Finding Right Guitar - New to PRS and this Forum

[moT]

Haven't bothered to hit the magic 10 posts yet (as this is my first day and first post), but I have a feeling I will get there sooner than later.

I am an intermediate acoustic player, but my son has a MIM deluxe strat and happened to be playing a few PRS guitars in a store a month or so ago along with a JEM and a few other great electrics. I have been hooked by more than the little birdies since then. Mainly the full to dirty sounds and sustain I can't seem to get from acoustic (obviously) nor his strat plus at least one of them seemed to have sounds similar to his strat too using the push/pull knob. Don't really remember exact model(s) because I was jet lagged at the time.

We have to make overnight trips to go to a decent guitar shop, so I am using the Internet to narrow down the choices and may even order blind as it's hard for us to get to a shop that carries PRS models.

Would like

1) thoughts on new/used and ordering PRS through Internet (my two best acoustics came via Internet - one directly from the boutique manufacturer and the other through a dealer out-of-state).
2) recommendations for a model or models that would best complement a strat (also ordered through internet after three years of considering as we couldn't find color he wanted in the local area).
3) a tough workhorse that can handle various playing conditions and still sound/play well.
4) to get a suitable (the right) guitar on the first try. Unfortunately bringing guitars into the house has gotten tougher as the powers-that-be think one electric and 5 acoustics is already too many guitars and this second electric will likely be the last purchase for a while or at least until after the kids go off to college and take some of the guitars with them and/or I sell one or two of the acoustics.

I play classic rock, country and bluegrass where my son likes classic rock too but runs toward hard rock, shredding and maybe even metal or punk. I would like to have this guitar in my hands yesterday of course, but if the past is any indication I may spend a year or so hunting for the right guitar once I decide which model(s) would work best for us. Also I may sell it to my son, let him borrow it or help him get another at some point depending on how this first PRS works out for us.

Sorry for the longish (first post).

Thanks in Advance,
Tom

 

[rugerpc]

Welcome to the forum.

You have asked the right questions in the right place. We have lots of informed and opinionated members who are just waiting to spend someone else's money for them.

 

[bodia]

Haven't bothered to hit the magic 10 posts yet (as this is my first day and first post), but I have a feeling I will get there sooner than later.

I am an intermediate acoustic player, but my son has a MIM deluxe strat and happened to be playing a few PRS guitars in a store a month or so ago along with a JEM and a few other great electrics. I have been hooked by more than the little birdies since then. Mainly the full to dirty sounds and sustain I can't seem to get from acoustic (obviously) nor his strat plus at least one of them seemed to have sounds similar to his strat too using the push/pull knob. Don't really remember exact model(s) because I was jet lagged at the time.

We have to make overnight trips to go to a decent guitar shop, so I am using the Internet to narrow down the choices and may even order blind as it's hard for us to get to a shop that carries PRS models.

Would like

1) thoughts on new/used and ordering PRS through Internet (my two best acoustics came via Internet - one directly from the boutique manufacturer and the other through a dealer out-of-state).
2) recommendations for a model or models that would best complement a strat (also ordered through internet after three years of considering as we couldn't find color he wanted in the local area).
3) a tough workhorse that can handle various playing conditions and still sound/play well.
4) to get a suitable (the right) guitar on the first try. Unfortunately bringing guitars into the house has gotten tougher as the powers-that-be think one electric and 5 acoustics is already too many guitars and this second electric will likely be the last purchase for a while or at least until after the kids go off to college and take some of the guitars with them and/or I sell one or two of the acoustics.

I play classic rock, country and bluegrass where my son likes classic rock too but runs toward hard rock, shredding and maybe even metal or punk. I would like to have this guitar in my hands yesterday of course, but if the past is any indication I may spend a year or so hunting for the right guitar once I decide which model(s) would work best for us. Also I may sell it to my son, let him borrow it or help him get another at some point depending on how this first PRS works out for us.

Sorry for the longish (first post).

Thanks in Advance,
Tom

Hey Tom, welcome to the Forum. As Ruger stated, there are lots of knowledgeable members here who will be more than willing to help you spend your hard earned cash! Having said that, do you have a price range in mind? Might help with the suggestions you get. No use recommending an SE if you're looking at Core, or vice versa.

 

[clasbtenn]

First of all, welcome, Tom. My name is Stephen. I am relatively new here as well, and even after playing since the mid 1950's, I still don't have a PRS in hand yet. I only got to play one several weeks ago. As is with you, there are no really good local dealers .

I have been buying guitars on line for the better part of 30 years, since leaving my home state, so I know your situation.

Once you decide on the piece you want , there are any number of trustworthy dealers to call and deal with on line, or via phone.

Go to the dealer section below or on the PRS site.
Just to name a few, with no intention of favoring a specific one, just to be fair, Brian's Guitars, Dave's Guitar Shop, Jack Gertz at nemusiccenter.com, Moore Music, Willcutt Guitars, Wildwood Guitars, John Mann at The Guitar Vault in N.H., Wild West Guitars, Music Live, etc. I cannot remember every dealer, but these are mentioned here quite often.

Pretty much take your choice. As you continue to read on this forum, names of dealers will pop up and you will hear more about them.

I am awaiting from Brian's Guitars now for them to go to Maryland and pick wood for a private stock I will be ordering.

It IS hard to make a valued decision without having tried a guitar. This has been happening to me for many years, so I try to deal with it the best way I can.

There are really good players here who are also really good people that will offer help to give you some info for thought.

Also, consider Reverb.com for used PRS guitars. If you do not see a specific type or model that comes close to your desires, Reverb may have one for you. Some models have been made for a few years and stopped, but they are indeed, out there. Also, Guitar Center Used gear gets them in all the time, so your choices will be many.

Being new here, and inexperienced in PRS guitars, I would not think to offer you an opinion as I have nothing to back it up with. However, as people show up to your thread, you will get the opinions.

Best of luck in the hunt, and take your time. One thing I learned, once I started looking for a PRS, was that I changed my mind way too many times after reading up and listening on youtube to guitars of interest to me. I am still deciding whether or not I made the right choice in model, but I still have some time left before I have to commit.

 

[swede71]

Something hard tail I think would suit you.

 

[László]

I have several PRS models, and each one is pretty special, but lately, the McCarty is the one I reach for most often when I'm laying down tracks for the studio sessions I do.

It really does a little bit of everything, yet it's different enough from your Strat to be a worthwhile investment.

IMHO it's also the most "down the middle" of PRS' models, not too specialized in any one direction.

 

[clasbtenn]

Hmm, maybe Les is right and I should consider a McCarty instead of a 594.

 

[toothace]

As a new McCarty owner myself, I concur with Les

 

[Alan Manning]

Hi moT welcome. You'll get some great help with your with your thought's here.
I'll throw you in a couple 1. cus24. Slightly longer scale length 5 way blade. a jack of all trades!!!
And my new love " yes I know it's that one again" McCarty 22 frets push pull.
Voice of an angel And can also blow you away. just my recommendations. Good luck.!!!

 

[shinksma]

Hmm, maybe Les is right and I should consider a McCarty instead of a 594.

Well, the 594 is a McCarty - "McCarty 594" is the official name. So I think in some ways you are getting the ultimate McCarty when you get a 594.

 

[moT]

I don't know enough to say yes or no to anything and am also open to guitar choices other than a PRS if you know of anything I should consider given these two posts so far. I didn't put a price range because I would rather decide on the best guitar(s) and then figure out how to afford it (them).

A $500 SE may do the trick. Maybe a student edition with some upgrades. Maybe a barebones McCarty or a used 408. For example, is a CE 24 always a McCarty or vice versa? I just don't know enough to walk into a store and make a good choice in the moment.

Coming from an acoustic only background and being burned a few times already on the that side I want to get educated on electrics first before throwing more money around. For example I don't know if hardtail or trem is a better choice. Will making one choice over another affect sustain or lead playing too much?

Are there models that can do some things really well and everything else well enough to not mind playing those other styles on it? I also don't want it so valuable that I feel I can't take it places or replace it if it gets damaged or stolen.

So far the strat has handled the kid's abuse and still looks fine even though it is in a factory gig bag. Gig bags make bringing a guitar places a bit easier, but is a typical PRS tough enough to be left in a trunk and/or extreme weather or god-forbid gate checked in a bag or will it seem too fragile to ever take places or even leave hanging on the wall? I know I won't play it much if I have to leave it carefully wrapped up after every time I practice with it. For example, my favorite acoustics handle being left out all the time at home well and in trunks in gig bags and they have gone lots of places so far without any damage, but I find I am more careful with the strat though I have still taken it places for the kid a few times.

Cheers,
Tom

 

[Alan Manning]

Ok. Grab a Bernie. Ace Se Guitar IMO. !!!

 

[Rider1260]

It does not matter as your first ( PRSi ) will likely not be your last ( ask me how I know )
That said if you want the PRS sound go with a Custom ( 22 or 24 ) GREAT guitars that will cover tons of ground.
If you want versatile look at 408 or 513 ( i have not tried the 594 yet )
If you want a PRS that is similar to an F or G guitar try a 305 or a SC58 / 245
and the list goes on and on.
I started with one and this happened each one somehow better than the last.
only you wallet will slow you down.
Good hunting

 

[moT]

I started with one and this happened each one somehow better than the last.
only you wallet will slow you down.

It's not the wallet that is slowing me down the most. Re-read #4 from first post in thread. I have been eyeing everything from the SE up to CE and figure the sweet spot is in there somewhere. Still too much ground to cover. I like Bernie, but I also like 10 other PRS guitars (at least) in this range on paper and have been wading through many reviews and even attempted a few videos by snarky English chaps to try to narrow the choices. That's why I am calling on you guys now.

22 or 24; single cut or double, trem or not etc... I don't know enough to know and I don't have a PRS showroom handy to help me decide on what features I should start with. I have been adding to and subtracting from my list with help from the suggestions above and will try to winnow away until I get down to one or two complete packages for the need-to-haves and then I might just flip a coin to get to "THE first ONE" decided before I start thinking about color, price and other nice-to-haves.

FWIW, I haven't even thought about gear that I will need to get the most out of an electric. Right now the only thing in the house is a Pignose as I am making the kid use borrowed amps and gear when he goes out to play. Probably should get him a wawa or some other pedal sometime, but that's for a later post or two.

Cheers,
Tom

 

[László]

Gig bags make bringing a guitar places a bit easier, but is a typical PRS tough enough to be left in a trunk and/or extreme weather or god-forbid gate checked in a bag or will it seem too fragile to ever take places or even leave hanging on the wall?

Tom, I know you don't have a ton of electric guitar experience, so please don't take this as criticism:

It's always a really bad idea to leave a guitar in a car trunk in any weather. Any guitar. Whether it's a cheap one, or a PRS, or any other instrument that's made of wood, it should not be left in a car trunk.

On a sunny day, the trunk can heat up to 120-130 degrees. And the interior of the car can do the same thing.

Any guitar; acoustic, electric, doesn't matter.

I wouldn't even leave a carbon fiber guitar in a car trunk.

Extreme heat in a guitar trunk warps and cracks wood, and if hot enough, it can make the glues holding a guitar together let go.

Extreme cold is almost as bad.

The rule of thumb with guitars is: if you would be uncomfortable with the temperature, humidity, etc., the guitar will suffer also.

And, guitars are stolen out of cars and car trunks all the time. Just don't.

The good news is that guitar can certainly hang on your wall, although, again, as Bob Taylor says all the time, "It may be pretty but it isn't art, it's going to do better in its case," where the temperature and humidity changes that happen over and over during the day and night in any room can be buffered by the case. You will certainly require fewer adjustments to the action, etc., and there won't be as much chance for dust and other detritus such as the cooking oils and grease that get sent through the HVAC systems in houses to collect on the guitar's potentiometers and make them crackly and gooey.

Gate-checked? Not unless you have a tour case IMHO. But cases that are strong enough are not expensive, and if you travel with your guitars, they can be a smart investment.

But professional musicians travel with their PRSes and other guitars all the time, and they go around the world on airplanes, in cars, trucks, and buses. They aren't any more fragile than most other guitars, however, don't tempt fate. If you leave your guitars in a car trunk, you are asking for trouble. You've been lucky so far. Don't screw up.

 

[László]

Hmm, maybe Les is right and I should consider a McCarty instead of a 594.

That all depends on what you're trying to accomplish. I don't have a 594, but I do have one on order. Based on the clips I've heard, the 594 goes more in the vintage LP direction.

If that's not what you want, it's time to make a new plan, Stan.

As for myself, obviously, I gotta have both.

 

[moT]

No offense taken. I know there's risks, but I was just giving extreme examples of some of the things I worry about and I keep the majority of my instruments in cases except when I am using them. I don't run around storing guitars in trunks or sheds either, but sometimes it's not appropriate to bring it to a restaurant or some other stop when I have guitars in the car and can't drop it off at the house first. These things happen.

Plus I like having a guitar with me when I travel. I pick up my acoustics 4 or 5 times a day to play around for anywhere from one strum to practicing for an hour or two when they are sitting out. I would like to be able to do the same with an electric if I were to get one. I probably will get another hard case once I have a reason to do so also. Fortunately I haven't lived in a climate where I needed humidifiers or other special environmental help for guitars so far.

 

[László]

No offense taken. I know there's risks, but I was just giving extreme examples of some of the things I worry about and keep the majority of my instruments in cases except when I am using them.

Well you asked, and I guess the answer is still no, a PRS shouldn't be left in a car trunk.

 

[elvis]

Opinions? Yes, we have them...

Welcome to the forum! I have 5 PRS, two SE (Allendar and Navarro) and 3 Singlecut (original, spicy and extra crispy). I have really gravitated to the singlecuts, which are similar to Les Pauls, but I like them much more than the Gibbys.

I think that a singlecut would complement a strat nicely (I use them to complement my teles). The humbuckers will give the fat tone you described, and almost any of them can be coil-tapped (pull pot that makes them sound more like a strat). The coil-tap switch pots can be added aftermarket easily enough if they are not original equipment, and I have done so more than once.

A bunch of yahoos up above recommended custom 22/24. They are really nice guitars, but ultimately it comes down to a few of simple choices:
1. Do you want another double-cutaway like the strat? It's easier to get to the high frets with that design, but you get a bit different tone and appearance. That's personal taste, so nobody can tell you the right answer.
2. 22 or 24 frets? The standard, if one exists, is 22, in particular so that you can get the best tone possible from the neck pickup. With 24 frets, the two pickups get scrunched together and you lose some harmonic content from the neck pickup. Classic guitars had 21 or 22 frets typically. On the other hand, shredders like to have 24 to get all the way up to E. I have a Jem and other RG-style 24 fret guitars, and they are great for shredding. But I also have 22-fret guitars, which I also shred well enough on.
3. Neck scale. I was always a 25.5" scale guy, but I love my SC245. My other two SC guitars are 25", but the 24.5" guitar with the non-adjustable bridge is just special for me.
4. Bridge. I strongly recommend fixed-bridge. That gives you the option of non-adjustable or adjustable. I have all 3, adjustable, non adjustable and tremolo. I have the tremolo blocked on that guitar, so it essentially is a fixed-bridge adjustable as well. I like the non adjustable. It has a certain feel to it. Personal taste, though. And it you change string gauges, you really need an adjustable bridge to get the intonation right.
5. SE or core? I have both, they are all great bang for the buck.
6. Used? I have gotten perfect guitars used and also some junk. Caveat Emptor. A return policy would be helpful. Having written that, almost anything can be adjusted or repaired, so it's just more money if you get, let's say, a guitar advertised as original, but all the electronics were changed, and apparently by a young spider monkey. Not that this has happened to me or anything

OK, not that simple after all...

 

[CantankerousCarl]

moT welcome!

As much as I love to read all of the posts out here (especially my own), in this case I would say tell us about where you are located, and we'll steer you toward a really good PRS dealer or three. Otherwise it may be information overload!

You won't pick a BAD PRS, but the only way to find one that speaks to you is to find a dealer with a bunch in stock, and spend some quality time there.

Even if that trip doesn't end in a purchase, the investment will help set you on the right path.

Best of luck!