The great Singlecut debate: Gibson LP vs PRS Singlecut
- Thread starter napalmdeath
- Start date
Woah that was a great analogy.
I owned a Gibson Les Paul for most of my youth and I sold it in my early 20's. I always try other makes of single cuts but none of them had that mojo.
I dont get PRS guitars at all. I have tried so many of them hoping to finally get what people love about them but I just cant. The neck itself is usually the first thing I notice about a guitar and whether or not I will love it. Most of the PRS I've tried I didnt jive with the neck so it's all down hill from there. When it comes down to it though it's a matter of taste.
Markedman
Well-known member
The PRS headstock has grown on me, I still don't like it but, The Heritage? No, not, ever. On par with Epiphone as far as ugly headstocks.
PRS verses Les Paul. Different, that's all. I never thought that they were like Fender or Gibson. I've owned a few, meh.
Findthetone1
Well-known member
I have played Les Pauls for many years. I have tried numerous PRS and just cant find a neck I like. I do agree the tones between the two are not the same so if I bought one it wouldn't be to replace a LP it would be for something different but the necks and the 10" radius are probably what keep me away. I've also had a Heritage (a major sales regret) and I currently have a Bacchus MIJ LP Custom that is a damn good guitar.
japetus
Moderator
Yeah, aesthetics are a highly personal choice. Ive always been the guy who would rather play a guitar I may not like the looks of as much but sounds and plays amazing ...over a beautiful guitar with average playability. One thing I will at least say about the Heritages, the best ones I have played have completely shit on the best Gibsons/PRS I have played in terms of playability. But once again, personal preference.
jabps
Well-known member
My recommendation.
If you can, own both! And I do. 4 Les Pauls (2 customs, 2 standards) and two PRS Tremonti II's (I've owned as many as 4).
Build quality goes to the PRS. Sound would go the Les Paul as there's really nothing that sounds like them and once you get hooked on that sound, hard to forget it. Playability, obviously this is subjective but it goes in cycles for me. I love the PRS neck on my Tremonti's and throw in the trem, it has alot more possibilities than my Pauls. Lately I've been stuck on the PRS's but in goes in cycles as I'll eventually circle back around to the Pauls. I also chased the tail and at one time tried to get the PRS's to sound like the Pauls, don't waste your time IMO. They have their own sound and the stock Tremonti pups are fantastic. Took me several years and alot of pups to come to that realization and once you accept that, you realize they sound amazing. A Strat doesn't sound like a Les Paul, it is it's own thing. PRS is no different.
As far as "mojo", IMO that really comes from the player. If you don't "bond" with a guitar then that guitar will never have any mojo. Your basic Strat or Tele, I don't bond with them but it would be ridiculous of me to say they have no mojo, just because I cannot bond with them.
All said 2 of the 3 of my all time favorite guitars are my black Les Paul Standard and my Black/Gray PRS Tremonti. Both have seen a ton of live gigs, recordings etc... I will never part with them as I parted with one of my favs (an ESP Horizon) and have regretted that ever since.
Bottom line, I love them both and couldn't imagine not having at least one of each.
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SpiderWars
Well-known member
I'm another that just hasn't found a PRS that I really liked. But I haven't played that many and I really like Les Pauls so I'm biased.
I've had a great Heritage 575 and another that played/sounded great but weighed a friggin ton. Just my opinion but Heritage is just not on the same level as Gibson, especially fretwork. I went to a Heritage dealer's house where he had a bunch and played a bunch, all but one had shoddy fretwork. It actually seemed like "no fretwork", very sandpapery, rough feel to all of them except the one I bought (it went straight from factory to Glaser who refretted/PLEK'd it, it was amazing but had the small nut, skinny neck).
I've had a great Heritage 575 and another that played/sounded great but weighed a friggin ton. Just my opinion but Heritage is just not on the same level as Gibson, especially fretwork. I went to a Heritage dealer's house where he had a bunch and played a bunch, all but one had shoddy fretwork. It actually seemed like "no fretwork", very sandpapery, rough feel to all of them except the one I bought (it went straight from factory to Glaser who refretted/PLEK'd it, it was amazing but had the small nut, skinny neck).
stratjacket
Well-known member
My opinion is probably not worth much since I don’t care much for singlecut guitars and don’t like LP’s at all. But I will give it since that’s what we do here 
After trying a PRS CE24 about 3 or 4 years ago for the first time, it did open me up to other non-superstrat types. So along the way I bought a PRS sc594 and sc245. I just traded the 594 for a PRS Custom22+cash and really like the Custom 22 much better, total win. I’m really close to putting the SC245 up for sale as well. So my opinion on it I guess I’d skip the Singlecut altogether, they’re just boring to me, obviously I know I’m in the minority on that opinion. But tastes change, maybe one day I’ll do the LP thing...
After trying a PRS CE24 about 3 or 4 years ago for the first time, it did open me up to other non-superstrat types. So along the way I bought a PRS sc594 and sc245. I just traded the 594 for a PRS Custom22+cash and really like the Custom 22 much better, total win. I’m really close to putting the SC245 up for sale as well. So my opinion on it I guess I’d skip the Singlecut altogether, they’re just boring to me, obviously I know I’m in the minority on that opinion. But tastes change, maybe one day I’ll do the LP thing...
With all due respect, I don't agree. If all guitars of similar model had equal mojo that would be it, no need to find that elusive vintage strat or LP or the perfect Charvel etc...they'd all be the same. We all know that ain't how it works. I've played 3 guitars in my life that just blew me away...a 65 strat priced at $15,000, a 50's Gibson Byrdland at $20,000, and an old, beat to shit LP Deluxe from the mid 70s at less than $1000, they all had "it", played super easy, sounded great for their respective duties. To me, they had the mojo. I've never had that experience with a PRS, and I've tried. I've played a bunch, owned one Custom 24 (returned to GC within their trial period), even one of my guitar playing buddies has a beautiful early trans amber Custom 24 with birds etc from early in "production" and he just can't bond with it, but he has a pile of early LP Classics and some early 70s LP Customs that he rocks out with regularly. He's a great player too so it's not his lack of ability, in fact, he's the one that said PRS has no mojo, I just happen to agree with him. YMMV.
braintheory
Well-known member
Agreed, but those vintage guitars are just another level, not fair lol. My favorites I’ve tried have been my ‘57 Les Paul Jr, ‘64 SG Jr and my friend has a ‘57 Strat (best vintage Strat I’ve played) and he has an exceptional ‘56 Les Paul Standard that was retro fitted with PAF’s (it sent packing some real ‘59 LP’s he’s owned). Even the best newer made guitars I’ve played are cute at best compared to a great vintage guitar. The warmth and 3D quality they have just isn’t there with guitars I’ve played that were made within the last 30-40 years
I actually also tried about a year ago a late ‘60’s Les Paul Deluxe that was really great. It was retrofitted with humbuckers and I asked the guy at the store what pickups were in it because it sounded so good. I was guessing maybe PAF’s or early ‘60 pickups and turned out to be just regular ‘57 classics made today. Just goes to show a really great guitar like that can still sound great even with subpar pickups, while I’ve tried the best pickups made today and even some vintage ones in some just ok guitars I’ve had and still couldn’t save them. This would probably have also held true if I tried them in the PRS Custom 24 Wood Library I had, but it didn’t stay long enough to try lol. It did look beautiful though imo
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I will weigh in that having had my share of both, they are different it just is what it is. The difference I have found is that EVERY PRS Core/Signature model I have played sounded and played very consistently. LP's well you know you have have to play 20 to find a good one.
I did just get a Stripped 58 and honestly it is as nice as any R series or Custom LP I have played. The 57/08's really are the real deal for vintage LP tones, and the scale length matters. Unfortunately some old hand injuries are forcing me to sell it and search for smaller necked gtrs..
I did just get a Stripped 58 and honestly it is as nice as any R series or Custom LP I have played. The 57/08's really are the real deal for vintage LP tones, and the scale length matters. Unfortunately some old hand injuries are forcing me to sell it and search for smaller necked gtrs..
stratjacket
Well-known member
I’m really curious about thoughts on the LP’s. I’ve heard and read for so many years about LP build quality, broken headstocks, crappy this or that. With all that it still seems LP is the majority winner so far in this thread. Is it just old ones, just really high end ones or just luck of the draw on what you get with an LP and when you do it’s “it”?
jabps
Well-known member
And I'll disagree as well. To me it starts with the bond. If you don't have that, then what does it matter what the guitar is "supposed" to have. In fact most of your reply confirms that for me.
Living in Nashville I've played a ton of vintage stuff. Great it's vintage but if I don't bond with it what does it matter? I'm not going to make myself like it just because it's vintage. And yet I've played alot of vintage stuff that I loved. I just played a used PRS Custom 24 that if I had the dough I would have bought on the spot. One of my many gear regrets is not buying a cheapo "faded" Les Paul jr. that played and sounded incredible off the rack, went back to buy it and gone. And I've picked up numerous Suhr's and I simply cannot deal with them, doesn't mean they aren't good. Tom Anderson guitars, I've owned several and wanted to love them but I couldn't. Both of those brands are amazing, just not for me. And yet a ton of guys will swear by those guitars. I've played alot of crappy PRS's and Les Pauls (to me) but I'd bet someone bought those guitars and love them.
I also don't think there is a timeframe on bonding with a guitar as well. I've picked guitars up off the rack and it was immediate as the two scenarios above. And vice versa, one of my top 3 is my beat up 92 Les Paul Standard, it took me a bit to warm to that guitar, most importantly I did not force it. Now it's the measuring stick.
So for me, you either bond or you don't. And if you don't why keep it unless you're collecting. And if you do, that's the mojo. I have a Chubtone incoming, I hope I bond with it.
Btw/ I feel this way about all gear amps, pedals etc... As a player you gotta bond with it or it doesn't matter what the gear is "supposed" to be or do. When I ask questions about amps, invariably someone will say "what type of music". To me that doesn't matter, what I usually want to know is does the amp have enough of this or that. If so they I can make it do what I want regardless of the style music I play if I bond with it.
But as you said YMMV.
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braintheory
Well-known member
From my experiences some LP’s from the US line can be good if you try a lot, but still none as good as a good Custom Shop one or vintage one, so I’d say yes the high end ones and vintage ones. If it we excluded Custom Shop or vintage Gibson’s, I’d probably then choose PRS as the winner in this debate
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braintheory
Well-known member
I’m going to slightly disagree. I agree about the consistency of PRS and I guess about trying many US line Gibson’s to find a good one (many are not great), but I think from their Custom Shop they’re usually consistently good to very good and sometimes great here and there (have yet to try a bad Custom Shop Gibson) and of their real vintage ones (‘50’s and 60’s) they’re usually at least great, but one out of maybe 10-20 will be magical/exceptional. With PRS I find them to consistently sound meh and the best ones I’ve tried I’d say are very good, but wouldn’t say great
SpiderWars
Well-known member
LPs get made in volume (so more duds) and due to the price are held to a higher standard than most guitars, not PRS per se but still higher than most other "off the shelf" guitars. People that pay a premium for Custom Shop/Reissues/etc will usually tell you that you have to spend that to truly get a great one. I haven't played enough to dispute that but will say everytime I went to buy a RI it did not justify the extra money because it wasn't even any better than my Standard. After doing that many times I decided I just couldn't justify all that money for a Custom Shop/RI and now I wouldn't even consider one based on the ridic prices.
Eastman is a brand that prices have crept up to almost used Gibson prices. The workmanship is allegedly good but the materials (esp woods) are suspect to me.
Eastman is a brand that prices have crept up to almost used Gibson prices. The workmanship is allegedly good but the materials (esp woods) are suspect to me.