My hb1 was made in '98 and is one of the first ones off the line so its not exactly like the new model but its fairly close! To start with, anyone that is used to heavy guitars like les pauls is going to be blown away with the weight of this. I used to think that my ibanez jem was light but this is just feather-weight. The fact that it is so light really makes the whole guitar vibrate when you play chords on it and songle note lines up the neck really sustain. The body is a little thicker than normal guitars but if you're used to playing acoustic guitar standing up then you should be fine. The pickups are not the most powerful in the world but this way you get to hear the guitar not the pickups. They are clear, rounded on the bass end and have that usual prs mid-range honk as you go up the neck around the 12th fret. I Suppose since its a hollowbody it is'nt really suited to metal styles due to feedback issues but if your right hand muting technique is ok you should have no issues. All in all it handles most styles with aplomb as long as your amp is up to it. There's no point in sticking this guitar into a cheap solid state amp, you will need to match the guitar to a quality valve amp. All in all this is a wonderful guitar and even if you dont want to buy one, if you get a chance to try one out jump on it. You might leave the shop a little sore in the wallet tho.....