A P408 with USB/MIDI/rechargeable perma-battery: how far off?

E

Evan

New Member
Joined
Jun 12, 2014
Messages
78
I get that guitarists are somewhat slow to change, but if the addition of a piezo to the Custom 22 is any indication, PRS customers are perhaps uniquely ready to embrace it. And I'm rather confident that the psychographic data would bear this out. We're undoubtedly a technologically sophisticated lot.

As someone who has recently met with incredible frustration with the P22's requirement of a 9-volt battery (whose harness will catch-n-detach easily at the wrong time), I would happily sign a petition for Paul to explore newer and more reliable sources of energy.

Why are we users of 9-volt batteries in 2014? That's pretty crazy.

What's your take? Personally, now that I've used a piezo on an already-awesome Custom 22 platform, I most DEFINITELY ain't going back.

And if we're okay with that, why not allow for MIDI? This seems, to me, a no-brainer offering for any forward-thinking electric guitar maker. As a PRS owner, I hold no sacred idols. Electric guitars are fundamentally about technology, otherwise we'd all be playing lutes, jugs and washboards!
 
Last edited:
Speaking as a former stage hand, the main issue with something like that is what we do when the guitarist forgets to plug his guitar in the night before. 9V's are relatively cheap, extremely easy to carry around, and readily available. With a proprietary cell, most likely fixed inside the piezo, you're completely screwed if it goes dead before/during a gig.

Also, building a battery inside with an intelligent charging system will increase some amount of weight, as well as cost...
 
I wouldn't think PRS would ever do MIDI outside of Private Stock. A couple of reasons:

1. It's a very small market, MIDI is old tech and if someone really wants to do the whole making your guitar sound like other instruments thing, they'll stick on a Roland divided pickup to their axe, or go the Fishman TriplePlay option;
2. It doesn't fit in the PRS ethos of building the perfect guitar, their focus is making the best playing and sounding guitars in the world, why would they want it to sound like a harp or other gimmetry?

Of course this is just my opinion :)
 
I don't mind the use of a 9V battery, what I find amusing (well, not so amusing) is the very awkward manner of changing said battery. My Takemine 12-string has an easily opened latch that houses the battery on the top front of the upper bout, and I can swap a battery in the time it takes me to banter between songs (if I needed to - not that I would want to do so, I would prefer to check the battery before the gig!). Speaking of which, the PRS has no test-status button-LED for battery life - my Takemine has that, very useful and re-assuring.

For my Hollowbody the compartment must be opened by removing two thumb screws, pulling the assembly out, swapping battery in the "cartridge", then carefully aligning the cartridge with the cover and re-inserting the thumb screws. Takes about 5 min, being careful. Maybe it has improved since 2006 - are the newer models any easier? Yeah, not the end of the world, but so bl**dy awkward compared to what else is out there.
 
EMG has an external power supply. That doesn't help with the magnetic pickups here though. (Trust my, you don't what that to happen).
 
Last edited:
shinksma said:
My Takemine 12-string has an easily opened latch that houses the battery on the top front of the upper bout.
Click to expand...

If PRS put a battery compartment like the Takemine's on the upper bout of a guitar, the hue and cry would be so great it could break the internet.

Paul Smith would probably have to hire armed guards.

So...no. Let that never happen. ;)

Incidentally, MIDI is indeed 1985 technology. It was designed to allow synthesists to control synth modules from keyboards. I'm amazed that it's still around, even as a keyboard player. 127 velocity levels is inadequate even for keys, and guitars really need to be able to send more sophisticated data in order to fulfill the mission of a true stringed instrument.

I think we'll see far more sophisticated "pitch to digital data" translation in the near future for guitar players to glom onto.
 
Last edited:
LSchefman said:
If PRS put a battery compartment like the Takemine's on the upper bout of a guitar, the hue and cry would be so great it could break the internet.

Paul Smith would probably have to hire armed guards.

So...no. Let that never happen. ;)
Click to expand...

Who cares where people who want a piezo equipped guitar want to put their batteries? They actually think it sounds like an acoustic guitar, so they're crazy just like you and I are... but just in a different way. :tongue:

I say that today, everybody should have whatever they want, wherever that want it. Rechargeable Power to the People!
 
LSchefman said:
If PRS put a battery compartment like the Takemine's on the upper bout of a guitar, the hue and cry would be so great it could break the internet.

Paul Smith would probably have to hire armed guards.

So...no. Let that never happen. ;)
Click to expand...

sergiodeblanc said:
Who cares where people who want a piezo equipped guitar want to put their batteries? They actually think it sounds like an acoustic guitar, so they're crazy just like you and I are... but just in a different way. :tongue:

I say that today, everybody should have whatever they want, wherever that want it. Rechargeable Power to the People!
Click to expand...

Oh, I don't want the battery compartment on the upper bout, I just want an easily opened latching cover like the Takemine. Bottom where it is right now is fine by me.
 
shinksma said:
...For my Hollowbody the compartment must be opened by removing two thumb screws, pulling the assembly out, swapping battery in the "cartridge", then carefully aligning the cartridge with the cover and re-inserting the thumb screws. Takes about 5 min, being careful. Maybe it has improved since 2006 - are the newer models any easier? Yeah, not the end of the world, but so bl**dy awkward compared to what else is out there.
Click to expand...

I'm belated in replying, but the impetus behind my post was the frustration of accidentally pulling the leads off the battery holder in my P22. (Because I had inadvertently done a 360 with the battery compartment before putting it back in last time, it had become snagged and refused to disengage.)

While it sounds like I have it easier than your hollowbody (with thumb screws, etc.), it's still a fairly clumsy operation and you're pulling wires out of your guitar.

A previous reply explained perfectly why it's still the best option in 2014....it's still fairly ridiculous.
 
LSchefman said:
...Incidentally, MIDI is indeed 1985 technology. It was designed to allow synthesists to control synth modules from keyboards. I'm amazed that it's still around, even as a keyboard player. 127 velocity levels is inadequate even for keys, and guitars really need to be able to send more sophisticated data in order to fulfill the mission of a true stringed instrument.

I think we'll see far more sophisticated "pitch to digital data" translation in the near future for guitar players to glom onto.
Click to expand...

Late to comment, but this really interests me as a fellow keyboard player (Kurzweil w/large sample library). MIDI is still the most efficient method of the sampling world, no? I'm eager to see it displaced by something more modern, but what is that, and when do you think we can we expect it?
 
shinksma said:
OK, I just saw a photo of a recent model piezo-equipped PRS (a P22), and the battery compartment now seems to look like the one on my Takemine. So looking at the PRS store I see they sell them:

http://www.prsaccessories.com/collections/parts/products/piezo-jack-assembly

Wonder if it is worth swapping out the whole assembly on mine for the new type...
Click to expand...

FYI, I can't say I'm a big fan of said assembly, particularly after breaking mine once in the first 30 days of ownership.

But I'm glad they're $30, because I'm pretty sure I will need another one before the year is over.
 
Evan said:
MIDI is still the most efficient method of the sampling world, no? I'm eager to see it displaced by something more modern, but what is that, and when do you think we can we expect it?
Click to expand...

The planets aligned, the wind was blowing just right, and strangely enough corporations and developers had a moment of singularity that allowed MIDI to happen. I hope I live long enough to see similar conditions appear for musicians again.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top