Tops: PRS vs. Gibson

[carydad]

Gotta love forums. Tops turns to pups, binding and everything else. May as well jump on the bandwagon. I own four gibsons (3lps). One plain top slash, one custom 1992-customized with a sick quilted top and a Flamed top GC-DC. All nice guitars. Especially the slash(plain top is my ugliest and best sounding gibson). My main gripe with Gibson is tops/tenon. Warren/Slash etc play flame tops or whatever and the public gets plain. Does PRS even make a plain top?

I have one guitar that has a nice flame to it (gibson would call it AAA), a longer neck tenon than a gibson long neck tenon and the same body mass. It's currently the only guitar I am playing...out of 12 custom/boutique/high end instruments. It was cheaper than most of them. How much would a long neck tenon LP cost with a AAA flame on it? Probably double what the SC245 cost me.

As to pups, I change them in all my guitars. Part of the hobby for me. Maybe not as fast as an INDY500 tire change, but pretty close. I like neck binding, but I don't really need it. An SC245 with neck binding would pretty much nail it for me. I considered a Kurt Wilson, basically a neck-through les paul. Still, it would be cheaper than a gibson.

From the quality standpoint, a local guitar shop got a plek machine...that I need to run my slash through. The only guitars they dont recommend pleking are PRS guitars. They just dont need it. I bought my slash sig and my sc245 from this place and trust the judgement of folks that have been in business 30+ years and dropped 240K on a plek machine.

The original question...PRS rocks the tops and doesnt kill 2K in price difference to get a nice top(R8/R9). 10 tops are too glam for me. I had a class5 quilt LP a few years back as well. I dont like stuff TOO flashy. My generic 245 kicks butt in the top department.

[MIDNIGHT]

Originally Posted by carydad

Gotta love forums. Tops turns to pups, binding and everything else. May as well jump on the bandwagon. I own four gibsons (3lps). One plain top slash, one custom 1992-customized with a sick quilted top and a Flamed top GC-DC. All nice guitars. Especially the slash(plain top is my ugliest and best sounding gibson). My main gripe with Gibson is tops/tenon. Warren/Slash etc play flame tops or whatever and the public gets plain. Does PRS even make a plain top?

I have one guitar that has a nice flame to it (gibson would call it AAA), a longer neck tenon than a gibson long neck tenon and the same body mass. It's currently the only guitar I am playing...out of 12 custom/boutique/high end instruments. It was cheaper than most of them. How much would a long neck tenon LP cost with a AAA flame on it? Probably double what the SC245 cost me.

As to pups, I change them in all my guitars. Part of the hobby for me. Maybe not as fast as an INDY500 tire change, but pretty close. I like neck binding, but I don't really need it. An SC245 with neck binding would pretty much nail it for me. I considered a Kurt Wilson, basically a neck-through les paul. Still, it would be cheaper than a gibson.

From the quality standpoint, a local guitar shop got a plek machine...that I need to run my slash through. The only guitars they dont recommend pleking are PRS guitars. They just dont need it. I bought my slash sig and my sc245 from this place and trust the judgement of folks that have been in business 30+ years and dropped 240K on a plek machine.

The original question...PRS rocks the tops and doesnt kill 2K in price difference to get a nice top(R8/R9). 10 tops are too glam for me. I had a class5 quilt LP a few years back as well. I dont like stuff TOO flashy. My generic 245 kicks butt in the top department.

welcome man!

indeed.. don't forums rock? especially this one!



of your guitars please!!!

also, good question.. i have not seen a plain top PRS.. .. maybe they really don't make any..

[brettk7]

Those Hamer's were pretty nice! If they sound good... I could see me playing a Hamer.


Gibson vs. PRS? Can't we have both

I love both companies a lot. Gibson is my favorite manufacturer, but I would say PRS fights with Fender as my second fav.

[MIDNIGHT]

Originally Posted by brettk7

Those Hamer's were pretty nice! If they sound good... I could see me playing a Hamer.


Gibson vs. PRS? Can't we have both

I love both companies a lot. Gibson is my favorite manufacturer, but I would say PRS fights with Fender as my second fav.

Gibson's definitely number one for me!
followed by Fender, and then PRS

[loneguitar]

Is this a Gibson forum or what, sorry if y'all want to compare other guitars there are numerous sites to do that, personally I would like to see just Gibson or related posts, just MHO

[hbucker]

IMO, if PRS's felt and sounded as good as they look, nobody would ever play anything else. Most of the PRS's I've played have not been to my liking. A few have but many have not. That's a statement on my preferences, not a statement on their quality.

The point about the most outrageous tops being too glam is a good one. At some point it just becomes silly. The tops look more like, "Look at me! Look at me!" than a purely functional instrument.

[single cut 54]

I like an understated figure on Les pauls ,they just look better to me with
subtle flaming.I think quilted maple looks OK on a PRS but I hate to see Les
Pauls with a quilt top , to me they don't seem to work.

[hbucker]

Originally Posted by loneguitar

Is this a Gibson forum or what, sorry if y'all want to compare other guitars there are numerous sites to do that, personally I would like to see just Gibson or related posts, just MHO

If this thread wasn't started under the "My Other Guitars" section I might agree with you. But since it was, I cannot.

[fjminor]

Originally Posted by Axeman16

gibson custom shop is equal to prs but standard production have a ways to go.

+1 - I will even go as far as going one up on any PRS...give me your best shot...I will match or better the top with a Gibson Custom Shop.....Eastern/Western/Quilt/flame - whatever - Gibson Custom Shop tops are THE tops to beat!!!!!!......

[ctmac]

why would you choose?

here are my three main units.. and bonus

1. 1996 PRS CE-24 Emerald
2. 1989 Les Paul Standard Sunburst (pre-historic?)
3. American 57 reissue, i have an additional pickguard with a dimarzio beck

Bonus

1969 Reissue (1994) Blue Flower Telecaster