Do I really need a PRS Studio guitar?

JasonE

JasonE

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Joined
May 1, 2012
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South Florida
I am struggling with this one. It is the first guitar that has excited me enough to consider buying one in about 5 years. I have found two that I kind of like. I am not super crazy about the finish on either of them. One is Santana Yellow and the other is Fire Red Burst. One is a wood library and the other is a 10 top core. I have called on one of them and got a discounted price on it. I will probably call on the other one today to see what they will do. These are quite expensive and I am not sure if they will really add much to my collection. I have a couple of high end HSS guitars, one I play a lot, a custom built Suhr Carved Top Standard with a one piece quilt top.

My wife has not been much help in this decision. She said she figured I was going to buy one and told me which of the two she liked better. The reasons she likes it better is she likes the strip on the top better and doesn't like how yellow the Santana yellow one is. I am also questioning if the Santana yellow is actually as yellow as it looks in the pictures. I have a 2012 Experience P22 that is Livingston Lemon drop and the guitar is nowhere near as bright yellow as the pictures looked.

Part of me is saying if I am struggling with it this much, I should hold off and see if it is something I really want. Another part is telling me that the struggle is because I haven't found the perfect guitar for me yet. I believe the deep hesitation is how much the final cost will be and if it will be something that really excites me when I get it.

Thoughts?
Yea, I know you are all enablers. I just needed to get this out there to people that understand the struggle. :)
 
Jimmy said:
Maybe find a shop within driving distance that has some PRS guitars with narrowfields so that you can try them out?
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Many of the shops near me only carry the SE lines now. Some have a few core guitars but they have been getting slimmer around here for a while.
 
The Narrowfields are a unique pickup. I love them in the NF3, and always wondered if a full HB in the bridge wouldn’t be the perfect combination. I’d really dig an opportunity to do a gig with a Studio to test that theory out, but there’s no way to do that where I am. On the appearance factor, it matters if it matters to you. If you think you can find one in your price range that looks the way you want, wait on it. Having the look you want adds to the experience, IMO.

One thing I’ve found in myself is I often want to strike while the iron is hot because it just feels good to get what you want. But when that isn’t possible, the desire sometimes fades and I have to admit there was some impulse buying pressure involved. The ones where the desire to get that particular guitar sticks, even when I can’t get it right now, usually end up being good guitars for me. So, while I’m not afraid to wait, I’m also prone to jump on buying a model I want at a good price when I find it. If that price is right, I can always sell later if it isn’t what I thought it would be. It’s really your call!
 
RickP said:
The Narrowfields are a unique pickup. I love them in the NF3, and always wondered if a full HB in the bridge wouldn’t be the perfect combination. I’d really dig an opportunity to do a gig with a Studio to test that theory out, but there’s no way to do that where I am. On the appearance factor, it matters if it matters to you. If you think you can find one in your price range that looks the way you want, wait on it. Having the look you want adds to the experience, IMO.

One thing I’ve found in myself is I often want to strike while the iron is hot because it just feels good to get what you want. But when that isn’t possible, the desire sometimes fades and I have to admit there was some impulse buying pressure involved. The ones where the desire to get that particular guitar sticks, even when I can’t get it right now, usually end up being good guitars for me. So, while I’m not afraid to wait, I’m also prone to jump on buying a model I want at a good price when I find it. If that price is right, I can always sell later if it isn’t what I thought it would be. It’s really your call!
Click to expand...
Thank you for that. I am working on figuring out if this is impulse or desire, even though they are similar. Even though the wood library model I am looking at is expensive, it is within my means. I know from the past that when buying a PRS, I need to buy at least a 10 top. I have one that I bought that is not a 10 top and I always wish I had spent the extra and got the 10 top. However, this particular guitar has nice flame in the top and it is kind of a magical guitar so I forgive myself when I play it. Everyone I have ever handed the guitar to has agreed that it just has that thing to it. It sings and plays like a guitar that everything just went together right with it. I have found very few guitars like this in my years of playing and am happy that I have it.

Another thing I am wondering about this specific model is how I will like it compared to the Suhrs and Anderson that I have that are HSS configurations. I am expecting the Stuido to be a bit different but not sure how much and if it will be enough to justify dropping the cash on it.
 
I'm torn by almost the same question but mine is complicated by Studio vs DGT. Really need to try in person to see how it compares to my current stuff but there aren't too many shops nearby that would have either.
 
I Think Your Hesitation Is The Fact You Haven't Found The Right Guitar. If The Price Was Fair And The Top And Color Was Everything You Were Desiring I Doubt You Would Be Hesitant. I Feel Your Hesitation Is Because Something Is Missing And That Is Leading You To Question The Other Things Like Cost, Frequency Of Use, Satisfaction, Etc. When You Find The One That Checks All Your Boxes The Objections Will Vanish.
 
Bogner said:
I Think Your Hesitation Is The Fact You Haven't Found The Right Guitar. If The Price Was Fair And The Top And Color Was Everything You Were Desiring I Doubt You Would Be Hesitant. I Feel Your Hesitation Is Because Something Is Missing And That Is Leading You To Question The Other Things Like Cost, Frequency Of Use, Satisfaction, Etc. When You Find The One That Checks All Your Boxes The Objections Will Vanish.
Click to expand...
Hit that nail pretty solidly on the head....

What is going to keep this challenging is that I am not really wild about any of the finishes they offer the Studio in. I had the same issue with the DGT years ago. Then one day I spotted a very limited run done by Wildwood in the Abalone finish. Well, it has been with me since then. :) I am now looking through all of the ones I am finding to see if one excites me more than the rest. I have 3 I am looking at now. I was very curious about the ones John Mann posted about. However, all of those have korina backs and necks. I have never really bonded with a guitar made of korina. I definitely don't want to buy one of those and find out that I just don't like it.
 
Called a few more places to get discounted prices. This is getting interesting. I have two that gave me a pretty good discount. One is Fire Red Burst and the other is Aquamarine, both 10 tops. I can get one for $1400 less than the wood library I am looking at. Man, that really has become a contender. I like the idea of the wood library but I am not sure it justifies the additional money.
 
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