Click on "Show More" above to see all 24 pictures in this gallery

​​​​

Since they were first manufactured in 1998, the PRS Hollowbody & Archtop guitars have stood above the industry for both natural and amplified tone.  I bought my first PRS Hollowbody in 2003 and said ever since:  “These PRS Hollowbody (and Archtop) guitars cut right through the mix on stage. Every note of your tone carries and doesn't have to be obnoxiously above the mix to be heard. Each note of a six string chord rings out with clarity and in perfect balance with each other."  I’ve owned more than a dozen since and they never disappoint. 

​

​​This is a great "players" piece, reasonably priced to get into the PRS Archtop model guitars. She's been played and has some dings around the edges, but at the age of 28 her tone continues to blossom.  For those who don't like the edginess of bird inlays, these universal moon inlays pair nicely with the warm amber sunburst finish.  Speaking of warm, the original Archtop Bass & Treble pickups are perfectly designed for complete control of any feedback that players commonly associate with hollow body guitars.  You can play these Archtops straight into the amp for warm, clean tones or dress your tone to any degree that you like with pedals.  It's never a problem.  These guitars can do it all.  Jazz, rock, country, pop, etc. 

 

These are also great for playing unplugged around the house.  The natural projection is a considerable boost in volume over any other electric guitar, allowing it to be heard over ambient indoor sounds or on porches.  The back of this guitar (or any Archtop I, Hollowbody 1 model) is a single piece of mahogany hollowed out like a bowl, leaving only a center post beneath the bridge.  The center post is there to transfer the resonance of the strings throughout the body while controlling feedback. You can see the center post in a close up through the f hole of this guitar in photo #14.  The spruce / mahogany woods of the Archtop 1 design were selected to make the guitars tone particularly warm and articulate.

​​​

The action is excellent and the first four frets show a barely discernable even wear with no meaningful grooving.  I rate the physical condition of this guitar to be 8.3 on a scale of 10.  There are some nicks around the top binding, but the top is otherwise in excellent shape.  The back edge has its share of nicks also, including a drop fill along the bottom edge.  The neck and headstock are in excellent condition with the exception of one small spot on the back of the high wing tip.  All of this can be seen in photo #17 above.  These cosmetics were all there when I bought the guitar and I did not hesitate to buy it.  It is "playable" by virtue of having been played.  Comes with the original hardshell case, on which "the forgotten latch" was gone when I got it.  It still protects the guitar completely.

​

I’m a working (weekend) musician who has bought, owned, gigged and sold over 300 different PRS guitars of all models since 2001.  I’ve played a few rather impressive (electric) SE’s that were pleasantly above my expectations for their price point though I've encountered more planks than gems.  That said: The SE Hollowbody models do not come even close to the tone and quality of a core Hollowbody, nor to an Archtop (if they made them as SE).  Not at any price.

________________________________________________________________

​

I’ve heard it said in the forums that a non-Piezo Hollowbody is of less value that a Piezo model.  The piezo guitars surely cost more, but that doesn’t mean you “need” it.  If you know what they are and you know you want one, Piezo is a great option.  You should look for a Piezo PRS.  I have some Archtop Piezo guitars available here on my site.  If you’re not likely to ever use the Piezo (many players that own them don’t), then don’t buy one.     Here’s why:   First, the piezo units increase the weight of the guitar significantly.  The Piezo guitars are still quite light, even with the option on board, but they are meaningfully lighter without it. Second, the piezo bridge frame is slightly thicker and the Piezo saddles are a little higher than either the adjustable or non-adjustable bridge that comes on a non-Piezo guitar.  The neck angle is fixed and built right into the guitar. No amount of truss adjustment will change that.  The higher contact point on the Piezo bridge for each string, limits how low the guitars action can be set.  To get the most out of the piezo, the factory sent them out with 11's or 12's on them.  You can use them with 10's or 9's, but the piezo gets thinner as you move your string gage down.  I'm only trying to be helpful.  Please understand that I have both Piezo and non-Piezo PRS guitars.  I love them all and play both versions regularly.  I’m just saying, make sure you’re looking for the guitar that you want, instead of the guitar that you think you want.  The Piezo is an expensive option if you’re not going to use it and having it on board does impact the playability in some small measure.

 

 A Word About Core PRS Guitars:

 

PRS has always made great guitars and they still do today.  From 1985 until 2001, all PRS guitars were core PRS guitars.  The 2001 Santana III was their first model created as a second-tier instrument.  Basically, a financial decision to explore the lower price point market with an eye on producing off-shore.  It is probably not a coincidence that the high-end Archtop Models were discontinued at a time when they needed more capacity to build second and third tier instruments.  Their USA and off-shore guitars of today are essentially made by two different companies, creating two different families of instruments.  There are the cores in one family and everything else in the other (not to mention the Wood Library pieces or of course Private Stock, both in a league of their own).  In the Forums I see a lot of SE’s with problems right off the rack or that have been so modified by their owner, they could have just bought a core PRS to begin with. PRS still regards the new CE-24 as a core model, but they are less than one-half the guitar that core CE’s were from 1995 to 2016 and one-quarter the guitar that the pre-factory alder body CE-24’s are. Those second (S2) and third tier (SE) guitars lose whatever value they ever had rather quickly.  The new core guitars are fabulous instruments, but sticker north of five or six grand and will be worth far less in 4-5 years.  If you’re casually looking here out of curiosity, while thinking more seriously about buying your sixth SE in a different color, your third S2 or a new CE-24, give some thought and consideration to selling some of what you’ve already got, to buy a Core PRS instead. Core PRS guitars hold their value and every Hollowbody core I’ve owned or played is LEVELS ABOVE every SE Hollowbody that I’ve ever encountered.  Just the opinion of a PRS enthusiast that has bought, sold, owned and gigged over 300 PRS guitars across the last 25 years.

 

 __________________________________________________

 

Please be sure to take a moment and click here to look at my ABOUT page. or access it from the top menu bar.  I encourage even the smallest of questions so always feel free to e-mail me any time.  Over 140 of my online feedback ratings are from PRS guitar sales.

 

This guitar is also listed on sites with a starting price of $350 more than I'm asking here on my site, just to put a dent in the seller fees they would charge me for a transaction there. 

 

Why pay more than you have to?  Check my feedback and buy it here.  It may be gone soon.  Send me an e-mail and we'll talk.  

 

If you've come to this page directly through an organic Google search,

click this link to see a list of all the guitars I currently have for sale before leaving this page.

 

​

 $2,700.00 includes shipping anywhere in the lower 48.  

​

​I recently heard someone a lot smarter than I am say: 

"Life is short..... Buy the guitar"

Here are some things to think about as you look through the gallery below. 

 

• Archtop Guitars were built from 1998 to 2003 only.  They were then considered too costly to produce.

• Only available through Private Stock now

• A Rare, Deep Body, Archtop Model

• The warm articulate tone of a spruce top on a one-piece mahogany body

• Naturally aged into Vintage Status at 28 years old

• Very light weight, at just 5.9 lbs.

• Have a look at the pictures and then READ ON!

 

Click on any picture to enlarge and/or scroll through the gallery