PRS Guitars introduces a new baritone electric guitar, the new SE 277 Semi Hollow Soapbar.
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This chambered guitar is tuned B to B, which is two and a half steps below standard, giving it access to notes that sit between a bass guitar and a standard tuning guitar.
The common use for electric baritone guitar in this age is to satisfy the down tuning needs of modern rock and metal players. Instead of having to tune down a few strings of a standard guitar, the SE 277 Semi-Hollow comes with low tuning by default and a thicker string gauge to compensate, giving you access to lower notes without the need to move away from familiar fingering.
Since Baritone guitars are designed for low tuning, they have a different playing feel and easily stand out in a mix. PRS demonstrator Bryan Ewald expounds, “Guitarists can play them to add a different sound to the mix and to fatten up rhythm tracks. Bass players can use them to create texture and tonal tenacity.”
And it’s not just limited to Baritone tuning because the guitar can work with various alternate tunings, specifically ones that require lower notes which regular electrics will have a hard time handling. PRS Artist Relations Rich Hannon adds, “They are comfortable to play with a shred-worthy feel and handle alternate tunings like a beast.”
The main difference that Baritone guitar brings is its long scale length neck, which in the case of the PRS SE 277 Semi-Hollow Soapbar is 27.7″. This longer 22-fret maple neck with rosewood fingerboard retains tight playing feel even when tuning is low, when compared to regular scale electric guitars. This means that you can aggressively play your low tuning riffs without worrying about strings slacking.
The body of the guitar follows conventional PRS SE configurations, having a mahogany back and maple top with a chamber in between and a nice looking f-hole that lets you peak at the inside of the semi-hollow body. According to the press release, the soapbar pickups provide a good balance of clean tones and thick growls that complement the increased acoustic resonance of the semi-hollow body. The pickups are wired to conventional volume and tone knobs with a 3-way toggle pickup switch.
Check out the official video demo:
Other features of the SE 277 Semi-Hollow Soapbar include a beveled maple top with flame maple veneer, PRS Bird inlays, PRS-designed plate-style bridge and PRS-designed tuners.
A solid body version with dual humbuckers is also available, labeled as PRS SE 277, it has the same Baritone scale length but with a more traditional pickup and body configuration.
The new PRS SE 277 Semi-Hollow Soapbar is now retailing in Europe for £795, USD pricing information will soon be available. For further details, you can visit PRS Guitars.
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