PRS guitars - Lost their appeal?

[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?

[abraxas]

I don't see PRS guitars as being washed up. They are still one of the first choices for any professional player who needs humbuckers for their sound. And, contrary to Gibsons, PRS guitars have NEVER had any ups or downs in quality.

The Mira as well as the affortable SE series (I've got one), are very well positioned in the marketplace. I don't care much for flashy carved tops and the like, let alone bird inlays, but I can understand the appeal for some people.

I'd take a PRS over a similarly priced Gibson anyday. YMMV and most probably will.

[duhvoodooman***]

A guy I worked with for a while had a couple of the high-end PRS's and I got to play two of them. They were both gorgeous and the build quality was obviously excellent, but neither excited me from a playing standpoint. Don't know what was missing, exactly--just didn't seem to have much personality, for lack of a better term. Interestingly, he rarely played them either....mostly because he was a LP guy (and owned 10 of 'em, all Gibbies ). If I was going to pay over $1000 for a solid-body electric guitar, it would be that Carvin Cali Carved-Top that's been mentioned here a couple of times. The high-end PRS's just seem too expensive to me....as do Gibson Les Paul's in general.

That said, I've read consistently excellent things about the SE series. I see the prices have gone up some, but most still seem to street in the $500 - $700 range. Not cheap, but certainly reasonable in today's market for a good instrument. Though Asian-made like so many other brands offer in cheaper guitars, there are certainly significant differences based upon materials, mfg. processes, workmanship, inspection, set-up, etc. People who own the SE guitars generally seem very, very pleased with them, so PRS seems to be playing the Asian-made product game very effectively.

[marnold***]

That denim Modern Eagle II sure is sexy, but it's also six grand.

[tot_Ou_tard]

That denim Modern Eagle II sure is sexy, but it's also six grand.

I find six grand sexier.

[oldguy]

I liked it until I saw the back shot of the neck heel..........

[Fab4]

I liked it until I saw the back shot of the neck heel..........

Y'know, I've heard that rant about the PRS neck heel before...(for the record, I think Ed Roman is largely FOS and mostly interested in selling his own line of guitars to people who don't know what they're looking at or for, but I digress)...and I don't really understand the fuss.

I've had three PRSs - a Custom 22, a Single Cut and a CE24. I ultimately didn't like the Wide Fat neck on the Custom 22 and Single Cut and the lack of a second volume control on the the CE24, that's why they moved on. BUT, I've never had an issue with the neck heel.

Sure it could be all nice and smoothed out and that might be better, but I've never really noticed it as I play. One of the reason I got the CE24 was to get a 24-fret neck, so I do play up there on a regular basis. On the flip side, I have an ESP with a very smooth neck heel, but it wasn't a major selling point for me.

As a player and owner of a wide range of guitars, with all kinds of neck/body connections, it just seems to me like the Grand PRS Neck Heel Controversy is a non-issue that one well-known curmudgeon put out in the marketplace to diss a competitive manufacturer. You may feel differently, of course, but it hasn't kept PRS from selling a lot of instruments to everyday players like me and to others who can pretty much afford any guitar they want.

[M29]

I don't find the neck heel a problem either. I don't even notice it unless I look at the back. It does look odd but it is a non issue as far as I am concerned.
It seems that I read or heard that they extended the heel because of a lack of tone in a certain frequency range or something like that and that it added to the sustain.

M29

[Robert****]

I haven't yet played a PRS that has much appeal, but then again, I haven't played very many of these. Must be some good ones in the lot if you know in which pile to look.

[oldguy]

Y'know, I've heard that rant about the PRS neck heel before...(for the record, I think Ed Roman is largely FOS and mostly interested in selling his own line of guitars to people who don't know what they're looking at or for, but I digress)...and I don't really understand the fuss.

I've had three PRSs - a Custom 22, a Single Cut and a CE24. I ultimately didn't like the Wide Fat neck on the Custom 22 and Single Cut and the lack of a second volume control on the the CE24, that's why they moved on. BUT, I've never had an issue with the neck heel.

Sure it could be all nice and smoothed out and that might be better, but I've never really noticed it as I play. One of the reason I got the CE24 was to get a 24-fret neck, so I do play up there on a regular basis. On the flip side, I have an ESP with a very smooth neck heel, but it wasn't a major selling point for me.



As a player and owner of a wide range of guitars, with all kinds of neck/body connections, it just seems to me like the Grand PRS Neck Heel Controversy is a non-issue that one well-known curmudgeon put out in the marketplace to diss a competitive manufacturer. You may feel differently, of course, but it hasn't kept PRS from selling a lot of instruments to everyday players like me and to others who can pretty much afford any guitar they want.

I didn't consider it a rant..........it may play great....I didn't know there was a "Grand PRS Neck Heel Controversy"........I'm not affiliated with Ed Roman in any way..........I'm glad you can afford pretty much any guitar you want.......and if that's the instrument that speaks to you, I applaud you for owning it and playing it........but personally...........I just think it's ugly.

[Fab4]

I didn't consider it a rant..........it may play great....I didn't know there was a "Grand PRS Neck Heel Controversy"........I'm not affiliated with Ed Roman in any way..........I'm glad you can afford pretty much any guitar you want.......and if that's the instrument that speaks to you, I applaud you for owning it and playing it........but personally...........I just think it's ugly.

I didn't mean to imply that YOU were ranting. I first heard of the neck heel thing on Ed Roman's website in the "Rants" section on his website, so it is eternally a "rant" in my mind, and in other places on the web beyond this forum it has turned into a bona fide rant......I think it plays great but that's just me, you may feel differently (as I said)......see "Rants" above......I didn't think or mean to suggest that you are affiliated with Ed Roman. I only mentioned him because that's where I first heard about the PRS neck heel change......I said I was an everyday player and that "others" who can afford any guitar they want choose PRS - Al DiMeola, Carlos Santana and David Grissom come to my mind as examples.....what speaks to me may not speak to you. That's part of the fun......beauty, as always, is in the eye of the beholder.

To each his or her own and more power to ya!

[oldguy]

Fair enough!
And as I said earlier, I would love to own one someday.............

[sumitomo]

Here's one reason,awhile back I thought I'd try one of those SX strats from Rondo It was a custom one (CB has one too) anyway it came in a sweet case and it felt good to me,well I had it set up fret level ect.Blocked the trem.and put 11's on it cause its a fret shorter scale and man this is a great guitar pup's too I'm not gunna change em they sound great and all this for about 235.00.It hard to pay 3000 to 6000 when 250.00 work's and sounds as good and I have a higher end strat and a custom warmoth this guitar's as good if not better.Sumi

[markb]

It's the flamy finishes that put me off especially the blue ones for some reason. I really like the mahogany SE soapbars, they're great no nonsense rock 'n' roll guitars.

If you want the tonal versatility of a PRS Custom with the feel of a strat, here's a diagram for the PRS 5-way setup on a blade switch.

http://deaf-eddie.net/drawings/dbl-fat-prs.jpg

[Childbride]

Here's one reason,awhile back I thought I'd try one of those SX strats from Rondo It was a custom one (CB has one too) anyway it came in a sweet case and it felt good to me,well I had it set up fret level ect.Blocked the trem.and put 11's on it cause its a fret shorter scale and man this is a great guitar pup's too I'm not gunna change em they sound great and all this for about 235.00.It hard to pay 3000 to 6000 when 250.00 work's and sounds as good and I have a higher end strat and a custom warmoth this guitar's as good if not better.Sumi

on my list, Sumi. need new pups in her.

[M29]

Hey that is cool markb thanks:

M29

[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!