Swap
Swap
Reverend Club King 290
PRS Special Semi-Hollow
VS
Playability
70
Sound
77
Build
67
Value
71
Score
71
FIND IT ON:
Sweetwater logoMusician's Friend logo
Playability
68
Sound
76
Build
75
Value
58
Score
73
FIND IT ON:
Sweetwater logo
Add more to comparison

Reverend Club King 290 vs PRS Special Semi-Hollow

Reasons to Get
Reverend Club King 290 over PRS Special Semi-Hollow

Frets Height
Taller vs Shorter
Easier to press down strings and bend them
Type of Frets
Jumbo vs Medium Jumbo
You won't feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings
Neck Joint
Bolt-On vs Set
Allows you to detach and swap the neck
Tone Knobs
2 vs 1
More tone control
Pickups
P90P90 vs HSH
Vintage tone with decent versatility
Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.85'' (21.6mm) vs 0.88'' (22.4mm)
More comfortable open chords for small hands
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
0.9'' (22.9mm) vs 0.95'' (24.1mm)
More comfortable at higher frets for small hands
Nut Width
1.693'' (43mm) vs 1.688'' (42.9mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Bridge
Bigsby Tremolo vs Tremolo
Intense vibrato with a solid arm
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm) vs 25'' (635mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone
Fretboard Radius
12'' (304.8mm) vs 10'' (254mm)
Flatter fretboard makes it easier to play single notes and bend
Value Score
71 vs 58
Better price/quality relationship

Reasons to Get
PRS Special Semi-Hollow over Reverend Club King 290

Country of Manufacturing
United States vs South Korea
Built with higher quality standards
Decorative Top
Carved Figured Maple vs None
Finished with beautiful natural wood patterns
Type of Frets
Medium Jumbo vs Jumbo
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings
Pickup Mods
Coil Tap vs None
Lowers output of humbucker coil to create a single coil sound
Switch Positions
5 vs 3
More tone options
Pickups
HSH vs P90P90
High output, round sound with a single-coil for cleans
Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.88'' (22.4mm) vs 0.85'' (21.6mm)
More comfortable open chords for big hands
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
0.95'' (24.1mm) vs 0.9'' (22.9mm)
More comfortable at higher frets for big hands
Nut Width
1.688'' (42.9mm) vs 1.693'' (43mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Bridge
Tremolo vs Bigsby Tremolo
Simple vibratos without too much maintenance
Scale Length
25'' (635mm) vs 25.5'' (647.7mm)
Easier bending, shorter fret separation and warmer natural tone
Fretboard Radius
10'' (254mm) vs 12'' (304.8mm)
More curved fretboard helpful to play chords without muting strings

Other Key Differences
Reverend Club King 290 vs PRS Special Semi-Hollow

Bridge Pickup
9A5 Bridge vs PRS 58/15 LT
Different Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
9A5 Neck vs PRS 58/15
Different Neck Pickup
Body Wood
Limba vs Mahogany
Different Body Wood
Neck Wood
Roasted Maple vs Mahogany
Different Neck Wood
Headstock
6 vs 3-3
Different Headstock
Nut Material
Boneite vs PRS Propietary
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Reverend Club King 290 vs PRS Special Semi-Hollow

Fretboard Wood
Rosewood
Same Fretboard Wood
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Semi-Hollow
Lighter and allows more gain than a hollowbody
Volume Knobs
1
Same volume control
Number of Frets
22
Same maximum octave
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Neck Profile Type
C
Comfortable neck that works for most people

Common Strengths

  • Locking Tuners
  • High-Quality Nut
  • Top Pickup Brand
  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • Strap Lock
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Table of Contents

Price History Comparison

SET PRICE ALERT
SET PRICE ALERT

These are affiliate links. We may earn a fee if you purchase after clicking. These prices are prone to error. Make sure you're buying the right product after clicking on a link from our site. We are not liable if you buy the wrong product after following these links. As an Amazon Associate site we earn from qualifying purchases.

Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the PRS Special Semi-Hollow is probably the better product overall with its final score of 73 compared to the Reverend Club King 290's 71 score, although not by a lot.

The PRS Special Semi-Hollow wins when it comes to build quality. On the other hand, the Reverend Club King 290 has the upper hand when it comes to sound, playability, value for the money.

If you got small hands, none of these instruments will make a big difference when it comes to comfortability.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, the PRS Special Semi-Hollow is the better choice.

The PRS Special Semi-Hollow meets 5 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Reverend Club King 290 meets only 4. This takes into account the type of frets, scale length, nut width, bridge type, fretboard radius, and neck profile to determine the easiest combination for new players.

New Player Friendliness

Reverend Club King 290
  • Comfortable shape
  • Locking tuners
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Easy-to-use bridge

New Player Friendliness

PRS Special Semi-Hollow
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Locking tuners
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale

Nevertheless, when it comes to choosing an instrument, you should pick the one more compatible with your personal style. Still, below we'll try you to give you our results as objectively as it's possible to help you decide.

Reverend Club King 290 Overview

  • From Reverend's 2021 Bolt-On series
  • Made in South Korea
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 12" Fretboard Radius
  • Korina, Solid Spruce Top body
  • Roasted Maple neck
  • Rosewood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: 9A5 Bridge (Single Coil/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 2 tone Dome knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • Bigsby B-50 with Roller Bridge bridge
  • Medium Oval Bolt-On neck
  • 22 Jumbo frets
  • Reverend Pin-Lock tuners
  • Weight between 7.65lbs (3.5kgs) and 8.35lbs (3.8kgs)
  • Compare Specs >

PRS Special Semi-Hollow Overview

  • From PRS's 2021 Core series
  • Made in United States
  • 6 strings
  • 25"'' scale
  • 10" Fretboard Radius
  • Carved Figured Maple top
  • Mahogany body
  • Mahogany neck
  • Rosewood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: PRS 58/15 LT (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Middle pickup: PRS Narrowfield (Single Coil/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: PRS 58/15 (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Speed knobs
  • 5-way Switch
  • PRS Patented Tremolo, Gen III bridge
  • Pattern Set neck
  • 22 Medium Jumbo frets
  • PRS Phase III Locking tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Sound Quality Comparison

The wood used in an electric guitar or bass is not as important to determine the final tone. However, some people prefer specific wood types, so we'll take a look at those first. Then, we'll take a look at the electronics to determine the versatility and sound quality of each instrument.

Woods Used in Both

Rosewood wood pattern used for guitar building
Rosewood

Rosewood is an almost purple-looking wood that is used mainly for fretboards since it's heavy, rare, and expensive. It's sometimes used on acoustic guitar bodies to create stronger warm tones. Find out more about Rosewood.

Woods Used in the Reverend Club King 290

Roasted Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Roasted Maple
Limba wood pattern used for guitar building
Limba

Roasted Maple is just maple without a finish. It's technically cheaper than regular maple, but it doesn't have any extra disadvantages because of this. The color is darker, and it's lighter weight and very stable even when there's a lot of humidity.

Limba is a relatively rare wood that shows exotic tight dark grain stripes. It comes in white or black. As a tonewood, it is comparable to Mahogany but with richer mids. Find out more about Limba.

Woods Used in the PRS Special Semi-Hollow

Mahogany wood pattern used for guitar building
Mahogany

Mahogany is a fairly rare wood nowadays. It's used mostly for bodies due to its relatively lightweight. Gibson popularized it with their Les Paul guitars during their golden years, so this wood has a lot of good reputation behind it. The most expensive type comes from South America and it's still used by Gibson even today. Find out more about Mahogany.

Winner: Tie.

Pickup Configuration

The Reverend Club King 290 has an P90P90 configuration while the PRS Special Semi-Hollow has HSH pickups.

P90P90 gives you two P90s for a crunchy vintage tone. The tone sits somewhere in the middle between typical single-coils and humbuckers. They also produce less hum than single-coils, but they don't cancel it completely like humbuckers.

On the other hand, HSH is a versatile pickup configuration that will give you the high output, full tone, and quiet sound of humbucker pickups, but with the possibility of using a single coil for cleaner tones. The disadvantage is that the middle single-coil pickup will have a noticeable lower volume, so you might want to adjust the height of the pickups. Another problem is that if you set the middle pickup too high, it might interfere with your picking hand.

Pickups Quality

Both come with very good pickups from at least one of the specialized brands in the market. With pickups like these, you probably won't need an upgrade anytime soon.

However, the Reverend Club King 290 has a slight sound quality advantage when taking into account other factors like the type of pickups, magnet, position, etc.

Both use Passive pickups. This is what's used for most music genres. They have a regular output and will serve you for both high-gain and clean tones. The alternative (Active pickups) offer a higher output that is mostly used for heavy music.

Winner: Reverend Club King 290.

Versatility Comparison

Some instruments offer you more ways to explore your creativity than others. Below you'll find how both compare when it comes to versatility.

Switch Options

The PRS Special Semi-Hollow gives you 5 switch options while the Reverend Club King 290 gives you 3. This means that the PRS Special Semi-Hollow gives you more options to find the right pickup combination for the type of sound you want to achieve

Only the PRS Special Semi-Hollow comes with some kind of pickup modification: Coil Tap.

Coil Tap is similar to Coil Split but it works a bit differently. Instead of completely cancelling one of the coils of the humbucker, it only cuts part of the output once activated. Some people believe this gives the split pickups a more real single-coil sound.

Reverend Club King 290 pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Reverend Club King 290's switch options
PRS Special Semi-Hollow pickups switch selector and push knobs diagram
PRS Special Semi-Hollow's switch options

When evaluating versatility, we also take into consideration bridge and neck joint type, number of frets, switch options, amount of pickups and more.

Winner: PRS Special Semi-Hollow.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Reverend Club King 290
Pickups 100
Sustain 70
Versatility 61
Tuning Stability 75
Sound 77
PRS Special Semi-Hollow
Pickups 90
Sustain 65
Versatility 75
Tuning Stability 75
Sound 76

Build Quality Comparison

When it comes to build quality, we like to take into account everything used to build the instrument. This includes materials, hardware and the quality control expected depending on the country where it was built. Let's see how the Reverend Club King 290 compares to the PRS Special Semi-Hollow.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Reverend Club King 290 is built in South Korea while the PRS Special Semi-Hollow is made in United States.

South Korea was for many years the number one choice for mass-producing semi-premium guitars. They can build excellent guitars for a cheap price. Now, it's less common to find Korean guitars because Indonesia has proved capable of building guitars just as well, but likely for cheaper.

The United States is considered one of the best electric guitar manufacturers in the world. A guitar made in this country is supposed to have world-class quality control. Nowadays, guitars made in other countries can beat some of the ones made in the US, but most of the time, this country offers the best you can get. Of course, that comes at a price.

Winner: PRS Special Semi-Hollow

Nut Material

If you want your guitar to stay in tune and sound good, you need a well cut nut. Nut quality can be inconsistent even when comparing two copies of the same model. The best way to make sure you're nut will be well done is by getting a nut made by an expert company like TUSQ or Micarta.

The Reverend Club King 290 has a Boneite nut. This is an artificial material made to imitate the favored type of nut: bone. This allows it to sound and feel pretty much like bone, but without the inconsistency of natural materials.

On the other hand, the PRS Special Semi-Hollow comes with a PRS Propietary nut. It's similar to TUSQ nuts, but they're not as hard, and the tone is not as bright. However, the material is self-lubricating, and it's usually well cut, so they have good tuning stability.

Winner: Tie.

Fret Material

Most fret wire is made of nickel silver. This material eventually wears down after a lot of use and most instruments end up needing a complete fret replacement. However, some expensive models come with stainless steel frets. This is what you should aim for if you can afford it.

Unfortunately, none of them come with stainless steel frets.

Winner: Tie.

Bridge

The perfect bridge for you will depend on your playstyle because they all have advantages and disadvantages. However, some bridges are more expensive—like Floyd Roses and Evertunes—and thus add more value to a guitar.

The Reverend Club King 290's brige is a Bigsby Tremolo. Bigsby tremolos are built differently than regular tremolos. They have a stiffer arm, which is something a lot of people like because the arm won't wiggle around a lot. On the other hand, this type of tremolo is more complicated to restring and it might not be as newbie-friendly as other simpler tremolos.

On the other hand, the PRS Special Semi-Hollow's is a Tremolo. Tremolo bridges give you more versatility than fixed bridges. They let you perform the intense vibrato effects that would be impossible with a fixed bridge. However, since the bridge floats and there's less contact with the body, the strings lose sustain slightly faster. They can also be a bit harder to restring and set up correctly than fixed bridges.

Since we need to be objective, the most expensive type of bridge will be the winner of this section. In the end, this doesn't matter if you're not going to use the bridge for its original purpose, so choose the bridge that fits your playing style better.

Winner: Reverend Club King 290.

Tuners

They both have locking tuners. They'll help to keep your guitar in tune because they allow you to tune it without wrapping the strings around the posts. This avoids variations in the tuning due to the strings changing position at the post after a bend. They come at the disadvantage of being slightly heavier than regular tuners. Also, it makes it a lot easier to restring.

Winner: Tie.

Neck Joint

Contrary to popular belief, the difference in sustain and tone that some neck joints give to a guitar is simply unperceivable—if they're all well built. However, some of them do have advantages over the others.

The Reverend Club King 290 has a Bolt-On neck joint. This neck is joined to the body by 4 bolts that you can simply unscrew. This allows you to replace the neck or take it off for travel. It's the most common and cheapest way to build a guitar.

On the other hand, the PRS Special Semi-Hollow comes with Set neck joint. This neck is tightly glued to the body. They give you the least versatility because you can't swap them for a neck that fits your hand better if you want to, unlike bolt-on necks. Some people think this gives more resonance and sustain, but there's no real difference if the bolt-on joint is well built.

Winner: Reverend Club King 290.

Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:

Strengths & Weaknesses
Reverend Club King 290
  • Locking Tuners
  • Expensive Wood
  • Boneite Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Tremolo
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • Made in South Korea
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
PRS Special Semi-Hollow
  • Locking Tuners
  • Made in United States
  • Expensive Wood
  • PRS Propietary Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Coil Tap Pickups
  • Tremolo
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Reverend Club King 290
Quality of materials 56
Features 70
Quality Control 75
Build Quality 67
PRS Special Semi-Hollow
Quality of materials 50
Features 75
Quality Control 100
Build Quality 75

Playability Comparison

Let's now compare their playability. Bear in mind that the instrument will feel different depending on your hand size and play style. That's why you should always test before buying. But if you can't or want a second opinion on it, we can still take a look at each of the important measurements of the instrument for you. This way, we can predict how easy a guitar might be to play, or how different it will feel compared to the other.

Remember that, even though the difference might seem small, every inch counts when it comes to feeling of the instrument in your hands. Any variation can completely change how comfortable a guitar feels in your hands.

Nut Width

Reverend Club King 290 Nut Width
Reverend Club King 290 Nut Width
PRS Special Semi-Hollow Nut Width
PRS Special Semi-Hollow Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Reverend Club King 290 has the wider nut with 43mm (1.693'') vs 42.9mm (1.688''). This is a 0.1mm (0.0050000000000001'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Reverend Club King 290, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.

Scale Length

Reverend Club King 290's Scale Length
Reverend Club King 290's Scale Length
PRS Special Semi-Hollow's Scale Length
PRS Special Semi-Hollow's Scale Length

The scale length is one of the things that influences playability the most. This is the distance between the nut and the bridge and will affect everything from low action allowance, difficulty to perform bends, fret separation, and even tone.

The Reverend Club King 290 has the longest scale: 25.5". The PRS Special Semi-Hollow is only 25" long. This is a 0.5'' (12.7mm) scale length difference.

This longer scale means that the strings need more tension to get in tune. This is good if you want to avoid fret buzz, which can happen when the strings are too loose and touch the frets while vibrating. This is especially important when playing in lower tunings. This will also let you reduce the gap between fretboard and strings (low action) to make them easier to press down. However, this higher tension will also make it harder to perform bends and vibratos as the strings will feel stiffer.

This also means that the frets have a longer separation between each other, so this will make it harder for people with smaller hands when playing some chord positions.

Another characteristic of a longer scale is that it makes the guitar sound 'snappier' or brighter. This is due to the extra separation between harmonics and overtones produced by the tension. This influences tone more than any other factor (except the pickups).

Lastly, remember that you can also affect the tension of the strings by changing your string gauge. You can use a thicker gauge for more tension and a lighter one for less tension.

Neck Profile

Reverend Club King 290 Neck Profile
Reverend Club King 290's neck profile
PRS Special Semi-Hollow Neck Profile
PRS Special Semi-Hollow's neck profile

No single neck shape is better than others. However, most people tend to prefer a thinner necks because it doesn't get in their way when playing fast and most hand sizes can adapt to it pretty well. However, some people still prefer thicker necks for a better grip, especially if they have big hands.

Both the Reverend Club King 290 and the PRS Special Semi-Hollow have a C-shaped neck. This is what you'll find in most modern guitars. Most people feel like the thickness of a C neck is simply the less intrusive one for playing fast, while at the same time allowing you to grab the neck easily for resting if you want to.

Fretboard Radius

Reverend Club King 290 Fingerboard Radius
Reverend Club King 290's Fingerboard radius
PRS Special Semi-Hollow Fingerboard Radius
PRS Special Semi-Hollow's Fingerboard radius

Most guitar fretboards are not flat; they usually have a curve or arc across their width. A curved fretboard will make it easier to perform chords without muting strings, while a flatter one will make it easier to play single notes, which is good for bending and soloing in general. The best fretboards have a compound radius that varies across the fingerboard, but they're not common since they take a lot more work to build.

In this case, the PRS Special Semi-Hollow's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Reverend Club King 290's. This extra arc will make playing chords easier in this model. You won't be as likely to mute the strings, especially if you have big hands. However, playing single notes and bending will be easier on the Reverend Club King 290.

Hand Size Comfortability

Everyone has a different hand size, and that's why it's recommended to try a guitar before buying, even if others tell you that it's comfortable to play. However, we can know whether a guitar favors small or large hands just by knowing its exact measurements.

After taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that both in this comparison are balanced for most hand sizes.

Reverend Club King 290:
Big Hands
Small Hands
PRS Special Semi-Hollow:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Reverend Club King 290 Frets Size
Reverend Club King 290's Frets Size
PRS Special Semi-Hollow Frets Size
PRS Special Semi-Hollow's Frets Size

The Reverend Club King 290 has Jumbo frets, which should be taller than the PRS Special Semi-Hollow's Medium Jumbo frets.

Some people prefer taller frets because they result in more sustain since the strings get pressed cleanly without interference from the fretboard. However, if they're too tall—like Jumbo frets—, you might change the pitch of the strings accidentally if you press too hard because you won't be touching the fretboard with your fingers. This is also why some guitarists with a heavy grip prefer smaller frets. They like to feel the fingerboard to avoid pressing down too hard and getting out of pitch.

Final Playability Scores

Reverend Club King 290
Bending & Vibrato Ease 80
Chord Playability 50
Solo Playability 80
Playability 70
PRS Special Semi-Hollow
Bending & Vibrato Ease 70
Chord Playability 70
Solo Playability 65
Playability 68

Specs Side-by-Side

Reverend Club King 290 vs PRS Special Semi-Hollow
General Reverend Club King 290 PRS Special Semi-Hollow
Brand: Reverend PRS
Year: 2021 2021
Configuration: P90P90 HSH
Strings: 6 6
Made in: South Korea United States
Series: Bolt-On Core
Colors: Black, Blue, Sunburst Burst Gold, White, Black, Blue, Green, Black Burst, Orange, Purple, Yellow, Red Burst, Gold Burst, Dark Cherry Sunburst, McCarty Sunburst, McCarty Tobacco Sunburst
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Semi-Hollow Semi-Hollow
Body Material: Korina, Solid Spruce Top Mahogany
Bridge: Bigsby B-50 with Roller Bridge PRS Patented Tremolo, Gen III
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On Set
Tuners: Reverend Pin-Lock PRS Phase III Locking
Fretboard: Rosewood Rosewood
Neck Material: Roasted Maple Mahogany
Decoration: Dots Birds
Scale Size: 25.5" 25"
Shape: Medium Oval Pattern
Thickness: 1st Fret: 0.85'' (21.6mm) - 12th Fret: 0.9'' (22.9mm) 1st Fret: 0.88'' (22.4mm) - 12th Fret: 0.95'' (24.1mm)
Frets: 22 Jumbo Nickel Silver 22 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 12" 10"
Nut: Boneite PRS Propietary
Nut Width: 43mm (1.693'') 42.9mm (1.688'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: 9A5 Bridge (Single Coil / Passive) PRS 58/15 LT (Humbucker / Passive)
Middle Pickup: PRS Narrowfield (Single Coil / Passive)
Neck Pickup: 9A5 Neck (Single Coil / Passive) PRS 58/15 (Humbucker / Passive)
Switch: 3 Way 5 Way
Knobs: Dome Speed
Pickup Mods: None Coil Tap
Volume Controls: 1 1
Tone Controls: 2 1