PRS guitars? Worth the money?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Feanor IV
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Hard2Hear said:
I have seen a couple PRS Singlecuts that were 11 pounds!! So theyre not ALL lighter. ;)H2H
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Very true. Most all LP models are heavy. PRS varies by model and wood. Most PRS strat style models (like custom 24 type) are lighter.

Ed
 
yeah, I know. I was just kidding. (though what I said is true)

My McCarty weighs 8 pounds even, and theyre thicker than Customs are.

H2H
 
I managed to find a use Les Paul Classic at a guitar center for $1400, and I love the sound and feel of it. The weight doesn't really bother me that much, hell you gotta build up those back muscles somehow :-P. Like everyone up above says, if you are looking for that Les Paul sound, there really isn't anything else that will be a good substitute, because, well, you're looking for a Les Paul sound.

Not to knock the PRS's though, I think they are very lovely looking guitars, however I've not played a high end one so I can't give an opinion on it. I will say that come tax return time, a PRS just might be on my list O gear to get. :-).
 
I've probably said it too much, but I wouldn't by a new guitar that you can find used elsewhere. High end PRS guitars are usually very well kept and you can find a ton on eBay for reasonable price (when compared to a new PRS). You might pay a bit more for an older PRS with the sleeker neck joint, but if you don't find that a problem, many of the new PRS guitars seem to be awesome quality. But they seem to pass off a lot of maple tops as 10's that I find to look rather boring. I really don't see many PRS maple caps that make me go "wow" anymore.

As for PRS vs Gibson. Both make awesome guitars and I wouldn't own anything less than a really high end version of either. Having played both, I prefer PRS guitars over Gibson (I simply find them more comfortable to play).

The only thing that bothers me about PRS guitars is that the Custom 24 model only comes with a trem. It is really hard to find a Custom 24 or an Artist model with a hardtail. :(

This is also another reason why I like PRS guitars over Gibson. 24 frets. :)

I don't own a PRS and never have, but I've played a few and they are quite nice. They were within my price range, but they weren't as versatile as my Parker guitars. I contemplated getting some PRS guitars, but not finding a reasonably priced Custom 24 with a hardtail is mostly what stopped me. I'd rather spend that much money on a second Parker Supreme.
 
PRS's are pretty vesatile guitars. The one I have has a 5-position selector switch + a switch to make any of the above selections darker. I would definitely consider one if I was choosing between a PRS and an LP.

It's also a quality instrument, as has been noted in previous posts.

I don't know what model you're considering, but (of course) try it out to verify what I stated above is true for that model.

Also, as mentioned in a previous post, consider buying used. A few years ago I bought my custom 24, used, for $1300...last Saturday I saw a new one at Guitar Center for $3000.
 
Play 'em both and get the one that best suits your needs :)

I wish I was making this terribly difficult decision ;)
 
My PRS has been my main guitar since 1988 and if my place was burning down it would be the one thing I would run into the fire to save. Its got great tone and feel and I have never had a single problem with it.

That said, lately I have been looking at getting a Les Paul as an alternate guitar because like the previous posters said, there is nothing else like it. The PRS is extremely flexible but it will never give you the real sound of a Les Paul or a Tele, etc. But still I would not trade my PRS for a Les Paul.
 
I have a PRS Custom 22 and I love it.

But let's cut to the chase here.... if you buy a Gibson Les Paul, you're going to end up in lots and lots of before, during and after-gig conversations about what a great guitar it is. This is not a problem, however these conversations are going to be predominantly with males.

If you buy a PRS in a lovely colour with birds, you're also going to get into a lot of before, during and after-gig conversations about what a great (looking) guitar it is, but this time, there'll be more females involved.

Since, fundamentally, rock 'n' roll is all about sex and getting laid, your clear choice here is a nice looking PRS - the Porsche convertible of electric guitars. Who cares what it sounds like?

Later on, when you're famous, and want to get back to your roots, THEN you'll buy a Les Paul. :rolleyes:
 
-=¤willhaven¤=- said:
But they seem to pass off a lot of maple tops as 10's that I find to look rather boring. I really don't see many PRS maple caps that make me go "wow" anymore.
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c'mon willhaven...say it. ;)
 

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Wow, thanks so much for all the great things you wrote guys, that was really helpful!!! I do like LPs a lot, but what I'm really looking for at the moment is a very flexible guitar. I'm into various kinds of music, and -although my roots are in rock- I like to throw in anything, metal, jazz, blues, rock'n'roll, country, oriental stuff etc. So I guess my choice would have to be a PRS. Of course I will go to a few stores and play both gibsons and PRSs to check how they work for me.

Now, the thing is: I wish I could afford a Custom 24, or a McCarty (someone said it's got a vintage tone, which I really really want!!). And I adore McCarty, the way it looks. But I just can't afford $3,500. There's no way :( And I live in Greece, so it won't be easy to find a used guitar here. The only option would be ebay. BUT: can I really trust buying a guitar from ebay? I mean, I've bought tons of stuff from ebay, but a guitar?? Any help? What would you try if you were me?

Plus, does anyone know if PRS inexpensive models (their SEs, SE standard: http://www.prsguitars.com/showcase/current/sestandard.html or Bily Martin SE: http://www.prsguitars.com/showcase/current/billymartinse.html ) are any good?

Thanks a lot for all the help!! :D
 
Hard2Hear said:
c'mon willhaven...say it. ;)
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Isn't this one the best looking guitar ever?? I love this one, and the gold one. Wow, I wish I could own these both!! :D
 
I bought above McCarty on Ebay and under your current budget. Just stick to sellers with great feedback and you'll be fine.

The SE models are Korean imports, and while good in their niche, do not compare to the US built models.

If you like black (by your links it looks like you do) you can find a great McCarty or Standard for just over $1000 if you keep your eyes open. Solid colors are always way cheaper.

H2H
 
Yeah??? You made my day!! :D Well, night, it's 2AM here. Anyway, so you think I should try ebay? Nice, I'll be checking frequently... How long do you think it would take on average until I can find a good deal? I mean, are they a one-off or is it more of a temporary thing? :P It sounds a bit too good to be true, $1,000 for a $3,500 guitar?

But hmmm, I tried ebay and didn't find anything good there. Or am I doing something wrong? Do you see any good offer there? And seller must be willing to ship to greece :(

Colors: my first choice would be a McCarty, either gold, black, tortoise, whale blue.... I think there are a few colors I'd be ok with... But I want the bird inlay!!! :D Is that a usual thing or will it make it much harder until I can find one?

Anyway, thanks SO MUCH for all your help, my friend, you've been really helpful!! :)
 
Another place to try is put a wanted ad here:
http://forums.birdsandmoons.com/forum/index.php?

I'm a member there, too, and there are some great and informed people there. I'm sure if you put what you were looking for and how much you could spend, that you'd get a few to choose from.

I'll search my normal Ebay searches and see if I find anything for ya.

H2H
 
I see several on Ebay as possibilities. One thing for you to try out.

When selling on Ebay, I mostly only list items as "available to USA only" to keep off scammers and such. But if a nice person from another country shoots me a friendly message explaining his situation I'll almost always let people (especially in Europe) bid and buy anything I sell. So just be friendly and shoot lots of messages to sellers. Just be courteous enough to be ready to buy if they say yes.

Birds and a "10 top" are each a $400 upcharge to the list price on a new PRS guitar. You can keep that in mind when looking.

H2H
 
The question started with the question about PRS guitars being worth the money. It ended up being a PRS vs Les Paul thread. Thats fine, but there are so many different factors that come into play.

Like others, I own both, and other guitars too. It is not about comparing value. These are different guitars. They each have their own feel, tone, vibe and mojo. What style of music do you play and how will the guitar cover it all?

Pick up each guitar and see what feels right. Each one has different models and features. Neck profiles vary in shape and pick-ups can vary in their tone and output. Neck length and scales vary. Do you want a guitar with 2 humbuckers, or will you crave some single coil tones too?

There is no doubt that you will bond more with one or the other, but why limit yourself. There are other choices too. Play them all.

With respect to value, it is all relative. You can find a ton of folks that will tell you that their imported Agile copy is as good as any. You will also find folks who say that anything less than a Historic L.P. will not work them. It is whatever floats your own boat. I like the real thing in any guitar over the imporated clones, but their are plenty of folks that swear by the imports. However, once you can afford the real thing you will probably want one too.

By the way, even though I own a few Gibsons, PRS's overall quality control and consistency is much better. But, maybe you will find the Les Paul that is the holy grail. You never know until you try.

Good luck.
 
somewhat off topic, but i own a santana se (from 2003) and i constantly find myself needing to make adjustments and resoldering the pickups. the stock pickups constantly came unscrewed/loose. i haven't gotten it intonated by a guitar technician, but the 17th fret on the high e string doesn't work at all (i somehow didn't notice this in the store). i'd say all in all its a pretty unreliable guitar, and in the future my $500 will go towards something much better.
 
Hard2Hear said:
c'mon willhaven...say it. ;)
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7.5/10

Nice, but it doesn't really pop or look very three dimensional. The stripes look nice and even, however.

I would call this a 10.
http://www.magdonmusic.com/guitars/PRS/images/guitars/CUAPQEGWT20a.jpg

This a 10? Maybe. It definitely doesn't strike me like the quilt above. Still quite nice though.
http://www.magdonmusic.com/guitars/PRS/images/guitars/CU22APFWBWTTRa.jpg

I think it may have more to do with high contrast lighting bringing out the flame or quilt. Either lots of people have horrible eBay photos, or the quilts and flames aren't really all that great on a lot of the guitars.

The fact that Ed Roman re-tops a lot of PRS guitars every year is probably pretty telling. The best tops I see are usually on off-brand custom made guitars.
 
That's insane quilt. It butterflys really well too. The color leaves something to be desired, but the dimension there is really good.
 
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