PRS guitars

[aleclee]

Re: PRS guitars

Well built and no-nonsense hardware (e.g. 6-point trem), useful choices of neck parameters (as opposed to Music Man).

Funny you mention the neck. I love the necks on my EBMM guitars to the point where my PRS guitars hardly get any playing time.

Some of them can sound a bit nondescript. They lack the mass of a Les Paul and the floppyness of a Strat and they can come out too straightforward.

They do kind of split the difference between Fender and Gibson, for better and for worse. I really don't like PRS pickups. They're not particularly good for anything I want to do with 'em. I think that the neck pickups on the 24 fret models are particularly bad.

As for the trem, it's no Floyd but that's not a reasonable expectation of a trem with no locking nut or saddles. That said, when properly set up, I don't have any problems getting the wound strings slack and coming back in tune. A lot of techs don't know how to set 'em up and screwing up the setup can damage the bridge.

Oh, and did someone mention green?

 

[SlyFoxx]

Re: PRS guitars

As for the trem you can do anything Eddie did on Van Halen One no problem and you won't go out of tune. That's enough for most.

 

[T ROCKER]

Re: PRS guitars

I own a '92 CE24 that I wouldn't trade for a Custom. Maple top on an alder body. I worked at a large music store in Montreal for 6 years, back in the 90's, and tried every supposedly nice guitar , from every brand, that came to the store (my excuse was that i was checking them for "shipping damage"..) and we got a LOT of nice guitars. When it was time to bite the bullet and acquire one , I decided my budget would be 2500 and went shopping. I A/B'd a beautiful Custom with a foxy looking CE24, straight into a Boogie MkIII combo ...then a Fender Twin. The Custom sounded alright; kind of generic, but I think that's what they were going for. The hype in those days was that they (PRS) were supposed to be a perfect mix between a Strat and a Les Paul. The bolt-on CE24 was instantly way better sounding and had a character all it's own...... I was sold, and the CE's were a grand cheaper than the customs so i was a thousand bucks under budget. Amp time !
The trem works great, although you can't do floppy string Floyd style pyrotechnic dive bombs. The old cam style tuners are cool as well when you get used to them. I once changed a broken string on stage, mid -song, and got my own personal round of applause !! It took around 20 seconds.
I suggest you track down a pre '95 CE24. Even the notorious carmudgeon Ed Roman (rip) called them a 'investment-grade' guitar, and most magic guitars from the past are some intangible unintentional combination of manufacturing/materials/mojo.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: PRS guitars

I have owned a '93 for approximately fifteen years. I either like it very much or I am very forgetful. Or both.

 

[gman128]

Re: PRS guitars

I thought that it might of been bad video recording but neutral isnt a bad thing for what I do. The only big named people ive ever seem played them are Myles Kennedy "Alter Bridge" and Orianthi "Michael Jacksons Guitarist right before he passed".

There are loads - Carlos Santana and Mark Tremonti are certainly the most prolific users. Then you have Dave Navarro, Zach Myers, the guys from Opeth, the guys from Between the buried and me, Mike Mushock etc...

 

[aleclee]

Re: PRS guitars

I own a '92 CE24 that I wouldn't trade for a Custom. Maple top on an alder body.

Those alder/maple CEs had a double dose of mojo. That combination with the bolt-in maple neck makes for a guitar with great clarity even with lots of distortion.

 

[Zerberus]

Re: PRS guitars

I owned a ´91 Custom 24 in Black Cherry w/trem many years ago. It was a great guitar, but it´s fate as a hybrid in a stable of purebreds was essentially sealed from the get go. There just wasn´t anything it could do that 2 or more of my instruments couldn´t do better, and for stage work I´ve used Jacksons since I was a teenager so that went out the window. And since I never really had a use for her, she eventually started to become lonely inside her case.

I eventually sold her, which in retrospect was very stupid because today she´s starting to be worth quite a bit these days.... but it´s better if a guitar like that is with somebody that will hopefully play her.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: PRS guitars

I wonder how are they so bright even with a mahogany body but maybe its just their build. I love the looks of them but I would have to try one to see if I like it enough to have one.
This vid is what made me take a look at them which I like his playing but his tone sounds very bright but thin which im not sure if thats his amp or the guitar or pups. Im one of those players who prefers a bright tone but thick at the same time and if I need a lil darkness or roundness just roll down the tone knob.

When plugged into an amp, a single cutaway Les Paul will have a thicker tone with more lows and lower midrange than a double cutaway PRS.

The reason is this: The PRs has a thinner body and a double cutaway. Compared to a Les Paul, which has one cutaway, the neck on a PRS is free of the body of the guitar for a longer length and it is free to vibrate more.

The whole point of a Les Paul's design is to create a guitar that does not resonate or vibrate much at all.

The double cutaway PRS is thinner bodied and the neck is longer and less well supported. And that robs the PRS of some bass and makes it appear to be both brighter and thinner sounding.

In reality, it may not have any more treble or brightness than a Les Paul, but because it lack bass and lower mids compared to a Les Paul, we hear that as thinner and brighter tone.

And I'm talking especially about the difference in the two guitar's tones when plugged in.

When I had a PRS, one thing I noticed was that my PRS was louder unplugged than my Les Paul. The PRS simply resonated more and some would say that is wasted string energy which will not be turned into "sound" when the guitar is plugged in, resulting in a thinner brighter tone with less bass and lower mids.

 

[Monsta-Tone]

Re: PRS guitars

I've owned a few: 2 Custom 24's (one from 1991, should have never sold that one), 1 Custom 22, 1 McCarty, 2 CE-24's, and a CE-22. I just bought a Torero SE, which is a Korean made model, but has a Floyd!
The only ones that I kept the stock pickups in were the 1991 CU24 and a 1994 CE24 w/original Dragon pups.

I've never met a Strat or Les Paul that I've liked. I must have owned over 10 American Deluxe Strats and ended up selling every one of them because I just didn't like how clunky they felt. I love Strat and Les Paul music, I just don't make it well.

I keep coming back to PRS for a few reasons.
1. Playability - For my hands and body and health issues (tendinitis), the PRS just hangs perfectly and the necks just feel perfect to me.

2. Tone - I don't like the Vintage Bass/HFS combo, sounds too Nickelback to me. They sound incredible and have gobs of sustain and warmth!
- I haven't owned any PRS newer than 2002, so I don't know about the newer pickups.
- For tones, just listen to any Santana recorded over the last 20 or so years. Or, Incubus, Jennifer Turner's tone on Natalie Merchant's "Tigerlily" CD is really wonderful.

3. Stability - The only guitars that I've had that stayed in tune better were older Japanese made Jackson Soloists. I can pick up my McCarty after not playing it for months and it is still in tune!

4. The tremolo is much better than most Strat trems I've tried. It has a huge brass block and is very stable. You cannot go crazy like I can with my Ibanez guitars (Edge tremolo) or a Floyd equipped guitar, but for what most people do with a tremolo, they work very well. If you use the tremolo and it doesn't come back in tune, look at the nut slots. I had a Custom 22 that would always come back flat. I cleaned up the nut slots and it played perfectly after that!

5. Build quality - I have never seen a Strat with this kind of build quality. The wood choices are top notch, the hardware will hold up very well to abuse, and the fit and finish is superb!

My neighbor has 2 Custom Shop Strats, and a couple of Custom Shop LP's. All of them are pretty nice, but there is something about them that I just can't bond with.

All this being said, here is my list of complaints about PRS guitars:
1. I cannot afford to get a Floyd equipped US model. I just bought the Torero, it hasn't arrived yet, so I can't say how I will like it.

2. The carved top of the body is beautiful, but painful on my right arm. I actually took a belt sander to my McCarty and cured this, but in the process rendered the guitar un-sellable. I don't care though because it is incredible sounding and plays like butter.

3. I cannot get a stock model with stainless steel frets.

All in all, they are great guitars. I have never bought one new though. I think they are much better value if you buy them used.
I look at it like this - My Ibanez JS1000 is a Ferrari, my McCarty is a Cadillac!
I have been wondering about a Carvin California Carved Top (CT624C) because I can get a very similar guitar with a Floyd and stainless frets.

 

[Monsta-Tone]

Re: PRS guitars

Those alder/maple CEs had a double dose of mojo. That combination with the bolt-in maple neck makes for a guitar with great clarity even with lots of distortion.

Wish I still had mine! I had a 92 CE24 that flat out rocked!

I forgot to mention though, that I always replace the 5 way rotary with a 3 way Switchcraft switch. I used to see Santana every year (until he came out with Supernatural, he hasn't been back to Maui since) and every time he would go into his raging huge solo, when he would come back out of it he would be on the wrong setting. I would see him play a few chords and realize that he was too loud or had the wrong tone. You could see him saying the word, "FAAACCCKKK" and he would turn the knob to the correct setting.
I could never bond with the 5 way switch, although there are some pretty cool sounds to be had with them.

 

[Empty Pockets]

Re: PRS guitars

I had a CE22 or 24... can't remember which one, haha. It was okay. At the same time I also owned my SG-X and my Strat... and when I played the PRS I always felt like I was halfway between one of my other two guitars... so I sold it because it didn't do anything I couldn't already do better.

All that said, they're made extremely well, and they sound okay, but not "classic"... i.e. you won't nail the old Zeppelin or Hendrix or Sabbath tones a lot of people chase, but you'll be able to nail the more modern, high-gain sound with ease.

I think of them as the logical evolution of the superstrat. "Okay we made a Strat with humbuckers... what if we made a Strat-shaped Les Paul, with or without a trem, and split the difference on scale length?" Paul really was trying to build one guitar to please everybody, and what he made was a really nice guitar, and with the Mesa Rectifier is a staple of the late 90's early 00's "modern high-gain" tone just like the Les Paul and Marshall is to 70's rock.

I don't have one now, but if I found a solid deal on a beat-up one, I'd consider it...but by and large I prefer guitars designed before 1961 :smokin:

 

[rts99]

Re: PRS guitars

I'll be snagging a new Studio stop tail as soon as I get the cash together. Great sound, great features, great quality, super easy player. Give one a try, the guitar sells itself in only a few notes.

 

[phil_104]

Re: PRS guitars

I had a CE22 or 24... can't remember which one, haha. It was okay. At the same time I also owned my SG-X and my Strat... and when I played the PRS I always felt like I was halfway between one of my other two guitars... so I sold it because it didn't do anything I couldn't already do better.

All that said, they're made extremely well, and they sound okay, but not "classic"... i.e. you won't nail the old Zeppelin or Hendrix or Sabbath tones a lot of people chase, but you'll be able to nail the more modern, high-gain sound with ease.

I think of them as the logical evolution of the superstrat. "Okay we made a Strat with humbuckers... what if we made a Strat-shaped Les Paul, with or without a trem, and split the difference on scale length?" Paul really was trying to build one guitar to please everybody, and what he made was a really nice guitar, and with the Mesa Rectifier is a staple of the late 90's early 00's "modern high-gain" tone just like the Les Paul and Marshall is to 70's rock.

I don't have one now, but if I found a solid deal on a beat-up one, I'd consider it...but by and large I prefer guitars designed before 1961 :smokin:

This x10. I loved mine, and it was a great guitar, but I found myself saying ''man, this is a pretty convincing strat tone'' or ''man, this is a pretty convincing LP tone''... then eventually, I just ended up going with the originals.

I also have a fixation with old guitar designs.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: PRS guitars

I owned a ´91 Custom 24 in Black Cherry w/trem many years ago. It was a great guitar, but it´s fate as a hybrid in a stable of purebreds was essentially sealed from the get go. There just wasn´t anything it could do that 2 or more of my instruments couldn´t do better, and for stage work I´ve used Jacksons since I was a teenager so that went out the window. And since I never really had a use for her, she eventually started to become lonely inside her case.

I eventually sold her, which in retrospect was very stupid because today she´s starting to be worth quite a bit these days.... but it´s better if a guitar like that is with somebody that will hopefully play her.

I agree. If you're into Les Pauls (I'm not) the Les Paul has a bigger sound with more lows and lower mids because of the thicker body and shorter neck. (Not the scale length - the neck itself) If you're into Strats (I am) the Strat sounds like a Strat and the PRS with the coil splitting thing sounds like a pale imitation.

The other thing is the Wide/Thin PRS neck: it's to thin.

None the less, I love the look of a beautiful PRS and many players get great sounds out of their PRS guitars.

I sold my PRS after comparing the tone of my PRS to my MIJ Fender Squier Strat - a Squier with two humbuckers. Paid next to nothing for the Squier, put new pickups in it and over the course of a few days compared them repeatedly and finally had to admit that the Squier really did blow away the PRS.

Still have the Squier although I don't play it now that I have my ES-335.

Here's a pic of my Squier...the PRS Dragon Slayer:

 

[Monsta-Tone]

Re: PRS guitars

Guess that's why I like them. I change the stock pickups, and I don't like Les Pauls or Strats much.
I love the tone of an LP, but the bodies are just not ergonomic to me.
I love the tone of a Strat, but just can't get along with single coils.
Sort of the Goldi-Locks syndrome......
I also really like the tension of the strings on a 25" scale. Softer than a Strat, but not as soft as an LP.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: PRS guitars

Guess that's why I like them. I change the stock pickups, and I don't like Les Pauls or Strats much.
I love the tone of an LP, but the bodies are just not ergonomic to me.
I love the tone of a Strat, but just can't get along with single coils.
Sort of the Goldi-Locks syndrome......
I also really like the tension of the strings on a 25" scale. Softer than a Strat, but not as soft as an LP.

In that case, the PRS sounds like the right guitar for you.

Truth is, I'd still love to own a really great one.

 

[jmh151]

Re: PRS guitars

Well here's the same PRS I have, this is exactly how it sounds, which is alot different from the above video

 

[Monsta-Tone]

Re: PRS guitars

I want a McCarty with 24 frets!
Of course, I also want one with a Floyd......

 

[Ascension]

Re: PRS guitars

I picked up a 07 CU 24 well over a year ago. I never liked these guitars got this one for a song and bought it to sell and make some $$. That was until I played it out at a practice. Now I never play out without it being on stage.
Stock HFS/VB pickups and 5 way rotary and will not be altered. This thing KILLS on stage and gives me more variety of tone on the fly than any guitar I have ever owned. The HFS in this guitar is the ONLY ceramic mag pickup I have ever kept in a guitar.
This video with Paul nails why I am SO infatuated with the Custom 24 I have to a T

BIG fan of these guitars now and want another one!

 

[Empty Pockets]

Re: PRS guitars

This thread is making me want a CU24. I better go play one for 15 minutes so that I change my mind :smokin: