In 1998, Paul Reed Smith introduced a series of guitars inspired by the classic, E-335-style thinline/semi-solids that had been developed by Gibson in the late 1950s during Ted McCarty’s time.

The new instruments were named “McCarty Hollowbodies”, but there were considerable differences between the Gibsons and the PRS electrics. Semi-solids such as the ES-335 contain a central wooden block that reduces feedback and increases sustain. PRS replaced it with a single “sound post” running beneath the bridge/tailpiece units.

There are three currently available PRS McCarty Hollowbodies: the Hollowbody Spruce, Hollowbody I, and Hollowbody II. The latter has a maple top and back.