Having fun with my PRS Piezo

M19 · #1 05-30-2021, 08:36 PM

Bought a SE Hollowbody Piezo.

I've got the piezo directly into my Stagepass 600 with a little reverb, and the humbuckers through a Zoom G3 with stereo chorus and sometimes arena reverb and a flanger. Using the selector and tone on the pick-ups and the volume pots to get various % blends of "acoustic" and electric. It really lets you get tones that you couldn't with either by themselves.

Lots of fun!

Dru Edwards · #2 05-31-2021, 05:20 AM

Marty, congrats on your PRS! There is lots of excitement about the SE Hollowbody Piezo and there are some other AGFers that have one (I think Carol?).

Did you contemplate any other semi / Hollowbody guitars?

Kerbie · #3 05-31-2021, 05:34 AM

Sweet, Marty... congratulations! Love that color. Hope you enjoy it... I bet that's fun to play.

M19 · #4 05-31-2021, 07:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dru Edwards

Marty, congrats on your PRS! There is lots of excitement about the SE Hollowbody Piezo and there are some other AGFers that have one (I think Carol?).

Yes, Carol got one (the brown one) earlier.

Quote:

Did you contemplate any other semi / Hollowbody guitars?

Not really. It was the Piezo component that piqued my interest. Besides, every ten years I have to get an electric (which I then sell 5-6 years later!).

More revolutionary for me is what's hanging on the stand to the west of the PRS. An Eastman Mandolin! I'll never complain about 1-11/16th spacing again, let me tell you!

CarolD · #5 06-01-2021, 03:16 AM

Yes, I have one and am absolutely in love with it. I sold my Eastman OM and the little Alvarez is going out the door soon. (Anyone looking for an AP66ESHB near me?). The PRS is the only guitar I’m interested in playing. What a versatile beauty!

jonfields45 · #6 06-01-2021, 05:57 AM

With the PRS you get a full complement of electric tones and an unprocessed piezo.

With the Fender Acoustasonics you get nicely processed piezo but very limited electric tones (all of which are processed through amp modeling).

How close to a usable acoustic tone to you get with the PRS with just it's on-board controls?

M19 · #7 06-01-2021, 03:56 PM

I didn't want to just say "yeah, its a great acoustic tone," without an actual test.

Plugging in my Gibson AG Parlor direct and comparing it to the PRS piezo direct they were pretty similar. The Gibson might have had a little more bottom end and "resonance," but more likely that came direct from the guitar itself? The PRS does NOT sound like an acoustic when it isn't plugged in!

In a performance or band setting, you won't be missing anything playing the PRS in "piezo mode" than a plugged in acoustic with a USP, IMO. And you can dial up just a little "electric effect" on top of it whenever you want. You do have to have two (or a dual) cables though.

hotroad · #8 06-03-2021, 08:08 AM

What other guitars with piezo did you consider, if any? I am looking at a Godin Multiac Steel string (versus nylon) for the Piezo plus electric tones in one guitar.

M19 · #9 06-03-2021, 11:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hotroad

What other guitars with piezo did you consider, if any? I am looking at a Godin Multiac Steel string (versus nylon) for the Piezo plus electric tones in one guitar.

None, hot. I saw an ad and demo of the PRS and swallowed the hook without a moment's hesitation!

Song · #10 06-11-2021, 10:57 PM

Congratulations on your new PRS! Paul is like a stable genius! Excellent piezos and pickups.

TobyB · #11 06-15-2021, 02:46 PM

PRS Hollowbody piezo, with conventional amp and Fishman Loudbox is a great combo.
I have piezo's in a Parker Fly which is great, and a Godin which is OK

M19 · #12 06-15-2021, 07:08 PM

So that must sound like two guitars then? I just have the PA, so I can't "try this at home."

fazool · #13 06-16-2021, 10:43 AM

I really want to try one of these. I tried a T5/T5z and disliked the tones.

The PRS piezo sounds so promising

Pine · #14 06-16-2021, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by M19

Bought a SE Hollowbody Piezo.

I've got the piezo directly into my Stagepass 600 with a little reverb, and the humbuckers through a Zoom G3 with stereo chorus and sometimes arena reverb and a flanger. Using the selector and tone on the pick-ups and the volume pots to get various % blends of "acoustic" and electric. It really lets you get tones that you couldn't with either by themselves.

Lots of fun!

I have had my SE Piezo for a few months now, and am loving the flexibility. I’m running the humbuckers into a Trio Plus, and the piezo into a Zoom AC-3. The Trio and the Zoom each run into a separate channel on my JBL Eon Compact PA. (I don't own an amp)

When recording, I just move the cables from the JBL to the inputs on my MOTU M2 interface.

I replaced the stock tuners with Grover 406C locking tuners. The Grovers were drop in without any mods or drilling.

The quality of the guitar is very good. My only mini-gripes are: no locking tuners, the pickup switch feels and sounds cheap, and I find the battery pretty hard to change.

I'm having lots of fun with mine too! Definitely a lot of tones available.

M19 · #15 06-17-2021, 06:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pine

I replaced the stock tuners with Grover 406C locking tuners. The Grovers were drop in without any mods or drilling.

Did you get them from Stewmac? I'd like to change them out too, as they're finicky.

Quote:

and I find the battery pretty hard to change.

Yes it is a very tight battery holder. Could withstand a rocket launch I think! I also hate the whole "when the cable is plugged in, the battery drains" thing. I know a lot of active PUPs are like that, but I'm an old guy who forgets, then picks up the guitar the next day and....DEAD!