it also provides a layer of accountability that is
invaluable when it comes to quality control.
Speaking of quality, everything about this
guitar screams, “Quality! Quality! Quality!” Like
the neck, the sensational top and back are
bound with maple, and collectively this makes
for a stunning presentation. So right about
now you’re probably thinking, “Yeah, I can
see it’s pretty, but how about the sound and
playability?” Let’s dish!
The first thing that surprised me when I pulled
the guitar out of the case was the contrast of
the sizeable neck and hollow body. While the
neck profile is deeper than I’d expected, it feels
really good under the fingers, and that’s what
counts. We’ve all played guitars that were ‘top
heavy’, and that’s certainly not the case here.
Balance being the operative word here, this
guitar is happy to balance on your knee without
‘drooping neck-ward’. Acoustically speaking,
the sound is equally balanced. While you can
definitely hear the voice of the hollow body
come through the F-holes, the fullness of the
sound is anything but hollow. Another thing that
is apparent is how the envelope of the guitar
blooms the harder you play. Again, balance is
the operative word here.
The three-way pickup selector is accompanied
by master volume and tone controls, as well
as a volume control for the LR Baggs piezo
which is mounted in the wrap-around bridge.
Dual output jacks offer intelligent blending and
isolation options. The output jack closest to
the ground enables you to toggle or blend the
magnetic and piezo pickups to taste. Coined
the ‘rip cord jack’ by PRS’ Jack Higginbotham
and LR Baggs founder Lloyd Baggs, the upper
jack is fed exclusively by the magnetic pickups
and will always work, even if the internal battery
dies. If you’ve ever had a pickup fade or die
mid-service this is a feature you’ll come to
appreciate soon enough, as batteries only
tend to die just before service, often with no
replacement nearby. Using both jacks at the
same time separates the piezo and magnetic
pickups to the bottom and top outputs
respectively, and offers additional tonal variety
that is particularly well suited for worship.
From acoustic tones that are both warm and
crisp, to electric tones that range for silky clean
to shredaliciously sultry – and everything in
between, this guitar delivers an array on sonic
nuance that is unheard of at this price point.
And that, is specifically the point the PRS and
LR Baggs teams wanted to make with this
instrument. The non-SE equivalents sell for
over three times the $1549 MAP price and
for the money, this guitar packs a powerful
combination of features, tone and artisanal
excellence at every turn. If you’re in the market
for a, “Shut up and take my money!” guitar for
worship, you definitely want to check out the
PRS SE Hollowbody II Piezo.
$1,549.00 MAP with hardshell case
www.PRSGuitars.com
78 July 2020
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