This is my 2008 PRS Hollowbody II singlecut and my 2006 PRS McCarty hollowbody doublecut. Both were purchased second-hand within the past six years.
The singlecut was originally offered through the PRS Artist Package and I’ve only ever found one other guitar like it on the internet. Last year I finally pulled all the piezo electronics and had it completely rewired as a regular passive guitar. Aside from that, it’s all stock.
The doublecut was a prototype produced before the hollowbody was officially offered as part of the McCarty line, or so I was told.
Both of these guitars are remarkably similar. Playability is absolutely off the charts, and I enjoyed the singlecut so much that it was pretty much-love-at-first-sight when I found the doublecut a few years later. They are the lightest damn guitars I have ever played; both weigh in at about 5lbs. The weight makes all the difference in the world during long-ass bar gigs and weddings. Tonally, they’re way more percussive than a Les Paul, but incredibly versatile nonetheless. The way the top is braced to the back allows you to crank the gain on your amp/PA without having to worry about the feedback issues typically associated with hollowbody electrics.
Hands-down, these are two of my most prized possessions. I never post pics of my instruments to normal social media because I worry about theft, so I decided to do this little write-up to help grow this new (to me) community.
Someone once told me it’s because it allows the top and the back to vibrate sympathetically as one piece of wood. I like to think I have a solid grasp on acoustic physics, but I couldn’t tell you why that would result in a lack of feedback. If I had to guess, it’s because the combined mass of the top and back provides a dampening effect as opposed to just the top, which is half as much mass and therefore resonates more easily?