PRS - Fashionable again?

Nikc

A good PRS covers a lot of ground in a covers band

I also don't see many/any? deliberately vandalised belt sanded specials at my local blues jams

Bennyboy-UK

stonevibe said:

This i

Just imagine a mid 40s bloke in ripped jeans and it amounts to the same thing in my mind. Makes you look like a right twat.

*grimaces, hand pauses, sighs deeply and then selects mustard cords from next to knackered jeans as feeling realisation hits home with head held low...

Universal8

Yep, can’t beat being 40 ish and dressing like a pensioner 

AuldReekie

I dont get the "PRS uncool" brigade at all.  I will agree that I'm no fan of the bling models, but I have an SE One and 5 US core models and there is nothing blingy about any off these.  What they have all got is fantastic build quality (including the SE One,taking its realtively low cost into account) and very comfortable to play. I dont like all their models and didnt really take to the first one I had, a Custom 22  - great guitar but not for me, but there is a PRS model that is right for most players. 

Haych

AuldReekie said:

I dont get the "PRS uncool" brigade at all.  I will agree that I'm no fan of the bling models, but I have an SE One and 5 US core models and there is nothing blingy about any off these.  What they have all got is fantastic build quality (including the SE One,taking its realtively low cost into account) and very comfortable to play. I dont like all their models and didnt really take to the first one I had, a Custom 22  - great guitar but not for me, but there is a PRS model that is right for most players. 

I think (but I could be wrong) that for many PRS will always be synonymous with bling. Back when they first hit these shores it was the fancy tops, fancy inlays and cool finishes that set them apart from the crowd.

That’s what got our attention and the rest spoke for itself - proof of the pudding and all that.  

Now though it’s nothing new. PRS set the bar higher but other makers caught up. Even stuff from the Far East can come with bling but at £hundreds rather than £thousands. Ok the quality won’t be as good but if that’s your bag then it’s available. 

But fashion is fickle. I recall owning a very nice Flying vee with flame top in the mid 90s and I couldn’t sell it, px it or give it away. Now it’d fetch a handsome sum. 

Depending on your point of view PRS may or may not be fashionable but at the end of the day, who really cares? If your objective is having a nice guitar to play it makes no difference what anyone else thinks. 

However, if your objective is a nice investment then perhaps you might find yourself on a sticky wicket. 

thecolourbox

I know it's going over the same thing over and over but I personally don't think it matters if people think something is cool or trendy or fashionable or not, it's gotta be about what you think or like or want. None of us are going to change the world with our music so we should instead just look to enjoy what we like.

Some people think good design is how practically useful something is made, others prefer it to be quirky and a bit of a challenge to use. I'm in the latter mostly although I've recently switched to what I consider an easier to play instrument (not a PRS). I think the car analogy is a good one, I personally find that cars these days are very dull and similar and generic and would ideally like to see myself driving a Triumph Spitfire rather than the Ford Fiesta I've ordered that should arrive the end of the month but circumstance dictates and there will no doubt be things in the Fiesta that are nicer than I'd get in a Triumph. It will suit my driving needs and keep my hands warm on the steering wheel in the winter but nobody would ever say it's as cool as a Triumph Spitfire.

But not everybody likes "cool" or "fashionable", doesn't mean it's not good or that it's not nice to you, and I think it's fairly bad form to piss on other's chips when talking about such design choices as the chances are, if you don't like it, you're not the target anyway

Edit: admittedly I'm a biased fanboy but I'm amused how often Jack White gets mentioned in a thread about the appeal (or not) of PRS guitars, especially as the reason he is brought up each time seems to be because of an instrument he's not played in public for 12 years! He plays Gibsons, Gretches and Fenders these days, even a Musicman/Ernie Ball and a Wolfgang.

jeztone2

Whitecat said:

jeztone2 said:

Whitecat said:

jeztone2 said:

stonevibe said:

I always think of Custom Shop 'relic' guitars as guitars for dentists and lawyers.

Yes I do. Especially as Fender did CS events in Canary Wharf at one point. Also Relic guitars seem to be the ones I never see gigged. Literally never. 

I saw Gilmour himself play a relic prototype of his signature model once... presume it was kind of a test-run, but not the only one I’ve ever noticed either. 

I’m talking non famous players. Down my local blues night it’s all American Standards or Am Deluxes modded up. The odd Les Paul, even the odd PRS (usually a Custom 22). But a relic CS Fender used in anger on stage? Not in my patch. 

Fair enough - I've seen a shocking number of PRS instruments though at local gigs personally, more than you'd expect % wise based on the sales division between PRS, Gibson & Fender, but you are right that there are a lot of more basic USA made Fenders...

Les Pauls seem to be the *least* used when I see small bands, but 335s are not as uncommon.

I’m sure there’s a regional breakdown per guitar design. It’s like when my middle brother lived in Edinburgh in the 90’s. I’ve never seen so many secondhand Yamaha SG’s in Guitar shops. 

BGG

“That gold top is glorious. Awesome collection dude”

Cheers @Dan_Halen the gold top is my number one, just love it, it’s a 2009 model and full of dings, scratches, lacquer peeling etc ... proper work horse..

Winny_Pooh

https://imgur.com/a/93E2r1R

Adam_MD

Winny_Pooh said:

https://imgur.com/a/93E2r1R

Ooh I like that.  What's the duesenberg trem like on the Mira? 

Winny_Pooh

@Adam_MD It's great. I have modified the bridge contact point's to be rounded underneath so it rocks

guitargeek62

I just left GuitarGuitar Camden after trying a dozen or so PRS’ there... I really don’t care what any haters say, they’re brilliantly made guitars, all with plenty of character and vibe. The two standouts were a lovely DGT, and a nice d/c594 as well - beautiful ring to it, but missing the grunt of the DGT pickups. I have to give a special mention to the Silver Sky as well, it’s a phenomenal S-type.

Also, they had a couple of the new sandblasted SEs there - they’re really quite good, the bridge pickup is crazy hot though! I loved the new finish in person too.

Special thanks to the staff for looking after me and letting me run wild trying out the expensive shiny toys

guitars4you

jeztone2 said: 

I’m talking non famous players. Down my local blues night it’s all American Standards or Am Deluxes modded up. The odd Les Paul, even the odd PRS (usually a Custom 22). But a relic CS Fender used in anger on stage? Not in my patch. 

Fair enough - I've seen a shocking number of PRS instruments though at local gigs personally, more than you'd expect % wise based on the sales division between PRS, Gibson & Fender, but you are right that there are a lot of more basic USA made Fenders...

Les Pauls seem to be the *least* used when I see small bands, but 335s are not as uncommon.

I’m sure there’s a regional breakdown per guitar design. It’s like when my middle brother lived in Edinburgh in the 90’s. I’ve never seen so many secondhand Yamaha SG’s in Guitar shops. 

I think that what the owner/manager likes also has an impact on this - Maybe distorted views as a true businessman would buy/sell what is required by the customer, coupled with what provides a healthy product - Whereas many shop owners, me included, have the same GAS issues as you guys do, hence we tend to buy and sell what appeals to us - Hence I have little to do with Floyd Rose based guitars 

Could you imagine what a music shop would look like it it was left to @HarrySeven - In fact that is an interesting thought

crunchman

jeztone2 said:

Whitecat said:

jeztone2 said:

Whitecat said:

jeztone2 said:

stonevibe said:

I always think of Custom Shop 'relic' guitars as guitars for dentists and lawyers.

Yes I do. Especially as Fender did CS events in Canary Wharf at one point. Also Relic guitars seem to be the ones I never see gigged. Literally never. 

I saw Gilmour himself play a relic prototype of his signature model once... presume it was kind of a test-run, but not the only one I’ve ever noticed either. 

I’m talking non famous players. Down my local blues night it’s all American Standards or Am Deluxes modded up. The odd Les Paul, even the odd PRS (usually a Custom 22). But a relic CS Fender used in anger on stage? Not in my patch. 

Fair enough - I've seen a shocking number of PRS instruments though at local gigs personally, more than you'd expect % wise based on the sales division between PRS, Gibson & Fender, but you are right that there are a lot of more basic USA made Fenders...

Les Pauls seem to be the *least* used when I see small bands, but 335s are not as uncommon.

I’m sure there’s a regional breakdown per guitar design. It’s like when my middle brother lived in Edinburgh in the 90’s. I’ve never seen so many secondhand Yamaha SG’s in Guitar shops. 

Probably depended on what the local dealers were selling new 10 years before.

Growing up in mid-Devon, there were no Gibson/Fender dealers locally.  Bill Greehalgh's stocked Ibanez.  It ended up with quite a lot of Ibanez guitars for sale down there.

Adam_MD

guitars4you said:

Could you imagine what a music shop would look like it it was left to @HarrySeven - In fact that is an interesting thought

I'd love to go into a Harry Seven music store.  You'd be guaranteed to see something you've never seen before instead of the endless parade of dadburst strats and les pauls. 

guitars4you

Adam_MD said:

guitars4you said:

Could you imagine what a music shop would look like it it was left to @HarrySeven - In fact that is an interesting thought

I'd love to go into a Harry Seven music store.  You'd be guaranteed to see something you've never seen before instead of the endless parade of dadburst strats and les pauls. 

I'd agree - Almost a Steptoe's yard v Antique Centre v Bric a Brac and more 

Adam_MD

guitars4you said:

Adam_MD said:

guitars4you said:

Could you imagine what a music shop would look like it it was left to @HarrySeven - In fact that is an interesting thought

I'd love to go into a Harry Seven music store.  You'd be guaranteed to see something you've never seen before instead of the endless parade of dadburst strats and les pauls. 

I'd agree - Almost a Steptoe's yard v Antique Centre v Bric a Brac and more 

That would be excellent I might even buy something.  

HarrySeven

If I thought it could be viable, I’d seriously consider it...

Funkfingers

How about a H7 deck of Top Trumps cards? (This idea is almost worthy of a new Discussion in its own right.) Guitars would be rated higher for a zero fret, bizarre/unique vibrato designs and the number of inexplicable switches on the front.

guitargeek62

There’s an interesting interview here with some crazy sales numbers - far stronger than I’d expected:

https://mydigitalpublication.com/publication/?i=528903&ver=html5&p=56#