ever seen in a big production situation. Finish is perfect. Everything is tight. Pots are silent.

There is a very slight flaking on the finish along the edge of the fretboard ? the guys at my local store tell me that rosewood, being an oily wood, tends to shed finish.

This is an exceptional instrument ? very intelligently designed, beautifully thought out. The body is comfortable ? I stood for hours when I first got it playing with no discomfort.

9 for the flaking finish.

God... it?s just f#%king gorgeous.

It?s hard to tell what will happen over time. Nothing has tarnished or discolored in the 3 years since manufacture. The finish is like glass and perfect, and seems ready to stay that way.

The strap buttons are really big ? about the diameter of nickels ? and conventional straps don?t work with it very well. Get some locking strap gizmos and you?ll be all set.

Beats me. No reason to deal with them.

I?ve been playing for 38 years guys. I?ve owned an assortment of guitars (Never a Strat or Les Paul though) - Godin nylon electric and solid body, a Heritage, a 1978 Ibanez AE 400, Epis? And I?ve played hundreds of guitars in stores.

I wanted a jazz instrument I could stand up playing for 4 hours. The Hollowbody II was one of several guitars I considered, and I'm very happy.

The Hollowbody is perrrrrfect. I love the tone, I love the simplicity of the controls, I love the shape and feel. And yes, I love how it looks.

If it were lost or stolen I?d look for another one. It is among the best guitars I have ever played or owned ? and I can think of none I?ve played that I would consider better.

My guitar is a double ten top without the piezo option. I wish mine had the piezo option and a coil splitter - not because I am not very impressed with the sound and features of this guitar, but because I believe it would then offer so much more. I bought this before I viewed the DVD catalogue explaining the piezo option. But I would never sell this guitar and I could not justify having another

This is without doubt the best electric guitar I have played. For me the wide fat neck is extremely comfortable, although I do not have big hands. The pick ups are full and rich and, most importantly, the volume and tone knobs provide a wide variety of useable sounds. This is not an 'on-off' guitar sound. It is extremely light and comfortable to play. There does not seem to be a style of music that this is not capable of suiting.

This is a top quality instrument. It needs to be strung with 12s. The action, finish and attention to detail is impeccable. The only minor niggle I have is that while the top clearly deserves to be rated a 10, the back (which in theory is also a 10) is quite plain.

This is a professional instrument. It is of such high quality I will look after it. It is a simple but solid design, perfectly executed. It is a classic and will certainly last the distance. Perhaps it's too pretty to abuse.

Never dealt with the company.

I own or have owned all the famous, well-known American guitars in various configurations. I have owned this guitar for two years and stopped looking for the perfect electric as soon as I started playing this guitar. It does everything I want - with class. I would like the piezo option, but I'm not prepared to part with this guitar or buy another one just for that luxury. It is a wonderful and versatile if expensive guitar. I have never regretted buying it and intend keeping it for my lifetime.