Now Available at Northeast Music Center!

PRS SE Hollowbody I Piezo Flatback – Orange Tiger Smokeburst (S/N: CTIH093600)

Includes PRS Padded Gig Bag

The PRS SE Hollowbody I Piezo brings together two worlds that don't often meet this naturally.

From the front, Orange Tiger Smokeburst, flame maple figuring, twin F-holes and PRS's shallow violin carve give this guitar the rich appearance and character you'd expect from a PRS hollowbody.

Turn it over and the story changes.

The new flatback design uses a slimmer, contoured solid mahogany back that sits against the player more like a traditional electric guitar. Add 85/15 “S” humbuckers and an LR Baggs/PRS Piezo system, and you have a hollowbody designed for players who want resonance and dimension without giving up the familiar feel and versatility of an electric.

This individual Orange Tiger Smokeburst example is available now at Northeast Music Center.

Highlights

• Orange Tiger Smokeburst Finish
• New Flatback Hollowbody Design
• Hollowbody Construction with Center Block
• Maple Top with Flame Maple Veneer
• Solid Mahogany Back
• Shallow Violin Top Carve
• Cream Binding
• Set Maple Neck
• Wide Fat Neck Profile
• Rosewood Fretboard
• PRS Bird Inlays
• 22 Frets
• 25" Scale Length
• 10" Fretboard Radius
• PRS 85/15 “S” Treble & Bass Humbuckers
• LR Baggs/PRS Piezo System
• Independent Magnetic & Piezo Volume Controls
• PRS Adjustable Stoptail Piezo Bridge
• Six Individual Piezo-Equipped Saddles
• 3-Way Toggle Pickup Selector
• Dual Magnetic & Mix/Piezo Outputs
• PRS-Designed Tuners
• Nickel Hardware
• PRS Padded Gig Bag Included
• Serial Number: CTIH093600

The New Flatback Hollowbody Concept

The defining feature of this model is right in its name: Flatback.

Rather than using the traditional carved-back construction of the Hollowbody II, the Hollowbody I Piezo features a slimmer contoured solid mahogany back.

That changes how the instrument interacts with the player.

You still get the open response and resonance of a hollowbody design, but the flatter rear profile makes the guitar feel more familiar against the body—particularly for someone accustomed to playing PRS solidbody instruments.

For a player who has always liked the idea of a hollowbody but prefers the feel of a solidbody electric, this design bridges that gap beautifully.

Orange Tiger Smokeburst

This is one of those finishes that immediately tells you you're looking at a PRS.

Orange Tiger Smokeburst brings out the movement in the flame maple veneer, with warm orange and amber tones transitioning into the darker perimeter of the body.

Against the cream binding, rosewood fretboard, bird inlays and nickel hardware, it creates a dramatic but still sophisticated appearance.

The twin F-holes complete the hollowbody look.

It's a guitar that makes an impression before you ever plug it in.

Hollowbody Resonance with a Center Block

Inside, PRS uses a hollowbody construction with a center-block design.

That center structure is important.

It helps give the instrument the sustain and controlled response players expect from an electric guitar while still allowing the hollow sections of the body to contribute resonance and an open quality to the sound.

You can feel that responsiveness even before the guitar is plugged in.

Amplified, it becomes part of the character of the instrument—particularly on clean and moderately driven tones where the natural resonance has room to come through.

PRS 85/15 “S” Humbuckers

The electric side of the Hollowbody I Piezo is handled by a pair of PRS 85/15 “S” humbuckers.

These pickups are known for clarity, balance and extended frequency response, making them an excellent partner for the resonant hollowbody platform.

The bridge position delivers definition, punch and enough authority for rhythm and lead playing.

Move to the neck and the sound becomes warmer and rounder while retaining the articulation needed to keep notes clear.

The straightforward 3-way toggle provides:

• Bridge Pickup
• Bridge + Neck Pickups
• Neck Pickup

That gives you a complete electric guitar before you even bring the piezo system into the equation.

LR Baggs/PRS Piezo – Another Voice Entirely

Built into the PRS Adjustable Stoptail Piezo bridge are six individual piezo-equipped saddles working with proprietary LR Baggs/PRS electronics.

This isn't simply another variation of the magnetic pickup sound.

The piezo system gives the instrument an acoustic-style voice that can be used independently or blended with the 85/15 “S” humbuckers.

Separate Magnetic Volume and Piezo Volume controls make blending the two systems extremely intuitive.

Turn the piezo down and you have your magnetic electric-guitar voice.

Bring the piezo up by itself for acoustic-style textures.

Or blend the two.

That blended territory is particularly interesting because you can add the attack and definition of the piezo underneath the warmth and body of the magnetic pickups.

Two Outputs – Two Signal Paths

For stage and studio use, PRS gives the Hollowbody I Piezo two separate outputs.

Use the Mix/Piezo output when you want both systems traveling through one signal path.

Or use both outputs simultaneously.

Send the 85/15 “S” magnetic pickups to your electric amp, pedalboard or modeler.

At the same time, send the piezo system to an acoustic amplifier, DI, PA or separate recording channel.

That means one guitar can provide two independently routed voices at the same time.

And when the magnetic output is used by itself, the piezo battery is bypassed, allowing the magnetic pickups to continue functioning even if the piezo battery is depleted.

For a gigging player, that's a very smart feature.

Wide Fat Neck & 25" Scale

PRS pairs the Hollowbody I Piezo with its Wide Fat neck profile.

The profile has a substantial, supportive feel that works particularly well with the character of a hollowbody instrument.

The familiar 25" PRS scale length provides a comfortable balance of string tension and definition, while the 10" radius rosewood fretboard makes chord work, bends and lead playing equally comfortable.

With 22 frets and classic PRS bird inlays, the neck feels and looks unmistakably PRS.

Specifications

Body

• Construction: Hollowbody / Flatback
• Internal Construction: Center-Block Design
• Top Wood: Maple
• Top Veneer: Flame Maple
• Back Wood: Solid Mahogany
• Top Carve: Shallow Violin
• Binding: Cream
• Finish: Orange Tiger Smokeburst
• Finish Type: High Gloss

Neck

• Neck/Body Assembly: Set
• Neck Wood: Maple
• Neck Construction: Multi-Ply
• Neck Profile: Wide Fat
• Fretboard Wood: Rosewood
• Fretboard Radius: 10"
• Scale Length: 25"
• Number of Frets: 22
• Neck Width at Nut: 1 11/16"
• Neck Width at Body: 2 1/4"
• Neck Depth at 1/2 Fret: 7/8"
• Neck Depth at 12 1/2 Fret: 61/64"
• Fretboard Inlays: PRS Birds
• Neck Binding: Cream
• Truss Rod: PRS Double-Acting

Hardware

• Bridge: PRS Adjustable Stoptail Piezo
• Piezo Saddles: Six Individual Piezo-Equipped Saddles
• Tuners: PRS-Designed Tuners
• Hardware Type: Nickel
• Knobs: PRS Lampshade
• Nut: PRS
• Truss Rod Cover: “Hollowbody”

Electronics

• Bridge Pickup: PRS 85/15 “S” Treble
• Neck Pickup: PRS 85/15 “S” Bass
• Piezo System: LR Baggs/PRS
• Controls: Magnetic Volume, Piezo Volume & Tone
• Pickup Selector: 3-Way Toggle
• Outputs: Magnetic & Mix/Piezo

Additional

• Strings: PRS Classic 10–46
• Tuning: Standard E–A–D–G–B–E
• PRS Padded Gig Bag Included
• Serial Number: CTIH093600

A Hollowbody for the Solidbody Player

That's probably the best way to understand the PRS SE Hollowbody I Piezo Flatback.

It retains the things that make a hollowbody exciting—the resonance, openness, F-holes and responsive character—but packages them in a slimmer design that should feel immediately more familiar to players coming from solidbody electrics.

Then PRS adds two completely different pickup systems.

The 85/15 “S” humbuckers provide the electric voice.

The LR Baggs/PRS Piezo provides the acoustic-style voice.

Use either one independently, blend them together, or send them to completely separate rigs.

For the gigging musician, studio player, songwriter or anyone who wants to cover electric and acoustic-style textures without constantly changing instruments, that is a genuinely useful combination.

And this particular Orange Tiger Smokeburst guitar has the visual presence to match its versatility.

As a longtime PRS dealer, Northeast Music Center understands the differences between the new Flatback Hollowbody I Piezo, the traditional Hollowbody II Piezo and PRS's semi-hollow models. We're happy to help you determine which design best fits the way you actually play.

This individual PRS SE Hollowbody I Piezo Flatback in Orange Tiger Smokeburst, serial number CTIH093600, is available now from Northeast Music Center and includes its PRS padded gig bag.