Jump to content

PRS Hollowbody II vs. Gibson ES-335


lmn55d

Recommended Posts

  • Members

Hey guys, I currently play a Hamer Echotone (335 style) through a fender Deluxe Reverb. I am looking to upgrade to either a Gibson ES-335 reissue or a PRS Hollowbody II. I tried them both out today and they sounded pretty sweet.

 

Can anyone who has experience with both these guitars compare them in terms of quality and sound? I realize the PRS is more expensive but I've been saving up for a while and if I am going to get a new guitar, I want it to be the best.

 

I play through a Fulltone Fulldrive 2 distortion pedal.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

PRS all the way. ES-335's are very nice guitars but they have all the assorted Gibson weirdnesses and they aint exactly cheap either. PRS is much lighter too, and playability is unmatched.

 

I would prefer the Hollowbody I or the Spruce myself, I can just see that beatiful back on the II getting scratched by the rivets on my Levis or something and I would get really twitchy about it.:freak:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I think there is a reason a lot of pros play the 335 and not many play the PRS Hollowbody. PRS is great at making the solid body electrics and of course some great semi-hollows, but they don't seem to be known as the go to company for a full sized hollowbody.

 

I've only played the 335 and they are just great guitars, period. Never played a PRS Hollowbody, so my opinion is biased, but if I saw one on the wall at the guitar store, I probably wouldn't even think about it. I frequent several dealers who sell PRS guitars and they probably have them, I just never paid attention. Just hand me the McCarty Soapar instead :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I owned a PRS Spruce hollowbody (circa 98-99 I think) and it remains one of my deepest regrets in passing it along. The guy who sold it to me contacted me a year later wanting to buy it back from me...some lucky bastard has it now. That guitar just had a magic to it altho the neck profile on that guitar didnt fit me terribly well. One day I shall get another however.

 

One guitar I hear raves about is the Robin hollowbody (forget the model name) as a 335'ish axe.

 

cheers

 

k

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Originally posted by curseoftruth

I think there is a reason a lot of pros play the 335 and not many play the PRS Hollowbody. PRS is great at making the solid body electrics and of course some great semi-hollows, but they don't seem to be known as the go to company for a full sized hollowbody.

 

Actually the main reason pros don't play the PRS Hollowbody is that very few gigs are held in bedrooms :D

 

Seriously though, while the 335 and the PRS both sound good, IMO the PRS sounds nothing at all like the 335. That they both happen to be semi-hollowbodies is in this case merely incidental. If I were buying a 335 today I would buy an Epiphone Elitist '63 Dot and swap the PUs out for Seth Lovers or other PU of your choice. The build quality is easily on par with the Gibson 335 and you would save a bunch of $.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

 

Originally posted by Treborklow

I personally would prefer the PRS. It's a nice size and will hold it's value better than the Gibson. I like the neck better as well. Of course, all are personal choices.

 

 

I bought an ES-335 new last year. I sold it used 18 months later for $400 more than I paid for it new.

 

As to which guitar, never played a PRS hollow, but the one PRS I do own is a fantastic guitar. I'd be a little leary of the PRS because it's a full hollow (as far as I know) and may be more prone to feedback. Either would be a really nice guitar.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I love the way the Gibson sounds but those things are so hit or miss. You can play two of them side by side that are exactly the same and one will play and sound great and the next will play and sound like dog poop. The PRS isn't for everyone but they sound great and are very consistant. I am biased however since my only axe is a PRS but after playing for years when it came down to it this was the only guitar I wanted to play. The hollowbodies are worth the money hands down.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

 

Originally posted by lmn55d

Hey guys, I currently play a Hamer Echotone (335 style) through a fender Deluxe Reverb. I am looking to upgrade to either a Gibson ES-335 reissue or a PRS Hollowbody II. I tried them both out today and they sounded pretty sweet.


Can anyone who has experience with both these guitars compare them in terms of quality and sound? I realize the PRS is more expensive but I've been saving up for a while and if I am going to get a new guitar, I want it to be the best.


I play through a Fulltone Fulldrive 2 distortion pedal.

 

 

Isn't the Hamer pretty much as good if not better than both? I personally liked my PRS singlecut but didn't care for the hollowbody. I tried several some time ago. I eventually got rid of my PRS, I'm a strat guy. I can give you an unbaised opinion here since I played a Hamer as well (don't know the models) but they looked like they're popular model guitar hollowed with F holes? Anyway, that was a great guitar. The build quality on all these instruments will be about the same, I'd say the Gibson would be lower in detail but I prefer their pickups to the anemic ones PRS and Hamer (not as bad) use. Feel, I prefer the neck of the Hamer, that's why I probably liked it soo much. If you really want the PRS, I'd just get it because in the price range it's not that much more, and you obviously want it more.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Since you already have a 335 style guitar, I would opt for the PRS. Hamer's are very nice and I doubt you'd see much tonal difference between that and a Gibson. By adding the PRS, you gain more options. I love both Gibsons and PRS's, but you won't have to go through a variety of PRS's to find "the right one". Far better and more consistent workmanship on a PRS. And do get the piezo option, that would give you tons of tonal options there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...