PRS Questions

[tone4days]

hey there PRS owners .. coupla Qs,

1) what is your personal experience comparing / contrasting 22 vs 24 fret PRSs? toneal differences, playability, etc...

2) what are your personal experiences with an adjustable bridge vs the nonadjustable (mccarty?) ... is the intonation just impossible with the nonadjustable?

i'm not asking about how gorgeous the top is or how the pickups sound or how their QC is ... just the nuts-n-bolts of 22 vs. 24 and comparing the two bridge types ..

thanks
t4d

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: PRS Questions

I've had 2 Custom 24's, a Custom 22, and 3 McCarties. Overall, I think the McCarties are the best design, mostly because of their simplicity, body thickness, neck carve, and the refinements that Ted McCarty made, to 'Gibson-ize' the guitar.
I definitely like the electronic layout too. You will easily get used to the toggle switch being down where your hand can brush by it quickly, rather than moving your hand upward, like a Paul. Also, the guitar is the perfect bridge between a Paul and a strat, even moreso than the other PRS models, IMO. The stock pickups are the best, most toneful stock pickups I've ever had. No need to change them, unless you want to get away from the vintage A-5 PAF tone. As far as the non-adjustable bridge......it was designed to intonate 9's and 10's in standard tuning, and will do that to perfection. The problem is with alternate setups, like 11's in Eb etc. Then, you'll need a PRS adjustable tailpiece or the Tonepros for $120. Overall, I think the McCarty will prove itself to be in the same classic status as LP, Strat, Tele, 335, and SG.

The 24 fret models are great for the guy who needs all those frets, but the tradeoff is having a neck pickup that's not in it's sweet spot....more harsh and midrangey.
The standard neck was narrow and not that cool. The Wide thin is about like a Jackson, and the Wide Fat is the one that feels best to me. I'm not sure if there's a difference between the McCarty Wide Fat and the Custom 22 Wide Fat, but I think the McCarty has a hefty soft V, which never fatigues my hand, no matter how long I play. With a perfect compliment of Duncan pickups, you can get a McCarty to actually exceed a Gibson, IMO. I've dialed in all my Pauls and McCarties, and the McCarties have better articulation, so the debate is apples and oranges. IMO, PRS guitars are one of the most comfortable guitars for both your body and hands.....really a well thought out simple timeless design.

 

[aleclee]

Re: PRS Questions

1) what is your personal experience comparing / contrasting 22 vs 24 fret PRSs? toneal differences, playability, etc...

Not a lot of difference either way. I have three 24s and one 22. Playability is pretty much identical, even with the larger neck heel on the 22. Though neck carve/length plays something of a factor, IMO pickup type and neck pickup location play a larger factor. To some degree, it boils down to which neck carve you prefer.

2) what are your personal experiences with an adjustable bridge vs the nonadjustable (mccarty?) ... is the intonation just impossible with the nonadjustable?

In the five years I've frequented PRS boards, I've never heard a complaint about intonation with "standard" (i.e., no light/heavy or wound G) sets from 8s to 11s. Folks who have checked intonation with strobe tuners have reported that all strings were dead on. Bottom line, unless you're detuning or want to use some unusual gauges, the standard tailpiece is easier to intonate and plenty accurate.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: PRS Questions

1. The neck pickup on a 22 fret guitar is where the 24th fret is on a 24 fret guitar. So the neck pickup on a 24 fret guitar is about 1" closer to the bridge....so it will never sound like the neck humbucker in a 22 fret guitar like a Les Paul. Personally, I couldn't adjust to that. The neck pickup in my PRS CE-24 just didn't sound deep enough or like what I was used to and that was one big reason I sold the guitar.

2. Wrap around tailpieces do not sound as good as a tune-o-matic bridge with a stop tailpiece...that is my strong opinion, and one reason I prefer Hamers to PRS guitars.

(The heck with Gibson! I like thier biz practices about as much as Dimarzio! :laugh2: )

3. Can't really comment on the McCarty Wrap Around bridge/tailpiece vs. the standard PRS Bridge/Vibrato...but IMO: a tune-o-matic and stop tailpiece would sound "better" to me. Deeper, more lower mids...more like a '59 Les Paul.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: PRS Questions

Sometimes, I wish they'd gone with a tuneomatic, but one benefit of the PRS wraparound stoptail is the comfortable surface. There's no sharp edges where the bridge makes contact with the strings, so it's elegantly simple, but also a joy to rest your palm on. Also, it acts as another way that the PRS purposely avoided copying Gibson, too much.

I will say that the Tonepros McCarty bridge I bought from Lew turned my teal black one into a 'SuperMcCarty', along with zebra C-5/59. I disabled the bridge coil tap, so I can only split the neck now, and bounce between a humbucker and a neck hum, OR neck single. I prefer that setup.

 

[TheArchitect]

Re: PRS Questions

I have 1 24 and 3 22's. Tone wise they are very similar from the bridge slot. The 24's have a much hotter pup and the shorter neck on the 22 may contribute a timy bit more to the mids on that model. Neck wise, the pup is closer to the bridge on a 24 and no longer under the octave node which changes the sound. I like the lead tone on the 24 neck less but the split coil clean tones more.

Can't speak to the bridge. Mine are all trem models.

 

[tone4days]

Re: PRS Questions

these are the exact kinds of responses i was hoping for - very helpful and informative

thanks guys


keep em coming please

cheers
t4d