PRS Guitars and why?

[mpexus]

So... I have been looking at them.. .Funny how we start to look at different things as we grow old.

Anyway.. There's this certain "aura" around PRS Guitars and I'm trying to find why. What makes them "that special"? Not counting the weird scale, what do they have that sets them apart? Even their SE line seems to be really praised. Last year I pick up a cheap used for Santana PRS (Not USA I assume) at some french shop and got really surprised because it was feather light, I didn't played it.

So... what do they have that would make you chose it over a regular LP like Gibson, Epiphone, LTD, etc.

[Budda]

Consistently really nice. If you like the look sound and feel, dive on in.

I wanted a Gibson CS R7 goldtop, but this quelled that for me.

[Chris]

Budda nailed it. Consistently great build quality. I'm not a big PRS guy but all of the higher end ones I've played have felt awesome, and even with the SE stuff you have to look hard to find a shitty one.

[mpexus]

Budda nailed it. Consistently great build quality. I'm not a big PRS guy but all of the higher end ones I've played have felt awesome, and even with the SE stuff you have to look hard to find a shitty one.

This is the thing I keep reading online. Their SE line seems to be extremely consistent and a step above the Standard Line. Taking into account the price raising in all brands, the SE prices dont seem that high considering they are still Korea Made (and seems USA Inspected after). Not even LTD is making the EC's in Korea anymore and they are more expensive.

[playstopause]

All the ones I've played were really great, but at the end of the day, I guess it's down to "Is it for me or not?". I felt they're were not for me, as I can't help but think they're a weird hybrid of an LP and some other double cut. Definitely their own thing.

[Alan]

They are fantastic guitars and their QC is top notch. I've owned a half dozen of them over the years... unfortunately they just never really spoke to me. Which is a shame, since they are beautiful.

[Mike]

While I've never really been a fan - the bolt-on CE22s from the '90s being the only ones I like - the build quality is consistently fantastic. I've had several people I know that worked at the factory in Annapolis say they just don't fool around with QC - if it's wrong or isn't 100% it hits the bandsaw.

[Chris]

I had an SE Navarro and an SE Mushok and while neither would compete with a Suhr, they were both really solid guitars that sounded great. Even the stock pickups were decent. The one thing that sucked about both was that the top wasn't contoured, so both were rather uncomfortable in short order.

[mpexus]

The one thing that sucked about both was that the top wasn't contoured, so both were rather uncomfortable in short order.

I felt the same last year when a friend lend me his LP Epiphone... the lack of Belly cut and forearm contour really gets uncomfortable for me. I dont play standing up so maybe its even worse.

[Jeff]

This is the thing I keep reading online. Their SE line seems to be extremely consistent and a step above the Standard Line. Taking into account the price raising in all brands, the SE prices dont seem that high considering they are still Korea Made (and seems USA Inspected after). Not even LTD is making the EC's in Korea anymore and they are more expensive.

They're all Indonesian now, but the quality is definitely as good as when it was WMI. According to PRS, WMI was becoming inconsistent, and they were having to refuse too many for it to continue to be worthwhile. Cor-Tek dedicated a factory for PRS, so that's why they switched.

[Naren]

I like how they look and sound and I had naively assumed that I would like them, but when I actually sat down and played them, I've never actually liked them.

It's actually kind of surreal. I went into a guitar shop with a PRS in mind, thinking that I would probably walk out of the store with it, but when I actually sat down and played it, it didn't remotely click with me. I loved how it looked. In person, it sounded... "okay." But I really didn't like the feel and the character. It's probably the single biggest disappointment I've ever had in my entire life in playing a guitar (well, one of the several times I've played PRSs, but this one experience in particular).

So as for the question "what do they have that would make you chose it over a regular LP like Gibson, Epiphone, LTD, etc.", the answer is "nothing." From my experiences so far, I would buy a Gibson, Epiphone, or LTD over a PRS.

[Webdood]

I felt the same last year when a friend lend me his LP Epiphone... the lack of Belly cut and forearm contour really gets uncomfortable for me. I dont play standing up so maybe its even worse.

Switch to a tele to cure that. I was the same way for a while but after spending a bit of time I don't notice it at all.

[Chris]

I like how they look and sound and I had naively assumed that I would like them, but when I actually sat down and played them, I've never actually liked them.

It's actually kind of surreal. I went into a guitar shop with a PRS in mind, thinking that I would probably walk out of the store with it, but when I actually sat down and played it, it didn't remotely click with me. I loved how it looked. In person, it sounded... "okay." But I really didn't like the feel and the character. It's probably the single biggest disappointment I've ever had in my entire life in playing a guitar (well, one of the several times I've played PRSs, but this one experience in particular).

So as for the question "what do they have that would make you chose it over a regular LP like Gibson, Epiphone, LTD, etc.", the answer is "nothing." From my experiences so far, I would buy a Gibson, Epiphone, or LTD over a PRS.

Yeah, that's why I don't own one too. They feel great but just aren't for me. They're like the guitars you use to make music that boomers have missionary position sex to while listening to adult contemporary.

[Budda]

Yeah, that's why I don't own one too. They feel great but just aren't for me. They're like the guitars you use to make music that boomers have missionary position sex to while listening to adult contemporary.

Brb, changing next solo album

[desertdweller]

I had an SE Navarro and an SE Mushok and while neither would compete with a Suhr, they were both really solid guitars that sounded great. Even the stock pickups were decent. The one thing that sucked about both was that the top wasn't contoured, so both were rather uncomfortable in short order.

I feel the same way about PRS and Les Paul guitars. ESP makes an LTD EC model with a Piezo in it, and I’d love to have it except for the fact it’s a LP shape. I find the scale length a bit short as I have thicker fingers and I find myself fumbling a bit above the 12th fret, plus if I play a PRS/LP guitar sitting down with the guitar resting on my right leg, the weight/shape of the guitar makes it want to tip over or slide off my leg to the right. It’s just too bottom-heavy for me, but there’s no doubt they’re really nice guitars. I’ve always been a fan of what PRS guitars look and sound like, the feel is just not my cup of tea.

[Phil]

My dad's got a Custom 24. This probably isn't helpful at all, but it really makes me think of a Les Paul mixed with a Strat. If you want that general classic guitar/Gibson-ish vibe, but don't get along with the quirks of a Les Paul or a Strat, it's probably a good choice.

It seems to have a lot of the qualities of a classic guitar, but has a lot of the "issues" fixed. It doesn't have the crazy Gibson headstock so it's easier to keep in tune, it has a Fender-style trem but not the finicky six-screw type, the frets aren't really big or really small, etc. From the handful I've played, they're really consistent, too (*cough*Gibson...).

[Chris]

I feel the same way about PRS and Les Paul guitars. ESP makes an LTD EC model with a Piezo in it, and I’d love to have it except for the fact it’s a LP shape. I find the scale length a bit short as I have thicker fingers and I find myself fumbling a bit above the 12th fret, plus if I play a PRS/LP guitar sitting down with the guitar resting on my right leg, the weight/shape of the guitar makes it want to tip over or slide off my leg to the right. It’s just too bottom-heavy for me, but there’s no doubt they’re really nice guitars. I’ve always been a fan of what PRS guitars look and sound like, the feel is just not my cup of tea.

FWIW I owned a LP and an Eclipse at the same time. They are two totally different animals altogether. If you're on the fence about the EC because of the shape, definitely try to play one, they play more like RG550s than Les Pauls. I love mine and I'm a japanese shredder fan like you.

[jacksonplayer]

I've never owned one of the imports, but I've had two CE24s and a Custom 22 years ago. I ended up selling them all because I just didn't bond with them. The build quality was outstanding on all.

The best PRS I ever played was a really early Custom 24 with a solid paisley finish. Very odd for PRS and a total shredder.

[Darren]

The build quality is excellent, and they take their time with the build process. I remember watching a factory tour, and seem to recall them saying something like because they use one-piece necks, they only take off a small amount of material in each pass of the neck carving process, and they let the neck “rest” for a week before cutting it again. This lets the tension in the wood release before the neck is finished, which makes it much less likely that it will continue to move over time.

That’s one thing you almost never hear about with PRS: a bad neck. And there’s no multi-laminate construction or carbon fibre rods in the construction, either. They just take their time building them and do a lot of quality control.

One thing PRS does keep tinkering with is their finishing process. Old PRSes are notorious for fading (especially their blue dyes) and the clear coat doesn’t inhibit UV fading like a modern finish should. There was a period where they changed their finishing process and many of those guitars over several years developed cloudiness in the finish that could only be fixed by re-spraying them. For a while, they were offering re-sprays to original owners who had guitars with this problem, but I’ve read that they have stopped doing that. But they’ve also switched up their finishing yet again, so they may have fixed it… or maybe some other issue will pop up over time.

But they are great guitars, for the most part, and you can find really nice ones on the used market for not too much, especially if you don’t mind dot inlays. For some reason, bird inlays make the prices jump significantly.

[Budda]

Birds and 10-tops were an upcharge (i think almost all core models start at birds now) so used they also cost more than their dot counterparts.

Used to be able to order a rosewood neck, too.

[Jeff]

Birds and 10-tops were an upcharge (i think almost all core models start at birds now) so used they also cost more than their dot counterparts.

Used to be able to order a rosewood neck, too.

Yeah, birds are standard on all Core, and on most S2's except the Vela and Standard/Standard Satin. 10-tops aren't at all worth the money, since it doesn't guarantee you an amazing top. They stopped the rosewood necks when the whole rosewood crisis started.

[Bloody_Inferno]

I still want a Custom 24 in the collection. I remember playing one when my friend did one of those temporary swaps and it was a beautiful instrument.

Even the new SE models are great.

[Markus]

I had a CE22 that was a really good sounding and playing guitar, just somehow a bit uninspiring. Perhaps it was that it looked pretty boring, with its plain top tobacco sunburst finish. If you don't care about that, those can be found really cheap - I couldn't get mine sold for 800€ and then ended up swapping it for the Greco LP copy I have now.

[Drew]

Yeah, they;re not really my "type" of guitar, but for what they do, they do if VERY well. Well made, thick, midrangey and sort of smooth tone, very classic Gibson-esq aesthetics. I think they make awesome rhythm guitars - I own a singlecut for that reason - but it's not really what I'm after in a lead voice.

But, they're very well made, and almost always great looking.

[jim777]

As others have said they are very, very well made instruments that play extremely well. For me personally though, while they were good at basically everything, they weren't superb at anything. If you were playing in one of those Dad band cover bands that play at small bars on weekends, it would be absolutely perfect. Classic rock, 80's alternative like Joe Jackson or REM or whatever, it will cover all of that ground. When I played in a few of those bands in the early 90's, I played the PRS for maybe forty or 45 songs a night and the Jem for maybe 3. the Jem was absolutely perfect for the songs I played it on, but varying degrees of 'not close' for the others, while the PRS was a solid 8.5 out of 10 for everything. Couple that with the fact the real PRS lovers out there also worship their pickups, and the thought of swapping them out kind of sits in the back of your head as throwing money away.

If you're in a cover band, they are a solid, reliable choice. If you're not, it may not work for you (it still might though, you've got to play them yourself for a month or so and decide).