The Forum Guitar

[11top]

Ok. A serious comment. I’d keep it simple core with a nice top* and a special forum inlay at the 11-13 fret, and/or maybe a forum cover plate on the back.

*Maybe there’s enough scrap to do killer 3 piece tops. That would be unique.

 

[shallbe]

ummmmm.....

Almost ALL those changes to the CU24 base model push that guitar into PS territory.

I renamed this thread well...

Really? Everything was features I had already seen on other WL or dealer runs. Sorry. I know this has been frustrating.

 

[CVS]

A single coil guitar with P90's in it. I know it will never fly, but.............

 

[Callan]

Is there anything after-market that could work?
Extreme example would be Waylon's leather bound tele.
Is there some kind of mod that would be enough to make it unique but still suit a wide group? Could the PTC add something of value to make it special?

 

[László]

Thinking about it just now, the idea of a WL forum guitar made me flash on the vision of a bunch of geezers with heavy suntans in matching country club sports jackets and madras pants.

I think we should all thank PRS for saving us from ourselves!

 

[Cbouty]

I think we should all take bets on how many pages of guitar options people come up with despite the fact that bill said its off the table

 

[Guitpicky]

I think it's a noble idea that's nearly impossible to actually implement.

The biggest hurdle I see is getting 10 people to agree on a particular guitar and option package. Your target audience are going to be die hard fans of this forum, since it's a "forum run" and that in itself is a limiting factor. Most here that would fall into that category (in my observation) have rather specific tastes and probably have their next two purchases already mapped out months in advance.

You'd have to find within that group 9 other people who want a "forum WL run" just for the sake of it. Those are probably going to be the people that don't have to sacrifice the PS or Artist Package core model PRS they've been actively dreaming about for the last year to get in on the forum run. Even if you find 10 die hard forum fans with too much money, you're right back to getting all ten to agree on a single package.

It's a tough gig to even attempt, much less pull off but if I WERE to attempt it I would...

First, find out how many people are seriously interested in the idea of a forum WL run.

Find out what models and options ARE available and start from there.

Provide a list of models and options to choose from and take a vote

Take more votes... ad infinitum

and that's where it falls apart, because after a year and a half of voting and still not being able to agree, half the options are no longer valid and pretty much everyone has lost interest.

Best of luck in spite of the odds against you and major kudos for sticking your neck out for something you believe in

 

[tiboy]

In a former life I was a trial lawyer. I always thought it a miracle that 12 people could agree on anything. Methinks this concept needs a miracle on steroids

 

[JustRob]

Maybe the place to start is a forum bumper sticker...

Everyone can get one and put it on the case, amp, guitar, or neighbor's car of their choice.

 

[Drew]

OK, here's the scoop.

The model, the specs, the color, none of that matters if the guitar is not permanently identifiable as being a "Forum Guitar". That means some feature, however small, needs to be an integral and permanent part of the guitar. It also needs to be something that will not be repeated on future builds that might seek to masquerade as a forum guitar.

We have an answer back.

No.

Their counter offer was to document the guitars as forum guitars on the cover plates, outside or inside, but since the cover plates are removable, that does not satisfy the permanent identification criteria. Add to that, anyone with a gold sharpie could make a copy with just a little writing practice.

So, that would seem to kill the effort this time around.

Look at it this way, I just saved a few of you (including myself) about $4500 to spend on something else.

Someone has to be the bad guy here...

Really, PRS? This is mind boggling. You can't even do ONE small custom headstock inlay? God forbid you bend the rules for a bunch of guys that probably help you sell guitars, while buying quite a few of their own.

It's borderline insulting that PRS won't work with us.

 

[Bill SAS 513]

Maybe the place to start is a forum bumper sticker...

Everyone can get one and put it on the case, amp, guitar, or neighbor's car of their choice.

Considerably loud LOL (*loud enough for my work cohort to ask if I was ok...) well, played, Rob!!!

 

[justmund]

Someone has to be the bad guy here...

Really, PRS? This is mind boggling. You can't even do ONE small custom headstock inlay? God forbid you bend the rules for a bunch of guys that probably help you sell guitars, while buying quite a few of their own.

It's borderline insulting that PRS won't work with us.

Squirt

 

[toothace]

Someone has to be the bad guy here...

Really, PRS? This is mind boggling. You can't even do ONE small custom headstock inlay? God forbid you bend the rules for a bunch of guys that probably help you sell guitars, while buying quite a few of their own.

It's borderline insulting that PRS won't work with us.

Where's the "dislike" button

 

[rugerpc]

Before too many people get bent too far around the axle, I'll tell you a couple of things.

Any modification that would have required changing a stock CNC program, such as a custom inlay or a different sized PUP, was, and continues to be, an absolute no go for anything less than a Private Stock. Just one change like that would make any run a run of PS guitars, with pricing to match.

So the problem became how to make the guitar permanently identified as a "Forum Guitar" without having to consult paperwork, MODCAT designation, secret symbol under the bridge or what have you. It needed to be something integral to the guitar, not removable.

Etched pup covers? No.
Forum TRC? No.
Writing on cavity covers? No. (PRS agreed to this one)*

All of those things could be removed and placed on another guitar and/or easily duplicated by anyone with even a little skill.

What the dealer and I asked for was writing on the back of the headstock UNDER the finish. Something like "Forum Guitar 2018" would have done nicely. The dealer has excellent relations with PRS and fully understood the things that killed the last attempt at a Forum Guitar.

The answer from PRS was, "No."

I'm not going to defend or criticize PRS's decision. It is what it is.

Time to move on.

_____________________________________

*PRS agreed to writing on the removable cavity covers. If anyone thinks this is a great solution and wants to move forward, contact the dealer of your choice and start it over. It makes no sense to me, however, to have something removable or easily copied as the designation. YMMV.

 

[Guitpicky]

Someone has to be the bad guy here...

Really, PRS? This is mind boggling. You can't even do ONE small custom headstock inlay? God forbid you bend the rules for a bunch of guys that probably help you sell guitars, while buying quite a few of their own.

It's borderline insulting that PRS won't work with us.

You may have a valid point there, but I don't think shaming PRS into a custom headstock inlay is going to solve the real problem... getting ten people to agree on package options while PRS is still making guitars

 

[rugerpc]

Literally 5 minutes after I posted the above, the dealer calls me.

He presents me with a solution which involves writing on the inside of the electronics cover and the MODCAT.

link to poll to follow...

 

[Guitpicky]

Before too many people get bent too far around the axle, I'll tell you a couple of things.

Any modification that would have required changing a stock CNC program, such as a custom inlay or a different sized PUP, was, and continues to be, an absolute no go for anything less than a Private Stock. Just one change like that would make any run a run of PS guitars, with pricing to match.

So the problem became how to make the guitar permanently identified as a "Forum Guitar" without having to consult paperwork, MODCAT designation, secret symbol under the bridge or what have you. It needed to be something integral to the guitar, not removable.

Etched pup covers? No.
Forum TRC? No.
Writing on cavity covers? No. (PRS agreed to this one)*

All of those things could be removed and placed on another guitar and/or easily duplicated by anyone with even a little skill.

What the dealer and I asked for was writing on the back of the headstock UNDER the finish. Something like "Forum Guitar 2018" would have done nicely. The dealer has excellent relations with PRS and fully understood the things that killed the last attempt at a Forum Guitar.

The answer from PRS was, "No."

I'm not going to defend or criticize PRS's decision. It is what it is.

Time to move on.

_____________________________________

*PRS agreed to writing on the removable cavity covers. If anyone thinks this is a great solution and wants to move forward, contact the dealer of your choice and start it over. It makes no sense to me, however, to have something removable or easily copied as the designation. YMMV.

I don't think anyone is getting bent out of shape over this. There may have been some unrealistic expectations caused by putting the cart before the horse, but nobody is losing sleep worrying about it. Making a mountain out of this molehill only serves to obscure the elephant in the room.

Where there's a will there's a way... in this case there's just not enough will

 

[rugerpc]

Link to poll:

https://forums.prsguitars.com/threads/forum-guitar-poll-1-the-secret-sauce.31835/

 

[László]

In a former life I was a trial lawyer. I always thought it a miracle that 12 people could agree on anything. Methinks this concept needs a miracle on steroids

I was, too! But I stopped and got into the music biz in 1990.

 

[László]

Link to poll:

https://forums.prsguitars.com/threads/forum-guitar-poll-1-the-secret-sauce.31835/

Good to poll it first, Bill. I’m going to stay out of the thread since I won’t be in on it.