I have a couple of questions about PRS neck heel changes...

[Lewguitar]

Ed Sold me my first PRS in 91', A black Cherry Custom with quilted 10 top ....then tried to buy it back in 96 for twice what i paid lol......when he was on the pre 95' PRS guitars are far superior kick lol. I still have it !

I think the pickups are better now. And the coil split sounds are much better, especially in the DGT.

The old PRS guitars did have Brazilian rosewood fingerboards and I think that does add value and might make a difference in the sound of the guitar. Some people hear it. Some don't.

I don't know why my '95 CU22 has the lively, resonant vibe I prefer and my '02 doesn't quite have that.

Just the wood I suspect. Maybe the different neck heel.

Any two guitars will sound different from each other though even if they look identical and were made the same day.

When I bought my first SE Silver Sky I was able to compare it to three or four others.

They all sounded great but the one I bought rang just a little bit more and had a slightly deeper sound, even when played unplugged.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

I know. He was just a little much. Can’t bag too hard, they did sell me that neck for the CE24 project.

I legit enjoyed some of his videos. I bought a Lace Silver at his recommendation, and he was right about the SE EG.

Plus, I like being denigrated by my YouTube personalities.

 

[Alnus Rubra]

Ed Sold me my first PRS in 91', A black Cherry Custom with quilted 10 top ....then tried to buy it back in 96 for twice what i paid lol......when he was on the pre 95' PRS guitars are far superior kick lol. I still have it !

Welcome.

Way to wait some time before your first post. Would love to see some pics of your ‘91, if you can.

 

[DISTORT6]

Welcome.

Way to wait some time before your first post. Would love to see some pics of your ‘91, if you can.

He was waiting on his pitch!

 

[JasonE]

I used to read a little of Ed Roman's ravings. Mostly for its entertainment value.

Getting back to the longer neck heel of the 2002 CU22, it appears that they are no longer long like that and that PRS has gone back to the original neck heel.

Right?

From what I see on the PRS web site, the current neck heel is still longer than the old ones of the 80's.

 

[Lewguitar]

From what I see on the PRS web site, the current neck heel is still longer than the old ones of the 80's.

I used to own some Hamer Standards, and they were based on the double cutaway Les Paul Juniors and Specials that I always felt influenced Paul's guitar designs.

The neck on some of them would go bad and tilt up right where the neck joined the body, raising the action so high it ruined the guitar.

I've never seen that happen on a PRS guitar but I always suspected PRS worried about it and that was why the neck heel was extended: to add strength.

 

[Mozzi]

I used to own some Hamer Standards, and they were based on the double cutaway Les Paul Juniors and Specials that I always felt influenced Paul's guitar designs.

The neck on some of them would go bad and tilt up right where the neck joined the body, raising the action so high it ruined the guitar.

I've never seen that happen on a PRS guitar but I always suspected PRS worried about it and that was why the neck heel was extended: to add strength.

Well they are now shipped Globally and expected to last a Lifetime, regardless of your Native countries Climate and for those Global superstars who ship, fly etc their guitars around the world, expect them to retain their Playability out of the case regardless of the climate they now find themselves in. Even if it is a slight compromise, especially to those who don't travel far, if at all, with their PRS, for those that do, these quite thin mahogany necks would need more strengthening - carbon fibre rods for example, cutting more of the Mahogany away - worth the extra cost and or lose that 1 piece, pure mahogany neck that separates Core from all the others...

A longer neck heel is a 'shorter' and 'stiffer' neck for the variation of climatic impact on the neck to move so less likely to be 'unplayable' out of the box. If the action goes up/down a tenth of a mm or 2, from 'normal' factory set-up specs, it should arrive within a 'playable' range to go straight to stage, you may need a 'tweak' here or there to set-up 'perfectly' for you, but they only say 'Playable'...

A Shorter neck heel means a larger area of wood likely to move due to climate - so more likely to arrive needing more tweaks... whether as a customer, store, or travelling musician. It has to arrive Playable out of the Case where ever it travels to, look great whatever the weather, work for the musician year after year, (with obvious maintenance of course as you'd expect), for their lifetime, and then be passed on to someone else to make music with... wherever they can travel too...

 

[Guitarden]

Welcome.

Way to wait some time before your first post. Would love to see some pics of your ‘91, if you can.

will do - need to post 3 times first lol

 

[Guitarden]

uploading pict in a moment

 

[JMintzer]

The ghost of Ed Roman

"The Heel from Hell!"

 

[Permanent Waves]

The heel change occurred in 1995 and as far as I know, it is the only time the heel length changed, they never reverted. The reasons I heard were also to eliminate dead spots and improve stability. I can't say about the dead spots since I haven't come across a short-heeled 24 that had them, but I would say it improved stability. You can hear more effect on tuning when doing wild stage moves on a 24-fret guitar with short heel than with the long heel - this is something I observed. The overall length and curve of the heel also seems to vary between models and neck carves.

I remember Ed Roman's site, it was very entertaining as he was an extremely opinionated fellow and colorful character. His characterization of the "heel from hell" was a bit excessive in my opinion, but it did seem to fuel his conversion industry. The long heel is particularly noticeable on 22-fret models but in my opinion, never affected fret access. My playing style may be weird but no part of my hand touches the long heel when I play the high frets.

 

[Lewguitar]

The heel change occurred in 1995 and as far as I know, it is the only time the heel length changed, they never reverted. The reasons I heard were also to eliminate dead spots and improve stability. I can't say about the dead spots since I haven't come across a short-heeled 24 that had them, but I would say it improved stability. You can hear more effect on tuning when doing wild stage moves on a 24-fret guitar with short heel than with the long heel - this is something I observed. The overall length and curve of the heel also seems to vary between models and neck carves.

I remember Ed Roman's site, it was very entertaining as he was an extremely opinionated fellow and colorful character. His characterization of the "heel from hell" was a bit excessive in my opinion, but it did seem to fuel his conversion industry. The long heel is particularly noticeable on 22-fret models but in my opinion, never affected fret access. My playing style may be weird but no part of my hand touches the long heel when I play the high frets.

Hmmm. I have a hard time reading the inked date on the back of my '95 or '96 CU22, but it definitely has a shorter heel than my '02 CU22.

If you are correct than my '95 or '96 WOULD be a '95 made just before the change to the longer neck heel.

Here's the two together. My '95 or '96 and my '02. The '02 is on top.

https://imgur.com/6qcNuaL

 

[Permanent Waves]

I'm starting to think the heel difference only affected 24 fret models?!? When you compare pre- and post 95 on 24's (CE or CU), you can eyeball it pretty clearly. The 22-fret neck already has a longer heel and sticks out more, maybe they never needed to extend it at all. Also keep in mind the 22 fret models were introduced in 1993, 2 years before the change.

Check these out: 1993 heel on top, 1997 on bottom. Your red guitar is closer to the 1993 model. Either they made the change later on CU22 or else you may be off by 2 years in your model year. (Most of the Stevensville changes like neck heel and CE body wood selections were made in early 1995. )

 

[Lewguitar]

I'm starting to think the heel difference only affected 24 fret models?!? When you compare pre- and post 95 on 24's (CE or CU), you can eyeball it pretty clearly. The 22-fret neck already has a longer heel and sticks out more, maybe they never needed to extend it at all. Also keep in mind the 22 fret models were introduced in 1993, 2 years before the change.

Check these out: 1993 heel on top, 1997 on bottom. Your red guitar is closer to the 1993 model. Either they made the change later on CU22 or else you may be off by 2 years in your model year. (Most of the Stevensville changes like neck heel and CE body wood selections were made in early 1995. )

Both of mine are CU22 guitars.

22 frets.

My 2002 has a longer neck heel than my '95.

So the change definitely affected 22 fret CU22's.

 

[Lewguitar]

I guess it was done to stiffing up the neck at that point because someone felt there were harmonics being generated that were out of tune with what was actually being played up there. Something like that. So the extended heel was designed to add mass to the neck at the point where these contrary harmonics were bring generated at.

And yes, Ed Roman was a trip! Enjoyed reading his comments and opinions though.

 

[ViperDoc]

More mass = more sustain.