Neck Shapes - Rules of Tone - PRS Guitars
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- Опубликовано: 5 сен 2024
- Hi everyone. When I started working on the Rules of Tone, the goal was to build "magic" instruments, and the neck is definitely paramount to that. From the moment you pick up a guitar, the neck should feel very comfortable and strong. This has to do with many factors, including wood choice, wood drying, dimensions, ratios, and our attention to detail. Today, I'd like to focus specifically on neck shapes. We currently offer Pattern, Pattern Thin, and Pattern Regular neck shapes on our Core electric models. These came about through a new method we have to design, program, and cut our necks.
When I started building guitars, I carved all necks by hand. Then, when we started production, we went to a duplicarver and finally to CNC machines. With each progression, PRS neck shapes became more and more consistent, but we were still starting with a hand-carved neck which we then programmed to be duplicated. Now, our R&D department has software that we use to digitally create a neck to the exact specifications we want at every point, and from this digital rendering (the starting "pattern"), we are able to program our CNC machines to create great neck shapes. It's a new tool that helps us to get to the same end: a strong, precise, and very comfortable neck. By achieving that, we hope that when you pick up a PRS it feels like home to you.
Read more on the Rules of Tone blog here: www.rulesoftone...
Thank you Paul. I have 3 of your guitars. You are the most passionate Luthier this generation has. No one holds a candle to your vision. I wish you continued success and a long production cycle like Leo Fender. God Bless you Sir!
Paul is obsessed with guitars, no cutting corners or hit and miss approach. The result is reflected in his consistent product.
I love this guy and company... this personal approach and the way Paul oversees the whole process. This is a guitar company with a GUITAR guy on TOP, NOT JUST SOME MANAGER! We love you Paul!
I'm getting one of your singlecut, because I care about the time u take on your guitars, u actually care, that shows alot, American quality at it's finest, I tip my hat to that for sure. I'm not rich I'm I have a family to support but I'm going to save till I can afford cuase it's worth it to me, something I can pass to one of my sons when I'm gone. That matters to me, it something that's timeless.
After looking for information for a week, this is the best clue I have as to what the neck shapes actually look and might feel like. Seeing how easy it is to show the digital models, PLEASE take screenshots of the neck at the two points you show -- near the nut and near the heel -- and post those screens to your website for all the different shapes of necks you make. It's so very difficult to determine this stuff as a consumer without playing all your necks, which is often impossible.
Gotta admire his passion for perfection.
All his employees look afraid of him.
He hits them with that guitar neck if they do something wrong!
I agree. he is probably a tyrant.
Fugettaboutit " hehehe that was fun" ..... that was kinda messed up.
Fugettaboutit nah they were cracking jokes together
Looks more to me like that kid was nervous being on camera. He looked to me like he couldn't decide where to look the whole time.
Man I want the guitar body on my desk too! Must be nice to have such a killer job. I love my Custom 24 and love the PRS company.
I admire PRS effort and passion for crafting guitars. An A-type personality is required for this. Unquestionably improving and breaking quality barriers on mass production in many ways.
I already have and luv my 2006 PRS ME-1 that I bought new in 2006...and still luv to watch these videos. I will always luv my Eric Johnson rosewood fretboard Strat and my LP....but there is always a place for my PRS. Bravo Paul...for being detail obsessed. Ha.
these guitars have the best reputation in the market .....quality is top notch
Sounds like an honest non rehearsed video, if my boss asked how long would it take to carve a neck I'd say as quick as you want, not three days. lol mr. PRS sounds like a tolerant and fair boss, good stuff.
I consider myself a very Lucky guy to Love PRS Guitars, and have had the pleasure of owning many, many PRS USA Models. Currently Custom 24, Korina KL33 Santana, and 2 CE 24s Yes, I am addicted to PRS Guitars. They all consistently Play Phenomenal, Awesome resonant tone, and of course the visual appeal is KILLER! Thanks PRS Guitars!
I have a McCarty with a pattern neck. It feels as if PRS(h) came to my house and personally measured my guitar for me. The fact that the rest of it is also a perfect match for me as well ..... means I'll be marrying it soon!
I love this company. I spent a few days working on the line in their factory and saw first hand the commitment to quality they have. Anyone from the guy sweeping the floor to the last person wiping a guitar down before it gets shipped, can send it back if they notice a flaw. Paul took on the big guys and was successful at a true production level. Would I change a couple of things if I wanted something custom? Yes, but his production guitars, imports and USA blow away the big named players.
looks like solidworks to me. Loved that program while studying Engineering. Love your wide fat necks! Never played one of the newer ones yet. With my McCarty Rosewood I've got a guitar for life! Thanks PRS
Funny to see my generation still getting excited about software, with younger dude saying nothing, doing all he can to not snicker at the boss. No ill-intent here, I think PRS guitars and PRS himself are fantastic.
Maafa 1619 Since that's exactly what I said I'd say I hit the nail on the head.
It is easy to forget that Paul is an artist, a real luthier. Now he can digitize his masterpieces and have the computer correct imperfections the human fingers cant even perceive. Literal perfection...how satisfying that must be for Paul.
Just remember, if you take away the computers and engineers at PRS, Paul can still make you a guitar better than Fender or Gibson and as good or better than any luthier out there. He can hand wind you great pickups to boot.
Thank you for making the perfect guitar for me...I am the type of player who can't hold on to a guitar for more than a couple of years, I have finally found the guitar for me...Custom 24 with 5909's a 5 way blade and some locking tuners and it stands up to my aggressive playing style !
Paul to me has perfected what it means to understand music and musical instruments. I have yet to play a product with Paul's name on it that doesn't sound utterly amazing. I was hesitant when PRS started making amps, and I've tried everything from a Mesa Road King to a 1964 Fender Bassman, and while there are other great amps out there, nothing has come closer to what I'm looking for in an amplifier than the PRS 2 Channel H amp. Cheers on truly fantastic product from a truly fantastic company.
Im really liking these videos. You dont see or hear of companys or even there CEO's spending time like this to Talk to there customers and fans about there product. I think once you start with guitar you really want to know how its put together and what simple things like fret do.
I don't get the negative comments about Paul. He seems like a really cool guy! Also, he's very passionate about what is sent out the doors of the factory. That's totally understandable! People that made negative comments about him, obviously have never really worked with a real pecker head! I used to work in factories in the machine maintenance departments! If you want to see a pecker head, go to a factory when a machine has broken down and it's costing the company thousands of dollars per hour of down time and they look at you and wonder why the machine isn't running yet! You'll think Paul is an angel! I would have loved to work for him! If your name is going on a product, and the livelyhoods of hundreds of employees is resting on your shoulders, how many of the people out there could actually handle that stress and still come across as a decent person. Sometimes it's a good thing to put yourself in someone else's shoes for a minute and think what their life might actually be like! He doesn't have an easy job! It's a big responsibility! ☺
Yeah, a bunch of snowflakes making comments. Just do what the rest of the world does....IGNORE THEM.
This video is a promo branding initiative for PRS Guitars which speaks to the quality and consistency in their manufacturing process. The computer technology has actually been around since the mid-90’s. Nothing to crow about there and Paul does overplay his hand relative to that aspect. However, it’s fine that he’s making an effort to put his brand in a positive light and communicate with viewers.
Brilliant! Still so much care and enthusiam after 30+ years?....
Love my 92 PRS, It plays like it did on day one!
At the 1:05 mark I was waiting on them to cut the neck in half with the black ax icon on the screen. Ultimately though, it’s probably better to do it their way since I assume it would’ve take a while to cut it with a desk lamp 🤦🏼♂️
John O'Mary holy I thought the same LOL
so nice to see solidworks being used for modelling timber!
I use it alot but always model steel steel parts
Id love a job at PRS!
yep point taken, I've been playing for a long time, 30 years plus, and have had everything from 1966 Gibson 175 ES D to both Roland Guitar Synths, and all in between, have now a 1975 Gibson Explorer which is great, but I use a £250 Peavey HPSpecial as my main guitar as it feels and sounds real, and I can get anything out of it, from Rock to Jazz, regular gigging, never let me down, so that 3K better spent else ware,Vai plays them because he helped design them and he doesn't have to pay anything!
Paul, there a many of us who love your guitars but would like a next sixed up "Pattern". Cool stuff you are doing there though!
Man I hear you I had to lay out big bucks to finally get a perfect neck by buying a Collector's Choice number four Les Paul 'Sandy' which is out of this world but I do find it outrageous that one needs to pay that much to be sure to get a good neck!
Cool thanks Shelby...nice to get feedback :)
private stock is completly custom so you can order whatever you want on it. idk about neck joints but wood selection and other things its all up to you
At the moment, I can only afford the Korean SE single cut, but what a guitar. I respect Pauls passion and his amazing guitars. If I was to dish out some serious cash, i'd feel very comfortable with a PRS. for Strat style guitars, check out Smitty guitars, he's another passionate highly skilled luthier too
my sugestion buy a used s2 more bang for your buck.
prs so beutiful..he wont disable comments like so many cowards..usa still great thanks to men like this!
I just want that to mess around with! Thats pretty cool!
...well then you are indeed a lucky man to have found your guitar, that's all you can ask for, good luck to you and your playing, nothing like it when you get that 1 guitar that feels like it's yours... and for the record, Maple necks make me shudder...I find them so impersonal.. but that's me I'm sure millions love them.... been good typing charlie, keep playing man, nothing like it !
PRS' got jokes! if theres a fire. good ol' Paul lovin what he does and havin fun at it too!
A lot of the purists out there want to bash these methods, pushing for a hand-carved, one-off as "the only way to go". I disagree... Instead of spending so much time, material, energy, etc, while running the risk of wasting it all to human error, you can take science and technology to generate a "perfect" product. This actually results in a better product for a wider range of customers... Instead of having one guitar out of a lot be amazing, one be a turd, and one being average...
Huzzah!
But to make up a complete neck takes time. Once the neck profile is designed, and code is generated, it can be sent to the CNC mill and work can start on the new neck immediately. It'll take maybe 15 minutes, maybe an hour to carve. But then the carved neck still has a LOT to be done to it before it's ready to join up with a guitar. Slot for the truss rod, install the truss rod, glue a fingerboard on, slot it, fret it, drill the tuner holes, and more.
that guy just came out of his cave ? those computer programs are at least old as I am
The prs guitars are so beautiful, but have never been happy with the tone or neck shapes
Have not tried the Carlos model yet
I am not picky about necks... I can play a piece of board, but I've had expensive USA PRS guitars in hand and compared them side by side to cheaper Korean PRS... guess what..?
@@NosceTe what?
I don't like sound of PRS guitars, but the quality and the look are awesome, this is true.
There are other Luthiers who are as good as Paul. Paul also knows how to market his product. This helps him acquire better tools and resources. In turn he becomes even better at making a consistent product. I can make a wonderful guitar myself. I do not have the capital to invest in $3M in tooling. Paul is one of the best indeed. I owned a few 80s and 90s PRSs for personal use or resale, and they are fabulous. Have Paul hand make you a guitar and see how much it costs. Is anyone that rich?
Absolutely fascinating! One thing however that I have never heard a satisfactory explanation for is why the fretboard is thinner at the bottom of the neck than towards to top...is it to facilitate playing chords at the bottom or to give more room to visualize playing lead at the top and /or to enable bends the higher up the neck you go? I was really appreciate your ideas on this subject..thanks :)
So why are your prices still climbing when you have all this technology??
Yes, snowflake, they are not free. You have to pay for them.
In the late 50’s an off the shelf Fender Strat went for about $275 and a Les Paul close to $400. You can multiply those figures by around 10x to get the prices in today’s terms. Adjusted for inflation guitars have become more affordable than they were back in the 50’s and 60’s. But one might argue that they should be even more affordable (relative to past) since technology reduces cost to manufacturing. Also, and perhaps debatable, some would say that overall quality isn’t what it used to be.
@@acegibson9533 You calling snowflake someone while you don't even have an idea about basic economy and price transference? Keep smoking from that bong and wasting your money in the process.
I have a PRS custom it is the best neck bar none the radius of the fretboard is just the most comfortable to play Thanks Paul c];-D
Very interesting.
Paul speaking just like my next door grandpa. So friendly ;)
Fascinating présentation thanks! But I have never heard a satisfactory explanation as to why electric guitars' necks and more narrow at the bottom then become larger as in thicker towards the top. I have theorized that it might be to facilitante the playing of chords at the bottom of the neck,,,making bends easier at the top and spacing the strings apart for comfort of picking. Any other insights would be greatly appreciated. Tahnks P.S I own five PRS guitars...they are fantastic!
Strength I would say initially and then what we are used too now.
This isn't new technology it might be to PRS this has been in the Aircraft industry for +25 years ( were have you been lol? a good operator will programme with Catia V5 this direct now on a 5 Y axsis CNC machine, tool it up sample before lunch, accurate to 7 decimal places, but no matter what you do you will always have the best guitars in the world!
solidworks
I want a Custom 24 7 string with a 25.5 scale wide thin neck with a Trem. and some Piezo pickups. That would be my dream guitar that I would kill for. Sadly I don't think I can ever have that guitar because I'm not endorsed or have crazy money to throw to have one custom built just for me.
..the great thing about computers is that as PRS said cut's down time, a truck load of time... so that means the cost to make a guitar once the software has been paid for should reduce ..... but alas doesn't seem to be the case, good look to him, great product, but wish just for once a guitar maker would think about the non millionaires when pricing on his guitars...
another thing i. include a hardshell case . a cheap plastic one would be cool nothing fancy .
So what you want to pay through the roof for individually hand carved neck's and get a single profile for each guitar that would effectively take out the creativity and progress company's make in creating new effective profiles for guitar necks?
Thats a picture of the EMP in Seattle on the side computer. Go Seattle.
Is there a place on the PRS website that shows the shape of the different necks?
I'm surprised the guys at Orange County Chopper haven't had you make a guitar for them. LOL
That kid that designs for them is amazing at designing choppers.
In the discussion of various neck configurations, or philosophies, maybe - years ago, I was shown a classical guitar with a flat-backed neck. Yes - the length of the neck, opposite the fretboard literally was flat - virtually parallel with the fretboard. The attitude it allowed for the thumb was one of those "why haven't I seen this before?" - things. And, since then, I've never seen any guitar made like that one. I decided if I were to ever build a guitar - even a solid-body - I would have to integrate a neck like that guitar had. PRS - do you have any insight on this neck design? - It's pros and cons?
Hey Paul, I have a very simple request. Can you please bring manufacturing of all PRS guitars back to the USA.
The S2, Bolt -On series (Silver Sky and CE), Core and Private Stock are all made in Maryland. The only line that is imported is the SE. They are affordable because they are made overseas.
What? He can use the pc to make a model of it? What is this guy, a magician???
Now I use Prs single cut trem se .I'm very happy for me.And next level i will get prs usa made.
Solidworks.
The question is now can you download the shape to a CNC machine and get an exact copy?
prototype that paul made is rare
he’s king of the firm
So why do you have those ridiculously huge heels (way bigger than a 86-89 PRS)? Is it so it makes it easier for your CNC cutters to hold the neck. It kinda sucks for playing and really is not needed for additional strength. Also why did you have to threaten your employee with fire to get him to admit that if we really needed a neck fast it could be done?
Have you heard of the concept of "jokes"? I'd feel pretty confident in saying the fire comment was one of those.
I always thought prs took their time with neck carving so the wood settles and doesnt move. Watched this in a factory tour on youtube. Now they're saying they can get a neck out within 6 hours.
I still don’t get a true comparison without a picture of it. For instance...I want to know what a “wide fat” neck is like without touching the guitar. Is it like a Gibson slim taper or a baseball bat or something else?
I've been puzzling this for years, the truss rod fitted, bent away from the fretboard, yes/no? When you tension theTR it wants to bend the neck in a backwards fashion to make the hump on the fretboard. Ooh! Slackening the TR allows the strings to pull on the neck and create a hollow on the fretboard? Am I on the right track or what? Any chance I could have one of your lovely guitars for a trial sample?
Sir Paul, I really love your SE guitars and I have se custom 24. Have you ever thought about making SE Santana with 24 frets? My dream guitar is the PRS Santana. But the US made is the guitar that I can not afford to buy. I see a lot of your se santana, but it has only 22 frets. I really like your se santana, but I prefer 24 frets. I hope you would make se santana with 24 frets someday. More power to you Sir Paul
does carlos santana play a 22 fret guitar?if he doesn't its like wishing for a pink moon,a factory made corvette with a diesel,or his and hers matching unicorns.just get a 24 fret se prs and call it a day,you do understand the idea behind signature instruments dont you?they emulate the guitar the artist plays,simple really.
trillriff-axegrinder I did not suggested my idea to you. I understand very well what a signatures instrument means. If you are not an employee of Paul, then keep your mouth shut! I don't need your opinion.
I think I have found one for my shop. I also want him to do a Gerber file translator for some various electronics schematic programs. I can do this with Autocad myself, but then have to transfer to Bobcad or another CNC machine code. This guy wrote eBay's system and the graphics. He also was a friend of the late Bernie Rico, plays guitar, and knows his stuff. My CNC Router is home made, until I become famous like PRS, or win the lottery. I have one celebrity client. He wants flight cases. Argh
Amazing that with the Technology, it took "2 years" to make a John Mayer model. This was probably caused by Mayer continually changing the guitar to eventually become as much like a vintage Strat as possible. If PRS really wants to sell the Silver Sky in high numbers they are going to have to offer some flatter neck radius options. Too much time was spent pushing a 7-1/4" radius neck. If it is such a neck of choice why did Paul never put one on any other model he makes? This guitar is all about John Mayer and if PRS is content with only selling the guitar to the JM worshipers the numbers will soon run down. The primary reason company's like Suhr, Grosh, Anderson and Sadowsky made it was because they offered flatter neck radius options. That issue dented FENDER sales and it was because Fender didn't get on board with neck options until just a few years ago.
I mean thats like your opinion man, I prefer 7-1/4" on my Fenders. Many go the Fender Custom Shop route just to get the 7-1/4". I didn't know Silver Sky had them, might check one out one day. :) My theory is that manufacturers went to flatter radiuses because the margin of error is wider and the production costs can get lower. Since players got used to those, its a win for them I'd say.
Six hours. Paul riding the herd.
My old guitar teacher has a PRS with 10 top written on the back of the headstock in pencil, it's a 24 fret with the birds and an ebony fretboard with black back and trans red maple top, my god it's a mind blowing guitar but I haven't got a cat in hells chance of ever affording one so I'm thinking why am I even watching all these videos of them...It's just torturing myself.
Spam'n'egg. dont give up! The best advice i can think of in terms of getting ahold of quality gear is PATIENCE! I wanted a PRS custom 22 in blue Matteo with a stop tail bridge for over ten years. I saved and saved and saved. and when i had about $1700 in cash i found a dealer in South Dakota that had several new old stock models including a Custom 22 in blue Matteo with a stop tail, in an Artist package for $1995! And BAM! I got my dream guitar! it took 10 YEARS! But it happened! :-)
So months of work taken out, I assume that's not reflected in the pricing though :) :)
What CAD software is that ? Autodesk Inventor ? I have worked as CAD Designer for 30 years. Cool stuff !!!
Solidworks I think...
to me, pattern neck is uncomfortable. Bought a SC 58 and I have been playing it for 2 months and can't get used to it. I have other prs's with wide fat neck, wide thin, regular, 513, and D (custom 22 soapbar 2008) and they are all much comfortable than the pattern
R.I.P. Paul Reed Smith you were a legend to many
I have a question. It seems to be that a lot of PRS guitars are "it aint broke, dont fix it" mentality. One peice, scarf joint necks, mahogany every where, etc etc. For a private stock, would it be possible to order other options?
Great guitars, but if your pickups aren't microphonic the sound out of the speakers, not adulterated by holding or hearing the acoustic sound of the guitar, will not be affected.
I don’t give a shit how Pauls acts,I LOVE MY MCCARTY S
Solidworks?
Windows XP?!....ya kiddin?
PLEASE WIDE THIN ON CUSTOM 24 LEFT HANDED PLEASE I dont find it
When you just want to do your job, but Paul Reed Smith comes into your cubical and does a video.
Old guy gets excited about CAD. Its sweet! :) I bet he literally had a seizure when they showed him the CNC machines.
For Paul this represents progress and allows amazing consistency. For me though, it represents the end of craft.
PRS got their first CNC machine in 1990 (the information is right on their website). He's just playing things up for the camera.
Know Whey Well let's be honest PRS is the kind of the cork sniffing capitalists. A lot of what he says is well-rehearsed and hardly sincere.
Cork sniffing capitalists? The guy doesn't even were a suit! Where's your ideas? What are you passionate about, besides monopolipic socialism? You want a generic guitar or a choice of over 100 different brands? Do you employ people or do you want just the government to employ? Paul started PRS in his twenties. WTF have you done? You want craft? There are quite a few who still do it the old fashioned way. & guess what the starting prices are? $10k USD & it's all going to the builder. Paul pays people, a great wage & a lot more than minimum wage. He's BTDT & now he doesn't have to & he has FU money.
JWH91969 Well said. If he was a real capitalist, he would have sold out to a larger company a long time ago, and become VERY rich. He clearly has a passion for what he does, more than you'll in any of the other big companies. Unfortunately, some people resent success. In this thread, Paul went from a stupid old man, to an insincere cork-sniffing capitalist. You just can't win with people like this.
Know Whey
Every Paul Smith, John Suhr, & Brian Wampler proves everything they say wrong. Out of those three Paul was the only one who went to college. John worked as a line cook, busted his ass, went to work at Rudy's in NYC, made guitars for Knofler, & others, then went on to found JS Technologies. Wampler was a loser {his words}, but loved playing with pedals. He got good at it & now runs his own company. Smith did it in his 20s!
All three made made something from nothing. Jaded guitarists slam them all. Some say, 'make your own designs.' Paul did, but people still bitch. John makes the best mass produced S&T type guitars on the planet. But they bitch about them being expensive & to sterile while Fender has made dud after dud over the years & the highest price Strat is is a few hundred less. Brian, they say copy existing circuits. WTF?!?
All three had things in common, they all did it themselves. They had drive, they figured it out, & made something of themselves. No government needed & all but Wampler do it in blue states that have higher regs & taxes. Paul even stayed home & built a state of the art factory that keeps the interior at a constant temperature. The best part, all three sell everything they make in this bad economy & still make a profit.
& that's the rub, profit. Anyone who makes a profit is a corksniffing capitalist pig. They can't even fathom doing it themselves. If they only knew that if they would do what those three did, then they would be the ones employing. & if enough of them did this & made a profit, they could give back to their communities & actually see where the money goes when they donate to charities.
I like the technology, I wish the NF3 was offered with wide thin neck instead of the regular pattern that I really DON'T LIKE, yes Paul don't like that neck pattern
Just not a big fan of the wide thin neck. Does PRS make a neck that is like the vintage Les Paul?
+Shelby Taylor-Phillips Just bought a Tremonti SE yesterday, and the neck is very comfortable for me. Wow, what a great guitar! I had narrowed it down to a LP Studio or an SE, and of course, the PRS won out...haha. I just felt like I was paying for a painted name with the LP Studio.
you understand a les paul studio is basically a standard without the binding right?
Why did you discontinue the Mira, the only descent looking guitar you make (2019)
They make a SE Mira which is a very nice guitar. Yes it's made overseas but every guitar made over there comes back here and goes through the Maryland plant for setup and final quality inspection.
...no I'm not knocking PRS, Gibson, Fender etc etc, as they have the product and can sell it for X amount, and they have buyers willing to buy brilliant, have tried the SE line, and IMHO there's a lot of better guitars out there cheaper... still it IS only my humble opinion, and thousands of guitarist's cant be wrong but I just don't get it and would never pay £1000 + on a new guitar..world gone mad, but I do support anyone's right to do so..
ya whats with the pricing shoud go down ,,not up up and then up
Soo, where are the "Rules of Tone"?
Well, Mr Smith, I consider myself a PRS guy. I've got three of 'em. And I won't be buying any new PRS guitars. Because you got rid of the wide-fat neck.
That neck is the best neck in the world. When it came to building my own guitar, I used the wide-fat as a base, then made it 1 or 2 mm fatter.
Old stuff and / or second hand stuff for me only, apparently.
OR that new Zach Myers semi-hollow SE, real excited about that
"right if there was a fire?" he looks scare haahah
Instead of letting us make our own judgments based on playing them or the opinions of trusted others that played them, he leans towards his some-what snake oil marketing. Those that have drank the cool aid aren't even open to legitimate criticisms regarding his guitars and opinions. I do give him credit for not rehearsing that video.
Not keen on Paul
Lol!!!! You think he cares?
mike Braxus who gives a f if he does or doesn't ..lol
i thought it looked like revit?
.. no problem Charlie, good to type..but question, how much did Robert Johnson's guitar cost? think that's MY problem, you don't NEED 3k guitars to make the best music, it's a huge con, sure there will be differences in the tone with different wood etc, you and I both know if Steve Vai picked up a cheap guitar he would make it sing...you wouldn't be able to tell the difference, maybe he would playing it.. so bottom line, grab a guitar and play some music.. even on a cheap one, music is king...
So can John Suhr, but saying PRS is a better guitar then Fender, etc.. is a bit broad and subjective..
rod seems a little deep