PRS GAS - Help me turn away

[Scuba.Duba]

For years I played the PRS maple neck wide-thin CE24s, but I just don't like "spring mounted" pups. I truly believe the direct coupled to the body is key to the overall tone and natural presence of the instrument.

I have four of these: http://romanguitars.com/shop/guitars/qu ... rs/A32-174.

I know, it's the late Ed Roman and everybody hated him, but in reality he's a cool guy if you know what you want. Ed would get 100s of calls every day asking about this and that and he kind of developed a rightly so a gregarious attitude.

Either way, Ed worked designing and building PRS guitars for over 20 years back in the day before he broke off and developed his own company many years ago. The "Quick Silver" is my baby - it's like a PRS on steroids and other performance enhancers.

On your free time, browse his website, there's a lot of interesting stuff on there.

http://romanguitars.com/index

 

[rokket2005]

General consensus seems to be that the newer the guitar the better they are getting. I have 5 core models(22,24, Singlecut,Singlecut Trem, 408) ranging from 2000 to 2014. My Singlecut which is an '01 is my main guitar and sounds and plays awesome, but the custom 24 from 2005 and 408 from '14 play and sound just as nice. My SCT maybe plays the best, but it really is all up to setup and I think any PRS can be setup to play awesome. I haven't tried their newer pickups, so I can't comment on them, but I think the only PRS pickups that are widely maligned are the Dragon II's and the #6's which came stock in the SCTs. I still have the stock #6's in my sct and I don't mind them honestly. I don't actually think any current PRS' have the rotary switch, so going new you wouldn't run into that issue.

I prefer the Wide Fat/Pattern necks, but the wide thin on the custom 24 is nice too, though I never really have any issues with neck shapes other the the off times I've tried v-necks.

 

[firegate]

PRS has really hit their stride lately IMO. They are definitely putting out their best guitars now - worked out a lot of usability kinks (like the rotary knobs and control layouts), the new pickups are lightyears ahead of their old designs, tone, sustain, etc etc. New neck profiles are a big improvement too IMO.

I never got the whole PRS thing when they first started to get popular. Now I just got my 4th (2 SC58's, Custom 24 and most recently a Custom 24 Floyd) and they are some of my favorite axes ever.

The Custom24 Floyd is amazing. Pattern Thin is a terrific neck profile, love the \m/ pickups and the guitar just sounds HUGE overall. I'm already in the market for another to be a backup.

 

[severinsteel]

I've owned 5 PRS's, and I've sold them all. They were all VERY well made, but the scale length (25'') always seemed weird to me. That was what always ruined it for me. I really tried to like PRS. I could never gel with it. I'm also a big fan of fat necks, but the W/F seemed a little uncomfortable to me. Finally, I'm just not big on the figured tops. I felt like I was playing a coffee table. They call PRS's Dentist guitars, haha.

 

[ProgFree]

They were all VERY well made, but the scale length (25'') always seemed weird to me. That was what always ruined it for me.

Happened the same to me because of the 25'' scale. Had a custom 24 for a while, it was a great guitar, but after years and years of playing either Les Pauls or superstrats I could not get used to that scale.

 

[mudf00t]

Every guitar is a players taste. A lot of people love Les Paul's but I just can never gel with one. If you find one that fits you, then do it.

My favorite PRS are the Black & Gold CU24 (I just sold the Mark Holcomb) I own as well as the 1995 CE22. I also really dig the 2 S2 standard 24s I own. They were blowing them out a couple of weeks ago when I was in GC and I bought a second one BRAND NEW for $649! The next day the price went back up.

I partially traded the Mark Holcomb for another B&G pictured below.

 

[geese_com]

One thing to note is that PRS guitars in the last 5 years or so have Pattern, Pattern Regular, or Pattern Thin neck profiles. Before that was the Wide Fat, Regular, and Wide Thin neck profiles. I much prefer PRS guitar with the newer neck carves but I know people whole like the old profiles. All personal taste.

http://www.prsguitars.com/csc/neckprofiles.html

 

[chumbucket]

One thing to note is that PRS guitars in the last 5 years or so have Pattern, Pattern Regular, or Pattern Thin neck profiles. Before that was the Wide Fat, Regular, and Wide Thin neck profiles. I much prefer PRS guitar with the newer neck carves but I know people whole like the old profiles. All personal taste.

http://www.prsguitars.com/csc/neckprofiles.html

There is also the Pattern Vintage which they are using on the new 594 model. It's supposed to be slightly assymetrical and in the ballpark of a Gibson '59 neck style. I have played the Pattern and found it to be very comfortable. Thicker than a Gibson 60's neck but probably a wee bit smaller than a 59.

From the PRS site - A new Pattern Vintage neck carve, which shares the same width measurements as PRS’s Pattern neck but is slightly thicker front to back and features an asymmetrical carve with a little less meat on the treble side and a little more meat on the bass side of the neck.

The 594 looks like a pretty cool axe. Thicker body than a regular McCarty and the beefiest neck they make. - http://www.prsguitars.com/index.php/electrics/core/mccarty_594

It would be cool if they did the SC245 in the thicker body and Pattern Vintage neck and 594 scale - http://www.prsguitars.com/index.php/ele ... ore/sc_245

 

[Beyond Black]

I had an amazing 2002 CU24 for a few years, played the hell out it, but ultimately grew tired of the 10" radius. I really prefer 12" radius and wish they made other guitars with a 12" instead of just the Santana. Or do they now?

 

[luther910]

I love my 24 custom!

 

[mudf00t]

There is also the Pattern Vintage which they are using on the new 594 model.

Yep. I bought one but as stated above, I never got along with Les Pauls. I sold it a couple of weeks ago on reverb.

 

[jski59]

DGT!!! Awesome gigging guitar...most prs pickups are meh but the DGT bridge is fantastic.

 

[Lampshade1973]

I bought 4 PRS this year nd sold a ton of stuff for them, 2 S2s, 1 Core and 2 SEs to beat the shit out of and I like the SEs as much as my Core and S2s, my favorite of all of em is a Satin Standard 22 trem and the Zack Meyers semi hollow...

 

[chumbucket]

I bought 4 PRS this year nd sold a ton of stuff for them, 2 S2s, 1 Core and 2 SEs to beat the shit out of and I like the SEs as much as my Core and S2s, my favorite of all of em is a Satin Standard 22 trem and the Zack Meyers semi hollow...

Yeah the used SE's are some of the most bang for the buck guitars around. I've only played the Korean ones though, I know that their new ones are manufactured at a different factory in Indonesia.

 

[chumbucket]

Paul Reed Smith McCarty 594 HOLY SHIT> that is amazing.

They oughta be amazing for what they cost.

 

[vultures]

I used to have a cool custom 22 PRS, the only thing i didn't like was the KNOB as pickup selector. If I get a new(er) one, I kinda want a blade switch.

There seems to be too many PRS models these days, but I'm kinda zeroing in on a Custom 24. (this is all because of Chris Poland's album Return to Megalopolis btw) He played a PRS on that album, and I just want to be like him.

So..what is the current situation with PRS? do you get a newer one? An older on? Things to watch out for? Things to look for?

Any help and suggestions would be appreciated!!

I've got a 1993 PRS CU24, from before they moved to the bigger factory. Idk if it's "Holy Grail" type of guitar, I can't seem to find the right pickups for it, the stock ones are long since blown out and need a rewire. I'd aim for a newer one, better technology building them, better finishes, more options. I can't really dig mine at all, hate the neck profile and playability, I end up playing my Ibanez's more.

The knob/switch thing was a huge pain in the arse for me as well. I ended up putting a 3-Way Gibson style switch in there, just needed to dremel the hole a millimeter or two to fit it. Pic: http://i.imgur.com/AMQQzmA.jpg

 

[squank]

I've owned 5 PRS's, and I've sold them all. They were all VERY well made, but the scale length (25'') always seemed weird to me...

They have guitars with 24.5" scale. Those are my faves.

 

[flatheads_4ever]

PRS's are very hit or miss. I've had a lot of them. The best are McCarty's from the late 90's that have Brazilian rosewood necks. I had a Custom 22 I bought at GC brand new for $1850 in the '90's that was magical. Most all the rest I've owned were duds.... but they looked pretty at doing so!

 

[Steinmetzify]

They have the Holcomb too, that's the only PRS I know of as a production model that's 25.5".

None of them are solid colors though.

 

[Shawn Lutz]

buy used so you don't lose your ass on resale value

I never owned a PRS as I haven't found one that plays and feels as good as they look. They are out there though...