Is there a decline in the popularity of PRS guitars ?

Bogwhoppit

jeztone2 said:

Oh I was talking about working Tax credits. I saw an article in the Evening Standard, where their own City columnist was saying wages must rise.

Yeah, those on WTC will be on UC within 24 months.

ICBM

Bogwhoppit said:

ICBM said:

@Bogwhoppit - was it you that wanted my Standard 22? I can't remember.

@ICBM Not that I remember ? I was looking at the 513s at the time.

No problem . Just couldn't remember who it was and was maybe thinking of reconsidering my unwillingness to ship it anywhere. No real hurry though. I have made a point of playing it every week in the shop just to be sure I don't suddenly have a change of heart, but I don't think so... I prefer the Rick they have, which isn't even as nice as mine.

richardhomer

crunchman;524263" said:

I think you are right about the general slow down, but PRS seems to be more affected than some other brands.  The 2001 Singlecut I sold last year cost the original owner £3000 - he left the receipt in the case when I bought it.  I sold it on commission in a shop for £1400 (I saw £1190 after commission).  That's 47% of the original new sale price.  Other premium brands would still fetch at least 60% of original sale price.

I don't mean this in any way rudely about you guitar - but the Singlecut as always struck me as an odd proposition.

It is so clearly based on a Les Paul that I think a lot of buyers see them simply as an 'alternative' Les Paul - where the double-cuts carved out a 'half-way between Fender and Gibson' niche which was uniquely their own - certainly in success terms.

PRS have brought out some superb, more Fender-like offerings over the years (305s, Brent Mason Signature, the original CEs, etc) and all of those have struggled, in sales terms.

My understanding is that the Custom 24 remains their biggest seller. They probably should stick with that and stop trying to prise Strat or Les Paul players away from the 'Big Two' by too closely aping their designs.

Jalapeno

Bit of both the economy and over-supply (vs reduced demand).  They definitely aren't as rare as they once were.

The hand made or Ltd Edition ones still cost stupid money, even second hand.

thomasross20

Adam_MD said:

thomasross20 said:

Good point on high housing costs!! Killer!!

I've said before I'm tempted to sell one of my new Cu24s... but I would always keep one as honestly, they play like perfection. Bummer is I love the Orange one but the neck on the purple one feels like velvet so don't want to get rid of either (or swap necks, before anybody says it!). But that leaves me with 3 electrics which I think may be a bit much. I'd lose about £800-1k on the PRS if I sold. 

They're good guitars, though - I don't buy all this PRS hate. Total rubbish! 

Agree the high-end market is becoming saturated, and people more skint! 

You bought both your PRS new recently didn't you?  If so do not sell unless you have to - you'll take a mahoosive loss on whichever one you shift.

Yep, prob going to keep both forever.....!!

thomasross20

jeztone2 said:

Oh I was talking about working Tax credits. I saw an article in the Evening Standard, where their own City columnist was saying wages must rise. In my place, there trying to outsource everything. Turn a £20k a year job into minimum wage. Then turn a £35-40K job into a £20 k job. Its frightening!

A good discussion for OT (serious!)

RaymondLin

I saw someone on the FB group looking for a PRS to trade for his 1966 Gibson Hummingbird.

I am half tempted to trade my Custom 24, surely that is worth a fortune.

Moe_Zambeek

The market has probably moved on. PRS have become an accepted 'big brand', they're no longer the interloper. Apart from that, when has it ever been easy to sell used PRS? I had a singlecut I could scarcely give away, even during the lawsuit pause everyone has known for many years that PRS resale is awful. Same goes for Suhr and Anderson.

The boutique market (cringe) is still going - just with new players who are 'on trend' for this cycle. Echo Park? Kauer? Ronin? 3k+ and coming to a retailer near you. On top of that gibson and fender CS are both ramping up prices and making targeted batches of guitars. Next up is the return of the 80s in some form or other....

PVO_Dave

richardhomer said:

crunchman;524263" said:

I think you are right about the general slow down, but PRS seems to be more affected than some other brands.  The 2001 Singlecut I sold last year cost the original owner £3000 - he left the receipt in the case when I bought it.  I sold it on commission in a shop for £1400 (I saw £1190 after commission).  That's 47% of the original new sale price.  Other premium brands would still fetch at least 60% of original sale price.

I don't mean this in any way rudely about you guitar - but the Singlecut as always struck me as an odd proposition.

It is so clearly based on a Les Paul that I think a lot of buyers see them simply as an 'alternative' Les Paul - where the double-cuts carved out a 'half-way between Fender and Gibson' niche which was uniquely their own - certainly in success terms.

PRS have brought out some superb, more Fender-like offerings over the years (305s, Brent Mason Signature, the original CEs, etc) and all of those have struggled, in sales terms.

My understanding is that the Custom 24 remains their biggest seller. They probably should stick with that and stop trying to prise Strat or Les Paul players away from the 'Big Two' by too closely aping their designs.

I've got two proper Les Paul's (custom and standard) and a SC245, I wouldn't sell my Les Paul Custom (dream guitar from my youth!) and the Standard I have was my first expensive guitar, it has some wear and battle scars inflicted by me, that I think gives it extra character (so it has to stay), but the PRS SC is a better playing guitar with less weight to it and less maintenance needed to keep the neck straight even or to simply stay in tune! It's a great alternative to a Gibson if you want a reliable guitar, without having to worry about potential QC issues and still retain the SC look.

In regards to the original topic, 'luxury' items are harder to sell at the moment full stop, PRS guitars do seem to be taking a battering, but then Les Pauls are also going for a less than they used to as well, given the increased cost of them these days. Unless you're after a trade, you might be waiting a while to sell an expensive guitar

sunshinewelly

I bought a 2013 singlecut trem second hand for around £1600 (traded guitars for it and bit of cash). It looked nice played well but was boring to me. So traded it for a master built strat at world guitars for same price i paid for it. Jeff the owner did say that he regretted the trade once he agreed it but went through with it. I notice the prs is still available at world guitars. I would not buy a prs again. To me they are a bit like suhr guitars. Nice but i would rather play a fender or gibson . Would you wear a PRS teeshirt?

57Deluxe

One of my students is in love with the sound of my PRS SE - unplugged! So he wants one that sounds just the same! So maybe their demise is not so iminenet...

richardhomer

sunshinewelly;524396" said:

Would you wear a PRS teeshirt?

No.

But I wouldn't wear one with any guitar brand on it. These are strictly for men with grey pony-tails at guitar shows....

57Deluxe

/\ but I wouldn't mind a pair of guitar thrones with a Fender and Gibson logo on each... But not a pair with PRS on...

Whitecat

Not all boutique luthiers have stalled. Nik Huber's got a 2+ year wait list on new orders.

PRS are a victim of their own volume - there are just so many out there. It's a mass produced product with boutique-level quality.

And someone's still buying the silly stuff. All 40 Dragons they made for the 30th Anniversary were sold to dealers at NAMM.

grungebob

Great all this talk of PRS being uncool and cheap makes me want one again

Neil

I think as has already been mentioned, it is a question of fashion.

I remember when PRS came out,  they were a hybrid offspring of  Gibson and Fender even the scale length is halfway.

Like pointy's they are largely seen as a product of their time and of course do not have the long history that Fender and Gibson have.

Realistically whatever your style you can find one of your heroes playing a Fender or Gibson instrument - a PRS, not so much.

monquixote

Yes, PRS are very uncool and should all be sold at low prices on the classifieds. 

Majorscale

This reminds me of all of those stories of vintage Les Paul's and Strats going cheap back in the 70s/80s when they were deeply unfashionable. Prs's current state is just down to fashion and maybe a wise man would be going on a Maryland flavoured buying spree!!

Adam_MD

Majorscale said:

This reminds me of all of those stories of vintage Les Paul's and Strats going cheap back in the 70s/80s when they were deeply unfashionable. Prs's current state is just down to fashion and maybe a wise man would be going on a Maryland flavoured buying spree!!

I would if not for the fact that £1000+ is still a lot of money if you don't have it.  

If I was offered a mint '59 les paul for £15000 it would be a ridiculous bargain but I'd still have to get my hands on £15K before I could sell it.

RaymondLin

I think it is a shame that PRS can't complete with Gibson and Fender on the history front.  That is one battle they will never win and in that regard their used market value will always suffer. 

This might sound strange, it feels as though they almost need a period of making crappy guitars, like both Gibson and Fender went through in the 70's era just to wake people up to appreciate what well made instruments they are making right now.  Although a part of me feels that is coming in a way, time will catches up with Paul himself and depending how he leaves the company behing, it may suffer the same fate as Gibson did.  Perhaps there is a reason to get a PRS now but it is not a gamble I would want to take though.