PRS guitars - Lost their appeal?

[Moshe]

Is Paul Reed Smith guitars washed up? I remember when these were one of THE guitars to own. I just dont hear about them anymore...

[hubberjub***]

They aren't bad guitars. There are just better guitars for the money.

[Fab4]

I've had a couple three PRS guitars and I keep selling them...still, I like the David Grissom model with the nitro finish and the two volume controls. I love the body shape. The Custom 22 I had was the most beautiful object I've ever owned, but I could never hang with just the master volume and tone...that's why the Grissom is appealing.

[Rx Tone]

Washed up?...ummmm....no...
They're some of the highest quality U.S.A. made guitars.

They aren't bad guitars. There are just better guitars for the money.

"better" in what way? Which ones are better and why?

[mrmudcat]

"better" in what way? Which ones are better and why?


Carvin comes to mind!!!:




PRS as well as Gibson are really getting on the overpriced bandwagon!


My cali carve top carvin came in at under $1500 built to my specs ............PRS would of charged about $3000-4000 :


I do want the prs swamp ash model but doubt ill be buying one anytime soon


Have you checked out these guitars made in your own backyard,now id spend $3500-4000 on one of those voodoo custom


They really are a great lil southern enviremently conscious company

http://www.neworleansguitar.com/

[M29]

I like mine

[mrmudcat]

I am in no way saying they are not great built guitars

It is getting harder and harder to find good american built guitars that are not overpriced:

Carvin is one of those companies but I know firsthand the electronics (pots, caps) are inferior to prs and others .......carvin pups I like!

[tot_Ou_tard]

Send me all your flotsam & jetsam.

[hubberjub***]

Washed up?...ummmm....no...
They're some of the highest quality U.S.A. made guitars.




"better" in what way? Which ones are better and why?

I don't think they are washed up. They aren't the company they started out as. The guitars are beautiful. They have made some choices in terms of design that I don't care for. I know this is an Ed Roman complaint but it's legit. The neck heel is inexcusable. There's no reason it should be as big as it is. The hardware has also gone downhill. The original bridge they used was by Manne but now they use a much cheaper unit. My all time favorite PRS was the EG series from the early 90's. It was handmade in the US and was cheap. They were great guitars. They still make great guitars but many companies are building superior guitars that far undercut PRS prices. You aren't going to find them in the Musicians Friend catalog. Google luthiers in your area. You'll find someone who builds a quality product that costs way less that the equivalent PRS and you won't look like every other guitar player on the block. There is no reason that these threads should be taken so personally. It shouldn't be a crime for people to express their opinion. We're all here to have fun and further our playing.

[TS808]

All the folks I know who bought a PRS either loved them or hated them. It seems that the majority of people I know who didn't like PRS guitars were former strat players who bought a PRS and then went back to their strats.

PRS guitars are sweet, but in my opinion, way overpriced. Especially considering that the neck heel (as someone mentioned) is a real design flaw, as well as the fact that contrary to popular belief, most of the PRS models are not hand machined.

But I agree...you can get some guitars built to the same quality for much less. It seems that the major manufacturers, whether PRS, Gibson, and Fender, are doing their best to price themselves out of the market.

[Plank_Spanker]

I'll take heat for this but:

PRS builds a great guitar - that I wouldn't be caught dead with one on stage. For years, every one finger, two string power chord poser was on video and print making guitar faces with a PRS guitar..................and espousing their "solos are wanking, it's all about the song" excuse for their utter lack of talent. But they had their PRS endorsements...............................

Call it vanity, but I will never play a PRS. My mind equates them with all of the talentless morons that played them and droned on with the "solos are wanking" ( I suck but I'm in a magazine) mantra.

********Putting on flame proof suit now********************

[markb]

I'll take heat for this but:

PRS builds a great guitar - that I wouldn't be caught dead with one on stage. For years, every one finger, two string power chord poser was on video and print making guitar faces with a PRS guitar..................and espousing their "solos are wanking, it's all about the song" excuse for their utter lack of talent. But they had their PRS endorsements...............................

Call it vanity, but I will never play a PRS. My mind equates them with all of the talentless morons that played them and droned on with the "solos are wanking" ( I suck but I'm in a magazine) mantra.

********Putting on flame proof suit now********************

But other than that, they're OK, right?

[tot_Ou_tard]

Call it vanity, but I will never play a PRS. My mind equates them with all of the talentless morons that played them and droned on with the "solos are wanking" ( I suck but I'm in a magazine) mantra.

Did the talentless morons have a decent guitar to not wank on?

[wingsdad]

I don't think they are washed up. They aren't the company they started out as. ...

They've even resorted to a series of 'affordable' Asian imports, the SE series...now you can have a PRS that's on a par with a Chinese, Indonesian or Korean Samick, Cort, Ibanez or Epiphone...

[Rx Tone]

I don't think they are washed up. They aren't the company they started out as. The guitars are beautiful. They have made some choices in terms of design that I don't care for. I know this is an Ed Roman complaint but it's legit. The neck heel is inexcusable. There's no reason it should be as big as it is. The hardware has also gone downhill. The original bridge they used was by Manne but now they use a much cheaper unit. My all time favorite PRS was the EG series from the early 90's. It was handmade in the US and was cheap. They were great guitars. They still make great guitars but many companies are building superior guitars that far undercut PRS prices. You aren't going to find them in the Musicians Friend catalog. Google luthiers in your area. You'll find someone who builds a quality product that costs way less that the equivalent PRS and you won't look like every other guitar player on the block. There is no reason that these threads should be taken so personally. It shouldn't be a crime for people to express their opinion. We're all here to have fun and further our playing.

I agree with most of that.I like the tuners a lot and actually I haven't had any trouble with the bridge.I'm sure I couldn't hear any difference anyway.I like individual height adjustment saddles.It stays in tune with normal whammy use...all in all it's well made, nice looking, and sounds good (to me).If I had to find something to dislike I guess I'd have to agree about the heel. It reminds me of a Rickenbacker.
I wasn't challenging you, just asking.

Have you checked out these guitars made in your own backyard,now id spend $3500-4000 on one of those voodoo custom

No I haven't. I am aware of them, though.Good point. There's also a guy near here, Gerard Melancon in Thibodeaux, who builds excellent guitars.Really nice ones that I have seen and played.He's probably got a website.I honestly don't know.

[mrmudcat]

Hey brother(Rx) not sure your into tats I am.but check out a lifetime childhood friend of mine cameron sweet(my youngest boy was named after him!) Cant wait to get back to norleans one day .....Katrina almost took him and the rest of the place but he survived and he has flown up here to see me since( but ive not witnessed the wreakage firsthand down there) If ya need a shrimp he will put it on ya at:


http://www.electricladyland.net/

Peace brother!


Sorry to stray from the debate but potato/taters ,tomatoes /tom'atoes............yada yada ............:

[Rx Tone]

Hey brother(Rx) not sure your into tats I am.but check out a lifetime childhood friend of mine cameron sweet(my youngest boy was named after him!) Cant wait to get back to norleans one day .....Katrina almost took him and the rest of the place but he survived and he has flown up here to see me since( but ive not witnessed the wreakage firsthand down there) If ya need a shrimp he will put it on ya at:


http://www.electricladyland.net/

Peace brother!


Sorry to stray from the debate but potato/taters ,tomatoes /tom'atoes............yada yada ............:

I know exactly where that is.I got one I'd like covered...it's old and faded...Thanks!

[pes_laul]

I know what you mean, though they are some of the nicest guitars I've played. I think it was a custom 22 my friends dad had and it was probably the nicest guitar I've ever played.

[helliott***]

Count me as one of the people wondering. I have a CE-22 and 24, and like them both. But when I challenged myself to figure out which of my axes I'd use in a new band, I settled on the US Strat. And am very happy. The PRS 22 sits on the stand in case I break a string in midsong. Not a noble place, but the Strat with S-1 switching and a ballsy amph gives me more choices.