What's the Best Electric Guitar for Ambient Music? Our Top Pick
PRS SE Hollowbody II Piezo
For ambient tones, I'd focus on semi-hollowbody electric guitars, like Gretsch and the Gibson ES-335. But the SE version of the PRS Hollowbody II is easily my top pick. Not only do you have the hollowbody design, but you also have a piezo pickup option which will capture the acoustic aspects of the guitar, and pair very well with delay, reverb, and other ambient effects.
BEST FOR: Ambient tones, ethereal playing styles over clean sounds, acoustic-ish tones, and most musical styles.
PICKUPS
95
BRIDGE
90
TONEWOOD
95
TONE
97
- Wide Fat neck feels really good in your hands and plays fast.
- Exceptionally good at clean tones and percussive playing styles.
- Sounds great with rhythmic delay patterns (dotted eighth, etc.).
- Beautiful finish.
- Pickup combination with piezo option is especially helpful for ambient tones and general tonal variety.
- One of the most expensive SE models.
- Change the strings, preferably to something coated (especially for clean, ambient styles).
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Why I like the PRS SE Hollowbody Series
There used to be a Standard or non-piezo version of the SE Hollowbody II, but I think the Piezo version was so popular that they did away with the Standard. Other reasons I like these guitars include the PRS 58/15 "S" humbuckers (which are in some of PRS's Core models), tonewood configuration with five-ply Maple and Mahogany, and then just pure aesthetics.
These things look amazing.
Whether you're looking for a guitar that excels in an ambient playing style or not, this is one of your best overall options.
Anything from clean styles and light blues to heavy modern rock is fair game.
Read more: Best electric guitar options overall
The PRS SE models just keep getting nicer and, frankly, they're all good options for ambient styles. The Hollowbody II is the blue one on the right. Image via Rufus Guitar Shop
How we make recommendations
The paradox of choice is a real thing, making decisions harder as you have more options. So I almost always opt for recommending fewer guitars (or whatever other gear) in favor of a few, or even just one.
So this is my recommendation. It's what I would buy and nothing more.
But if the Hollowbody II isn't a good fit, you can take the features and considerations we've covered here and look for guitars that match.
Just to be as helpful as possible, here are a few more electric guitars/brands that I would consider for ambient styles:
- Gibson ES-335
- Gretsch (any mid to high-tier models)
- Fender Telecaster (preferably a semi-hollow like the Thinline)
If you have questions about my methodology or rationale, please feel free to ask. The comments section below is fine for that.
PRS SE Hollowbody II Piezo Price Tracker
Prices updated Fri, August 21st, 2026.
Questions about electric guitars and ambient styles?
If you have questions about the Hollowbody II or electric guitars that are good for ambient styles in general, hit me up in the comments section below. I'd also love to hear suggestions from you all and your first-hand experience. We'll talk then. Thanks for reading and trusting our content.
More Electric Guitar Roundups
Written by Bobby Kittleberger on Electrics & Roundups
Written by Bobby Kittleberger on Electrics & Roundups
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