2015 PRS Custom 22 or 2015 Gibson Les Paul Standard

XiXora said:
I am in the same position as you but I am going with the PRS CU22. I waited until 2015 hoping they wouldn't have some sort of anniversary. I just wanted the classic look for an LP but the price increase annoyed me.
It's close to PRS territory. I went shopping… spent more than I wanted and now I want more PRS guitars!

Looking forward to your NGD update :)
Click to expand...

Thanks man, enjoy your new PRS, post pics when you get it.
 
I have both (Les Paul and PRS). They are two different animals and each has their own jobs to do. Who says you can't have both?
 
Please remember that Improvement and Innovation can be mutually exclusive. Please be sure that the Innovations that you are seeing on the 2015 Les Paul are actually improvements. This is highly debatable Look at the quality and history of PRS guitars and ask yourself if perhaps there is a reason that Paul has not Innovated in this direction.

"Features, construction and price" made you choose the new Les Paul? Color me confused.

I am a bit biased, but I do own and really enjoy my 2013 Les Paul Standard. Just not sure if the 2015 is the right choice. YMMV.

Kevin




Macmutt said:
Well thanks for all the input guy's, and I've weighed all the pro's and con's of both guitars, from features to construction and price, and I've decided to go with the 2015 Gibson Les Paul Standard, it just offers a lot more improvements and innovations to ignore, and it's only $200 more than PRS's Custom 22 which features have not really changed over recent years.

Plus Gibson is in that same unique bubble as Fender where their guitars not only hold their value, but the value goes up as years go by, PRS's drop in value as soon as they leave the store, and continue to decline as years go by.....Heard it from a retail owners mouth myself.

So thanks again for all your advice, i'll share pics of the new setup when it arrives
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kes7u said:
Please remember that Improvement and Innovation can be mutually exclusive. Please be sure that the Innovations that you are seeing on the 2015 Les Paul are actually improvements. This is highly debatable Look at the quality and history of PRS guitars and ask yourself if perhaps there is a reason that Paul has not Innovated in this direction.

"Features, construction and price" made you choose the new Les Paul? Color me confused.

I am a bit biased, but I do own and really enjoy my 2013 Les Paul Standard. Just not sure if the 2015 is the right choice. YMMV.

Kevin
Click to expand...

Oh crap! I totally missed the part about 2015! There is no way in hell I would buy a 2015 model Gibson. All those "innivations" are garbage. Runnnaway! Runnnaway!
 
Be careful in getting your information, as well as basing your decisions on information obtained by a dealer hawking a product. I think you are much better served getting your info from individuals' experiences.

I think you may be incorrect that most who dislike these new Les Paul 'features' will come to appreciate them.

Be advised that on the other hand, this could be a 'black' year for Les Pauls, and the long term value you covet may not exist. Be careful, here.

Kevin

Macmutt said:
Watch the Youtube link below, all of it if you can, I know it's long but after watching it I think most, who don't like the 2015 Les Pauls, will feel differently.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOJ1wr13sHw
Click to expand...
 
Gibson Les Paul is a FINE choice for sure and if your heart is with a New Les Paul then that is the right choice for you!

My decision was to go PRS. Simply put, PRS has earned it's place alongside Gibson and Fender and while there is absolutely room for all three guitars to coexist (and I LOVE all three brands), I would submit that PRS is building the best guitar available for my money. The fact that Paul (the guy who's name is on the headstock) is still around and overseeing the company is NOT insignificant. The heart and passion for the Brand and the Craft walks through the very building that my MC58 was built in. Gibson and Fender are well storied manufacturers that continue to earn their reputation....albeit without their founding fathers. With PRS, we are at a unique place and time where we get to watch and interact with a true guitar visionary as he writes his place in guitar history. The fact that he is still at the helm of the PRS ship insures that the guitar being made today will be sought after years from now...in my opinion. Relative to the value on PRS dropping the second they walk out of the store could actually be played to one's advantage if they find a good condition PRS on the local used market...wink, wink :)

In the end...I chose to buy into Paul's vision when I chose PRS over Gibson....(something I didn't think possible not too many months ago. Gibson's 2015 direction made me question my decision and thankfully I am cutting my chops on a PRS.

Steve
 
kes7u said:
Be advised that on the other hand, this could be a 'black' year for Les Pauls, and the long term value you covet may not exist. Be careful, here.

Kevin
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About the whole value thing.. if you buy any guitar with short or long term value in mind, you bought it for the wrong reason.
 
I couldn't agree more, Drew! I have bought and will always buy what I love.

It was just clear to me from his posts that he put a lot of stock in the potential future value of his instrument.


Drew said:
About the whole value thing.. if you buy any guitar with short or long term value in mind, you bought it for the wrong reason.
Click to expand...
 
This!! This is what I meant to say!! I'm just a caveman, though, and can't express myself so eloquently.

Steve B said:
Gibson Les Paul is a FINE choice for sure and if your heart is with a New Les Paul then that is the right choice for you!

My decision was to go PRS. Simply put, PRS has earned it's place alongside Gibson and Fender and while there is absolutely room for all three guitars to coexist (and I LOVE all three brands), I would submit that PRS is building the best guitar available for my money. The fact that Paul (the guy who's name is on the headstock) is still around and overseeing the company is NOT insignificant. The heart and passion for the Brand and the Craft walks through the very building that my MC58 was built in. Gibson and Fender are well storied manufacturers that continue to earn their reputation....albeit without their founding fathers. With PRS, we are at a unique place and time where we get to watch and interact with a true guitar visionary as he writes his place in guitar history. The fact that he is still at the helm of the PRS ship insures that the guitar being made today will be sought after years from now...in my opinion. Relative to the value on PRS dropping the second they walk out of the store could actually be played to one's advantage if they find a good condition PRS on the local used market...wink, wink :)

In the end...I chose to buy into Paul's vision when I chose PRS over Gibson....(something I didn't think possible not too many months ago. Gibson's 2015 direction made me question my decision and thankfully I am cutting my chops on a PRS.

Steve
Click to expand...
 
I for one am glad that Paul is not putting the Mini Tune system on any of the guitars.
All 2015 Gibsons it looks like they now come with that new tuning system standard.
Next will be an arm that comes out and strums the guitar for you.
 
Macmutt said:
Watch the Youtube link below, all of it if you can, I know it's long but after watching it I think most, who don't like the 2015 Les Pauls, will feel differently.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOJ1wr13sHw
Click to expand...

Not much differently. So, if someone likes all those new changes, that's fine. I'm not the one who has to play one. My original answer is still valid. If you like both (Gibson and PRS) then get both.
 
Macmutt said:
Watch the Youtube link below, all of it if you can, I know it's long but after watching it I think most, who don't like the 2015 Les Pauls, will feel differently.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOJ1wr13sHw
Click to expand...

I've actually played some 2015 Les Pauls and hated the wider neck. Unplayable for me. A video telling me how great the new features are won't override my personal experience. That being said, a 2015 LP Standard might be the perfect guitar for you. My Gibson of choice is a 2014 Historic Reissue 1960 Les Paul. Knew it was the one as soon as I picked it up. I hope your Standard does the same thing for you.
 
I tried out a 2015 Les Paul Classic and much to my surprise actually liked it quite a bit. The quality was better than the ones I've been coming across, sounded great, G-Force worked just fine (though I'd likely remove it), the neck didn't feel bad to me but just felt different and then a non-factor, the new nut and bridge were nice, the boost helped the run of the mill single coil sounds, and the Sea Foam Green top and natural hog body was beautiful (and dare I say a little PRS-ish).

With that said it still felt like the same old Les Paul with all the baggage that we LP players have grown to love & hate. Besides the Classic I also played a 15 Junior and Special, and then just because they were there a SE Santana and SE SC 245. While I really liked all three Gibsons they just came across as stuck in the past compared to even the two SEs even with all the improvements and gadgets. At this point I'm tending to default to PRS for what I now look for in a guitar at least until Gibson starts making something better.
 
I tried out a 2015 SG Special to see what all the (negative) hype was about, and was actually surprised. It was set up extremely well, had great low action with no buzzing at all, seemed to be finished really well, and I got along fine with the neck. (I do have fairly large hands however). They can keep that G-Force though. Yuck-O. Overall, I thought it was very nice. That being said, I would take my S2 Mira all day, any day. I keep trying to love Gibson, but keep running back to PRS.
 
Same here GS1. I always felt that the Mira was a cousin to the Junior Double Cuts but after playing the 2015 DC (which I also liked) it felt like I was driving a 64 Stingray. Very, very cool but didn't handle as well as my 2009 Mustang or even my Civic.
But I am glad that Gibson does seem to be trying harder this year with their quality and I just caught sight of a 2015 335 Studio which I'm dying to try.
 
strat63 said:
I've actually played some 2015 Les Pauls and hated the wider neck. Unplayable for me.
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This is a face palm moment. No guitar is unplayable. If you can't pick up any guitar and approximate your normal playing skill within about 30 minutes, you need to further examine your playing skill. I'm not trying to be brash here but ignorant statements like this are everything that is wrong in the guitar community. I understand brand loyalty and we want to bash the Big G every chance we get but we have to be a little more intelligent about it. If you don't like it, you don't like it. But, to say something is unplayable is just not the intelligent way to go about it. I'd like to think this little PRS group is smarter than most forums.... definitely richer...but hopefully smarter too.

The new Gibson necks are VERY similar in width to a PRS pattern thin. The shoulder width (string to edge of board) is about the same. You don't hear anyone saying the pattern thin profile is unplayable.
 
Drew said:
This is a face palm moment. No guitar is unplayable. If you can't pick up any guitar and approximate your normal playing skill within about 30 minutes, you need to further examine your playing skill. I'm not trying to be brash here but ignorant statements like this are everything that is wrong in the guitar community. I understand brand loyalty and we want to bash the Big G every chance we get but we have to be a little more intelligent about it. If you don't like it, you don't like it. But, to say something is unplayable is just not the intelligent way to go about it. I'd like to think this little PRS group is smarter than most forums.... definitely richer...but hopefully smarter too.

The new Gibson necks are VERY similar in width to a PRS pattern thin. The shoulder width (string to edge of board) is about the same. You don't hear anyone saying the pattern thin profile is unplayable.
Click to expand...

I say a neck is unplayable for me and you respond with insults about my playing ability and intelligence. Nice.
 
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