"I believe every guitar player inherently has something unique about their playing. They just have to identify what makes them different and develop it."
― Jimmy Page
Blasphemy has been committed. Against my sound judgement, a colleague gave me pause when a purchase of yet another Fender Stratocaster was imminent. Instead, he pleaded and begged me to consider a PRS (Paul Reed Smith) guitar. He did this because he admired how they look, having virtually no experience with guitars, playing them, or key features. As fate would have it, I reached out to my Oracle at Dave's Guitar in Fitchburg who devilishly approved of my sacrilegious foible.
Let it be known, however, that this is not the only non-Fender guitar I've owned. Long ago there was a Lotus, a Yamaha, and even an Ibanez, which have mostly been forgotten by those who were there. Drummer Rizal Iskandarsjach may be the only exception who can recall my past descent into madness when we were bandmates. I thought I was cured. Turns out, Casey Achenbach was right ― but not by certitude or confidence ― merely serendipitous fortune. Those of us who know Casey personally realize that such luck is entirely a fluke. Having said all of that, well done, sir. I love this guitar!
The SE Hollowbody II Piezo combines the balanced, clear, resonant tone of a hollowbody instrument with the power and stability of a solid-body electric guitar. Constructed with a maple back and top with mahogany sides, the SE Hollowbody II Piezo offers a light shimmer and snap in an attractive package. The 58/15 “S” pickups deliver clarity and balance that sound big and musical in a hollowbody platform.
Boasting an LR Baggs/PRS Piezo system, the SE Hollowbody II Piezo provides musicians with the versatility of wielding both acoustic and electric tones in one instrument. The instrument is designed with two discrete volume controls (magnetics and piezo) and output jacks (mix/piezo and magnetics). Players can plug into the “Mix/Piezo” jack and use the individual volume controls to blend the 58/15 “S” pickups with the piezo’s acoustic tones.
Lovely translucent control knobs.
Alternatively, players can plug into the jacks separately, so the guitar can run magnetic pickups into an amp and run the piezo through an acoustic amp or DI into the soundboard. When using the magnetic output jack in isolation, the piezo battery is bypassed completely, acting as a failsafe (in this scenario, the magnetic pickups still work even if the piezo battery has run out of juice).
Mahogany neck, and the rosewood fretboard with nifty bird inlays.
It's more than a guitar ... it's a work of art and a dream to play!
All images © 2022 Mike McDowell