I been a Gibson player for 40 years and play a Prs Custom 24 Floyd for the last 3 years , it has become my main axe any gig I play I rotate my other guitars as a backup and make it a point of playing them also so they stay alive for me but my Prs has taken me over !
@@TheDredog59 I am slowly getting the same virus. After playing them they keep calling me back and my strats and les pauls are getting angrier by the day! Thanks for sharing Andreas.
I own 4x PRS guitars as of today. I owned a lot of guitars over the years. I went to GIT full time in 1991 so do the math. I moved to India just over 10 years ago and the only guitars I did not sell are my 4 x PRS and my Jack Butler (crossroads) guitar which I had shipped over to me This video was shot in 2014 and re-upped to this account ... ruclips.net/video/qt7GlfU5XJI/видео.html I sold Gibsons and Fenders. I sold Takamine etc ... But the PRS guitars I have from 2000/2001 will just go up in value. As far as the boutique question ... the Private stock is 100% boutique. My early PRS are also boutique. My millennium (the year 2000) limited edition vintage yellow is for sure a boutique guitar. That was my first PRS/the last PRS I brought was 2008 with a solid Brazilian Rosewood neck (no fretboard one piece). Are the P2 and the SE range boutique? No. But they are well-made budget-friendly guitars. And that is my opinion for what it is worth. Here are 2x arriving in 2014 ... ruclips.net/video/ln8BQFipRSw/видео.html Watch from 15 min to see the 10 tops in the daylight. And I am still at it today with my PRS and a new head ... ruclips.net/video/upKCIx2TPbE/видео.html
I worked for PRS in the mid-90's in Annapolis, before they moved to Stevensville, and I can say that Paul was then, and seems to remain, one of the most genuine, sincere, crazy coots I've worked with. Funny this topic of 'PRS selling out' is even still a thing. Back then at one point Santana had apparently said something similar to Paul (since they'd started using a couple C&C machines to shape the necks/bodies, working on the neck machine was one of the many jobs I had during my time there), and Paul took up the challenge and had 4 special guitars made for Carlos 'old style'. They were heavy, beautiful, and rich! Felt like wielding a real battle axe! Supposedly Santana tried 'em out and told Paul he 'still had it'. I've always gotten the message around Paul that not only did he want to be one of the best guitar makers out there, but he wanted to give someone an option that combined both Fender and Gibson. His and Orky's (long-time employee of Paul) experiments with those humbucker pickup windings yielded some pretty amazing results, and are much copied now IMO. Man, thinking back to that time, it was great. So many stories from that job, haha! I still have my employee guitar, which at the time you could purchase after having worked there for 6 months (there was another tier after that but only after 5 years). It was $167.50, and still plays great. Now that's a perk!
David, Great Story! And thank you for sharing! What a very cool glimpse into the past of PRS. It seems to hold true that Paul is still there causing trouble. I heard from multiple employees that he would just sneak up behind stations and just start tinkering. What a refreshing thing to hear in the modern age that we live in. Thank you again for watching and thank you for your time on the comment!
@@jsmadray All the employee guitars were generally custom jobs with mahogany bodies/neck (glue-in), but there were so many variants and tweaks that we'd make. People came up with some awesome combos! Mine had one of the tops that were generally reserved for the Dragons (they were on the 2nd model at the time I was there), a custom purple stain that I mixed myself, and a Brazilian rosewood fretboard (also standard for custom models), but with a custom inlay job I did myself (only at the 12th fret, 2 of the 15th fret birds yin-yanged). Also had one of my tattoos (using the original stencil) painted in gold on the back. You can generally identify an employee custom guitar b/c Paul hand-signed the front of the headstock, and on the back it would say in the same gold pen 'Custom built for (employee name)' as well as the serial # at the top hand-written in the same gold pen.
I’ve been a Gibson guy for 40 years. I bought a used Core PRS, which impressed me so much that now I’m looking for a nicer Core PRS. They are amazing guitars.
Casino Guitars .... Not to me ... Resale value is awful ( at least the Custom 24 )... Horrible ! I sold my custom/ custom 24 for a huge loss . Huge ! The guitar was built for me and they sent the guitar with a Wide/Thin neck ... Horrible ! I ordered a Wide/Fat neck . I love the the way they look and build quality. There is no better company that knows how to use stains as beautifully as PRS. The sound is too sterile for me. I sent it back and they set it up again and put in new pickups. Sound wasn't for me and the neck Sucked .. They're not boutique, but you can get them to do some things that other manufactures won't do for you.
Jamie Morgan it’s never the gear/guitars It’s You that probably sucks . Resale values lol. I bought guitars to play not to Resales. Gibson Fender Prs even Squires they all great.
I'm surprised you guys totally glossed over the S2 line. Built in the same Stevensville factory as the core line. Not quite as fancy, and share some electronics and hardware with the SE line, but they are a FANTASTIC value!! I love mine.
IF PRS production is as anal about quality as Paul Reed Smith claims they are, no one should have a problem with PRS prices. Period. I tend to believe him. Just pick up a PRS at a local guitar shop and try one for yourself. PRS builds instruments like instruments deserve to be built.
@Master Exploder Yes. There is a point of diminishing returns. However with PRS, there is no point at which you get NO return. As for "sterile and lifeless", BULLSHIT! Not everything is for everyone. But, don't talk BULLSHIT!
NewGunGuy I think people say they sound sterile because they are in tune all the way up and down the neck. Just a theory. I’ve heard this from several people but all of the prs ive played sounded great. Mine sounds amazing.
@@roscoepcoltrane23 They have their own sound - especially if they're off gibson or fender scale and in the middle. No surprise that they sound different. People say collings guitars are sterile, too, and as consistent as PRS may be on their top end guitars, collings takes everything a step further going all the way to making the body blanks all consistent (as in, modifying bodies so that they're resonant and musical, even if the original billet wasn't - they do that one by one similar to the way someone may voice acoustics by thicknessing tops or adjusting bracing one by one) and getting the wood only from high altitude. PRS is a far better run (for quality) company that gibson. They're about a 20th of the size. Collings must be much smaller yet, and the're a little bit less smoke and mirrors. They'll literally just tell you what they do and they don't gush over their own stuff or make a big deal about nut materials this or that or try to convince you to buy the newest over a prior offering (PRS has a bad habit of making it sound like tiny differences are more than they are, which suppresses their used guitar values).
No question it's worth it. Go on the factory tour! I went and spent 2 hours asking questions. Bought one within a week after. So impressed with the dedication to quality. Every single instrument on the floor is beautiful.
Love hearing your comments. PRS was boutique when I bought mine in 1986. S/n 6-1381. Went to Washington Music Center to buy a Strat and after playing a few Strats the guy says hey can I show you a guitar you need to try. He goes to the basement and comes up with a PRS. Never heard of them but the beauty of the guitar was unlike any guitar I had ever seen. Then I played it. I said I’ll take it…didn’t even ask the price. It was double the price of the Strat. It was also an extra $50 for the birds…the only option at the time. The following week I drove over to the “factory” in Annapolis. There was a fellow sitting at a desk in a fairly empty small lobby. I told him about my purchase and he said I’m Paul and he said let me take you around and show you how your guitar was made. He introduced me to all 22 employees and I got to see every step of the build process right down to meeting the girl who hand wound every pickup! I could tell how proud Paul was of his guitars but I think he was even more proud of the people he worked with that were hand making every guitar. We talked a while…I bought a couple PRS shirts and he pulled out the first poster they had made and signed it for me. Still have it framed and hangs in my house. Well that’s most of the story of my 1986 PRS. Still looks almost like the day I bought it and I have all of the original paperwork that came with it and an original brochure. Some day I would like to go to the current factory and see if Paul remembers that really excited young fellow he took on a factory tour all those years ago!
I have a PRS Mark Holcomb SE and I love the thing. I haven't had any issues with it and if you turn down the volume and split the coils you can get some beautiful cleans
Always been a lp/strat guy. HATED prs. They were pretty coffee tables. A friend calls me from another state ant tells me about a prs in an estate sale. 10 th anniversary #74 of 200.. we bought as an investment for a smoking price. Then I drove 11 hours to play it before we sold it.. just in case.. Holy freaking cow. I fell in love instantly. It was 24 years old. Lived under a bed. Immaculate. It just gave off a vibe that felt like it was made with love. In tune everywhere. All notes rang out acoustically for days. I love my prs;)
I love this comment! What a great guitar story! I have played Fender’s and Gibson’s since 1975, and just bought a PRS SE. I’m ready to sell everything else I have, because I don’t think I’ll be playing it very much anymore!
@@allguitar3349 YES I DID! I played it unplugged when everyone went to bed. Fell in love. The next morning I told my friend I was buying him out. The guitar needs to played. As much as possible! Every gig I play it at least 1set
@@stevethormod6279 right on...sometimes a guitar just speaks to you doesn't it... glad to hear that dude... sometimes the ones we least expect give off some really cool energy and we just connect with them .awesome story
I own a beautiful 2014 Core Custom 24 with a Wood Library quilted top with a solid Indian rosewood neck. It is amazing in every way. Having said that I bought a used PRS SE 245 at a guitar center for $400, that after I give it a set up and restrung it properly, and changed out the pickups, it is absolutely one if my best playing and sounding guitars I own. I own 3 custom shop Ibanez, a 97 Gibson Les Paul Custom, and a 2014 Fender American Strat. In the end I love all of my guitars. I think the Core PRS is worth the money, if you have it to spend, if your cash is a little low, the SE line is phenomenal for the money.
I’ve done the Gibson factory tour in Memphis and came away like, ‘meh’. A few years later I toured the PRS factory in Stevensville and was knocked out. One of the headline things I came away with is these guys are obsessed, repeat, obsessed with excellence and quality. There is no B-stock. If a guitar at any stage in the build or finishing process doesn’t pass rigorous checks, they put it through a band saw and the staff get to take it home to use as firewood! No kidding, I saw the bin. Sure they initially use a CNC machine to cut bodies and necks but for me, this ensures consistency of each build. Like the guys mentioned, having an owner who gets out on the floor AND is a guitar player speaks volumes about understanding what guitar players need and want.
How did you get to do a factory tour of gibson? Usually they don't give general public tours of the factory. I was also unaware Gibson had a factory in Memphis, you must mean Nashville or Montana considering that's where gibson has been since they left Michigan.
I had played my USA Strat for almost 8 years before I got a PRS, I'd like to point out. There's a couple of things that attracted me to PRS and it was the "in-between" models: CE-24 and Silver Sky. I tied the Silver Sky for two weeks, comparable to a Strat in its price point (An American Elite that'd be about $2100), but the neck was a bit too "thicc." Upon returning it, I had seen these CE-24 guitars online so I said let's give it a try. Dude I'm telling you that thing is unique, special and an absolute machine for $2k. About what you'd pay for a decent SG or LP alternatively, but something about the CE felt different yet so well made. I'd say they're worth the price but I don't think you get the "WOW" factor until you hold one
My 31 year old PRS Standard is still the first pick to go play somewhere among a few really good Strats, Teles, G&Ls, SG, '81 Dean Z (amazing guitar!), Rickenbacker, I love 'em all but the PRS consistently gets the call. One fret dress and set up in 31 years with a Spring and Fall 1/4 turn on the truss rod that's it. Always mechanically and sonically reliable with better intonation, Paul has developed instruments dedicated to supporting musicians. Damned thing is, the new ones are even better than the old ones. The factory is rather smaller than I expected to see with an apparently tight knit group of very knowledgeable employees.
I own two prs guitars.my first is a Brazilian Rockwood McCarty 10 top...truly a work of art.and I have a David grissom trem.both of these guitar,especially the McCarty were above the higher end of a l.p. cost wise.now in the mid 90s money was hard to come by for me and a guitar that cost as much as a car causes a gut clench when you hand over the cash.but you know what made me hand it over with a smile?in the early 90s I was living in PA and for my 30th birthday I decided I wanted to see where prs was made.i called them up,they said "sure,come on down" so I drove down to Annapolis and they gave me a awesome tour,telling me if Paul was there he would have done it himself.i left with a hat and a determination to own one of those exceptional guitars...oh!and they were building another Ted Nugent zebra guitar.cool! I remember,he'll I am old,lol the original prs signature guitars.look I love pauls...I have 3 but prs will always have a place in my heart.btw I called Jackson in my youth to ask about to tour of the factory and they were like beat it kid,lol....I still own a few even though,lol
I own a PRS S2 C22. I LOVE the thing. It is a gorgeous guitar and inspires me every time I pick it up. So comfy to play and I couldn’t care less if it isn’t “boutique.” It’s a well built guitar.
If it is an option for you, buy a PRS. Simply stated, they are amazing instruments. As a kid drooling at local guitar shops and dreaming of owning a Custom 24 one day, I ended up pulling the trigger on one a few years back. Without question, one of the best playing, sounding and looking guitars I have ever owned. I have owned some incredible instruments over the years, but the PRS guitars are in a league of their own.
I am ( and have been) a Telecaster guy for a long time. I got a PRS Custom 22 as a gift and I cannot say enough about it. It has become my favorite guitar even over my top Teles. Never out of tune, built with the absolute best parts, amazing instrument. Love everything about the company and its products. My Taylor T5 Custom Koa is excellent build quality too.
I've got four Gibson's, two Fender's, two Ibanez's, and two PRS's, and I must say that since owning my PRS guitars, I've used them live a lot! They not only look amazing, but they play, and sound amazing. M
For what it's worth, I've been playing on stage since 1963. I have owned some really great guitars, including several older LP's (still have a '71 LP GT Deluxe) and Fender products. A friend finally convinced me to buy one of his used PRS's about four years ago, a 2001 Custom 24, all stock. It is hands down the most comfortable, easy playing guitar I have ever owned, so good in fact that I bought a 2017 Custom 24 SE as a broken-string backup. The pickups in the 2001 are nothing but fantastic. Both guitars stay in tune despite violent use of the trem bar. Of course, we all need a Strat and/or Tele for certain sounds, but there is NO rational way one could say that the quality of a guitar that is put together with screws compares with a guitar built like my PRS. My Fenders play great, but they are not equal in quality, as reflected in the prices. All that said, even though I can afford any guitar that catches my eye, my PRS purchases will be used guitars. I cannot justify spending $3,000 and above for a new guitar when a used one for half the price is completely acceptable.
Ive been looking into getting a prs se custom 24 but Im worried about fret wear. Apparently Prs doesn't use stainless steel so it wears faster? Do you have any signs of wear on the frets of the se custom 24?
@@christopherlee7379 Here is the thing not mentioned here when it comes to the pricing of PRS and the different lines. When you purchase an SE, it is like buying a guitar you know will need repairs down the road as in fret jobs or other minor issues. When you buy a core model, you are getting a guitar that you will ultimately hand down to your grand kids and never have to worry about it. Personally, I own SE's, S2's and Cores along with a few Music Man's and one Fender Tele Professional. There will always be PRS's in my collection as you just cannot beat the build quality and reliability of them.
Michael Wilkins I can’t justify spending that much on a core as a beginner of playing less than a year. Now I’m not a beginner musician I’ve been playing piano and bass for forever. I’m definitely going to buy a core or private stock someday but I’m not even gigging right now and even if I was I wouldn’t take out my 2,000 dollar guitar to a random bar. I would love to have a core or private stock but it just doesn’t make sense for me. With that said if you have the money 4 se’s don’t make sense when you could buy a core.
I've only tried one guitar in store and not been able to walk away from it, and bought it immediately, and it was my new 594. Best tone I have ever heard. It immediately started to draw out stuff from me ive never played before.
I owned a PRS SE Standard and that thing was incredible. It was my first real experience with PRS and I would love to have an SC-245 or something. Amazing guitars, incredible brand.
I own 2 strats, Les Paul and PRS. I love them all for different reasons. That said my PRS Modern Eagle is the most incredible guitar I have played. It has a thin Nitro finish, custom wound pickups with Brazilian neck. The fit and finish is above anything I have seen. If I could only own one guitar it would be my PRS.
I bought a PRS new, back in 1988 - a 1988 Custom 24. In the early 90's, I visited the factory in Maryland, and met Paul. He played my guitar, and immediately knew where I bought it. Turns out, the dealer in Texas I bought it from insisted on having an ebony fingerboard on the first PRS he got. I love my PRS!
I got my PRS s2 custom 22 recently, it was set up beautifully and plays like a dream. The quality is known as soon as you pick it up just like my American Standard Fender and very unlike my Gibson les Paul.
I just bought a Les Paul tribute. A low end model. It's fantastic. It feels amazing. It plays itself. My american standard strat isn't like that. Neither is my american tele. I haven't found a PRS that I really like.
I recently bought a PRS SE 245 and am very impressed with its playability and finish quality. They are heavy though and I swapped out the pups for Gibson Classics. At that pricepoint you can easily mod them... which is a large plus for this model in my view.
Been playing for 45 years. Always been a Strat guy. In 1989 I had a guitar custom built - Tom Anderson swamp ash body/Warmoth rosewood neck with ebony fretboard/Seymore Duncan Invader in the bridge, Pearly Gates in the neck with a stacked DiMarzio humbucker in the middle/Kahler Pro Trem, etc... Sweet! Then in 2003 I had Carvin build me guitar with all sorts of custom electronics - played it for 16 years - Sweet! Just got my first PRS custom 24 core - Beautiful!!! Played great out of the box. Didn't have to tune it for days - until I changed venues with temp & humidity! I like them all. The PRS is one hell of a guitar and I am really pleased with it.
I’ve been playing for around 5 years and decided to take a step up and buy a good guitar probably a year ago now and I bought a custom 24 that is absolutely everything I could ask for in a guitar. It’s a gorgeous yellow quilt top and I later found out that it’s one of only 25 which just makes it’s extra cool in my eyes. Prs guitars are amazing instruments for someone who is looking for something that will always get the job done well and inspire you at the same time.
PRS are hands down the highest quality mass production guitars I have ever played. Even the cheaper Korean models are super well made. They sound great, they feel so solid, butter smooth necks, they have perfected the coil tap, they look great. What else could you possibly want?
I recently watched an episode of That Pedal Show where Dan and Mick challenged each other to pick one guitar and one amp as if that were all they could ever have. Mick picked a PRS DGT and a Fender Deluxe Reverb Reissue. This made a lot of sense to me. With PRS guitars, they don't have the exact character of a Fender or a Gibson but, with coil splitting, they do a good job of enabling you to cover both bases. I went to PRS Experience in 2018 and I enjoyed it very much. A factory tour was included. I now have a couple of PRS CEs.
I have 3 PRS SE's, adore them all. I had an Epi LP with some QC issues and an insanely unstable neck, in doing some research about QC in the guitar industry, I discovered PRS SE'ss and the knowledge that they get a proper QC and setup stateside before they go out to stores. So, I returned the Epiphone for a PRS SE 245, which out of the box played so good the guy at the shop I bought it from gave it a noodle and asked me if I had ordered it Plek'd (It was not Plek'd, it was just that well built, finished and set up.) Smooth playing, resonant guitars that are a joy to play.
@@nateglass8767 I like to make lots of different sounds, cant justify condensing 3 very different sounding guitars into one just for the sake of having one expensive guitar.
I buy Guitars for my Son right? He buys them too and we enjoy doing it. So help me out here as Sweetwater promotes for the absolute best of the best Guitar available, they will "plek" your PRS ( Ok we are looking at the Standard SE24 now) and I am thinking and reading all over the net, just how phenemonal quality PRS comes with right? In an e-mail to Sweetwater, the guy said even for PRS at the $500 price point, he recommends having it "pleked" Your thoughts? My Son is an amateur, he is not Eddie Van Halen, Slash or any of those guys. So, he already has a Stratocaster, Les Paul, Ibanez Jem Jr, Schecter Omen Extreme 6, Jackson and an Epiphone. None of those were "pleked" and they all sound pretty good and play well acording to him.......I just listen LOL!
I’ve owned a PRS custom 24 since 2011 and it’s still my go to guitar. I also own Fender strats and teles and a few Gibsons. Love them all for what they are but the PRS fits me the best. Is it worth the money? Are any of them? I think it’s a personal preference. From a financial stand point I’ve made a decent amount of money using my PRS by playing shows and doing recording sessions, so even from that stand point it was worth. But more importantly I love guitar so even if I never made a dime I’d buy it again. Great video guys!
Its been a year since you made this video, but...I got my first PRS, SE Custom 22 Semi-Hallow, about a month ago, and WOW! It absolutely blew me away. As someone who has had Strats, LPs, and some others, I have never had a guitar that felt more comfortable and easy to play anywhere near the $800-900 dollar range. I would have to jump up into the four digit price tag to get a comparable playing experience, and if I am doing that, well, I might as well just get a CE model PRS.
I have a PRS SE Custom 22 semi-hollow that my wife got me for our 15 year anniversary...it’s amazing, I love it. The only thing I’ve had done to it is swapped out the nut. I get compliments on my guitar tone all the time over my strat HSS. Eventually I plan to also get an S2.
I own a core custom 22 and a silver sky and am in love! I went from going eh those are metal kid guitars to playing one and falling in love and it’s very rare I play my Gibson or Martin at this point. They just feel right to me and sound amazing, but the feel of a PRS is what sold me and how acoustically resonant they are.
I have 2 LP's , 1 Strat , and 8 core PRS's. Tells you 2 things: 1. I've contracted GAS 2. PRS guitars are a level above the others. I play them all, I gig them all (though not often), I enjoy them all. I enjoy the PRS's most.
You most assuredly have contracted GAS and I feel for you and your loved ones:) Every time I go to the factory or my rep from PRS swings by we gather too many core pieces as well. GAS is really easy to get with PRS. Thanks for the comment and thank you for watching Old Cowboy!
I own and regularly play a '97 Custom 24 in black and have for the past 15 years. Bought it from a friend who bought it from a friend so I'm at least the 3rd owner, maybe more. It's still in very good condition and it's my go-to guitar. I too was blown away the first time I played it and YES they are worth the money, even if it is previously played and properly maintained.
For a long time, my main guitar was a Gibson Les Paul Studio. The other guitars I owned were also spartan, plain jane solid color workhorse guitars. About four years ago, I bought a Kiesel SCB guitar with a flame maple custom paint job that was overseen by Jeff Kiesel. It sort of changed my entire outlook on guitars as art. Two years ago, I bought a PRS Paul's Guitar on a crazy post tax refund whim. It's easily the best playing guitar I've ever played out of box, and it has a really versatile and useful tonal range. I was actually considering an SE or S2 level guitar. I played an SE, and was really impressed. If I were going to buy that guitar now, I might buy the SE Paul's Guitar, if only for my poor wallet. But I have no regrets. It's an amazing instrument. It fits nicely into my playing rotation, and I love how it plays and sounds. It definitely gets the most attention from other guitar players I know. People are intrigued by the Kiesel, but everyone geeks out over the PRS. To that end, I would definitely say that Kiesel is a more boutique brand, and PRS is more corporate. 20 years ago, you might see one or two core PRS guitars in a music store. Now that the SE series is so popular, it isn't impossible to see a dozen or more on the wall at your local Guitar Center. The core series is still kind of rare, but PRS is definitely a bigger company than the core production numbers would have you think.
I bought my first PRS today !!!! It’s gorgeous and plays amazing !!!! I also bought an Ibanez Acoustic/Electric. Guitar Center was having a huge July 4th sale and I made out like a bandit. PS: They are heavy but it doesn’t matter to me cause I just play in my own little music room. I’m not on a stage or anything
I played a McCarty for years. It had bird inlays. That thing was more reliable, stable, and played better than my American Fenders. The PRS was my workhorse and never let me down onstage.
I've been an Ibanez player since the beginning, about 20 years ago. Had a BC Rich, returned it after a week. Schecter was nice, but wasn't 'right' for me. Jackson was closer, but I still leaned on my Ibanez RG's as a go-to. Recently bought a PRS SE Floyd, and between that and my hardtail RG421, it's dead even. I would definitely buy another PRS when budget permits. Can't wait to pump it through the Boss Katana 100W MkII that is on it's way to my house.
Thanks for sharing your journey through the guitar world there Patrick! I was surprised by PRS and how well they were made the first time I played one. I really did not want t like them as much as I did:) Thanks for watching and best to you and yours out there!
I bought a used cu22 with some battle scars for 1900$ 3 yrs ago best 1900$ I ever spent I love that guitar And I own a les Paul standard a custom shop stratocaster and a ESP. Not ltd. all cost well over 1900$. And my PRS. Has its own thing. . You have a Gibson for that Gibson thing a start for that thing etc.. PRS core guitars are amazing
Absolutely worth it... I paid $15999 for a Private Stock with the most amazing tone woods (both visually and audibly) maple/mahogany/Brazilian rosewood... I have no regrets... apart from my Wal MK2 bass, I can't think of an instrument I adore more.
I work for one of PRS's top 5 retailers I get to handle everytjing from the SE Standards all the way up to $18000 private stock every single guitar is amazing
They're frustratingly fantastic. I would say without a doubt their $499 SE line are the best guitars on the market under $500. And when you play the cores and the Private Stock you just have to accept the mid blowing that comes afterwards. Darn those wee wizards. On a side note, you don't happen to be at Wilcut?
I have a PRS SE Custom semi hollow made in Korea. I traded my MIM strat for it. It is incredible for the price. It blows my MIM away. I love this guitar! Feels great, plays like butter and sounds fantastic.
I have been playing for 15 years and owned exclusively Ibanez and esp products and after giving in to a salesperson at a local shop I played and then bought my core model 22 custom semi hollow and will openly admit that I have never owned or played a better guitar in my life. Amazing quality control, sounds great and never goes out of tune.
I recently got PRS SE Paul's guitar. I think it's a great guitar. One of my favourite guitar is an ibanez SZ , if find them fairly close to this PRS model.
I own a PRS singlecut and a Paul Allender Signature and I absolutely love them so much, no fret buzz, keeps in tune amazing, and overall looks great. Damn sure they make the best guitars in the industry
Hi guys. I own A LP, a Strat Elite and older American Standard Strat a couple custom made guitars and I have 2 PRS McCarty’s. The first McCarty is a 2005 20th anniversary with moon inlays rather than the birds, and the most recent in a 594 single cut. Speaking from a reliability standpoint I’ve never seen anything equal to the first one. I’m sure the new one will prove to be the same but it’s new lol. Both guitars tones are completely different yet I can dial in anything I am looking for on either guitar. The attention to detail with the PRS company is so worth mentioning. The new one shipped to me from Michigan to Florida (reverb deal) a d it came out of case in tune with no adjustments needed. I’ve even played their SE series guitars in a store and to me those are equal to most other companies custom shop. I love all of my guitars and genuinely appreciate their history, voicing and everything else. All that said, the quality of the PRS is so over the top better in my opinion that I have to say it. The tone is unbelievable and I never have to eff with the guitars. I think on the 2005 one I may have made a truss rod adjustment 4 or 5 times. Mostly because in Florida the humidity is all over the place but it is rare. I’d choose PRS over anything else. Loved this video guys. Thank You! I will like and subscribe
PRS are easily the biggest group of "guitar nerds" who are making guitars. They are constantly upping their game to the point that other guitar makers can't keep up... NO ONE out there is at their level. I interviewed their designer for a couple hours while I was at their factory... He confirmed how awesome they are.
PRS makes some of the most incredible guitars I’ve played. Even the cheaper SE line is full of excellently built guitars. I love my CE, and got it for way cheaper than any Gibson
My PRS’ are my main guitars now vs my Fenders, Suhr, Music Man, and Gibsons. The quality is top of the line. They are so beautiful to watch and are great for versatility.
I have picked up a handful of PRSs in my years of playing and I must say I've still not gotten to THE ONE. Stylistically I really like the double cuts but there has never been one that felt right in my hands. I own and jump between all kinds of guitars so it's not for a lack of versatility on my part. I own Gibson, Fender and Sigma on the high end and several on the the low end too. PRS just doesn't seem to be for me as hard as I've tried to like playing one. Maybe I just haven't picked up the right private stock yet but I'm a low budget man in a high budget world.
After my first Core, every other guitar I’ve considered buying, regardless of brand, had to ultimately compete with purchasing another PRS. Now after 3 Cores and a Silver Sky, The Gibson custom shop I’ve had on my radar for the last 2 years will almost certainly fall to a new DGT. Yeah, they’re worth it.
I've been a Fender and Gibson player for 40 years and I never quite found 'the one', in spite of having about 20 Strats and Teles and a similar number of Gibsons over the years. I decided to try a PRS Custom 24 about 6 months ago and it's better than all the Gibsons and Fenders I've ever had. So much so that I got another one 2 months ago that's just as good. I'm now thinking of selling my other guitars cos they never get played. There really is no comparison in terms of quality and playability. I would urge anyone to put aside any bias you may have and just try one.
Since I’ve gotten back into guitars and playing, I’ve been obsessed about getting a Paul Reed Smith. I got my first electric in 87, a Gibson Superstrat from my local Maryland guitar shop called Hot Licks. I was a youngster and didn’t know about PRS but then again they were only a 2 year old company at the time, a boutique. In the mid 90s, a buddy of mine whom I’d jam with had a brother that worked for them and my awareness grew. Anyhow people moved away and we stopped jamming together and I ultimately stopped playing with any regularity. Flash forward to earlier this year. My 13 year old daughter told me she wanted a bass. I thought, I got someone to jam with again. Woohoo! Anyhow since I no longer had my Gibson and only had my Yamaha acoustic, I started thinking about what electric I wanted. Paul Reed Smith quickly jumped to mind. Money? Nope don’t have enough atm for one but boy do I really want one. A local company that puts out a kick ass product? Hell yeah! Anyhow that’s my long winded story. One last thing....Pavement? I see you old man. 😂Well I could if I had my old man glasses on.😂
I've owned two american made Custom 22s (built in 07 and 09) and I now own a Semi Hollow SE Custom 22 (built 2019) that I LOOOOVE more than any guitar i've had (for a third of the price!)
I have a 2001 Santana SE hardtail, I still use it every day, and clients who use my studio cannot believe how good it is for its age. It has been used on at least 40 tracks in the last 5 years!
Thank you for the comment and we cannot agree more! We love the quality of all of their instruments and are shocked by how nice the SE line is...always! Thank you for watching!
It depends on what you want. They're extremely well made, extremely comfortable to play and have their own sound. If you're looking for something to sound and feel / look exactly like a Les Paul, Strat or Tele (or 335, etc.), then it's not gonna be what you're looking for. They have their own vibe. For me, I've used PRS extensively live, as I feel they're just flat out easier / more comfortable to play and are very versatile. I can get a great single coil sound (although it doesn't sound exactly like a Strat or Tele) and a great humbucker sound (although not exactly like a Les Paul), but the guitar still has its own unique voice. Obviously they look gorgeous, which again, some people love and some people don't. If you're looking for something that is all scratched, chipped and looks like it was built in the 50s - again, a PRS isn't that. Personally, I think they're amazing, even though if I was stranded on an island and could take 2 guitars - I'd take a Les Paul and a Strat, but I grew up on those and played them for 30 years, so I'm likely biased. I've owned several PRS over the years and still have 2 of them - they're amazing guitars.
PRS are definitely worth the money, I was a die hard fender fan for the longest time. But when I got my SE custom 24 it changed everything. Compared to American fenders I have played they don't even come close to my custom 24 because of few reasons. 1. My SE was made in Korea, but plays like it was made in the US 2. Modern features and options on a modern guitar (24 frets, coil tap,) 3. The cut aways are actually functional, one can reach those higher frets with ease
I have a 2017 Cherryburst SE245 and I love it. Play it all the time. When I wrapped my hand around the neck that was it. It fit. I bought it after a short test drive. I have USA Fenders and a Gibson so its not my only guitar. Oh, and the back of the neck has flames!
For the craftsmanship involved, and the quality, and the finish (I speak about U.S. models only ... I never owned nor played an import PRS), PRS guitars are the BEST you can get for the money out of a "industrial production line" type guitar. PERIOD ! Specially if you aim for the 2000$ range with the CE series, or even 1500$ with the S2 series. You get solid, super reliable, perfect guitars ready to play and which all sound great. I never ever played a U.S. PRS that had any kind of "playability" nor intonation flaw at all (not to mention the perfect finishes of these guitars). And that's it !!! PRS guitars are not my preferred guitars "tone wise" nor "design wise" ... I mean, I'm in love with my Gretsch, my ESPs and LTDs really fit to my hands like gloves and play like dreams, but, if I could only pick JUST ONE GUITAR for a tour, or if I only had the choice to own only one guitar and that's it, then it would definitely be a U.S. PRS, 'cause in the end, and overall, they're simply the best you can get, and at the best price for the quality, and by far. Now that PRS has grown to one of the major brands in the industry, if they ever managed to reduce the costs of production while maintaining the high level of quality, and therefore be able to offer what is now between 2000$ and 5000$ at a way more attracting price range, PRS would beat the total shit out of any other brand around ... or would force the entire industry to deeply rethink their quality standards and the industrial processes involved in the building of guitars. That's one thing for sure.
A PRS takes 'weeks' from the time the wood comes into the factory and leaves as an instrument. PRS takes time to cure the woods, dry them so the resin crystallises. A neck takes over 2 weeks so it can settle and stabilise. The 'body' is cut roughly to shape by a CNC machine to keep consistency, but it is still finished by hand, sanded down to make sure there are no machine marks. The neck is hand fitted to the body as its made 'slightly' larger so the fit is perfect and tight. The frets are fitted by hand and all the fret work is done by hand, the fretboard is sanded to the radius by hand... Its 'almost' like a 'boutique' builder who opts to use power tools to cut, route and carve a guitar. The difference is that a 'boutique' dealer can get away with 'mistakes' and 'irregularities' as part of its 'charm' - that no two are exactly the same carve etc. I own 4 core PRS guitars, not 10-tops, not wood-library, not Private Stock - just core guitars and they are incredible, consistent, high quality instruments. They are not 'boutique' but they aren't corporate either, they aren't sacrificing quality for increased output and increased profits. The staff are ALL passionate about the instruments they make - its not 'just a job' as it seems like in other brands. What PRS make in a month, Fender churns out in a day, Gibson churn out in a week. This is why you get almost boutique but with the consistency needed to sell the 'same' models to a global user base - models that all share the same dimensions, carves etc. As long as they keep the standards high, the quality control at numerous stages in the build, the consistency and quality to the same level without compromising on materials or tone to make a bit more profit, then they will not be corporate - just exceptionally high quality profession standard instruments. Their Core models are equivalent to most others custom shop...
What boutique dealer can get away with mistakes? Their Core models have to be equivalent to custom shop models, because that's where they are priced at. I mean, just check out Hufschmid - guitars cost even less than PRS, but completely hand made, no CNC involved at all.
Really well said with all of the "data" that is out there with PRS, I still hear ( younger guys usually) say " But it's still not a rock guitar. Name me one top guy that is out there that plays this with a true, well known rock band" Arghhhhh!
I've had a PRS SE Standard since 2007, it was the first guitar I bought myself. I now own multiple brands, a Mexican tele, a Washburn semi-hollow, an LTD, and far and away my PRS is what I've always played the most. To be fair, the PRS is the most expensive guitar I've bought, but it's just great for the price. I love the neck on the tele, the Washburn sounds fantastic, but the PRS just feels right in my hands. The others I own are fun flavors. The PRS is my guitar-guitar.
I got a Mark Holcomb signature PRS and it's great. Feels great and sounds great and looks great. You don't need an expensive guitar to make music and sound good. And I feel like people forget in a mix it's where it's at if you want to make music. Most guitar companies can and do great with a few exceptions but still are amazing. Prs is big but not too big but if you love something you should want it to succeed so I hope they grow and keep at the good QC and good pricing.
Bought my first PRS last year. I purchased an S2 Custom 24 and it blew my Les Paul away. Tones were/are phenomenal. It was at that point I bought in full boat! Got rid of all my other guitars and bought a PRS SE acoustic. I have everything I need!
The problem nowadays is the lower tiers have caught up so much, so fast, that the only difference is in tiny details or something that can easily be made up with modest upgrades. At the end of the day, you're buying mystique, notoriety or (most importantly) resale. If those matter, then, sure....a PRS can be worth it. I don't begrudge anyone that level of purchase if it makes you happy. I've owned $2000 guitars, but it was in the days when $200/2000 was such a divide as to be jaw dropping. Now, the difference between $800 and $2000 is not so obvious.
Right. There is a LOT of really good less expensive guitars out there. Thats the thing..... if you make bad guitars, you dont last in the business very long.
After my divorce I sold all my electrics to pay of debts, and pay for my son's education. When I started making a little more money, I got the itch (you all know what I'm talking about; my accoustics just weren't doing it for me). It had been more than 30 years since I purchased a guitar, and I went out thinking I was going to have to pay a grand or more for anything decent (meaning; made in America). I was looking for a Strat, and someone told me to look at the Squire CV strats and teles. I was blown away by the fit, finish and playability of both guitars, and the tele sounded great. I bougt a tele, and an uprgraded strat with american '56 pickups and mojo tone wiring for $500 for both. Awesome. Now I've got that itch again, and a little more money. I've been looking for an LP for about the last year, and just can't find one I enjoy playing. I have found many guitars I love playing, but never an LP. The problem is, I also can't find anything that sounds like a les paul. I've been looking at used PRS guitars, and I love the look, fit, finish, and playability. They always have great action, and they're intonated. I also had the pleasure, while trying out a les paul at Chicago Music Exchange last week, of seeing Paul Reed Smith there. He did a 2 hour presentation complete with a Q and A about guitar myths you hear on the internet. He compared a 1960 les paul they are selling for $285,000 (I think), to a new PRS. To my ears, they weren't close, but to most there, I think they preferred the PRS. I was the other way, the LP sounded so creamy and had so much character. I guess whay I'm trying to say is, while I like the look, feel and playability of a PRS, I don't know if I'd be satisfied long term with the sound. Everyone's ears, styles, and tastes are different. I can't knock someone for loving the sound and feel of an Ibanez, PRS, Fender, Washburn, whatever. If you love it, play it. If you don't, sell it. But don't think you have to pay $3500 for a guitar you'll love. I think of guitars like the PRS core line as works of art. You show them off. You play them sparingly, and treat them like fine porcelain. Then you go beat the shit out of your tele for 2 or 3 hours.
My SE Custom 24-7 has been my #1 for the last 3 years. I have a hard time going back to my Ibanez, Squire/Fender guitars. She just plays and sounds so amazingly well that, anymore, I would only play them if I break a string. The only 2 things I would change about it would be: 1. Substituting the fixed bridge for their trem bridge with locking tuners. Considering that Vai is catalyst for me playing guitar (not just 7-string) I really miss having the trem bar. 2. I would've made dedicated coil taps/splits for each pickup. Thus basically making it a 7-string 408.
I love my 2020 PRS SE Custom 24 Cherry Sunburst Limited Edition. It's affordable, looks amazing, plays great. Love the cream color binding on the body, neck and headstock.
I have several guitars as the usual suspects tele strat sg les Paul, so I purchased a second hand custom 24 25 anniversary and I have to say it’s a beautiful guitar to play and the build quality would put the other companies to shame definitely got there own thing going on
I purchased a PRS SE Custom 24 in 2017 during a PRS night at the local music store ( which is what I call a mom and pop owned store and everyone is really great)! I bought it thinking that I might be able to get some Tele “type” sounds because of the coil splitting. The only thing I’ve done to it so far is upgraded the strings to 10’s after I had the nut repaired for the “Hi E string” , I also installed locking tuners which I purchased from Guitar Vault USA (maybe I shouldn’t have mentioned their name). I was thinking of buying a Tele so I took my SE to the store where I bought it to see what they would give me for a trade in. Now I paid between $700.00 and $800.00 brand new for this guitar, it is in Great condition( no dents, dings), it never been played out doors, always kept inside and humidified (well the entire house is). Cleaned and tuned all the time. With all that said they offered me just over $200.00 for a trade in!!😳 I was in shock!! So the moral is that even if PRS produces a quality item whether made here in the states or over seas I don’t really think they hold they hold their value very well if you look at all the “praise” they get and all. Don’t get me wrong I do like the guitar and now I am going to hang onto it and maybe upgrade the pick ups, but it was an eye opener. , I was thinking of more like $400.00 anyway. Oh did I mention I am a Strat guy at heart! I have a MIM plus top strat which is worth about the same for a trade in. 😩So sad! But, TOTALLY enjoyed your video!!! Tim Oh yeah we have a couple of Fuddruckers here in Southern Maryland!! Love them!
I have a PRS SE Baritone, and after about 3 months I took it to the place where I bought it. They had to send it back to PRS, because it was under warranty. They had to replace a pick up. I am usually an Ibanez guy, but this guitar is my favorite. I’m not a shred guy, so it took a while for me to find the baritone that I would want, and this one just had me at hello. At any rate, I would love to own a hollow body, and I will be trying out an SE Hollow body, when I see one in person. Keep up the vids man. Like the conversation.
Paul and I went to Highschool together, he worked on some of my first guitars I owned. I bought some of his first he ever made. I have owned 22 of his guitars now and they are wonderful instruments. Much like anything else, it is a personal preference. But for the money you can truly get many sounds out of one guitar and the guitar holds its value over the years.
Hey guys - really enjoying your videos. Very cool, laid back and informative. Cheers. I'm a Gibson honk. My first guitar was a Harmony explorer, and then I bought my own American Standard Strat. That was stolen out of my vehicle, and since then it's been Gibson USA.
I have a custom 24, P22, and a se custom 24 I love them all. At the same time I love my fenders, gibsons, G&L, and carvins as well. Each has it's own niche. I have guitars that I have both loved and hated from all of these manufactures. One thing with PRS is they seem very consistent with high quality. I have found with fender and Gibson I have to spend a lot of time to find that right one. My only complaint I have with PRS is I like a flatter fret board radius, A 14 is my sweet spot, but that is just a personal preference as there is nothing wrong with the 10 inch PRS radius. I have never picked up a PRS that did not play great.
Short answer: Yes. Long Answer: Yessssssssssssssssssss My CE24 is The guitar. I love it, and I regret not having it many years before. I will never get rid of it. Any other PRS from the cheapest to the dearest is worth every penny as far as I’m aware.
I'm nearly 18, and I have a strat copy, but for a few months I fell in love with PRS guitars, they are like the holy grail of guitars, super beautiful and sound great.... I'm gonna save money and maybe in 1-2 years I'll have one...I think they're great...
Lucian Sirbu thanks a bunch for the thoughts and we couldn’t agree more! I love both fenders and PRS and am thrilled you have been able to play one. Best of luck in getting one one day and if you ever get a chance to go to the factory, it’s worth it!
Click to subscribe to our channel to see killer Guitar Demos and other great content - > ruclips.net/channel/UC4QLDFTa-jS5JVOlwFnLymA
Watch The Guitar Pit 's Video about PRS customer service
Great Video and thanks for the suggestion@@meatrocket1
I been a Gibson player for 40 years and play a Prs Custom 24 Floyd for the last 3 years , it has become my main axe any gig I play I rotate my other guitars as a backup and make it a point of playing them also so they stay alive for me but my Prs has taken me over !
@@TheDredog59 I am slowly getting the same virus. After playing them they keep calling me back and my strats and les pauls are getting angrier by the day! Thanks for sharing Andreas.
I own 4x PRS guitars as of today. I owned a lot of guitars over the years. I went to GIT full time in 1991 so do the math.
I moved to India just over 10 years ago and the only guitars I did not sell are my 4 x PRS and my Jack Butler (crossroads) guitar which I had shipped over to me
This video was shot in 2014 and re-upped to this account ...
ruclips.net/video/qt7GlfU5XJI/видео.html
I sold Gibsons and Fenders. I sold Takamine etc ...
But the PRS guitars I have from 2000/2001 will just go up in value.
As far as the boutique question ... the Private stock is 100% boutique.
My early PRS are also boutique. My millennium (the year 2000) limited edition vintage yellow is for sure a boutique guitar. That was my first PRS/the last PRS I brought was 2008 with a solid Brazilian Rosewood neck (no fretboard one piece).
Are the P2 and the SE range boutique? No. But they are well-made budget-friendly guitars.
And that is my opinion for what it is worth.
Here are 2x arriving in 2014 ...
ruclips.net/video/ln8BQFipRSw/видео.html
Watch from 15 min to see the 10 tops in the daylight.
And I am still at it today with my PRS and a new head ...
ruclips.net/video/upKCIx2TPbE/видео.html
I worked for PRS in the mid-90's in Annapolis, before they moved to Stevensville, and I can say that Paul was then, and seems to remain, one of the most genuine, sincere, crazy coots I've worked with. Funny this topic of 'PRS selling out' is even still a thing. Back then at one point Santana had apparently said something similar to Paul (since they'd started using a couple C&C machines to shape the necks/bodies, working on the neck machine was one of the many jobs I had during my time there), and Paul took up the challenge and had 4 special guitars made for Carlos 'old style'. They were heavy, beautiful, and rich! Felt like wielding a real battle axe! Supposedly Santana tried 'em out and told Paul he 'still had it'.
I've always gotten the message around Paul that not only did he want to be one of the best guitar makers out there, but he wanted to give someone an option that combined both Fender and Gibson. His and Orky's (long-time employee of Paul) experiments with those humbucker pickup windings yielded some pretty amazing results, and are much copied now IMO.
Man, thinking back to that time, it was great. So many stories from that job, haha! I still have my employee guitar, which at the time you could purchase after having worked there for 6 months (there was another tier after that but only after 5 years). It was $167.50, and still plays great. Now that's a perk!
David, Great Story! And thank you for sharing! What a very cool glimpse into the past of PRS. It seems to hold true that Paul is still there causing trouble. I heard from multiple employees that he would just sneak up behind stations and just start tinkering. What a refreshing thing to hear in the modern age that we live in. Thank you again for watching and thank you for your time on the comment!
I would love to work there? How’s the pay? Looking to move to that area.
Great story. What guitar did you get that was $167.50?
@@jsmadray All the employee guitars were generally custom jobs with mahogany bodies/neck (glue-in), but there were so many variants and tweaks that we'd make. People came up with some awesome combos! Mine had one of the tops that were generally reserved for the Dragons (they were on the 2nd model at the time I was there), a custom purple stain that I mixed myself, and a Brazilian rosewood fretboard (also standard for custom models), but with a custom inlay job I did myself (only at the 12th fret, 2 of the 15th fret birds yin-yanged). Also had one of my tattoos (using the original stencil) painted in gold on the back. You can generally identify an employee custom guitar b/c Paul hand-signed the front of the headstock, and on the back it would say in the same gold pen 'Custom built for (employee name)' as well as the serial # at the top hand-written in the same gold pen.
@@DavidWKimber Wow...that is awesome. That certainly would be worth a whole lot in the future.
I’ve been a Gibson guy for 40 years. I bought a used Core PRS, which impressed me so much that now I’m looking for a nicer Core PRS. They are amazing guitars.
I own fenders, gibson and PRS. And PRS is by far the best modern guitar made in the world
I would hardly say comparing them to fender and Gibson is a fair comparison for a modern instrument...
try some tom anderson, shur, ron kirn and a host of other makers who run circles around prs.
Frank Ponce Really?? Better than Jackson’s USA made guitars?
MGL yes. Their fretwork is unbeatable, and their pickups sound amazing.
@@satanpuncher06 nonsense. a prs can't wipe the ass of an anderson.
I did not know that Tim Burton and Dave Grohl had a show!
Lol. I was just thinking Tim Burton and Stephen Carpenter
Dave Grohl after he's been on the pies
They don’t
I prefer to think of it as Tim Burton crossed with Gene Wilder and Burly Jesus, now that show would be huge!@@digable_celestial_dwarfs6778
😂😂🤣🤣I just spit my drink all over my bed
I'll save you 15 mins... Yes.. yes they are worth it.
Hey no spoilers!
Calm down, Dude. This isn't Game Of Thrones ! lol
@Stephen Docherty I see what you did there !
Casino Guitars .... Not to me ... Resale value is awful ( at least the Custom 24 )... Horrible !
I sold my custom/ custom 24 for a huge loss . Huge ! The guitar was built for me and they
sent the guitar with a Wide/Thin neck ... Horrible ! I ordered a Wide/Fat neck .
I love the the way they look and build quality. There is no better company that knows how to
use stains as beautifully as PRS. The sound is too sterile for me.
I sent it back and they set it up again and put in new pickups. Sound wasn't for me and the neck
Sucked .. They're not boutique, but you can get them to do some things that other manufactures
won't do for you.
Jamie Morgan it’s never the gear/guitars It’s You that probably sucks . Resale values lol. I bought guitars to play not to Resales. Gibson Fender Prs even Squires they all great.
I'm surprised you guys totally glossed over the S2 line. Built in the same Stevensville factory as the core line. Not quite as fancy, and share some electronics and hardware with the SE line, but they are a FANTASTIC value!! I love mine.
@Eric Deibler...own 2 of them. Awesome guitar's!😁👍🤘
I owned several S2', I never bonded with the body carve.. Sold them all.
I do still own 12 cores, and several SE models that I love
IF PRS production is as anal about quality as Paul Reed Smith claims they are, no one should have a problem with PRS prices. Period. I tend to believe him. Just pick up a PRS at a local guitar shop and try one for yourself. PRS builds instruments like instruments deserve to be built.
@Master Exploder Yes. There is a point of diminishing returns. However with PRS, there is no point at which you get NO return. As for "sterile and lifeless", BULLSHIT! Not everything is for everyone. But, don't talk BULLSHIT!
NewGunGuy I think people say they sound sterile because they are in tune all the way up and down the neck. Just a theory. I’ve heard this from several people but all of the prs ive played sounded great. Mine sounds amazing.
@Master Exploder could be you
@@roscoepcoltrane23 They have their own sound - especially if they're off gibson or fender scale and in the middle. No surprise that they sound different. People say collings guitars are sterile, too, and as consistent as PRS may be on their top end guitars, collings takes everything a step further going all the way to making the body blanks all consistent (as in, modifying bodies so that they're resonant and musical, even if the original billet wasn't - they do that one by one similar to the way someone may voice acoustics by thicknessing tops or adjusting bracing one by one) and getting the wood only from high altitude.
PRS is a far better run (for quality) company that gibson. They're about a 20th of the size. Collings must be much smaller yet, and the're a little bit less smoke and mirrors. They'll literally just tell you what they do and they don't gush over their own stuff or make a big deal about nut materials this or that or try to convince you to buy the newest over a prior offering (PRS has a bad habit of making it sound like tiny differences are more than they are, which suppresses their used guitar values).
Perfect words
Corporate no. Boutique no. Worth it, YES.
Perfect response:) Thanks for the comment Luke!
Luke de la Haye thanks an answer!
No question it's worth it. Go on the factory tour! I went and spent 2 hours asking questions. Bought one within a week after. So impressed with the dedication to quality. Every single instrument on the floor is beautiful.
I own 23 PRS guitars and am a collector as well as a player. The quality is excellent. The designs are beautiful.
Wow! 23 PRS, that's incredible! Which ones do you like to collect?
Love hearing your comments. PRS was boutique when I bought mine in 1986. S/n 6-1381. Went to Washington Music Center to buy a Strat and after playing a few Strats the guy says hey can I show you a guitar you need to try. He goes to the basement and comes up with a PRS. Never heard of them but the beauty of the guitar was unlike any guitar I had ever seen. Then I played it. I said I’ll take it…didn’t even ask the price. It was double the price of the Strat. It was also an extra $50 for the birds…the only option at the time. The following week I drove over to the “factory” in Annapolis. There was a fellow sitting at a desk in a fairly empty small lobby. I told him about my purchase and he said I’m Paul and he said let me take you around and show you how your guitar was made. He introduced me to all 22 employees and I got to see every step of the build process right down to meeting the girl who hand wound every pickup! I could tell how proud Paul was of his guitars but I think he was even more proud of the people he worked with that were hand making every guitar. We talked a while…I bought a couple PRS shirts and he pulled out the first poster they had made and signed it for me. Still have it framed and hangs in my house. Well that’s most of the story of my 1986 PRS. Still looks almost like the day I bought it and I have all of the original paperwork that came with it and an original brochure. Some day I would like to go to the current factory and see if Paul remembers that really excited young fellow he took on a factory tour all those years ago!
I have a PRS Mark Holcomb SE and I love the thing. I haven't had any issues with it and if you turn down the volume and split the coils you can get some beautiful cleans
Always been a lp/strat guy. HATED prs. They were pretty coffee tables.
A friend calls me from another state ant tells me about a prs in an estate sale. 10 th anniversary #74 of 200.. we bought as an investment for a smoking price.
Then I drove 11 hours to play it before we sold it.. just in case..
Holy freaking cow. I fell in love instantly.
It was 24 years old. Lived under a bed. Immaculate. It just gave off a vibe that felt like it was made with love.
In tune everywhere. All notes rang out acoustically for days.
I love my prs;)
I love this comment! What a great guitar story! I have played Fender’s and Gibson’s since 1975, and just bought a PRS SE. I’m ready to sell everything else I have, because I don’t think I’ll be playing it very much anymore!
Did you buy the investment prs??
Did u buy it ??
@@allguitar3349 YES I DID! I played it unplugged when everyone went to bed. Fell in love. The next morning I told my friend I was buying him out. The guitar needs to played. As much as possible!
Every gig I play it at least 1set
@@stevethormod6279 right on...sometimes a guitar just speaks to you doesn't it... glad to hear that dude... sometimes the ones we least expect give off some really cool energy and we just connect with them .awesome story
I own a beautiful 2014 Core Custom 24 with a Wood Library quilted top with a solid Indian rosewood neck. It is amazing in every way. Having said that I bought a used PRS SE 245 at a guitar center for $400, that after I give it a set up and restrung it properly, and changed out the pickups, it is absolutely one if my best playing and sounding guitars I own. I own 3 custom shop Ibanez, a 97 Gibson Les Paul Custom, and a 2014 Fender American Strat.
In the end I love all of my guitars. I think the Core PRS is worth the money, if you have it to spend, if your cash is a little low, the SE line is phenomenal for the money.
I’ve done the Gibson factory tour in Memphis and came away like, ‘meh’. A few years later I toured the PRS factory in Stevensville and was knocked out. One of the headline things I came away with is these guys are obsessed, repeat, obsessed with excellence and quality. There is no B-stock. If a guitar at any stage in the build or finishing process doesn’t pass rigorous checks, they put it through a band saw and the staff get to take it home to use as firewood! No kidding, I saw the bin. Sure they initially use a CNC machine to cut bodies and necks but for me, this ensures consistency of each build.
Like the guys mentioned, having an owner who gets out on the floor AND is a guitar player speaks volumes about understanding what guitar players need and want.
How did you get to do a factory tour of gibson? Usually they don't give general public tours of the factory. I was also unaware Gibson had a factory in Memphis, you must mean Nashville or Montana considering that's where gibson has been since they left Michigan.
@@brandonsergeon5915 Memphis was the old factory before Nashville
Love my SE. Getting ready to up-grade to a core model.
Prs was always a dream to me and last year I finally got one and I wasn’t disappointed.. love everything about them!!
I had played my USA Strat for almost 8 years before I got a PRS, I'd like to point out.
There's a couple of things that attracted me to PRS and it was the "in-between" models: CE-24 and Silver Sky. I tied the Silver Sky for two weeks, comparable to a Strat in its price point (An American Elite that'd be about $2100), but the neck was a bit too "thicc." Upon returning it, I had seen these CE-24 guitars online so I said let's give it a try. Dude I'm telling you that thing is unique, special and an absolute machine for $2k. About what you'd pay for a decent SG or LP alternatively, but something about the CE felt different yet so well made. I'd say they're worth the price but I don't think you get the "WOW" factor until you hold one
My 31 year old PRS Standard is still the first pick to go play somewhere among a few really good Strats, Teles, G&Ls, SG, '81 Dean Z (amazing guitar!), Rickenbacker, I love 'em all but the PRS consistently gets the call.
One fret dress and set up in 31 years with a Spring and Fall 1/4 turn on the truss rod that's it. Always mechanically and sonically reliable with better intonation, Paul has developed instruments dedicated to supporting musicians.
Damned thing is, the new ones are even better than the old ones. The factory is rather smaller than I expected to see with an apparently tight knit group of very knowledgeable employees.
I own two prs guitars.my first is a Brazilian Rockwood McCarty 10 top...truly a work of art.and I have a David grissom trem.both of these guitar,especially the McCarty were above the higher end of a l.p. cost wise.now in the mid 90s money was hard to come by for me and a guitar that cost as much as a car causes a gut clench when you hand over the cash.but you know what made me hand it over with a smile?in the early 90s I was living in PA and for my 30th birthday I decided I wanted to see where prs was made.i called them up,they said "sure,come on down" so I drove down to Annapolis and they gave me a awesome tour,telling me if Paul was there he would have done it himself.i left with a hat and a determination to own one of those exceptional guitars...oh!and they were building another Ted Nugent zebra guitar.cool!
I remember,he'll I am old,lol the original prs signature guitars.look I love pauls...I have 3 but prs will always have a place in my heart.btw I called Jackson in my youth to ask about to tour of the factory and they were like beat it kid,lol....I still own a few even though,lol
I own a PRS S2 C22. I LOVE the thing. It is a gorgeous guitar and inspires me every time I pick it up. So comfy to play and I couldn’t care less if it isn’t “boutique.” It’s a well built guitar.
Got my first PRS last summer. Used to play Fender and Ibanez. The PRS is by far my favorite. Sounds great and great to play.
If it is an option for you, buy a PRS. Simply stated, they are amazing instruments. As a kid drooling at local guitar shops and dreaming of owning a Custom 24 one day, I ended up pulling the trigger on one a few years back. Without question, one of the best playing, sounding and looking guitars I have ever owned. I have owned some incredible instruments over the years, but the PRS guitars are in a league of their own.
I am ( and have been) a Telecaster guy for a long time. I got a PRS Custom 22 as a gift and I cannot say enough about it. It has become my favorite guitar even over my top Teles. Never out of tune, built with the absolute best parts, amazing instrument. Love everything about the company and its products. My Taylor T5 Custom Koa is excellent build quality too.
Know the feeling!!!!
I've got four Gibson's, two Fender's, two Ibanez's, and two PRS's, and I must say that since owning my PRS guitars, I've used them live a lot! They not only look amazing, but they play, and sound amazing. M
I have 2 PRS SE’s & they are amazing.
Sharing is caring ;)
For what it's worth, I've been playing on stage since 1963. I have owned some really great guitars, including several older LP's (still have a '71 LP GT Deluxe) and Fender products. A friend finally convinced me to buy one of his used PRS's about four years ago, a 2001 Custom 24, all stock. It is hands down the most comfortable, easy playing guitar I have ever owned, so good in fact that I bought a 2017 Custom 24 SE as a broken-string backup. The pickups in the 2001 are nothing but fantastic. Both guitars stay in tune despite violent use of the trem bar. Of course, we all need a Strat and/or Tele for certain sounds, but there is NO rational way one could say that the quality of a guitar that is put together with screws compares with a guitar built like my PRS. My Fenders play great, but they are not equal in quality, as reflected in the prices. All that said, even though I can afford any guitar that catches my eye, my PRS purchases will be used guitars. I cannot justify spending $3,000 and above for a new guitar when a used one for half the price is completely acceptable.
Ive been looking into getting a prs se custom 24 but Im worried about fret wear. Apparently Prs doesn't use stainless steel so it wears faster? Do you have any signs of wear on the frets of the se custom 24?
@@christopherlee7379 Here is the thing not mentioned here when it comes to the pricing of PRS and the different lines. When you purchase an SE, it is like buying a guitar you know will need repairs down the road as in fret jobs or other minor issues. When you buy a core model, you are getting a guitar that you will ultimately hand down to your grand kids and never have to worry about it. Personally, I own SE's, S2's and Cores along with a few Music Man's and one Fender Tele Professional. There will always be PRS's in my collection as you just cannot beat the build quality and reliability of them.
Michael Wilkins I can’t justify spending that much on a core as a beginner of playing less than a year. Now I’m not a beginner musician I’ve been playing piano and bass for forever. I’m definitely going to buy a core or private stock someday but I’m not even gigging right now and even if I was I wouldn’t take out my 2,000 dollar guitar to a random bar. I would love to have a core or private stock but it just doesn’t make sense for me. With that said if you have the money 4 se’s don’t make sense when you could buy a core.
I've only tried one guitar in store and not been able to walk away from it, and bought it immediately, and it was my new 594. Best tone I have ever heard. It immediately started to draw out stuff from me ive never played before.
I owned a PRS SE Standard and that thing was incredible. It was my first real experience with PRS and I would love to have an SC-245 or something. Amazing guitars, incredible brand.
I own 2 strats, Les Paul and PRS. I love them all for different reasons. That said my PRS Modern Eagle is the most incredible guitar I have played. It has a thin Nitro finish, custom wound pickups with Brazilian neck. The fit and finish is above anything I have seen. If I could only own one guitar it would be my PRS.
I bought a PRS new, back in 1988 - a 1988 Custom 24. In the early 90's, I visited the factory in Maryland, and met Paul. He played my guitar, and immediately knew where I bought it. Turns out, the dealer in Texas I bought it from insisted on having an ebony fingerboard on the first PRS he got. I love my PRS!
I got my PRS s2 custom 22 recently, it was set up beautifully and plays like a dream. The quality is known as soon as you pick it up just like my American Standard Fender and very unlike my Gibson les Paul.
I just bought a Les Paul tribute. A low end model. It's fantastic. It feels amazing. It plays itself. My american standard strat isn't like that. Neither is my american tele. I haven't found a PRS that I really like.
I own a Custom 22 and a 2009 Mira, both Core. They are totally amazing and consistent. They are my two favorite guitars.
I recently bought a PRS SE 245 and am very impressed with its playability and finish quality. They are heavy though and I swapped out the pups for Gibson Classics. At that pricepoint you can easily mod them... which is a large plus for this model in my view.
Been playing for 45 years. Always been a Strat guy. In 1989 I had a guitar custom built - Tom Anderson swamp ash body/Warmoth rosewood neck with ebony fretboard/Seymore Duncan Invader in the bridge, Pearly Gates in the neck with a stacked DiMarzio humbucker in the middle/Kahler Pro Trem, etc... Sweet! Then in 2003 I had Carvin build me guitar with all sorts of custom electronics - played it for 16 years - Sweet! Just got my first PRS custom 24 core - Beautiful!!! Played great out of the box. Didn't have to tune it for days - until I changed venues with temp & humidity! I like them all. The PRS is one hell of a guitar and I am really pleased with it.
I’ve been playing for around 5 years and decided to take a step up and buy a good guitar probably a year ago now and I bought a custom 24 that is absolutely everything I could ask for in a guitar. It’s a gorgeous yellow quilt top and I later found out that it’s one of only 25 which just makes it’s extra cool in my eyes. Prs guitars are amazing instruments for someone who is looking for something that will always get the job done well and inspire you at the same time.
I own 3 PRS guitars and wish to add a Silver Sky
PRS are hands down the highest quality mass production guitars I have ever played. Even the cheaper Korean models are super well made. They sound great, they feel so solid, butter smooth necks, they have perfected the coil tap, they look great. What else could you possibly want?
What are u smoking dude?
I love mine. It’s freaking amazing
I recently watched an episode of That Pedal Show where Dan and Mick challenged each other to pick one guitar and one amp as if that were all they could ever have. Mick picked a PRS DGT and a Fender Deluxe Reverb Reissue. This made a lot of sense to me. With PRS guitars, they don't have the exact character of a Fender or a Gibson but, with coil splitting, they do a good job of enabling you to cover both bases. I went to PRS Experience in 2018 and I enjoyed it very much. A factory tour was included. I now have a couple of PRS CEs.
Awesome conversation.
Just to let you know : i am a happy owner of a PRS SE, custom 24. It's awesome
I have 3 PRS SE's, adore them all. I had an Epi LP with some QC issues and an insanely unstable neck, in doing some research about QC in the guitar industry, I discovered PRS SE'ss and the knowledge that they get a proper QC and setup stateside before they go out to stores. So, I returned the Epiphone for a PRS SE 245, which out of the box played so good the guy at the shop I bought it from gave it a noodle and asked me if I had ordered it Plek'd (It was not Plek'd, it was just that well built, finished and set up.) Smooth playing, resonant guitars that are a joy to play.
Shane Gochenouer 3 SEs??? Just sell em and get one really good American PRS!
@@nateglass8767 I like to make lots of different sounds, cant justify condensing 3 very different sounding guitars into one just for the sake of having one expensive guitar.
I buy Guitars for my Son right? He buys them too and we enjoy doing it. So help me out here as Sweetwater promotes for the absolute best of the best Guitar available, they will "plek" your PRS ( Ok we are looking at the Standard SE24 now) and I am thinking and reading all over the net, just how phenemonal quality PRS comes with right? In an e-mail to Sweetwater, the guy said even for PRS at the $500 price point, he recommends having it "pleked" Your thoughts? My Son is an amateur, he is not Eddie Van Halen, Slash or any of those guys. So, he already has a Stratocaster, Les Paul, Ibanez Jem Jr, Schecter Omen Extreme 6, Jackson and an Epiphone. None of those were "pleked" and they all sound pretty good and play well acording to him.......I just listen LOL!
I’ve owned a PRS custom 24 since 2011 and it’s still my go to guitar. I also own Fender strats and teles and a few Gibsons. Love them all for what they are but the PRS fits me the best. Is it worth the money? Are any of them? I think it’s a personal preference. From a financial stand point I’ve made a decent amount of money using my PRS by playing shows and doing recording sessions, so even from that stand point it was worth. But more importantly I love guitar so even if I never made a dime I’d buy it again. Great video guys!
Its been a year since you made this video, but...I got my first PRS, SE Custom 22 Semi-Hallow, about a month ago, and WOW! It absolutely blew me away. As someone who has had Strats, LPs, and some others, I have never had a guitar that felt more comfortable and easy to play anywhere near the $800-900 dollar range. I would have to jump up into the four digit price tag to get a comparable playing experience, and if I am doing that, well, I might as well just get a CE model PRS.
I have a PRS SE Custom 22 semi-hollow that my wife got me for our 15 year anniversary...it’s amazing, I love it. The only thing I’ve had done to it is swapped out the nut. I get compliments on my guitar tone all the time over my strat HSS. Eventually I plan to also get an S2.
I own a core custom 22 and a silver sky and am in love! I went from going eh those are metal kid guitars to playing one and falling in love and it’s very rare I play my Gibson or Martin at this point. They just feel right to me and sound amazing, but the feel of a PRS is what sold me and how acoustically resonant they are.
Joe Smith ...you've probably never played real Gibson and Fender's ( Original Vintage guitars)
If you did, you'd understand....
I have 2 LP's , 1 Strat , and 8 core PRS's. Tells you 2 things:
1. I've contracted GAS
2. PRS guitars are a level above the others.
I play them all, I gig them all (though not often), I enjoy them all. I enjoy the PRS's most.
You most assuredly have contracted GAS and I feel for you and your loved ones:) Every time I go to the factory or my rep from PRS swings by we gather too many core pieces as well. GAS is really easy to get with PRS. Thanks for the comment and thank you for watching Old Cowboy!
I own and regularly play a '97 Custom 24 in black and have for the past 15 years. Bought it from a friend who bought it from a friend so I'm at least the 3rd owner, maybe more. It's still in very good condition and it's my go-to guitar. I too was blown away the first time I played it and YES they are worth the money, even if it is previously played and properly maintained.
For a long time, my main guitar was a Gibson Les Paul Studio. The other guitars I owned were also spartan, plain jane solid color workhorse guitars.
About four years ago, I bought a Kiesel SCB guitar with a flame maple custom paint job that was overseen by Jeff Kiesel. It sort of changed my entire outlook on guitars as art.
Two years ago, I bought a PRS Paul's Guitar on a crazy post tax refund whim. It's easily the best playing guitar I've ever played out of box, and it has a really versatile and useful tonal range. I was actually considering an SE or S2 level guitar. I played an SE, and was really impressed. If I were going to buy that guitar now, I might buy the SE Paul's Guitar, if only for my poor wallet.
But I have no regrets. It's an amazing instrument. It fits nicely into my playing rotation, and I love how it plays and sounds. It definitely gets the most attention from other guitar players I know. People are intrigued by the Kiesel, but everyone geeks out over the PRS.
To that end, I would definitely say that Kiesel is a more boutique brand, and PRS is more corporate. 20 years ago, you might see one or two core PRS guitars in a music store. Now that the SE series is so popular, it isn't impossible to see a dozen or more on the wall at your local Guitar Center. The core series is still kind of rare, but PRS is definitely a bigger company than the core production numbers would have you think.
I own a Tremonti SE and I love it. Looks and sounds fantastic.
I bought my first PRS today !!!! It’s gorgeous and plays amazing !!!! I also bought an Ibanez Acoustic/Electric. Guitar Center was having a huge July 4th sale and I made out like a bandit.
PS: They are heavy but it doesn’t matter to me cause I just play in my own little music room. I’m not on a stage or anything
I played a McCarty for years. It had bird inlays. That thing was more reliable, stable, and played better than my American Fenders. The PRS was my workhorse and never let me down onstage.
I just got a PRS SE DGT today. Wonderful guitar. Easy to play, perfect intonation, no setup required.
I've been an Ibanez player since the beginning, about 20 years ago. Had a BC Rich, returned it after a week. Schecter was nice, but wasn't 'right' for me. Jackson was closer, but I still leaned on my Ibanez RG's as a go-to. Recently bought a PRS SE Floyd, and between that and my hardtail RG421, it's dead even. I would definitely buy another PRS when budget permits. Can't wait to pump it through the Boss Katana 100W MkII that is on it's way to my house.
Thanks for sharing your journey through the guitar world there Patrick! I was surprised by PRS and how well they were made the first time I played one. I really did not want t like them as much as I did:)
Thanks for watching and best to you and yours out there!
I have a prs ce24 and a ibanez prestige rg. Love them both equally.
I bought a used cu22 with some battle scars for 1900$ 3 yrs ago best 1900$ I ever spent I love that guitar And I own a les Paul standard a custom shop stratocaster and a ESP. Not ltd. all cost well over 1900$. And my PRS. Has its own thing. . You have a Gibson for that Gibson thing a start for that thing etc.. PRS core guitars are amazing
Absolutely worth it... I paid $15999 for a Private Stock with the most amazing tone woods (both visually and audibly) maple/mahogany/Brazilian rosewood... I have no regrets... apart from my Wal MK2 bass, I can't think of an instrument I adore more.
Love the editing, love the content, thanks for existing!
I work for one of PRS's top 5 retailers I get to handle everytjing from the SE Standards all the way up to $18000 private stock every single guitar is amazing
They're frustratingly fantastic. I would say without a doubt their $499 SE line are the best guitars on the market under $500. And when you play the cores and the Private Stock you just have to accept the mid blowing that comes afterwards. Darn those wee wizards.
On a side note, you don't happen to be at Wilcut?
Casino Guitars
That would be my guess.
I have a PRS SE Custom semi hollow made in Korea. I traded my MIM strat for it. It is incredible for the price. It blows my MIM away. I love this guitar! Feels great, plays like butter and sounds fantastic.
I have been playing for 15 years and owned exclusively Ibanez and esp products and after giving in to a salesperson at a local shop I played and then bought my core model 22 custom semi hollow and will openly admit that I have never owned or played a better guitar in my life. Amazing quality control, sounds great and never goes out of tune.
I recently got PRS SE Paul's guitar. I think it's a great guitar. One of my favourite guitar is an ibanez SZ , if find them fairly close to this PRS model.
you had me with the umbrella reference..!!!
I own a PRS singlecut and a Paul Allender Signature and I absolutely love them so much, no fret buzz, keeps in tune amazing, and overall looks great. Damn sure they make the best guitars in the industry
Hi guys. I own A LP, a Strat Elite and older American Standard Strat a couple custom made guitars and I have 2 PRS McCarty’s. The first McCarty is a 2005 20th anniversary with moon inlays rather than the birds, and the most recent in a 594 single cut. Speaking from a reliability standpoint I’ve never seen anything equal to the first one. I’m sure the new one will prove to be the same but it’s new lol. Both guitars tones are completely different yet I can dial in anything I am looking for on either guitar. The attention to detail with the PRS company is so worth mentioning. The new one shipped to me from Michigan to Florida (reverb deal) a d it came out of case in tune with no adjustments needed. I’ve even played their SE series guitars in a store and to me those are equal to most other companies custom shop. I love all of my guitars and genuinely appreciate their history, voicing and everything else. All that said, the quality of the PRS is so over the top better in my opinion that I have to say it. The tone is unbelievable and I never have to eff with the guitars. I think on the 2005 one I may have made a truss rod adjustment 4 or 5 times. Mostly because in Florida the humidity is all over the place but it is rare. I’d choose PRS over anything else. Loved this video guys. Thank You! I will like and subscribe
PRS are easily the biggest group of "guitar nerds" who are making guitars. They are constantly upping their game to the point that other guitar makers can't keep up... NO ONE out there is at their level. I interviewed their designer for a couple hours while I was at their factory... He confirmed how awesome they are.
Amen bro!!
Carson Hopper
I have 5 Kiesels. Great value. Quality instruments and 100% custom made to your specs. No retailer 100% markup either.
Taylor is to acoustics as PRS is to electric guitars.
PRS makes some of the most incredible guitars I’ve played. Even the cheaper SE line is full of excellently built guitars.
I love my CE, and got it for way cheaper than any Gibson
They really are incredible check out the video we just did on the PRS prototype vault ruclips.net/video/ByoF9zxNvKw/видео.html
My PRS’ are my main guitars now vs my Fenders, Suhr, Music Man, and Gibsons. The quality is top of the line. They are so beautiful to watch and are great for versatility.
I love PRS guitars. Doesn't really matter if you get an SE or go all the way up to a one of a kind 'wood library' model. Just great guitars.
I have picked up a handful of PRSs in my years of playing and I must say I've still not gotten to THE ONE. Stylistically I really like the double cuts but there has never been one that felt right in my hands. I own and jump between all kinds of guitars so it's not for a lack of versatility on my part. I own Gibson, Fender and Sigma on the high end and several on the the low end too. PRS just doesn't seem to be for me as hard as I've tried to like playing one. Maybe I just haven't picked up the right private stock yet but I'm a low budget man in a high budget world.
Hunter Brock ... I feel exactly the same way as you do.
You guys aren't alone. They just aren't for me.
After my first Core, every other guitar I’ve considered buying, regardless of brand, had to ultimately compete with purchasing another PRS. Now after 3 Cores and a Silver Sky, The Gibson custom shop I’ve had on my radar for the last 2 years will almost certainly fall to a new DGT. Yeah, they’re worth it.
I've been a Fender and Gibson player for 40 years and I never quite found 'the one', in spite of having about 20 Strats and Teles and a similar number of Gibsons over the years. I decided to try a PRS Custom 24 about 6 months ago and it's better than all the Gibsons and Fenders I've ever had. So much so that I got another one 2 months ago that's just as good. I'm now thinking of selling my other guitars cos they never get played. There really is no comparison in terms of quality and playability. I would urge anyone to put aside any bias you may have and just try one.
Since I’ve gotten back into guitars and playing, I’ve been obsessed about getting a Paul Reed Smith. I got my first electric in 87, a Gibson Superstrat from my local Maryland guitar shop called Hot Licks. I was a youngster and didn’t know about PRS but then again they were only a 2 year old company at the time, a boutique. In the mid 90s, a buddy of mine whom I’d jam with had a brother that worked for them and my awareness grew. Anyhow people moved away and we stopped jamming together and I ultimately stopped playing with any regularity.
Flash forward to earlier this year. My 13 year old daughter told me she wanted a bass. I thought, I got someone to jam with again. Woohoo! Anyhow since I no longer had my Gibson and only had my Yamaha acoustic, I started thinking about what electric I wanted. Paul Reed Smith quickly jumped to mind. Money? Nope don’t have enough atm for one but boy do I really want one. A local company that puts out a kick ass product? Hell yeah! Anyhow that’s my long winded story.
One last thing....Pavement? I see you old man. 😂Well I could if I had my old man glasses on.😂
I have a prs mccarty 594 wood library and its the single greatest purchase ive ever made.
Oh my, the guitar of my dreams you spoke of...:)
Me too! Im completely in love with my 594!
What u have is shit!
@@calvinaustin81 explain
@@aebious8886 What's there to explain? PRS along with Ibanez are trailblazers in creating the worst sounding guitars ever.
Got an old PRS McCarty, fantastic guitar, never found a Gibson that gets near, IMHO.
I've owned two american made Custom 22s (built in 07 and 09) and I now own a Semi Hollow SE Custom 22 (built 2019) that I LOOOOVE more than any guitar i've had (for a third of the price!)
Fantastic and we couldn't agree more with the quality we find in those SE's! Thank you for watching and thanks for the comment!
I have a 2001 Santana SE hardtail, I still use it every day, and clients who use my studio cannot believe how good it is for its age. It has been used on at least 40 tracks in the last 5 years!
Thank you for the comment and we cannot agree more! We love the quality of all of their instruments and are shocked by how nice the SE line is...always! Thank you for watching!
It depends on what you want. They're extremely well made, extremely comfortable to play and have their own sound. If you're looking for something to sound and feel / look exactly like a Les Paul, Strat or Tele (or 335, etc.), then it's not gonna be what you're looking for. They have their own vibe. For me, I've used PRS extensively live, as I feel they're just flat out easier / more comfortable to play and are very versatile. I can get a great single coil sound (although it doesn't sound exactly like a Strat or Tele) and a great humbucker sound (although not exactly like a Les Paul), but the guitar still has its own unique voice. Obviously they look gorgeous, which again, some people love and some people don't. If you're looking for something that is all scratched, chipped and looks like it was built in the 50s - again, a PRS isn't that. Personally, I think they're amazing, even though if I was stranded on an island and could take 2 guitars - I'd take a Les Paul and a Strat, but I grew up on those and played them for 30 years, so I'm likely biased. I've owned several PRS over the years and still have 2 of them - they're amazing guitars.
PRS are phenomenal guitars. I have Fender Strats, LP's, Jacksons, EB Music Mans....but bang for the buck a PRS is a pretty easy choice.
Agreed! Love the pieces they make:) And thank you for watching as well!
PRS are definitely worth the money, I was a die hard fender fan for the longest time. But when I got my SE custom 24 it changed everything. Compared to American fenders I have played they don't even come close to my custom 24 because of few reasons.
1. My SE was made in Korea, but plays like it was made in the US
2. Modern features and options on a modern guitar (24 frets, coil tap,)
3. The cut aways are actually functional, one can reach those higher frets with ease
I have a 2017 Cherryburst SE245 and I love it. Play it all the time. When I wrapped my hand around the neck that was it. It fit. I bought it after a short test drive. I have USA Fenders and a Gibson so its not my only guitar. Oh, and the back of the neck has flames!
For the craftsmanship involved, and the quality, and the finish (I speak about U.S. models only ... I never owned nor played an import PRS), PRS guitars are the BEST you can get for the money out of a "industrial production line" type guitar. PERIOD ! Specially if you aim for the 2000$ range with the CE series, or even 1500$ with the S2 series. You get solid, super reliable, perfect guitars ready to play and which all sound great.
I never ever played a U.S. PRS that had any kind of "playability" nor intonation flaw at all (not to mention the perfect finishes of these guitars). And that's it !!!
PRS guitars are not my preferred guitars "tone wise" nor "design wise" ... I mean, I'm in love with my Gretsch, my ESPs and LTDs really fit to my hands like gloves and play like dreams, but, if I could only pick JUST ONE GUITAR for a tour, or if I only had the choice to own only one guitar and that's it, then it would definitely be a U.S. PRS, 'cause in the end, and overall, they're simply the best you can get, and at the best price for the quality, and by far.
Now that PRS has grown to one of the major brands in the industry, if they ever managed to reduce the costs of production while maintaining the high level of quality, and therefore be able to offer what is now between 2000$ and 5000$ at a way more attracting price range, PRS would beat the total shit out of any other brand around ... or would force the entire industry to deeply rethink their quality standards and the industrial processes involved in the building of guitars. That's one thing for sure.
A PRS takes 'weeks' from the time the wood comes into the factory and leaves as an instrument. PRS takes time to cure the woods, dry them so the resin crystallises. A neck takes over 2 weeks so it can settle and stabilise. The 'body' is cut roughly to shape by a CNC machine to keep consistency, but it is still finished by hand, sanded down to make sure there are no machine marks. The neck is hand fitted to the body as its made 'slightly' larger so the fit is perfect and tight. The frets are fitted by hand and all the fret work is done by hand, the fretboard is sanded to the radius by hand...
Its 'almost' like a 'boutique' builder who opts to use power tools to cut, route and carve a guitar. The difference is that a 'boutique' dealer can get away with 'mistakes' and 'irregularities' as part of its 'charm' - that no two are exactly the same carve etc.
I own 4 core PRS guitars, not 10-tops, not wood-library, not Private Stock - just core guitars and they are incredible, consistent, high quality instruments. They are not 'boutique' but they aren't corporate either, they aren't sacrificing quality for increased output and increased profits. The staff are ALL passionate about the instruments they make - its not 'just a job' as it seems like in other brands. What PRS make in a month, Fender churns out in a day, Gibson churn out in a week. This is why you get almost boutique but with the consistency needed to sell the 'same' models to a global user base - models that all share the same dimensions, carves etc.
As long as they keep the standards high, the quality control at numerous stages in the build, the consistency and quality to the same level without compromising on materials or tone to make a bit more profit, then they will not be corporate - just exceptionally high quality profession standard instruments. Their Core models are equivalent to most others custom shop...
What boutique dealer can get away with mistakes?
Their Core models have to be equivalent to custom shop models, because that's where they are priced at.
I mean, just check out Hufschmid - guitars cost even less than PRS, but completely hand made, no CNC involved at all.
Thanks for sharing. Really good reply to the post.
Really well said with all of the "data" that is out there with PRS, I still hear ( younger guys usually) say " But it's still not a rock guitar. Name me one top guy that is out there that plays this with a true, well known rock band" Arghhhhh!
I've had a PRS SE Standard since 2007, it was the first guitar I bought myself. I now own multiple brands, a Mexican tele, a Washburn semi-hollow, an LTD, and far and away my PRS is what I've always played the most.
To be fair, the PRS is the most expensive guitar I've bought, but it's just great for the price. I love the neck on the tele, the Washburn sounds fantastic, but the PRS just feels right in my hands. The others I own are fun flavors. The PRS is my guitar-guitar.
I got a Mark Holcomb signature PRS and it's great. Feels great and sounds great and looks great. You don't need an expensive guitar to make music and sound good. And I feel like people forget in a mix it's where it's at if you want to make music. Most guitar companies can and do great with a few exceptions but still are amazing. Prs is big but not too big but if you love something you should want it to succeed so I hope they grow and keep at the good QC and good pricing.
PRS is making some really really good guitars!
They really are
Bought my first PRS last year. I purchased an S2 Custom 24 and it blew my Les Paul away. Tones were/are phenomenal. It was at that point I bought in full boat! Got rid of all my other guitars and bought a PRS SE acoustic. I have everything I need!
The problem nowadays is the lower tiers have caught up so much, so fast, that the only difference is in tiny details or something that can easily be made up with modest upgrades. At the end of the day, you're buying mystique, notoriety or (most importantly) resale. If those matter, then, sure....a PRS can be worth it. I don't begrudge anyone that level of purchase if it makes you happy. I've owned $2000 guitars, but it was in the days when $200/2000 was such a divide as to be jaw dropping. Now, the difference between $800 and $2000 is not so obvious.
I totally agree with you.
Right. There is a LOT of really good less expensive guitars out there. Thats the thing..... if you make bad guitars, you dont last in the business very long.
After my divorce I sold all my electrics to pay of debts, and pay for my son's education. When I started making a little more money, I got the itch (you all know what I'm talking about; my accoustics just weren't doing it for me). It had been more than 30 years since I purchased a guitar, and I went out thinking I was going to have to pay a grand or more for anything decent (meaning; made in America). I was looking for a Strat, and someone told me to look at the Squire CV strats and teles. I was blown away by the fit, finish and playability of both guitars, and the tele sounded great. I bougt a tele, and an uprgraded strat with american '56 pickups and mojo tone wiring for $500 for both. Awesome. Now I've got that itch again, and a little more money. I've been looking for an LP for about the last year, and just can't find one I enjoy playing. I have found many guitars I love playing, but never an LP. The problem is, I also can't find anything that sounds like a les paul. I've been looking at used PRS guitars, and I love the look, fit, finish, and playability. They always have great action, and they're intonated. I also had the pleasure, while trying out a les paul at Chicago Music Exchange last week, of seeing Paul Reed Smith there. He did a 2 hour presentation complete with a Q and A about guitar myths you hear on the internet. He compared a 1960 les paul they are selling for $285,000 (I think), to a new PRS. To my ears, they weren't close, but to most there, I think they preferred the PRS. I was the other way, the LP sounded so creamy and had so much character. I guess whay I'm trying to say is, while I like the look, feel and playability of a PRS, I don't know if I'd be satisfied long term with the sound. Everyone's ears, styles, and tastes are different. I can't knock someone for loving the sound and feel of an Ibanez, PRS, Fender, Washburn, whatever. If you love it, play it. If you don't, sell it. But don't think you have to pay $3500 for a guitar you'll love. I think of guitars like the PRS core line as works of art. You show them off. You play them sparingly, and treat them like fine porcelain. Then you go beat the shit out of your tele for 2 or 3 hours.
It's a wonderful time to be alive.
My SE Custom 24-7 has been my #1 for the last 3 years. I have a hard time going back to my Ibanez, Squire/Fender guitars. She just plays and sounds so amazingly well that, anymore, I would only play them if I break a string. The only 2 things I would change about it would be: 1. Substituting the fixed bridge for their trem bridge with locking tuners. Considering that Vai is catalyst for me playing guitar (not just 7-string) I really miss having the trem bar.
2. I would've made dedicated coil taps/splits for each pickup. Thus basically making it a 7-string 408.
I love my 2020 PRS SE Custom 24 Cherry Sunburst Limited Edition. It's affordable, looks amazing, plays great. Love the cream color binding on the body, neck and headstock.
I have 2 PRS guitars. The finest pieces in my collection by far.
I have several guitars as the usual suspects tele strat sg les Paul, so I purchased a second hand custom 24 25 anniversary and I have to say it’s a beautiful guitar to play and the build quality would put the other companies to shame definitely got there own thing going on
I purchased a PRS SE Custom 24 in 2017 during a PRS night at the local music store ( which is what I call a mom and pop owned store and everyone is really great)! I bought it thinking that I might be able to get some Tele “type” sounds because of the coil splitting. The only thing I’ve done to it so far is upgraded the strings to 10’s after I had the nut repaired for the “Hi E string” , I also installed locking tuners which I purchased from Guitar Vault USA (maybe I shouldn’t have mentioned their name). I was thinking of buying a Tele so I took my SE to the store where I bought it to see what they would give me for a trade in. Now I paid between $700.00 and $800.00 brand new for this guitar, it is in Great condition( no dents, dings), it never been played out doors, always kept inside and humidified (well the entire house is). Cleaned and tuned all the time. With all that said they offered me just over $200.00 for a trade in!!😳 I was in shock!! So the moral is that even if PRS produces a quality item whether made here in the states or over seas I don’t really think they hold they hold their value very well if you look at all the “praise” they get and all. Don’t get me wrong I do like the guitar and now I am going to hang onto it and maybe upgrade the pick ups, but it was an eye opener.
, I was thinking of more like $400.00 anyway. Oh did I mention I am a Strat guy at heart! I have a MIM plus top strat which is worth about the same for a trade in. 😩So sad! But, TOTALLY enjoyed your video!!!
Tim
Oh yeah we have a couple of Fuddruckers here in Southern Maryland!! Love them!
I have a PRS SE Baritone, and after about 3 months I took it to the place where I bought it. They had to send it back to PRS, because it was under warranty. They had to replace a pick up. I am usually an Ibanez guy, but this guitar is my favorite. I’m not a shred guy, so it took a while for me to find the baritone that I would want, and this one just had me at hello. At any rate, I would love to own a hollow body, and I will be trying out an SE Hollow body, when I see one in person. Keep up the vids man. Like the conversation.
Paul and I went to Highschool together, he worked on some of my first guitars I owned. I bought some of his first he ever made. I have owned 22 of his guitars now and they are wonderful instruments. Much like anything else, it is a personal preference. But for the money you can truly get many sounds out of one guitar and the guitar holds its value over the years.
How about Heritage? Are they "boutique", or were they before '17 - '18 ??!?
Before ‘17-‘18? Huh?
Are you thinking “vintage”? (That’s the one that based on age)
Hey guys - really enjoying your videos. Very cool, laid back and informative. Cheers.
I'm a Gibson honk. My first guitar was a Harmony explorer, and then I bought my own American Standard Strat. That was stolen out of my vehicle, and since then it's been Gibson USA.
I have a custom 24, P22, and a se custom 24 I love them all. At the same time I love my fenders, gibsons, G&L, and carvins as well. Each has it's own niche. I have guitars that I have both loved and hated from all of these manufactures. One thing with PRS is they seem very consistent with high quality. I have found with fender and Gibson I have to spend a lot of time to find that right one. My only complaint I have with PRS is I like a flatter fret board radius, A 14 is my sweet spot, but that is just a personal preference as there is nothing wrong with the 10 inch PRS radius. I have never picked up a PRS that did not play great.
Lol not even that good at guitar and I’m considering getting a PRS 😂😂
Short answer: Yes.
Long Answer: Yessssssssssssssssssss
My CE24 is The guitar. I love it, and I regret not having it many years before. I will never get rid of it. Any other PRS from the cheapest to the dearest is worth every penny as far as I’m aware.
I'm nearly 18, and I have a strat copy, but for a few months I fell in love with PRS guitars, they are like the holy grail of guitars, super beautiful and sound great.... I'm gonna save money and maybe in 1-2 years I'll have one...I think they're great...
Lucian Sirbu thanks a bunch for the thoughts and we couldn’t agree more! I love both fenders and PRS and am thrilled you have been able to play one. Best of luck in getting one one day and if you ever get a chance to go to the factory, it’s worth it!
PRS are so gorgeous I’m usually scared to play one when I see it in shops. It’s intimidatingly well made