Vindication!!!!!!

[CTN]

Went to the local music store the other day to get some strings.

Ended up getting another tungsol 12ax7 for my amp too, but before that happened, I decided to test out the Blackstar HT-5 head they had, with the stock Blackstar 1x12 cab.

Pretty decent little piece of kit, I though. Nice cleans, killer high gain stuff, but wasn't too convincing for mid-gain or light overdrive stuff. Oh well.

But here's the kicker. I picked the nicest guitar they had on the wall. It was an old PRS CE24. GORGEOUS amber sunburst flame maple top, excellent fretwork, nice straight neck.

Played it for a solid 40 mins or so.

When I got home, I plugged in my Jolly Roger strat. My god, the difference was night and day. I thought PRSs were supposed to be the true player's axe, but my piece of.. well it's not really crap, but it cost like less than a third the price of that CE24, plays WAY better, and sounds a HELLUVA lot better than that PRS did.

Granted I was using two completely different amps, but between the clean tones and high gain tones, I thought there wasn't that much difference between the Blackstar and the way I have set my Jet City's tones.

Made me feel damn good about myself, that my dinky little guitar that I cobbled together with GFS parts and whatnot can blow a PRS outta the water handily.

 

[Agileguy_101]

Re: Vindication!!!!!!

Does this place have a reputation for good guitars that are set up well?

Every time I go into a Guitar Center, I can never find a new guitar I like as much as anything I own. Part of it is, I think, the familiarity with one's own instruments that heavily biases your conclusion. And from my experiences with PRSi, the stock pickups are... less than good. So that may have been a factor too.

But it just goes toward my theory that new guitars need to be "broken in." While I've never played a new guitar I liked more than my own, I've played plenty of used guitars that made me want to whip it right out (my wallet.)
That's gotta feel damn good though, especially since you made that guitar. Rock on!

 

[CTN]

Re: Vindication!!!!!!

Yeah dude, this store is one of the best in the Toronto area.

Definitely my own bias is playing heavily into this, and yeah the PRS pickups probably blew donkeys for nickels, but the cost difference vs. sound and playability was what I was most surprised by.

Just goes to show what some Seymour pups and a good setup can do for even a cheap guitar.

 

[guitarrob]

Re: Vindication!!!!!!

You are biased to your own rig though. Everything else, will sound a bit off to you until you get used to the new signature.
Even if you like the new sound better, it still takes you awhile to get used to the different reponse.

If it is case of the guitar being setup differently, people preferences for guitar setups are varied.

 

[BTMN]

Re: Vindication!!!!!!

Not sure that that is a fair comparison. You would need to A/B the guitars same room, same amp, same time to get a true read. Not to mention the owned guitar is set perfect to your tastes and feel. PRS is off the rack and played by 25 guys THIS week.

 

[donnievaz]

Re: Vindication!!!!!!

If you're used to playing a Strat of course a PRS is going to feel alien to you. They're 2 completely different animals. I have a CE24, a Singlcut SE, and a pair of Strats. I've been playing Strats my whole life. Once I got used to the PRS's there was no comparison. 9 times out of 10 I pick up the PRS. That's based strictly on feel not tone.

As far as tone is concerned you're not gonna get Strat tone out of anything but a Strat.

 

[Inkstained]

Re: Vindication!!!!!!

PRS guitars are funny birds. Look wonderful, and I'm sure Paul is bending over backwards to give players value for their dollar. But whenever I plug one in, I am *never* impressed.

 

[ImmortalSix]

Re: Vindication!!!!!!

BREAKING: Area Man Likes Thing He's Used To More Than New Thing

 

[CTN]

Re: Vindication!!!!!!

hahahaha

yeah yeah I know.

also, my jolly roger isn't really stratty...i mean it's got a strat neck, and a strat body, but it's a hardtail string-thru-body with dual humbuckers. It plays sorta like a strat, but doesn't sound like one.

I am very used to playing dual humbucker guitars. Even my actual fender strat has a humbucker in the bridge and a s/c sized humbucker in the neck position.

 

[SrDeMaFp]

Re: Vindication!!!!!!

PRS guitars are funny birds. Look wonderful, and I'm sure Paul is bending over backwards to give players value for their dollar. But whenever I plug one in, I am *never* impressed.

*whew* so, I'm not alone. I don't think they play particularly well either, IME. I just don't dig the feel. They look ****ing incredible, though!

 

[BloodRose]

Re: Vindication!!!!!!

PRS guitars are funny birds. Look wonderful, and I'm sure Paul is bending over backwards to give players value for their dollar. But whenever I plug one in, I am *never* impressed.

Out of maybe 40 ive played, there have been 2, maybe three that actually had me thinking of how I could afford it.. Otherwise, its been, yeah, thats pretty, but nothin I need.

My finances are VERY glad of this.... haha

 

[TattooedCarrot]

Re: Vindication!!!!!!

Ever stay in a nice hotel, only to get home to your s***ty apartment and feel more comfortable because its home and its what you're used to. Same idea probably.

Personality might have something to do with it as well, your preference for a certain feel and sound might not have been present in that other gear. Much more to it than just a price tag.

 

[JOLLY]

Re: Vindication!!!!!!

Ever stay in a nice hotel, only to get home to your s***ty apartment and feel more comfortable because its home and its what you're used to.

Yes, eventhough hotel sex is awesome.