General thread about guitars and bass for guitarists and bassists!

I'm sure someone has or had a PRS picture as their logo/avatar.

I'm toying with getting a PRS. Don't want a bolt on, don't want a tremelo so there are two choices:

1. McCarty
2. Custom 22

The McCarty is the one I really fancy but the Custom 22 is a bit cheaper. For the price of a McCarty with moon i.e. dot inlays, I could get a Custom 22 with the bird inlays and I do find the bird inlays very tempting.

Anyone compared the two sound-wise? I understand the McCarty has the thicker Les Paul sound but is the Custom 22 that far away?

One other option is a singlecut – don't find them as attractive as the double-cuts but apparently the singlecuts could become more collectable now that PRS have been banned from making them (by Gibson).

Cheers,

Matt.

 

Hi Matt!

It was me that had the pic up of a PRS.

I would never describe myself as a PRS expert. Nevertheless, I like talking about PRS guitars so I'm more than happy to talk about them

Myself I've owned a PRS standard since about oooh... now I've got to think....1993.

I dont know what guitar you'll be coming from. For me, it was a Fender Strat plus. At first I found the scale length difficult to adapt to. The scale length is between that of a strat and a gibson. I've never been comfortable on Gibsons, my fingers automatically move to a fender scale length, so I always mis-fret chords and lead on gibsons. After 13 years my PRS has become a part of me, and I'd never sell it, and have never thought about replacing it. Its a part of me, my fingers have ground the fretboard down since I was just 20 (Im 33 now).

Since Im so familiar with them I could waffle about any aspect of the guitar I own until you'd be bored rigid. I haven't spent a lot of time with other PRS guitars though. Thats something I've never wanted or needed to do.

I vaguely remember the interview with Ted McCarty when the guitar was released, and the reviews of the guitar. From memory the guitar has a stop-bar tailpiece like a gibson, and a lovely tobacco finish on the sunburst. It would be very hard for me to discuss the merits of the different pickups on alternative PRS guitars because all I have real experience of is my own.

Perhaps I can help most by saying what my PRS has (feature wise) that I've found invaluable and would want on another PRS if it were ever stolen. I'll also mention a couple of features that I've thought about changing/wanting different over the years. Hope that will help.

EXISTING FEATURES
1). One of the best things about the guitar is that the five-way switch gives you in position 1,3,5 humbucking modes like a gibson, and in 2,4 you get Fender in-between sounds. This means you can play realistic Fender and Gibson sounds on the one guitar. I'd never give this feature up.
2). The tone from the pickups is as good as you could want.
3). A glue in neck. Surely essential for the tone.
4). I learned on Fenders, so was completely at home with the tremelo arm, which is largely the same as a Fender tremelo.
5) Top fret access. The chamfered cutaways mean you can get all the way up to 22nd fret without a stretch, for me I dont have to move my hand round the front of the guitar unless I want to go higher. Those are sqweaky notes anyway.

NOT SO HOT
1). I flippin hate PRS locking nuts. Well, I dont hate them because locking nuts give you better tuning stability. I just think that the Schallers I had on my strat + were a lot better. Problems are that they are difficult to lock (a bit), and more irritatingly the pole piece that you wind the string around is too thick, so tiny shifts in the tuning peg result in too large shifts of note when you are tuning. Its not such a clever design really.
2) Only a small gripe this one. My early PRS has a 'sweet switch'. This is a switch that is supposed to emulate that slight attenuation you get when you play through long cables on stage. It doesnt really improve the sound. What I'd have much prefered is a 'cut to lead' switch - meaning that when you flip it you go straight to the bridge pickup on full volume. I've thought of having it re-wired, but never bothered.


I know I've drifted a little off-topic.

From what I remember about the McCarty review, the guitar has been stripped down on features. It would worry me (if I was contemplating buying one) that I wouldnt get the functionality I've grown used to (described above).

By the way, its my understanding that a 'standard' like mine is the same as a custom of the same year, but without the birds (its got moons), and the body has a solid paint finish (black on mine). I suppose its a little like the differences between a les paul custom and standard.

All the best, and good luck with your new guitar. Keep me posted, I like hearing about PRS guitars, and guitars in general.

Cheers
Chris

 

All I can say (having given up the guitar at age 7) is that PRS guitars look fantastic. If I won the lottery there'd be a PRS Dragon on my wall (I know, I know, it's meant to be played...). If they're good enough for Carlos, must be pretty damn fine.

 

Cheers Chris - I thought it was you with the logo.

I've owned various Strats (have a Strat plus and will keep this - candy apple red with a maple neck) but also had a Les Paul Studio for a while. Didn't find the different neck scales much of a problem but I did prefer the feel of the fender neck i.e. matt maple and with a maple fret board. The thing that really bothered me about the LP was the weight - after a couple of hours my back was hurting (and I've never suffered from a bad back or anything).

A while back I had a Hamer Studio (beautiful translucent blue quilted maple top, set neck, fixed bridge and Seymour Duncans). Quality way above the Gibson and a tone to die for. That one went for financial reasons so the PRS will be a replacement for that really.

On the tremello front, although I've always had strats, the first thing I've done with them is take the tremello arm out - what comes of being inspired by Knopfler I guess. I always think of them as being a bit Hank Marvin. I think the floating bridge helps to give the strat its unique sound (and I'm a position 2 or 4 player i.e. Knopfler, Cray), I just don't want to use the old whammy bar.

Anyway, the McCarty originally only had a 3 pick up options - either or mixed but I understand it now has a push pull tone or volume pot so you have effectively got another 3 sounds to choose from. The Custom 22 has the 5 way selector dial you mention.

It will probably be a case of trying the two out and seeing which I prefer the feel and sound of. The birds will sway me too though - I know they ain't necessary but I also know that if I get one without them I'll regret it later.

I've also got a guitar and amp to trade in (Aria MAC60 and a Behringer modelling amp) so if anyone fancies taking up the electric guitar......

Matt.

 

i`m pretty certain that it is possible to get a custom24 with the stop tail rather than the trem, i`ve definitely seen them for sale.

i`ve got a custom24 with birds, it`s a 1992 trem model in tobacco burst, I`d say if you want a Les Paul sound, get a Les Paul, if you want a classic strat sound get a classic strat as i don`t think that you`d get a near perfect replication of either from a custom22/24 etc, my son has had an Epiphone Les Paul that was nearer a true Gibson sound than my c24 could produce then he swapped it for a Mex Strat that again produced a much closer `Strat` sound than the c24 BUT if you want a superb guitar that`ll get somewhere near the sounds of both the LP and the Strat then get a custom22/24.

If your in the market for something that could be collectable in the future there is rumblings on the grapevine that the earlier pre-mass produced models made in Paul`s first small production unit are becoming more attractive to collectors, supposedly due to the guitars being hand made rather than CNC machine produced and undergoing very high quality control.

If you go to http://www.prsforums.com there may be more help available to help you with your quest.

 

Hi Cat.

My PRS needs re-fretting which Ive not done because Im worried about the result. I've simply worn them out.

Just on the off-chance do you know who PRS reccomend, and how much it costs?

 

I can see what you are saying and I agree especially on the strat side as a glued in neck guitar is never going to sound like a bolt on and vice-versa. Anyway, I've got about as good a strat as I could wish for.

The review of the McCarty I have (from some years back) said it gets pretty close to a Les Paul but still has its own sound and has better definition than a LP.

The article also said that to get the same quality of tone from a LP you'd be looking at a '59 reissue. Now I could go out and buy a used '59 reissue but a) I'd rather not spend that much e.g. £2.5K b) For a lot less I could get a new McCarty and c) as I mentioned LPs are too heavy for me, although I understand the '59 reissue can be a fair bit lighter than some others.

Basically, I loved the Hamer Studio (remember these retailed at something like £2K new) in looks, feel and sound and I'm after something similar and PRS fits the bill.

Incidentally, I popped into Sound Control in Bristol a few minutes ago. They have some nice PRSs in there but the prices! They have a special offer on black or gold top McCartys (£1500) but for amber, sunburst, translucent colours your are talking mega bucks and way above what I have seen a certain Surrey dealer doing them for.

Anyway, thanks for all your comments guys.

Matt.

 

Hi Mate,

I reckon any luthier/tech etc worth his salt would be able to do the job for you no probs, it`s not rocket science but check `em out first, ask a few questions and try to suss if they know their stuff cus the last thing you want is a trainee having a bash at your frets, oooh i can hear that fretboard splitting as i write!!!! no, only kidding, i`m sure assurances would be offered that any damage caused would be put right by whomever is doing the work, but always check first and take a photo of your f/board before you send it in for re-fretting just in case!!!!! i take mine to the Academy of Sound in Hanley, Stoke on Trent, they`re an official dealer and do know their PRS`s......

regards

Chris

 

Incidentally, I popped into Sound Control in Bristol a few minutes ago. They have some nice PRSs in there but the prices! They have a special offer on black or gold top McCartys (£1500) but for amber, sunburst, translucent colours your are talking mega bucks and way above what I have seen a certain Surrey dealer doing them for.


Have you considered buying a PRS of your choice from America? I bought an Ibanez Jem from the states a few years ago, it was delivered in pristine condition and even after i`d payed the shipping and import tax i still got it for £760 which was a good £350-450 cheaper than over here, i sold it for £975 18months later.

 

I have but I needed to trade in a couple of things so I made a trip to The Guitar Village in Surrey (amazing shop) yesterday and picked up this little blighter:



It's a Custom 22 and plays and sounds as good as it looks

Matt.

 

Nnnnnnnnnnniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiccccccccccce!!!!!!!!!!

You took it back home with you then???

 

Oh yes :guitar:

Matt.

 

Hi Matt!

I cant see the link

I went on the site of guitar village, and they have some stunningly gorgeous PRS's. Im not going to show them to my guitar, it will get jealous!

Which one did you get?

...and is it what you expected sound wise, or different?

Enquiring guitar touting hifi nerds wanna know!

 

Christ they've moved it - didn't think they'd take it off the site that quickly.

Don't worry - I have a copy of the pic - tried to attach it.

It's a Custom 22, decent flame top (if not quite a 10) and with the bird inlays.

It's pretty much what I expected sound wise - very much like my old Hamer Studio but with the added bonus of the coil tapped sounds. Loads of options and a lovely tone - and it's not at all heavy. Neck is as good as I had been led to believe.

Matt.

 

nice guitar Matt, and a really nice finish on it too.

 

thought I'd re-open this thread, as I'm dying to show off my newest toy

I'd love to see pics of peoples guitars... theres quite a few ZG guitarists from memory.. TonyL has Burns guitars if I remember rightly for a start..

Lets see some pics!


Here's my latest, a Parker P38.



Review http://www.harmony-central.com/Reviews/Parker_P38/

It arrives early next week. Can't wait