When/How did you first discover PRS guitars?

[garrett]

Mid 90's when I was first getting into playing. A friend had a PRS catalog and we ogled the pics like it was a Playboy. Plus I was into the Nuge and Santana. Dickey and Warren played them in the Allman Bros for a minute around that time. I remember seeing Larry LaLonde from Primus in guitar magazine ads too, along with Dickey and Warren.

I thought they were crazy expensive, so I didn't actually play one until I made a new friend who had a beautiful '94 CU24, Santana Orange, quilt top. I was hooked after that!

 

[Tag]

Saw a figured maple carved top in a magazine in 1994. Ordered an Artist II and a CE in natural maple that week. Still have the Artist.

Your first was an Artist 2 as well, but you still have it. :rock: Mine (below) was one of the best sounding guitars I have owned, and it was the tonal bench mark for all the other guitars I started buying...... and then selling as they all fell short. Without a doubt one of the biggest musical regrets I have is letting that one go.

 

[gball]

I grew up in Maryland and as a guitar player in the mid 1980's there was a buzz about this guy in Annapolis. I'd heard of them, but I didn't actually see one until '85/'86, at a place called Bill's Music House in Catonsville, MD. Those of you from the area surely know of it. I was blown away from the first, and always wanted one (every one I ever played was fantastic) but it sadly took me until 2013 to finally get my first (and second) and now there is no looking back.

 

[tonyvenn]

For me....1991.....

Alex Lifeson of Rush had switched over from his own short-lived line of guitars "Signature".....

He continued playing them, and I thought "good enough for Alex, then good enough for me". I found a 95 CE24 one day....and I never looked back.

Thanks Alex...Thanks Mr. Smith!



Tony

 

[jimistephen]

I'd heard of them before but didn't pay a lot of attention until some one gave me my se a few months ago.

 

[kmburkhart]

The first one I ever saw was Alex Lifeson's Black CE24. After that, I saw Steve Wilson's (of Porcupine Tree/no-man/Blackfield/solo) turquoise CU22 and fell in love with it.
Steven Wilson on his PRS Custom 22

 

[prsrocker1988]

I'm sad to say I don't remember what my first PRS sighting was, but for some reason I think it was probably a TV music award thing several years ago, even before the big Nashville thing.

My first PRS experience was a PRS SE Custom 22..

Funny story - I just got off of a 10 day cruise in Seattle with my parents and headed straight for the hotel to drop off the luggage, then waited outside Guitar Center. I was sick as a dog, and getting sicker. Still insisted on going to GC. I went into GC and saw a Gray Black SE CU22 and fell in love. I played it and bought it. I then headed back to the hotel where I proceeded to have trouble breathing, so I went to the ER and got diagnosed with pneumonia and dehydration. I flew home the next day with the CU22 in the captain's closet. The flight was miserable. Bad turbulence, me worrying about the guitar in a gig bag in the bumpiest part of the plane, and feeling horrible. It survived and it's been a great guitar.

My 2nd experience was not as dramatic, I simply found a USA CU24 online and bought it.

 

[Bill SAS 513]

Mid-Late '80's ... I started working in a local guitar shop and remember seeing the adds in various mags (Howard L., Brad W.) and talked to the boss about them..he got a couple in and one of the local guitar teachers (Brad M.) picked up an all white Std. (I think, solid white finish) and it played incredibly well...and easy. Didn't hurt that Brad could make the thing sound awesome!!
I think MY first was a used Studio (HSS) in scarlet red with 10 flame, birds, et all...and so begins my story of "The NEXT one is always prettier than the last"...so I have swapped more PRSi than I care to remember. That one was beautiful, but they ALL are.

 

[megaboogie]

I first discovered PRS by watching MTV in the late 90's.

Santana had just released a new album featuring mainstream artists and MTV had been playing his MV "smooth" constantly. I thought the guitar tone was very juicy and it looked cool as hell. I was a kid with no money playing a cheapo washburn at that time so I couldn't even dream of buying one, besides my dream guitar was a Gibson LP. Later on, I kept seeing many nu-metal players using PRS, and that kinda threw me off as I loathed most of nu-metal music.
Few years went by, I actually got to play a few, a Custom 22 and a mccarty. I loved them but I still couldn't afford them.

Year 2007, I had been working for few years so I had enough money to buy my first LP and also bought a used '03 CU22 as well. From then, the CU22 became my main guitar, although I have been playing my 408 more lately lol I still love it like the first day I brought it home.

 

[Spikedog007]

I think I've told this story before but here goes again...My brother, who is a monster guitar player, was about to get married and right before he did, he splurged on a PRS CU24 (back in 89). I played bass mainly but played a little guitar and of all the guitars I ever picked up, his CU24 was by far the easiest to play. Since I wasn't that good, being easy to play was the highest priority. Fast forward nearly 15 or so years, I was playign drums in a band and the guitarist quit, I said hey I know how to play, lets just get a new drummer (since I really wan't that good of a drummer) and I'll play guitar. I didn't have a guitar at the time so I went looking for a CU24, found and bought one and the rest is history. Still haven't found a better playing guitar then any of my PRS. I've had 8 of them and still have 6 of them....

 

[P.Lo]

This guy right here!
1995ish

Bobby Ingram of MOLLY HATCHET

 

[HANGAR18]

I think the sales department ought to pick up on this thread. Great stories!

 

[jetydosa]

I first saw them ~91/92 or so, I lived in Savannah where there we no music stores worth a damn. My dad and I (and later my guitar playing buddies) used to drive up to Atlanta to go to the music stores there, waaaaaaay better selection/prices etc. I had seen the ad's in Guitar Player for PRS around that time, but I think they were in black and white? We went into Rhythm City, a giant guitar store here at the time and they had guitars lined up in the store basically in according to price. I remember walking down to the end of the row where the highest price guitars were and there they were, I just could not belive how amazing they looked. I dare not play one! But I was impressed. Fast forward a few years and I had moved to Atlanta, was in a 2nd hand music store and a '92 CU24 showed up. It had a few nicks on it, and I saw the tag and the price was pretty reasonable, so I tried it. I really liked it, bought it on the spot. I was almost as impressed with myself having "just bought a PRS!" as I was with the guitar LOL.

Some time went by, and although I liked the guitar, the sound was a bit modern, I didnt dig the 24frets too much, and I kinda thought the birds/fancy maple top was a bit "blingly". I had seen pics of David Grissom playing a goldtop with covered pickups...I was like now THATS what I want (little did I know at the time that was actually a CU24 also LOL)!! In '96 I went to that same secondhand music shop and...there it was. A goldtop McCarty...moons, covered pups with a bit of tarnish on them. I plugged it in and the tone was heaven. Thicker and more classic than my CU24. THIS WAS THE TICKET!!! I drove home, got the CU24 and they traded me even for the McCarty. I played and loved the hell outta that guitar for about 10 years (which is an eternity for me).

Ive gone back and forth with other brands, mainly Strat types, but everytime Im playing another guitar and then pickup a McCarty or DGT I say to myself..."yup...this is what Im supposed to be playing". LOL! Its been a fun ride.

EDIT - Forgot to mention that in 2012, Paul himself came and did at clinic at the old Rhythm City store (now a GuitarCenter) where I first saw PRS guitars, now some 20 years later, in the same store, my dad and I both got to shake Pauls hand and chat a bit, it was very cool!

 

[maxtuna26]

I still remember the first time I stumbled upon the PRS website. The flame top just popped right out at my eyes, very interesting. I'd never seen any guitar so close to perfection and I'll always remember that first time feeling the chills down my spine. It was just heavenly.

I used to just look at Chad Kroeger playing his "birds" guitars on MVs and live concert vids. I loved the Sunburst McCarty he used to play back then, especially the one in his How You Remind Me music vid. And that blue Hollowbody that he used live for Far Away and Photograph. I went around the internet looking for what these "birds" guitars were and finally came across PRS. I just admired these guitars all day through hundreds of pictures, looking at different finishes, trying to figure out the differences between a Custom 24 and a McCarty and all that.

Then I went on to get my first electric, which is an SE Custom 24 (without the birds though...) in Black Cherry, and I just realised, ironically, Chad had just turned to Gibson for his signature guitar. I was kind of bummed, but I figured that since I just bagged a pretty good guitar, might as well just appreciate it and play it hard.

From there, I delved into the artist roster and explored different bands. From Creed, Skillet, 3 Doors Down to Santana, Orianthi to Alter Bridge, Opeth...lots of, lots of fun music. Tremonti played a big part too in my obsession with PRSes. I'll never forget the intro to One Last Breath. His tribal print signature model at the beginning of the MV had sealed the deal for me. PRS is a keeper guitar for me. :beer:

 

[HANGAR18]

I used to just look at Chad Kroeger playing his "birds" guitars on MVs and live concert vids. I loved the Sunburst McCarty he used to play back then, especially the one in his How You Remind Me music vid. And that blue Hollowbody that he used live for Far Away and Photograph. I went around the internet looking for what these "birds" guitars were and finally came across PRS. I just admired these guitars all day through hundreds of pictures, looking at different finishes, trying to figure out the differences between a Custom 24 and a McCarty and all that.

Then I went on to get my first electric, which is an SE Custom 24 (without the birds though...) in Black Cherry, and I just realised, ironically, Chad had just turned to Gibson for his signature guitar. I was kind of bummed, but I figured that since I just bagged a pretty good guitar, might as well just appreciate it and play it hard.

I too spent some time noticing Chad Kroeger's PRS guitars and I was the first person (that's what I tell people anyway) to call B.S. when the announcement was made that Gibson was going to make him a signature model guitar. I entered the contest to "name Chad's new guitar" and submitted something very witty that sounded really cool on the surface but also had a double meaning referencing the mildly treasonous jump into Gibson's corner. Metallica did something vaguely similar to that with one of their more recent music videos where they were all of a sudden playing Gibsons instead of ESPs.

 

[tabl10s]

I feel like I've known of PRS guitars forever, but in reality, I can't specifically remember a time before 2003 where I was aware of their existence. The first artist I heard (in a video recorded dialog) recommend PRS guitars was Ted Nugent. Later, as a big fan of the pre-bubblegum era of Nickelback, I became hyper aware of the different PRS guitars that Chad played. Eventually I found a lot of PRS guitars hanging on the wall in a small Ma'&Pa' guitar shop where the owner of the store educated me further on the guitars. Clearly, PRS makes a lot of different models but eventually I settled upon my favorite models and I'm very happy with the ones I still have.


1986. Didn't like them until an Alembic-playing friend of mine kept bugging me to look at them. My first thought was "Meh".,,.then the birds debuted. I lusted after them for 26 years(High-End Audio, Photography, Cycling and Table Tennis took up my time)until 2010 when I bought my first(which wasn't the most expensive guitar I bought that day)after a 17-year break.

 

[Chuckblues]

I knew about PRS from ads in Guitar Player , but when I picked up an original SE Santana at my local music store I was sold .I still have it and a few more !

 

[HANGAR18]

More stories!

 

[swede71]

i discovered PRS from the Amazing ads in the guitarmagazines in the 80s.Didnt play one til late 90s.

 

[Funky Chicken]

My main music store growing up was Sam Ash in White Plains, NY. I was a bass player who dabbled in guitar but was a big gearhead-my limited high school budget limited my guitar purchases to Ibanezes.
The guitar department at this store was run by Ralph Perucci at the time. I had been buying stuff from him for a few years-he was always really kind to me and never dismissive even when my budget was minimal. When they started to stock PRS he turned me on to them. I would try to time my visits to the UPS truck pulling up so I could check out the new arrivals.
I came REALLY close to buying an EG with Fralin Dominoes in 3 tone burst with a really nice flame to it but still was too poor to do it. I had no credit cards or anything like that. That guitar is the one that got away even though I never owned it.
A few years later (Ralph had moved on to bigger and better things by this time) I was in the store and the Brown Truck pulled up. I was feeling kind of tall that afternoon if you get my drift. Out of the truck came a box with a CE24 in Black Cherry inside. They opened the box and handed me the guitar. 10 minutes later I was applying for a Sam Ash Credit Card-18 months same as cash. Still have that guitar.