The PRS Johnny Hiland is a keeper! Stated without hesitation

  • Thread starter Thread starter Deaj
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Deaj

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A few weeks ago I traded a recently received (and traded for) SC245 for a Johnny Hiland. The SC245 was a completely blind trade as I had never played one prior to the decision. The Hiland OTOH was a safe bet - one I had played and found to me a great fit for me. I've had the Hiland in hand for a couple of weeks now and at this point I can safely say it's a keeper.

Although the neck carve on the Hiland is a composite of sorts it is really very close to the neck profile on my '88 PRS Classic Electric and so I have felt at home on it since it arrived. The pickups and electronics package are really ideal for my preferences and offer tones not covered by my PRS Classic or my super Strat. The bridge humbucker is amazing!

There are some minor tuning stability issues with tremolo use right now - root cause is the nut. No matter really as I plan to have the nut replaced with a bone nut. I will also be having the tremolo bridge locked in place (blocked in using a fitted pair of mahogany blocks). This is how I have my '88 CE set up and I prefer the hardtail configuration for sound and for multi-string bends (the other strings maintain their tuning when bending a string). I have one guitar with a floating trem bridge and that's enough for me. I don't use the trem very much so one trem guitar is enough. I'll probably take the Hiland to Mike Lull's shop for this service within the next week.

This one's a keeper for sure and I say that without hesitation at this point it's just a great fit for me. I'm really happy things worked out such that this guitar landed here! :)
 
pictures please

i think prs needs to get more maple finger boards too!
 
Gladly! It's a 10-Top in gray/black:


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looks nice

i wish they made a tremonti 2 with maple fingerboard! :D
 
Nice! I would love to try one since i love playing some chicken-picking mixed with blues/Rock/Jazz....but i don't find any JH around here... :(
 
I like the hiland alot, i was buying one a few years ago but somebody else got to it before me. someday im sure i will own one.
 
fuzzyguitars":370gqor7 said:
looks nice

i wish they made a tremonti 2 with maple fingerboard! :D

I do wish they would make more instruments with maple boards. I like bolt-neck guitars and maple/maple necks so the Hiland was an easy sell. I'd love to see them use the flame maple boards now common to the Swamp Ash Special on other models as well. the Tremonti would be a great place to start - no doubt about it!
 
viking22":y7w5x6j5 said:
Nice! I would love to try one since i love playing some chicken-picking mixed with blues/Rock/Jazz....but i don't find any JH around here... :(

ZOMBIE":y7w5x6j5 said:
I like the hiland alot, i was buying one a few years ago but somebody else got to it before me. someday im sure i will own one.

It wasn't too long ago that the Hiland's seemed easy to find (while in production of course). When I demo'd them several years ago I decided then that I would eventually purchase one. Then they just sort of went away. They must not have been a big seller for PRS.

I do see them pop up on Ebay every now and then.
 
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