Good Vibrations
A look into the science behind piezo pickups…
Typical electric guitar pickups, like the 58/15S set here, are magnetic. When you hit a string, the vibrations are translated into electrical signals by the field of magnet/ magnets wrapped in wire coil. It’s the same concept used by microphone manufacturers, engineering transducers to transfer acoustic energy into a signal which can be amplified.
Piezos work in a different way. Usually built into the bridge, and nowhere near as visible, they capture the combined pressure of the string and wood vibrations. What you end up hearing is the actual acoustic energy from the guitar, brighter and more wooden than the sound captured by magnetic pickups. It’s this combination of increased articulation and less compression that can give an electric guitar a completely different voice that, while not quite rivalling a vintage Martin, opens up new worlds of tones.
thickness, more suited to melodic leads than anything too ambitious because of the overriding acoustic warmth. Turn the piezo volume down, however, and you’ll have more definition and attack – perfect for faster-paced leads. Unlike many other guitars of this ilk, there is minimal fuss with feedback here and we’re pleased to report the guitar can more than hold its own at loud volumes.
Switching back to a clean channel, it’s simple enough to dial out the magnetic pickups to hear a piezo-only sound, which is arguably where a guitar like this simply has to shine. And that it does, the system designed in partnership with one of the world’s leading acoustic preamp and pickup specialists boasting all the snap and clarity you could hope for. Whether you’re fingerpicking old folk patterns or strumming away at full pelt, it’s an acoustic sound that truly caters for all.
As for extras – you get the oldschool bird inlays, some exquisite binding on both sides, a sturdy hard case and the choice of two highly desirable finishes. Which is a lot of bang for your buck, so to speak. If PRS had underperformed on this model, it would have brought into question the quality they’ve strived to maintain under the SE banner for two decades. Thankfully, this is not the case. If anything, we’re amazed at how close this feels to the ‘real thing’ – to the point of it being a very real instrument in its own right.
Amit Sharma