Is a PRS Worth it? - Page 3

b3john · 08-14-2011, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rockguitar41

well a PRS mccarty is exactly what i want. I played one at guitar center and it was perfect!

The knock on the PRS guitars is that they are well made but don't seem have that mojo most guys are looking for.

I will say the McCarty is one heckuva step up from where you're at today, easily on the order of ten times the cost of any of your current fleet. Didja win the lottery or sumpin?

XKnight · 08-14-2011, 09:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mtgguitar

T
The 5708s on my SC245 are very very good if you like vintage PAF tone. The SC245 is the best LP I ever played. Ted McCarty gave PRS a lot of good information before he died.

I too have a PRS 245 with the 57/08 pups and it's among the best LPs I have ever played. It really nails the classic rock LP tones from the late 60s and 70s and the PRS consistency/quality is definitely a step up from most Gibson offerings. Prior to getting the PRS 245 I was convinced that only a Gibson LP could sound like a Gibson LP, but now I am convinced otherwise. That being said, only a Gibson LP or replica actually feels like a real LP.

bggreat · 08-15-2011, 10:40 PM

Well to me it seems like the american prs's have very high quality control, im not sure if they do but all the foreign se's ive played were extremely good and look at that guy with the blue one, doesnt that just look amazing. I dont know anything about the coil taps but another thing is it's normally a hit or miss with gibson so play as many as you can

tdarian · 08-16-2011, 10:14 AM

I believe strongly that the short answer to your question is yes, they are worth it. I would also strongly suggest that if you are looking for a great humbucker sound that can indeed give you LP like tones, particularly in the middle position, as well as very good split tones that can do a very convincing F style, check out the PRS DGT. It is the David Grissom Trem.

Essentially, it is a PRS Mccarty Trem (25 inch scale) with an ever so slightly narrower neck profile, dual volume controls and a single tone. Lift the tone pot and your are in single coil territory. They pop up used every so often, and you should be checking the Emporiums on www.birdsandmoons.com and www.thegearpage.net . PRS has recently come out with alot of new stuff, and the September "PRS Experience" usually sees many tempting new things unveiled. After the PRS Experience, there will be a temporary flooding of the market of great guitars, which you can take advantage of. Trust me...there will be guys who will get "the fever", and will need to raise cash for the next big thing. Happens every year!

A couple of mine:

SC245: Leans the closest in a pure LP direction of my 4 PRS..

PRS McCarty Korina (7.0 pounds) with PRS 5708 pickups:

Korina McCarty Soapbar 7.5 pounds (payed $1200.00 used):

Modern Eagle 1 Solid Brazillian RW neck, BRW Board 7.75 pounds, and essentially a very nice Mccarty:

And of course, this is the My LP Forum, so how about an 8.11 pound R7...

Check out the David Grissom Trem. I think it provides what you seek in both LP and Fender tones with the least compromise, if there even is a compromise.

Bluesky · 08-16-2011, 10:25 AM

The New Studio PRS's look to have the Best of both worlds:

Stuart Ryan & the 2011 PRS Studio - YouTube

Looks pretty amazing , and cheaper then any Historic LP.

You all know you need to buy at least as Historic LP to get good consistant quality right? Not so with PRS............

AudioWonderland · 08-16-2011, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rockguitar41

I play a Les Paul and a Strat and I love the tone on both. Since my LP is an Epi, and my strat is MIM, I am looking to upgrade in the future to one very nice guitar. I love the clean, classic Strat single coil pickup sound, and I love the heavier, darker LP sound. Will a PRS McCarty or something similar get me close enough to each sound with the coil tapped pickups? Whats your opinion on the PRS guitars?

No. I love me some PRS but they are their own thing. Buying a PRS expecting it to sound like something else is a very large but very common mistake

b3john · 08-16-2011, 11:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bluesky

You all know you need to buy at least as Historic LP to get good consistant quality right?

That's not been my experience with four production CS guitars, plus a Gibson USA Les Paul. Maybe I've just been lucky?

AudioWonderland · 08-16-2011, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by outskirts of infinity

I'm not a fan of PRS, to put it mildly, but allow me to be as constructive as possible.

In my mind, this is how they break down:

Fenders & Gibsons = classic

PRS = trendy

I'll take the classic over the trendy any day of the week. There is strat tone, there is Les Paul tone, and then there is everything else. There is a reason why every electric guitar is compared to the strat/Les Paul axis.

Regarding Orianthi, or whoever the girl is on the vid playing Voodoo Chile, she's much better at playing lead than rhythm. Her wah-ca-chik-ca intro had absolutely no soul, and yes, there is such a thing as too much distortion. Plus, her guitar was out of tune (which, granted, is very Hendrixian

).

25 years in and going strong sort of precludes the "trendy" tag don't ya think?

dlmorley · 08-16-2011, 12:06 PM

edit

dlmorley · 08-16-2011, 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AudioWonderland

25 years in and going strong sort of precludes the "trendy" tag don't ya think?

Also, I have yet to meet a musician who, when deciding on an instrument, bases their decision on wether it is trendy or not.
It's either a good instrument in your hands or it isn't.
Perfectly valid not to like PRS (or for it not to suit your hands and the sound you want) but clearly anyone knocking them on quality, just can't tell what quality is.

outskirts of infinity · 08-17-2011, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AudioWonderland

25 years in and going strong sort of precludes the "trendy" tag don't ya think?

Being old doesn't make something a classic. And just because you're old, that doesn't mean you can't be trendy.

Shades of Blue · 08-17-2011, 11:53 AM

PRS is absolutely worth it!

I paid $2250 for a brand new Custom 22 a couple years ago, and if I'm not mistaken, aren't LP standards like $2800 new? I got a whole lot more guitar for my money with the PRS in my opinion.

I just picked up a PRS Sunburst 245 with 57/08's and a Nitro finish earlier this year for $1900 used...tell me that's not worth it and I'll kick you in the shins

b3john · 08-17-2011, 11:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by outskirts of infinity

Being old doesn't make something a classic. And just because you're old, that doesn't mean you can't be trendy.

+1!

As an example, bright green and pink super strats will always seem trendy. Cool as hell if you've got the chops to play 'em (I don't), but trendy none-the-less.

zslane · 08-17-2011, 01:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by b3john

As an example, bright green and pink super strats will always seem trendy. Cool as hell if you've got the chops to play 'em (I don't), but trendy none-the-less.

Back in the 1980s those might have been called trendy since, well, that's when the trend was in effect. Today, however, I think the attraction to those garishly colored Superstrats is a nostalgia thing, every bit as much as an attraction to a Les Paul Goldtop or Sunburst. Dudes want to get in touch with their inner rock god guitarist icon, and that will be informed by whatever decade (and trend) was in effect at the time when they were kids.

Most of the dudes around here are, I suspect, aging baby boomers who grew up on the Les Paul playing icons of the late 1960s and 1970s. They aren't going to be investing in very many bright green and pink Superstrats. They're going to have lots of R8s and R9s lying around. But the guys who look back fondly on the 80s shredders and hair metal bands of the 1980s are going to longingly search for guitars like the one shown below; not because it is "trendy" but because it harkens back to a time they see through the misty lens of nostalgia.

eaglewolf · 08-17-2011, 02:11 PM

Actually, I rather liked my R9 tobacco burst, and I could have cared less about the nostalgia.

I've owned a Gibson LP Custom '68, R9, R6, and ES-335, and a PRS Custom 24 Artist and McCarty Korina w/ P90's. I'd have to say that the two PRS guitars were the best players of the bunch. I would have said they were the best I ever had except that I got a Telecaster - now it's a toss up.

As many have said the PRS is not a LP or a Strat, but you indicated that doesn't matter to you. At times I prefer a different guitar over another, but for the moment the McCarty and the Telecaster see the most playing time, with the Tele in the lead right now.

Tonewise - the PRS guitars are their own thing. You either like it or not. I do, and therefore have one. (I still want to strangle the jerk that stole my Custom 24!) The split coils were nice, but for me I prefer the simplicity of my P90 McCarty. The neck of the McCarty is closer to the LP's than the C24 as well, so it made the transition easier.

As for price, the PRS McCarty came in closest to the cheapest if you discount the Fender MIM Strat. The Telecaster was quite a bit cheaper, but I paid $2000 out the door for my McCarty new. That's $500 - $3000 less than what I paid for any new Gibson I've owned. The McCarty has been a great guitar and well worth the money.

It sounds like you are trying them out and deciding for yourself. That is the best way, since in the end your opinion is the only one that matters.

As for the original question, I would say PRS guitars are definitely worth it. It is just a matter of if they are worth it to you.

David

killaconrad · 08-17-2011, 08:26 PM

They are very nice guitars, but wouldn't you be a little embarrassed to play one on stage? I would....

rockguitar41 · 08-17-2011, 08:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by killaconrad

They are very nice guitars, but wouldn't you be a little embarrassed to play one on stage? I would....

no not at all, why would you say that?

tdarian · 08-17-2011, 08:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by killaconrad

They are very nice guitars, but wouldn't you be a little embarrassed to play one on stage? I would....

Nope. Would this embarrass you?

ACELUEK · 08-17-2011, 08:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by g60_dave

A £3k PRS destroys a £3k Gibson. Build quality, materials, workmanship.

Nope... Your are wrong about that..

ACELUEK · 08-17-2011, 08:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tdarian

Nope. Would this embarrass you?

I'm embarrassed just looking at it on-line..

Kirrt · 08-17-2011, 09:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by killaconrad

They are very nice guitars, but wouldn't you be a little embarrassed to play one on stage? I would....

No, I'm only embarrassed on stage when I'm suck

rockguitar41 · 08-17-2011, 09:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kirrt

No, I'm only embarrassed on stage when I'm suck

exactly!

tdarian · 08-17-2011, 09:30 PM

Sometimes it really is about the carpenter and not (just) the tools.

Along those lines, if the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem begins to look like a nail.

I have no clue why I typed that...maybe I always wanted too, but actually when I think about it, it is nice to have a variety of tools to handle a variety of situations.

cooljuk · 08-17-2011, 09:40 PM

To me, PRS guitars on average look great, feel great, and sound ok.

NoStatic · 08-17-2011, 10:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HOT-BRIT

PRS are nice but the tone is no match to a Gibson Les Paul and PRS depreciate in value more than Gibson

Wow, thats interesting.

OP, i acquired an old Custom 24 sometime ago, opportunistically, it was well beaten, busted headstock, got it as a project.

As I started to bring it back to a playable state, I couldnt get over how good it was, and how well made it was. Puts Gibson to shame, and the Custom Shop only get away with their schtick because its "vintage, man".

Its just a conceit- I personally dont like the look of PRS guitars. But if the head ruled the heart, Id only use one guitar and it would be a PRS.

dlmorley · 08-18-2011, 02:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by killaconrad

They are very nice guitars, but wouldn't you be a little embarrassed to play one on stage? I would....

I'd be embarrassed to have this attitude!

Thumpalumpacus · 08-18-2011, 02:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by killaconrad

They are very nice guitars, but wouldn't you be a little embarrassed to play one on stage? I would....

I've played Squiers and Epis onstage. There's no shame in my game. If I can groove with the thing, and it makes usable tone, I'll rock it. And from the PRSes I've played, I'm pretty sure I can make them work.

sledge57 · 08-19-2011, 11:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by killaconrad

They are very nice guitars, but wouldn't you be a little embarrassed to play one on stage? I would....

He looks embarrassed to me......

Santana - Smooth (feat. Rob Thomas) - YouTube

AudioWonderland · 08-19-2011, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by killaconrad

They are very nice guitars, but wouldn't you be a little embarrassed to play one on stage? I would....

That's just ridiculous

tdarian · 08-20-2011, 08:54 AM

Nobody in the pics here looks embarrassed.
A Picture Says a 1000 Words!!!!! - The Forums @ Birds And Moons.com

Take a good look.

08-15-2011, 10:40 PM	#63 (permalink)
bggreat Banned Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 117 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Is a PRS Worth it? Well to me it seems like the american prs's have very high quality control, im not sure if they do but all the foreign se's ive played were extremely good and look at that guy with the blue one, doesnt that just look amazing. I dont know anything about the coil taps but another thing is it's normally a hit or miss with gibson so play as many as you can

08-16-2011, 10:14 AM	#64 (permalink)
tdarian Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Yorba Linda, CA Posts: 696 Thanks: 51 Thanked 9 Times in 3 Posts	PRS IS Worth it! I believe strongly that the short answer to your question is yes, they are worth it. I would also strongly suggest that if you are looking for a great humbucker sound that can indeed give you LP like tones, particularly in the middle position, as well as very good split tones that can do a very convincing F style, check out the PRS DGT. It is the David Grissom Trem. Essentially, it is a PRS Mccarty Trem (25 inch scale) with an ever so slightly narrower neck profile, dual volume controls and a single tone. Lift the tone pot and your are in single coil territory. They pop up used every so often, and you should be checking the Emporiums on www.birdsandmoons.com and www.thegearpage.net . PRS has recently come out with alot of new stuff, and the September "PRS Experience" usually sees many tempting new things unveiled. After the PRS Experience, there will be a temporary flooding of the market of great guitars, which you can take advantage of. Trust me...there will be guys who will get "the fever", and will need to raise cash for the next big thing. Happens every year! A couple of mine: SC245: Leans the closest in a pure LP direction of my 4 PRS.. PRS McCarty Korina (7.0 pounds) with PRS 5708 pickups: Korina McCarty Soapbar 7.5 pounds (payed $1200.00 used): Modern Eagle 1 Solid Brazillian RW neck, BRW Board 7.75 pounds, and essentially a very nice Mccarty: And of course, this is the My LP Forum, so how about an 8.11 pound R7... Check out the David Grissom Trem. I think it provides what you seek in both LP and Fender tones with the least compromise, if there even is a compromise. __________________ “The trouble with quotes and posts on the internet is that it’s difficult to determine whether or not they are genuine or factual” - Abraham Lincoln

08-16-2011, 12:06 PM	#69 (permalink)
dlmorley Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Belgium Posts: 1,408 Thanks: 5 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Is a PRS Worth it? edit __________________ Guitars: Sid Poole LP and Telecaster, '81 Gibson LP, '91 CS Fender Strat, Jaydee Flying V, '81 Ibanez Lee Ritenour Amps: Laney TT20, Laney Supergroup 50w, Kingsley Deluxe 30, Musicman 65-112RD, Selmer Zodiac 30 www.davidmorley.com

08-17-2011, 11:53 AM	#72 (permalink)
Shades of Blue Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: You've gone too far South Carolina Posts: 1,515 Thanks: 0 Thanked 29 Times in 8 Posts	Re: Is a PRS Worth it? PRS is absolutely worth it! I paid $2250 for a brand new Custom 22 a couple years ago, and if I'm not mistaken, aren't LP standards like $2800 new? I got a whole lot more guitar for my money with the PRS in my opinion. I just picked up a PRS Sunburst 245 with 57/08's and a Nitro finish earlier this year for $1900 used...tell me that's not worth it and I'll kick you in the shins __________________ PRS Custom 22 Blue Matteo Fender '61 Thin Skin Strat w/ Big Dippers Dr Z Maz 18 NR 1x12 combo Blonde Marshall Class 5 Baby!!!

08-17-2011, 02:11 PM	#75 (permalink)
eaglewolf Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 2,675 Thanks: 12 Thanked 10 Times in 5 Posts	Re: Is a PRS Worth it? Actually, I rather liked my R9 tobacco burst, and I could have cared less about the nostalgia. I've owned a Gibson LP Custom '68, R9, R6, and ES-335, and a PRS Custom 24 Artist and McCarty Korina w/ P90's. I'd have to say that the two PRS guitars were the best players of the bunch. I would have said they were the best I ever had except that I got a Telecaster - now it's a toss up. As many have said the PRS is not a LP or a Strat, but you indicated that doesn't matter to you. At times I prefer a different guitar over another, but for the moment the McCarty and the Telecaster see the most playing time, with the Tele in the lead right now. Tonewise - the PRS guitars are their own thing. You either like it or not. I do, and therefore have one. (I still want to strangle the jerk that stole my Custom 24!) The split coils were nice, but for me I prefer the simplicity of my P90 McCarty. The neck of the McCarty is closer to the LP's than the C24 as well, so it made the transition easier. As for price, the PRS McCarty came in closest to the cheapest if you discount the Fender MIM Strat. The Telecaster was quite a bit cheaper, but I paid $2000 out the door for my McCarty new. That's $500 - $3000 less than what I paid for any new Gibson I've owned. The McCarty has been a great guitar and well worth the money. It sounds like you are trying them out and deciding for yourself. That is the best way, since in the end your opinion is the only one that matters. As for the original question, I would say PRS guitars are definitely worth it. It is just a matter of if they are worth it to you. David

Today
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08-17-2011, 08:26 PM	#76 (permalink)
killaconrad Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: California, mostly in San Francisco Posts: 185 Thanks: 11 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Re: Is a PRS Worth it? They are very nice guitars, but wouldn't you be a little embarrassed to play one on stage? I would.... __________________ rock and roll!

08-17-2011, 09:30 PM	#83 (permalink)
tdarian Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Yorba Linda, CA Posts: 696 Thanks: 51 Thanked 9 Times in 3 Posts	Re: Is a PRS Worth it? Sometimes it really is about the carpenter and not (just) the tools. Along those lines, if the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem begins to look like a nail. I have no clue why I typed that...maybe I always wanted too, but actually when I think about it, it is nice to have a variety of tools to handle a variety of situations. __________________ “The trouble with quotes and posts on the internet is that it’s difficult to determine whether or not they are genuine or factual” - Abraham Lincoln

08-17-2011, 09:40 PM	#84 (permalink)
cooljuk Bartlett RetroPAF Vendor Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Frederick, MD Posts: 9,119 Thanks: 567 Thanked 310 Times in 78 Posts	Re: Is a PRS Worth it? To me, PRS guitars on average look great, feel great, and sound ok.

08-20-2011, 08:54 AM	#90 (permalink)
tdarian Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Yorba Linda, CA Posts: 696 Thanks: 51 Thanked 9 Times in 3 Posts	Re: Is a PRS Worth it? Nobody in the pics here looks embarrassed. A Picture Says a 1000 Words!!!!! - The Forums @ Birds And Moons.com Take a good look. __________________ “The trouble with quotes and posts on the internet is that it’s difficult to determine whether or not they are genuine or factual” - Abraham Lincoln

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