Woah that was a great analogy.I see it like this - PRS are to the guitar world what Friedman and Bogner are to amps. Refined, polished well-made pieces that pretty reliably sound great. An LP into a Marshall is unrefined, unpolished, hit and miss - but more rock and roll. Your mileage may, and probably will, vary.
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.Buy a Heritage
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.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.
My recommendation.So, the Les Paul is THE benchmark for many. But, whose jumped to PRS, and what are your thoughts on the two, head to head. Sure, only an LP sounds like an LP, but who can deny the build quality of an SC58, SC245, 594?
Thoughts?
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.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.
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 yearsWith 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.
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.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.
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 debateI’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”?
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 greatI 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..