What's with the Love or Hate thing in regards to PRS Guitars?.....

Re: What's with the Love or Hate thing in regards to PRS Guitars?.....

Your interpretation is very different from mine. I believe GJ's hypothetical was not "buy off the haters with a free guitar" but rather to exemplify "The haters would rave about how nice they were if they weren't so caught up in how much a PRS cost".

That's exactly what my interpretation is as well.
 
Re: What's with the Love or Hate thing in regards to PRS Guitars?.....

Tried a load of them....ever since the 80's.
Had the same experience as Wahwah....
And a feel of being unchallenged by the whole deal.
Like their Korean SE series though...but not enough to buy one.
Just don't mean much to me....all there is to it.
 
Re: What's with the Love or Hate thing in regards to PRS Guitars?.....

I've always loved that Carlos Santana tone from the early albums with "Santana" (the band) when he played an SG. It was almost as if the notes would just naturally sing off the fretboard, effortlessly.

I just don't hear that same tone since he signed his big PRS endorsement deal. His tone on the latest couple of Carlos albums has just sounded awful, IMO.

I blame Clive Davis for the sucky sound of the last few Santana albums. His production style is just bland over bland. Carlos sounds a lot better on cell phone videos on YouTube than he does on those albums (although maybe my opinion of Davis is being tainted by Bob Dylan's low opinion of him.)
 
Re: What's with the Love or Hate thing in regards to PRS Guitars?.....

I had an opportunity to spend a few hours playing some top of the range PRS guitars and I was ready to be impressed. I wasn't. They played okay and were very nicely put together but no mojo. They lacked something that I can only describe as 'soul'. They don't have the magic you get in a good Gibson. I'd rather have another SG.
 
Re: What's with the Love or Hate thing in regards to PRS Guitars?.....

I had an opportunity to spend a few hours playing some top of the range PRS guitars and I was ready to be impressed. I wasn't. They played okay and were very nicely put together but no mojo. They lacked something that I can only describe as 'soul'. They don't have the magic you get in a good Gibson. I'd rather have another SG.

The player has soul. The guitar is just a tool.
 
Re: What's with the Love or Hate thing in regards to PRS Guitars?.....

If PRS shaped guitars had come out in 1952 and the LP shape only recently thought up, would we have a thread asking why so many people hate them?

A guitar can be as good as any, but still not click with someone who likes another style better.
 
Re: What's with the Love or Hate thing in regards to PRS Guitars?.....

I don't love or hate PRS guitars. The absolute nicest two guitars that I ever owned were a pair of Custom 24s with "10" tops and bird inlays. One was a 1998 model and the other a 1999. Whale Blue and Black Cherry. BEAUTIFUL guitars, with fit, finish, and playability next-to-none. Bought them new for $2600 each. For two years I practically worshiped those guitars.

But the shine wore-off eventually and I was left with a sterile feeling. They had NO vibe or mojo in them. They were almost TOO beautiful and too easy to play. Left me uninspired. The stock pickups were completely flat to my ears. And I hated that stupid 5-way rotary knob. I sold the blue one on Ebay and the red one to a guitar student of mine. He still offers to sell it back to me, and I still think about it. But haven't pulled the trigger. If I ever do, the pickups will come right out and be replaced with my beloved JB/59 combo, and the rotary switch will be replaced with a toggle and push-pull tone pot.

I've got an acquaintence who is part owner in a music store. He used to swear by his LPs, but now adores his SC245. I will admit that I've wanted a Single Cut since they came out, but I HATE HATE HATE the wide-fat neck profile (probably because my hands aren't big).

Anyways... I think that PRS guitars are awesome, but in the end they just didn't give me the vibe I wanted. My favorite guitars for years have been the ESP Ltd EC series. I had two EC-1000s and now have FOUR EC-400s. I like them more than those PRS' and more than the Gibson/Epi LPs that I've owned. They "do it" for me. But to each his or her own...
 
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Re: What's with the Love or Hate thing in regards to PRS Guitars?.....

Your interpretation is very different from mine. I believe GJ's hypothetical was not "buy off the haters with a free guitar" but rather to exemplify "The haters would rave about how nice they were if they weren't so caught up in how much a PRS cost".

You could make that argument for just about anything that is perceived as overpriced. I defend the similarly "overpriced" Gibsons, but not by asking people to ignore the dollar amounts involved. If a guitar is to be considered good, I think it has to be good for the price for which you can actually buy one.

Personally, I don't think PRS is overpriced. My main issue with the guitar itself is the cosmetics. I think they look good, but they just aren't me.
 
Re: What's with the Love or Hate thing in regards to PRS Guitars?.....

Another random thought that struck me is that PRS is pretty pragmatic with a number of things.

Music Man would, in theory, be my favorite guitar maker. Except they don't make anything I would play because it either has a too narrow nut. I also highly prefer a 6-point trem over a 2-point.

And then there's PRS which has perfect neck profiles for me and 6-point trems.

I think it's time to pony up and give them another shot...
 
Re: What's with the Love or Hate thing in regards to PRS Guitars?.....

I own two... But it wasn't until I got the David Grissom model was I really a true believer.
It is the pinnacle in my mind! Perfect neck, perfect pickups... I don't feel that way about my CU22. It is beautiful looking... but very hard to find a sound for, and or pickups.

Most models (other than the DGT or McCarty) can be THIN sometimes... and until recently, I never cared for their pickups. At all...
They can fall short of either a Les Paul or a Strat... but can do a fair job getting close to either.
Again... The PRS DGT is the pinnacle of solid body guitar design!
.
 
Re: What's with the Love or Hate thing in regards to PRS Guitars?.....

I own two... But it wasn't until I got the David Grissom model was I really a true believer.
It is the pinnacle in my mind! Perfect neck, perfect pickups... I don't feel that way about my CU22. It is beautiful looking... but very hard to find a sound for, and or pickups.

Most models (other than the DGT or McCarty) can be THIN sometimes... and until recently, I never cared for their pickups. At all...
They can fall short of either a Les Paul or a Strat... but can do a fair job getting close to either.
Again... The PRS DGT is the pinnacle of solid body guitar design!
.


Good to know! I had always wondered about the DGT. I did "own" a McCarty for about a week (back in 1999 before I bought my second CU24). It had tons of LP type vibe to it and would have been an awesome guitar to have kept. But I just couldn't stand the wide-fat neck profile. Kind of wish I'd have kept it -- might still own it.
 
Re: What's with the Love or Hate thing in regards to PRS Guitars?.....

They can fall short of either a Les Paul or a Strat... but can do a fair job getting close to either.
Well, AFAICT, the SC 58 is the PRS attempt at a Les Paul knockoff, and the DC3 is their attempt at a Strat knockoff. So, yeah, sure, "gettting close"... :laugh2:
 
Re: What's with the Love or Hate thing in regards to PRS Guitars?.....

I have always dug the looks of PRSs but played 4 the other day and found them to sound pretty bland, not to mention really hard to play (kinda how it feels when you play a cheap acoustic). They all sounded somewhat muffled and didnt seem to ring out very well either (somewhat lifeless>>> wondered if maybe it was due to the fret size they use or specific fret material they use?). I have played a few other PRSs in the past but don't recall them being so bland, hard to play, and whatnot.
 
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Re: What's with the Love or Hate thing in regards to PRS Guitars?.....

I have always dug the looks of PRSs but played 4 the other day and found them to sound pretty bland, not to mention really hard to play (kinda how it feels when you play a cheap acoustic). They all sounded somewhat muffled and didnt seem to ring out very well either (somewhat lifeless>>> wondered if maybe it was due to the fret size they use or specific fret material they use?). I have played a few other PRSs in the past but don't recall them being so bland, hard to play, and whatnot.

Played them at Guitar Center? They have a lot ofguitars they turn into that description
 
Re: What's with the Love or Hate thing in regards to PRS Guitars?.....

Played them at Guitar Center? They have a lot ofguitars they turn into that description
Yeah, I've heard quality built guitars can magically turn to crap just by being shipped to a GC. :lmao:
 
Re: What's with the Love or Hate thing in regards to PRS Guitars?.....

Yeah, I've heard quality built guitars can magically turn to crap just by being shipped to a GC. :lmao:

Could be the setups get messed around with, and the sweat, dirt, and rust on the strings. Nothing sounds good in that condition. I've (briefly) played music store guitars that were virtual biohazards.
 
Re: What's with the Love or Hate thing in regards to PRS Guitars?.....

Could be the setups get messed around with, and the sweat, dirt, and rust on the strings. Nothing sounds good in that condition. I've (briefly) played music store guitars that were virtual biohazards.

The only GC I've been to is the big one in New York and one of the staff was cleaning the strings of a Jazz Bass with Easy Off Bam!
Although the other stores in New York were all much better.
Most stores do very little these days to keep the stock in good condition on the shop floor it just isn't cost effective people who by new guitars don't want the one on the floor so it's a lost cause. There are a few exceptions World Guitars in the UK go out of their way to keep everything playable (as the cheapest thing they stock are Fender Custom Shop guitars it pays them to) But most of the shops in London are not so good.
 
Re: What's with the Love or Hate thing in regards to PRS Guitars?.....

PRS guitars are like BMW cars:

They're well built, they're durable, some folks think their user-base is haughty, their lower level stuff is still great, there are some folks who use them because they make them look cool, some people use them well and prove that they have what it takes.

Anything that's not boring will have passionate lovers and haters.

Think of the guy in the 2009 BMW 335i who bought it to look flashy to chicks. Think of the guy with the 2009 Modern Eagle who bought it to look flashy to chicks.

Think of the guy in the 2009 BMW 335i who bought it to autocross it, and drives circles around every other guy at the track. Think of the guy with the 2009 Modern Eagle who bought it to rock with, and plays circles around every guy on the scene.

ALL 4 OF THESE PEOPLE EXIST
 
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Re: What's with the Love or Hate thing in regards to PRS Guitars?.....

^ and they would all be better off playing Les Pauls -- ESPECIALLY the dude that rallies BMWs
 
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