Re: You Have To Buy A New Gibson or PRS - Which Do You Choose?
Well, I have 11 Les Pauls and no PRS guitars. I would say that the Historics I own are the best in terms of feel and tone (keeping in mind that my Number One guitar(s) are G&L Legacy bodies.) I have always been a Fender guy--my first electric guitar was a Fender Duo-Sonic, and I've owned a Fender guitar of some sort continuously for the past 49 years, be it Fender, Music Man or G&L. I've also had a love affair with Gibson, too--bought my first one in 1973, and rarely been without one.
Of the PRS guitars that I've tried, I would say that the Mira (not the S2 version) and the McCarty are my favorites, but I have not played a huge number of PRS guitars. I do look at them; they are lovely, and certainly one of the finest crafted instruments available today. I would love to try a Modern Eagle, the 513, and the new Paul's Guitar.
But...when I'm in the store, I tend not to pull them off the wall. It is as though I'm afraid to start liking them...I suspect they could become an even more expensive habit than my Gibsons.
But...
I always feel that there is something "lacking" in a PRS. I sort of feel the same way about my Taylor compared to my Martins. The Taylor is a beautiful guitar, and it is perfectly made, and the playability is excellent. But it doesn't have the warmth, the resonance...the "soul" that my Martins have. They are art...the Taylor is just a tool.
I'll admit, the guitars I lust for are the Gibson Historic LPs--I want a flame-top 1960 reissue SO BAD! Total LUST. And I don't feel that for any of the PRS models--never have. The Warren Haynes sig ES-335 is another guitar I have wet dreams about, but there's nothing in the PRS line that does that for me. The PRS is often seen as an attempt to bridge that gap between a Fender guitar and a Gibson--the best of both worlds--but to me it falls far short of that lofty goal. It's a good guitar in it's own right, but neither Fender or Gibson. It would be nice to have a 513, but it perhaps would be TOO MUCH art, and not enough tool.
Of course, all of the guitars I've written about are more than the $3000 limit of the OP. In the end though, I would choose and pursue that Historic Reissue Les Paul.
Bill