PRS Special Semi-Hollow BGWB

PRS Special Semi-Hollow BGWB: technical review

The PRS Special Semi-Hollow BGWB is a U.S.-made electric guitar with a listed price of 4599. Its specification sheet combines a mahogany body, a carved flamed maple top, a mahogany neck, and a rosewood fingerboard. The model is identified as a Special, with an ST-style shape and a Black Gold Burst finish. The available information supports a review of its construction and electronics, but it does not include customer feedback or measured performance results.

The product name identifies it as semi-hollow, but the supplied specifications do not describe the internal chambering, body thickness, or construction details that would explain that designation. Those points should be confirmed with PRS or a retailer before purchase rather than inferred from the name. The sheet does specify a mahogany body and a maple top with a Violin Top Carve.

Body, neck, and hardware

The neck is mahogany with a Pattern profile and a rosewood fingerboard. The scale length is listed as 25 inches, also given as 635 mm, and the fingerboard has 22 frets. These details provide a clear outline of the playing surface, but the data does not state fret size, nut width, fingerboard radius, or neck measurements. Buyers comparing neck fit should seek those figures instead of relying on the profile name alone.

PRS Phase III tuners are specified for the headstock, while the bridge system is identified as a PRS Gen III tremolo. The general specification list calls it PRS-style, and the detailed entry names the Gen III unit. Both descriptions indicate a tremolo-equipped design, but no information is supplied about setup, range of movement, or tuning stability under use. The guitar includes a PRS case; the separate "bag" field says no, so the case is the included carrying option stated in the details.

HSH pickups and switching

The pickup layout is HSH: two 58/15 LT pickups, one in the treble position and one in the bass position, with a Narrowfield pickup in the middle. That is a more specific description than the general HSH label and is useful when comparing this model with guitars fitted with three conventional single-coil pickups or a standard humbucker pair. The source lists the pickup types and positions, but gives no output measurements, wiring diagram, or frequency-response data.

Controls consist of volume and tone knobs plus two mini toggle switches identified as coil splits. The supplied information does not explain which pickups each switch affects, whether the switches split one or both humbuckers, or what combinations are available. It would be inaccurate to promise a particular set of tones without a wiring specification. The documented configuration does, however, show that the electronics offer switching beyond a basic pickup selector and two-knob layout.

What the specifications establish

• Construction: mahogany body and neck, carved flamed maple top, and rosewood fingerboard.
• Playing dimensions: 25-inch scale length and 22 frets, with a Pattern neck profile.
• Electronics: 58/15 LT treble and bass pickups, a Narrowfield middle pickup, volume and tone controls, and two coil-split mini toggles.
• Hardware and included item: PRS Phase III tuners, PRS Gen III tremolo, and a PRS case.

The listing says the model has been available since August 2022 and also includes the phrase "Limited Run: 2018." Those entries do not clearly explain the relationship between the run designation and the availability date. The information provided is not enough to establish whether 2018 refers to a production run, a specification year, or another catalog detail. Prospective buyers should ask the seller to verify the exact instrument's production status.

Buying assessment

On paper, the Special Semi-Hollow BGWB is a distinctive PRS configuration: a three-pickup HSH layout, a middle Narrowfield pickup, coil-split switching, and a tremolo system, paired with a carved maple top and mahogany construction. The listed features make it relevant to players looking for more pickup combinations than a two-pickup guitar typically provides. However, the available data does not establish how the guitar sounds, feels, or performs in a particular setup.

There are no customer reviews available for this product, so this assessment makes no claims about owner satisfaction or real-world reliability. At the listed price of 4599, confirm the currency, the exact condition, the 2018 limited-run note, and the semi-hollow construction details with the seller. The specifications provide a useful technical profile, but those unresolved points matter before making a purchase decision.