Warning - PRS Content - New Guitar Day

[ST]

Not a fan of tobacco sunbursts, the playability and tone overcame all.






Write up on Sweetwater


The Evolution of the Jazz Box

With the JA-15 hollowbody electric guitar, PRS has created the ultimate jazz box. A fast curly maple neck and bound ebony fingerboard give you buttery playability. The warmth of the JA-15's spruce top compliments the treble clarity of the figured maple back, giving you rich resonance and lucidity. The result of a collaboration between Paul Reed Smith and Paul Jackson, Jr., this gorgeous archtop sports 57/08 humbuckers that not only deliver the mellifluous jazz tones you expect; they also sound amazing cranked. Fall in love with a luscious beauty - the PRS JA-15.

PRS JA-15 Hollowbody Archtop Electric Guitar at a Glance:

    A beautiful guitar that's incredibly rewarding to play
    57/08 pickups deliver sweet, articulate humbucker sound
    PRS V12 finish feels like nitro and protects like acrylic

A beautiful guitar that's incredibly rewarding to play

The PRS JA-15 is one of those guitars you just can't put down. PRS enjoys a well-deserved reputation for marrying sonic mojo with mouth-watering visuals and outstanding playability, and they've done a their usual impeccable job with this incredible archtop. Go ahead - pick it up and start playing. Just make sure you don't have anything to do for the next few days.
57/08 pickups deliver sweet, articulate humbucker sound

PRS designed their 57/08 pickups to give you the sweet - yet articulate - sound and rich harmonic overtones you'd expect from real vintage humbuckers. Featuring a powerful bridge pickup and neck pup with the perfect amount of brightness, the 57/08 set packs a real sonic punch, giving the JA-15 hollowbody a tonal authority you'll appreciate every time you plug in.
PRS V12 finish feels like nitro and protects like acrylic

The PRS JA-15 is finished in a stunning PRS V12 finish. If you're seeking vintage vibe with a sophisticated edge, your search ends here. Over a decade in the making, PRS's V12 finish blends the thin, resonance-enhancing characteristics of a nitro finish with the non-cracking reliability you expect from a modern acrylic finish. It has a classic feel all its own, and makes your axe feel like an well-worn instrument - one that will stay flawless-looking for years to come.
PRS JA-15 Hollowbody Archtop Electric Guitar Features:

    In collaboration with Paul Jackson, Jr., PRS has created the ultimate jazz box
    Spruce top, mahogany sides, curly maple back
    Fast, Pattern profile curly maple neck
    Premium ebony fingerboard with classic Bird inlays
    Tone block positioned under bridge for maximum sustain
    Premium ebony fingerboard with classic Bird inlays
    Two PRS 57/08 humbucking pickups
    PRS 2-piece adjustable bridge
    PRS Phase III locking tuners
    PRS V12 finish feels like nitro and protects like acrylic
    Hardshell case included

Fall in love with a luscious beauty - the PRS JA-15!

[George]

The write up calls it a jazz box, which to me implies a larger body dimension.  Is this body style larger overall than their current Hollowbody II?  I have never seen one of these, but my current model has the same pickups with a Baggs piezo wrap bridge and the tone and playability is overwhelmingly great.


Very  !!!

[ST]

Hi George,

The write up calls it a jazz box, which to me implies a larger body dimension.  Is this body style larger overall than their current Hollowbody II?  I have never seen one of these, but my current model has the same pickups with a Baggs piezo wrap bridge and the tone and playability is overwhelmingly great.


Very   !!!

I can't find the specifications on the Hollowbody II. PRS doesn't routinely publish body dimensions.

In looks, the JA-15 seems to hark back to the hollowbody archtop. It's fairly big, measuring 382mm (15 inches) across its lower bouts and it's deeper, too, with the rim measuring 60.6mm (2.39 inches). In terms of overall depth, measured by the bridge the JA-15 is a stately 79mm (3.11 inches).

Source  Music Radar Review

I had a Hollowbody I a long time ago. It was gorgeous to play, but I traded it in a deal to get a PRS Single Cut Jumbo

Body size at lower bout: 17" Scale length: 25 1/2" Nut Width: 1 11/16" Body depth at rim: 1 7/8"



And then there's this one, my L5

[George]

The Hollobody II is the same body dimensions as their Hollowbody I, which makes it much less than what I would describe as a jazz box, it is more of a small hollowbody electric guitar.  It is a 6 pound guitar that is an absolute joy to play with the 25" scale, but I would like to have one of those jumbo models with the 25 1/2" scale... I wonder how much they weigh?  I have a fairly nice high end Ibanez SJ300 full size archtop with all wood trim and some pickups that are pretty much the same as the PRS 57/08.  I just love the tonal quality of a nice arch top guitar.  I am just getting where I can't hold up the big heavy ones for very long these days...

[ST]

Hey George.

I really liked the Hollowbody I, but I was in the mood for something different. The Single Cut Jumbo is definitely different.

Here's some other views of the JA15





I had it out playing loud in front of a band last night. I had to manage the open strings to curb the feedback at times but overall it was a wonderful experience to play it.  I was at one of my regular haunts where I often play a PRS Single Cut with soapbar pickups. The regulars noticed the difference.  Not that they expressed a preference for one or the other, but the said this one sounds great.

ST

[ducktrapper]

Looks to be based on a Gibson L5. Nice. 

[tlp2]

Couldn't they shine up the gloss on that Jumbo just a bit?
Dang. Nice. Guitar.

[ST]

Hi ducktrapper,

Looks to be based on a Gibson L5. Nice. 

The L5 and its relatives inspired a lot of guitars.

The PRS JA15 is a lot easier to play standing and that's better for me for singing.

I've had it out four nights running.  It's incredibly comfortable to play and it doesn't sound like anything else around here. It's ticking all the boxes.

[ST]

Hi tip2,

Couldn't they shine up the gloss on that Jumbo just a bit?
Dang. Nice. Guitar.

This one has the V12 finished mentioned below.

In our history, most of our instruments have been finished with a polyester basecoat and acrylic urethane topcoat. We feel acrylic urethane looks and feels the close to the old nitrocellulose finishes but avoided the issue of future finish checking. Several PRS models, including our Sunburst, Satin, Modern Eagles, and DGT models use a nitrocellulose finish in order to provide the classic feel and tone of vintage instruments.

In 2010, PRS Guitars introduced its new V12 finish. This finish was developed over 12 years, and it is intended as a midpoint between nitro and acrylic with a classic feel all its own. V12 is extremely thin to allow the guitar to resonate, but it is still incredibly durable with no risk of reacting to leather or guitar stands in a negative way.

Source: https://www.prsguitars.com/csc/faq.html

The black PRS Single Cut Jumbo (pictured above) has a nitro finish.

[DaveyO]

Beautiful guitar! Congratulations
Nothing like a Prs

[ST]

Took the JA15 out to the hottest Blues jam in town last night. Played an extended set for a very discerning audience.

If there's any question if that guy can play the Blues, it will never be because I was limited by the instrument.

Wow.


This is the nicest neck joint I've seen on a PRS.  I didn't notice until I was playing up the neck, and I didn't notice the neck joint. If you know what I mean, you'll know what I mean. 



Old style (Santana style) headstock with locking tuners



Tuners - yes, it's a one piece neck

[ST]

More about the neck joint - where's the heel?

This reminds me of the Les Paul Axcess, although this PRS design predates the Axcess.

This is what Gibson has to say about the neck of the Les Paul Axcess


Body and Neck

Encounter the clever structural alteration that gives this new model its name by taking the instrument in your hands and running your fingers up the neck. The Axcess sports what looks from the front to be a traditional Les Paul neck joint, yet the neck heel and portions of the back and neck joint at the upper cutaway have been contoured to provide a "heelless" feel, and an unimpeded reach right up to the 22nd fret. No more stretching against the traditional neck heel to achieve the upper-fret access that your lead style demands — the Axcess gives you that legendary Les Paul playability all the way up the neck, welcoming you to take it right over the top.

Source: http://www.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/Les-Paul/Gibson-Custom/Les-Paul-Axcess-Standard/Features.aspx

Visually, the Axcess heel is smoother, but having played both, they are similar in terms of playability.