NGD PRS content never thought I’d say that lol

[man-in-moon]

Met up with a guy to try out a 97 CE22. I wasn’t really expecting much but I was impressed it blew my SG away. I’ve been a life long Gibson fan. But the thicker neck and better balance won me over. I’m not the biggest fan of the color but it doesn’t bother me. The pickups have been upgraded to a 59/custom bridge and a 59 neck.
ill probably swap them for something hotter later on. I only really have experience with import PRS guitars besides owning a CE24 years ago. When I was young and dumb enough to not know what it was so I threw emgs in it and traded it for an Ibanez 7 string.

 

[Masta' C]

Heck yeah! That's cool

I'm a HUGE fan of the CE guitars...true players from top to bottom

I say give the 59/Custom a chance before you go pullin' it!

 

[stevie_bees]

I agree with trying the '59/C for a while. Sounded great in my McCarty, and only changed it when I fitted WLHs.

 

[Lewguitar]

Congratulations! She's a beauty.

I don't understand the PRS hate. They're gorgeous guitars that play great !

I guess some people want a guitar they can trash and cover with stickers or relic or disrespect or who knows what.

A PRS is a beautiful thing and you tend to want to keep beautiful things beautiful. Maybe that's not "rock n roll" to some people.

 

[Mr. 80's]

Congratulations! She's a beauty.

I don't understand the PRS hate. They're gorgeous guitars that play great !

I guess some people want a guitar they can trash and cover with stickers or relic or disrespect or who knows what.

A PRS is a beautiful thing and you tend to want to keep beautiful things beautiful. Maybe that's not "rock n roll" to some people.

That's one of the stupidest things I've ever heard, sorry. It's all personal preference man, nothing to do with respect for beauty or lack thereof, lol. Lots of beautiful, great guitars that are not PRS. I take care of my stuff better than many. Sorry but I just have to call out blanket statement bullshitters.

@OP Congrats, happy NGD. Just because I and many others could never gel with anything PRS doesn't mean it's not the perfect guitar for you.

 

[man-in-moon]

Thanks guys even though I don’t have much experience with PRS. I have tried a few out over the years. I always thought they were well made and beautiful guitars. But they didn’t inspire me to want to play so I never paid much attention to them. I can see where people either love or hate them.
one thing I have noticed is I do prefer the maple neck models.
I’m not going to be in a big hurry to swap the pickups. But if I do it will probably be for something like a set of nailbombs.

 

[Mincer]

Sounds like a great guitar. I'd keep those pickups in there...great choices!

 

[Lewguitar]

Thanks guys even though I don’t have much experience with PRS. I have tried a few out over the years. I always thought they were well made and beautiful guitars. But they didn’t inspire me to want to play so I never paid much attention to them. I can see where people either love or hate them.
one thing I have noticed is I do prefer the maple neck models.
I’m not going to be in a big hurry to swap the pickups. But if I do it will probably be for something like a set of nailbombs.

PRS has improved their pickups. But I replaced the PRS pickups in all of mine with Seymour Duncans.

If PRS has a weak spot it's always been the voicing of the pickups, IMO, even on the expensive models.

Looks like someone replaced your original Dragons with Duncans.

Probably sounds better!

 

[man-in-moon]

Yeah they don’t sound bad really I’m going to give it awhile to see where I want to go with the sound. I am not a huge fan of the rotary 5 way thought. So that may get swapped out.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

It’s funny, my favorite passive humbucker set is the HFS/Vintage Bass, which everyone else hates. Well, everyone except the gazillion pros who used them.

 

[Lewguitar]

It’s funny, my favorite passive humbucker set is the HFS/Vintage Bass, which everyone else hates. Well, everyone except the gazillion pros who used them.

Are those the Dragon II's?

I have a couple of sets of those but don't use them. My PRS Custom 22 that they came out of now has Duncan Antiquity.

And a 3 way selector switch.

 

[jeremy]

the hfs/vb are different than the dragon iis and have been around longer than most other prs pups. some people love em

 

[Lewguitar]

I have a spec sheet from 1995 for PRS pickups. The Dragon II's are not on it. Guess they came out after 1995.

It lists the HFS as being 15K, 8000 turns of 43 SP, and ceramic magnet. I read that HFS stands for Hot Fat Screams.

The Vintage Bass or VB is listed as being 8.5K, 5870 turns of 42 SP wire and Alnico 2 magnet.

So Alnico 2 in the neck.

The original Dragon bridge is 19K, 8000 turns of 44 HP wire, and a ceramic magnet.

The Dragon neck is 8K, 5550 turns of 42 SP wire and an Alnico 4 magnet.

 

[eclecticsynergy]

Dragon II neck is the same as the Dragon I neck; it's only the bridge pickup that they changed.
Dragon II bridge is around 12K, 43ga wire and an alnico - probably A5, possibly A4.

I had the Dragon I set in my '95 CE22. The bridge was fantastic at gain and I understand why they're legendary among some. But I wanted better cleanup and a more open character. I replaced them with a PRS 1985 reissue set and now it sounds amazing. Plus it can stand in tonally for my beloved '87 which I don't travel with anymore.

 

[Top-L]

Thanks guys even though I don’t have much experience with PRS. I have tried a few out over the years. I always thought they were well made and beautiful guitars. But they didn’t inspire me to want to play so I never paid much attention to them. I can see where people either love or hate them.
one thing I have noticed is I do prefer the maple neck models.
I’m not going to be in a big hurry to swap the pickups. But if I do it will probably be for something like a set of nailbombs.

What's interesting to me is I can't think of any virtuosos who choose to play prs.

It seems like the prs vibe is a different thing. Like someone who buys a Bentley instead of a Ferrari.

 

[Lewguitar]

Dragon II neck is the same as the Dragon I neck; it's only the bridge pickup that they changed.
Dragon II bridge is around 12K, 43ga wire and an alnico - probably A5, possibly A4.

I had the Dragon I set in my '95 CE22. The bridge was fantastic at gain and I understand why they're legendary among some. But I wanted better cleanup and a more open character. I replaced them with a PRS 1985 reissue set and now it sounds amazing. Plus it can stand in tonally for my beloved '87 which I don't travel with anymore.

Yes, the Dragon 1 and 2 necks are not too far off from a 1959 Gibson PAF.

 

[Lewguitar]

What's interesting to me is I can't think of any virtuosos who choose to play prs.

It seems like the prs vibe is a different thing. Like someone who buys a Bentley instead of a Ferrari.

Just off the top of my head: Carlos Santana, Orianthi, Al Dimeola, Richard (Dickie) Betts, John Mayer, Dave Navarro...

There's quite a few, including yours truly. :sword:

 

[Mincer]

John McLaughlin is about the definition of a virtuoso.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Check out a dude named Boscoe France. He’s a blues rock guy from Kentucky, great player and singer.

Also add David Grissom to the list, Alex Lifeson and Larry Lalonde for extended periods, and a lot of really innovative if not virtuoustic players.

I love that there’s no baggage with a PRS. Nobody expects Jimi, SRV, Duane Allman, etc

 

[Diego]

Shawn Lane used to rip on his PRS as well as Charvels and others. But then he could play anything. The guy was limitless.