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PRS Love'em or Hate'em?


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Love the 22 fretters after the proprietary pickups are replaced.

Exactly. LOVE the trem.

Been wanting to pick one up for many years, but never had the Jack when one popped up at the right price in the finish I could live with.

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Like every other upscale guitar brand.

Good workmanship/materials. Very pretty guitars for the most part.

You'll find some guitars that sound and feel so great when you play them and others not so. I can only think of one PRS that I thought was a dog - found it in a big box store which may explain why it was in the shape it was in (not set up properly; not in tune).

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PRS Guitars are the most beautiful guitars made from an asthetic point of view. Paul Reed Smith got the body shape perfect.

When I tried one for the first time in 1988 it was a disappointment only because I was used to a different neck shape and bridge. That threw me off. Since then I have tried a handful more and the response varied to each one. I respect the PRS brand, but I feel most comfortable with Hamers. I could own a PRS one day, but I do not expect to end up with one.

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I fell in love with a KL380 at GC last year sometime. That's kind of an odd model: Korina, three p-90s with a five-way switch - sort of a Strat on steroids. The neck was pretty near perfect (for me). The whole guitar was very comfortable to play and sounded great.

Relating to other models, the fit, finish, ergonomics, whatever, were outstanding and the trem was excellent. Now I'm jonesing for a DGT (must be gold top, moons, however!).

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Love the 22 fretters after the proprietary pickups are replaced.

What is it about PRS pickups? That's a comment i've heard a bunch of times, replace the pups.

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What is it about PRS pickups? That's a comment i've heard a bunch of times, replace the pups.

It's primarily a personal taste thing, but I attribute the ubiquitous "no mojo" criticisms to the pickups. They're just bland, lifeless and too low output for my tastes. And they always have been. I worked at GC from 91-93 and had access to a large amount of PRSi across all price points. The physical feel of all of them was stellar, but once plugged in, they left a lot to be desired.

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Love the 22 fretters after the proprietary pickups are replaced.

Depends on the pickups. I actually like the Dragon 1's in my CE, the #6s in my single cut, my McCartys in my McCarty and my DGTs in my DGT. Oh, Dragon 2's in my Custom 22, but they're a more modern sounding pickup. I also have three McCarty Trems. One has 5708s, one has DGTs and one has McCarty pickups. They all sound great, but different. I did trade into a newer CE with the stock pickups replaced with a Rio BBQ/TX set and McCarty switching. It's seriously nice.

I'm heading out of town for a gig this weekend and am taking the two CEs and it will be interesting to compare them in a gig situation.

What is it about PRS pickups? That's a comment i've heard a bunch of times, replace the pups.

It's primarily a personal taste thing, but I attribute the ubiquitous "no mojo" criticisms to the pickups. They're just bland, lifeless and too low output for my tastes. And they always have been. I worked at GC from 91-93 and had access to a large amount of PRSi across all price points. The physical feel of all of them was stellar, but once plugged in, they left a lot to be desired.

I will say that I'm not a fan of the stock pickups in a Custom 24 or the HFS (Hot - fat - screams) in my EG IV. But the newer pickups are fantastic.

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Like 'em, but not enough to replace the Hamers.

What i like:

  • Fat wide necks are great (LOVE the rosewood necks - it just feels right)
  • Well balanced
  • Well made and purty
  • Great trems and great wrap bridges
  • 25" scale (but i'm not picky here - i like 24.75, 25, and 25.5...)

What i don't like:

  • Pups - i think it's taste - my buddy loves 'em, and he has better ears than i do. Fortunately, an easy fix
  • Control layout - the vol control is in the perfect spot for volume swells, but i *always* hit it when i don't want to. I end up reaching down and checking the vol position a *lot*

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The only weak point in my '80s custom is the whole pickup thing. I've got a T & B set in there, and in many positions, they sound a bit too dark for my tastes.

They do sound great through my Boogie though (and oddly enough, my PRS 1/2 stack...hmmmm...), but seem to lack a warmth and depth that I've got in other guitars. I remember talking to Paul back in the '90s and he asked what I liked/loved, as well as what I disliked/hated about my guitar. He told me then that the pickups were designed at a time when a lot of players were plugging into processors/racks, and wanted to keep a nice clear signal from the guitar. I guess that made sense, but I have never been one of those guys. I've always preferred a guitar I can plug straight in and find a good sound.

All that being said, they are great guitars - play some of the different ones and see if any of them fit. There are HUGE differences between models, so you might love a McCarty, but hate a CU24. Might love the Mira but hate the SAS... Many flavors, and most are different.

I am very much liking the DGT (and McCarty Trems, if I can ever find another one). Apart from that, I liked the 3 Soapbar CU22, but they discontinued it.

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I like them very much. I've only owned a Singlecut Trem (satin finish) and it was a great playing guitar but, like many have already stated, I wasn't a fan of the pickups. The guitar was the same high quality that we've come to love with Hamers. Best trem, imo!

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I've only played a few and they seemed to all have a wide neck. Nothing wrong with that but it felt odd to me, and might take some getting used to. The body shape is nice, they balance well, seem to give every indication of being nice. I'd like to try one with a more 60s Gibson, medium neck if they make it.

I kinda wish they weren't so closely associated with non-gigging well-heeled collectors and also (weirdly) with nü metal but whatever. Still seem like good guitars.

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What is it about PRS pickups? That's a comment i've heard a bunch of times, replace the pups.

It's primarily a personal taste thing, but I attribute the ubiquitous "no mojo" criticisms to the pickups. They're just bland, lifeless and too low output for my tastes. And they always have been. I worked at GC from 91-93 and had access to a large amount of PRSi across all price points. The physical feel of all of them was stellar, but once plugged in, they left a lot to be desired.

I once had a 20th Ann. CU24 (artist package) c/o Poe, and it happened to come with Fralin Unbuckers ('bukcers designed to be split).

WOW.

The guitar was tricked out, and though I can't speak to the original humbuckers, the Fralins were really something else. They sounded alive as humbuckers, and they were even "twangey" when split. That was a fun guitar to play, but I didn't think I bonded with it, so I sold it later.

Looking back, I wish I kept it :)

Edited to add: I sold it CHEAP too. Poe sold it cheap to me anyways, but at least I could've made a *little* bit of money off it...

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From an ergomomic standpoint, for me the CU/CE 24 with Wide/Thin neck is nearly perfect. The Alder bodied CE's with maple neck are nearly the perfect rock guitar. I like the VB/HSF combination for rock stuff but the HSF is not good when you start cleaning it up.

My #1 is still my black cherry '91 PRS CE-24, Alder body. I've replaced the pickups with WB gregwinds and replaced the 5 way rotary with 3 way switching and Duncan triple-shot rings on both pickups. I also replaced the original wing tuners with planetwave autotrims, which will probably be replaced again by PRS Phase 2's. Super versatile and sounds great. At this point that guitar is basically an extension of me and I can't imagine ever getting rid of it.

RockRig.jpg

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They are just to ugly for me. Nasty design and ugly headstock, not to mention the bird inlays.

I've played a few but they just don't do it for me...

...and when it comes to the "chick attraction factor" my guess is they are for girls who either likes church music or nu metal, lol. :)

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Like 'em, but not enough to replace the Hamers.

I kinda wish they weren't so closely associated with non-gigging well-heeled collectors and also (weirdly) with nü metal but whatever. Still seem like good guitars.

+1 on these. I think they're OK but I don't lust after them, as long as I can get a good used Hamer USA model. If things had worked out differently years ago, maybe Hamer could've become the market leader that PRS is now...oh well.

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My fav mom-and-pop lets me take home guitars to try before I buy most of the time, and out of PRS, Gibson, Fender, and the rare Hamer, the PRS guitars are the only ones that regularly go back without me ever purchasing one.

I don't know what it is, but count me in the "no mojo" camp, and it's just not the pickps, either. Just not for me, I guess.

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PRS Guitars are the most beautiful guitars made from an asthetic point of view. Paul Reed Smith got the body shape perfect.

+++1

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When I tried one for the first time in 1988 it was a disappointment only because I was used to a different neck shape and bridge. That threw me off. Since then I have tried a handful more and the response varied to each one. I respect the PRS brand, but I feel most comfortable with Hamers. I could own a PRS one day, but I do not expect to end up with one.

Ditto

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The other thing I like about PRS is that the company isn't just sitting around reinventing old stuff. They continually try out new things, some of which work and some don't. Its good to see a company continue to innovate. Same reason I like Mesa Boogie as a company.

I think this guitar looks very interesting:

main1.jpg

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Never really cared for the body style. The quality is great and their maple tops are to die for.

I just wish they made a Flying V. I would buy one (or two) in a minute.

I do like their headstock.

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