Am I wrong for wanting to step down from a Core to an SE model?

[Bowtiefanatc]

Just get an older CE. Same feel and tone as your core for the price of the SE DGT

 

[markd21]

I'm thinking about selling my Core DGT and using the fund's to buy both a Goldtop & Tobacco burst SE DGT.

I've been on the fence over this idea for the past two weeks. A Core DGT was on my 2023 goals list, to the point I was trolling Reverb everyday until one popped up.
Now that the honeymoon phase is over, I'm sitting here thinking, I really love the guitar, but at the same time I'm meh about it. Mainly b/c I know for how much I paid for this guitar I'm never going to take it out of my guitar room to jam with, with other people b/c of the fear of messing it up, or it getting stolen.
Yet, I'm not stressed about that thought if I was to purchase an SE model, b/c I look at that line as a player's guitar, and regardless if it has some battle scars it will retain its value, whereas my Core model instantly lost value after I changed the factory strings lol j/k.
I've also owned a SE DGT alongside my Core.
model and I know what the SE model is capable of. I also have a stash of Core parts lying around, so that's a plus as well.

Sorry if this is a redundant rant to some of you, I just wanted to post what I'm, and see if some of you all have felt this way, in the past, can offer some words of wisdom. Thanks.

I traded my Modern Eagle V for three SEs:

DGT
594
HBII

I am VERY happy with my decision.

 

[dmatthews]

My cores are WAY too much fun to leave them at home. They all get played at home, at band practice, and gigged. Nary a thought about it.
I take good care of them all, and they all show minor good/honest play wear.
But they are... FUN!

 

[Jimi D]

I haven't gigged an SE since 2007, though I expect my SE Hollowbody Standard will see some jazz in the park time this summer... And the SE SAS will follow me somewhere too, I'm sure... but I've been kicking the crap outta my cores live since way back when, and despite some bumps and bruises, I haven't done anything to any of them that couldn't be fixed with a refret or a black sharpie... Fortunately, none have been stolen, though someone once ran out the door with an empty PRS hardcase of mine (damned things are so heavy, he must've thought for sure he had a guitar! )... I have had other players come up to me in bars and barns and say they're surprised to see me playing my {25th Anni Custom, Hollowbody II SC, McCarty, favoured-core-du-jour} in this or that joint, but guitars are meant to be played... and guitar players are meant to be out there playing them where ever the music takes you. Resale doesn't interest me. Sure, I'll probably sell some off eventually, but that's not why I bought them, so screw it; they go with me when I go out to play. And if someone wants to take issue with me banging out Iggy or Clash or Goddo tunes on a 10 top Special Semi Hollow, then they're welcome to... I smile and wave...

 

[DISTORT6]

I traded my Modern Eagle V for three SEs:

DGT
594
HBII

I am VERY happy with my decision.

You replaced all of the parts on those guitars, correct? I remember a bunch of threads about them.

 

[markd21]

You replaced all of the parts on those guitars, correct? I remember a bunch of threads about them.

LOL, yes...except the HBII. All it got was clear Core knobs. Thinking of flamed maple pickup rings next.

 

[JasonE]

I completely understand where you're coming from, so I don't at all think you're crazy!

An SE is a tool- it's meant to be played, to be used. I'd play it anywhere, and if it gets stolen or damaged, so be it. With a Core model, I'm always going to worry about where am I playing it?... what kind of weather conditions am I playing it in?... am I worried it may be stolen?

Guitarists are from one of two camps: those who enjoy playing guitars, and those who enjoy buying expensive guitars to show off. It sounds like you are a guitar player.

You must live in a place with better weather, better dive bars, and fewer guitar thieves than I do!

If you NEED a Core model... if you aren't able to do your "job" with an SE version... you aren't a very good musician.

Ironic that you got so bent out of shape by my comments, yet you (and several others) are basically telling the OP that he's an idiot.

I think about all the great blues players who played cardboard guitars with broken, rusty strings and then flash forward to today, when some schmuck "needs" a 4K guitar to express himself. Talk about First World problems...

I live in your area. I have gigged my core PRS guitars all around here, inside and outside. Never any issues. I have never had one stolen and I always take really good care of my stuff. They are the last thing to go on the stage and the first thing to come off and go in their cases. I wipe them down with polish frequently. You can keep your guitars from being stolen with just a little bit of effort, don't get careless.

You really asked for someone to slap back with that comment about people buying expensive guitars to show off. It really makes it sound like you have never played or owned a core PRS to really know what they are about. That puts you in the camp of easier to hate what I can't afford group, potentially. That is a thing that I have seen over and over. I laugh every time I see someone that used to bash PRS finally save enough money to buy one then you see them playing it and their opinion has magically changed.

None of this is ever about need or there would be no US brands selling at all since the imports are now at a level they have never been at and are good enough to get the job done. If the core level guitars were not worth the money to players they wouldn't sell. There are many of them on stages all over the world. I have had mine on a fair number of stages from small bars to festival stages. They inspire me and I love the way they play and sound. Different strokes man.... No need to hate and throw around statements like the one you threw out there. That will get a reaction for sure and probably not one you want.

 

[RickP]

A guitar is a tool. You can have pretty and expensive tools, middle of the road tools, ugly cheap tools. You’re not stepping up or down to use the right tool for you to get your job done. Like @Alnus Rubra said; your money, your choice. When I hear folks couching their choices in cost levels, that just says the choice was about cost more than guitars. If you like it, play it… damn any commentary to the contrary. You know you better than we know you.

 

[MarcWink]

I'd hang on to the Core and save some cash to add an SE.

 

[Mozzi]

If I felt that concerned about taking my 'Cores' out to actual gigs where the risk of damage/being stolen was significantly high enough to worry me, I'd buy an SE for those gigs but I'd play the core at home, in Rehearsals etc where the 'risk' is significantly reduced and 'battle-scars' are all part of the memories and life journey of a guitar and you...

That 'ding' will remind you of some gig or rehearsal that maybe angry at the time, ended great. Greeny was in a car accident, repaired and one of the most famous guitars with battle scars that tell its story - even Hendrix strats with the nicotine stains one the headstock where he used to put his cigarette...

The 'use' of wear and/or scars of battle tell the story and if it's 'too precious' to be damaged to you, then either buy an SE for that 'job', or reassess what's important to you. I don't plan on selling my PRS guitars, they'll be my kids heirlooms to sell as they don't play so I don't care if I ding them. If I had any concern beyond my control that would cause me to worry about my 'prized' instruments, that would likely necessitate a different tool for that job - like something that I can easily replace if stolen, then maybe I'd be happy with an SE - but I'm not selling my Cores...

 

[Andrew Paul]

Ohhhhhh....... now I understand the other thread @Lightning Boy is an angry elf
Guess I'm just part of the first world problem, like I was born with a gold spoon up my ass. LOL
Freakin pathetic

 

[Andrew Paul]

I'm thinking about selling my Core DGT and using the fund's to buy both a Goldtop & Tobacco burst SE DGT.

I've been on the fence over this idea for the past two weeks. A Core DGT was on my 2023 goals list, to the point I was trolling Reverb everyday until one popped up.
Now that the honeymoon phase is over, I'm sitting here thinking, I really love the guitar, but at the same time I'm meh about it. Mainly b/c I know for how much I paid for this guitar I'm never going to take it out of my guitar room to jam with, with other people b/c of the fear of messing it up, or it getting stolen.
Yet, I'm not stressed about that thought if I was to purchase an SE model, b/c I look at that line as a player's guitar, and regardless if it has some battle scars it will retain its value, whereas my Core model instantly lost value after I changed the factory strings lol j/k.
I've also owned a SE DGT alongside my Core.
model and I know what the SE model is capable of. I also have a stash of Core parts lying around, so that's a plus as well.

Sorry if this is a redundant rant to some of you, I just wanted to post what I'm, and see if some of you all have felt this way, in the past, can offer some words of wisdom. Thanks.

Hope you don't mind my reply ..... your title "Am I wrong for wanting to step down from a Core to an SE model?" I wouldn't look it as stepping down per say, it sort of implies core guitars are superior to the SE line and has generated some interesting responses. Musicians and their instruments, it's a personal thing so what ever model someone uses shouldn't be judged. Use what works for you. I would use ANY one of my instruments in a live gig if I still did the pub circuit and have used even my most expensive instruments in those situations in the past. Scratches and dings don't matter, we buy our instruments to play. Of course we don't want them stolen but that can happen at any price level.....If you're worried about that, you can purchase insurance.
Just play !!!

 

[Bowtiefanatc]

Ohhhhhh....... now I understand the other thread @Lightning Boy is an angry elf
Guess I'm just part of the first world problem, like I was born with a gold spoon up my ass. LOL
Freakin pathetic

Took his 1 ply skin and left. That or me saying Beetlejuice 3x again got him to go

It’s not the guitar that’s the issue, usually it’s the owners.

 

[Andrew Paul]

Took his 1 ply skin and left. That or me saying Beetlejuice 3x again got him to go

It’s not the guitar that’s the issue, usually it’s the owners.

Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice
LMAO!!

OMG, in the NGD post, he was playing the victim, and this one he was aggressive. What do I know?? I’m just gonna go stare at my etched birds and my MEV and then play my Moonstone double neck!

 

[Andrew Paul]

There are also those who don't know what the f#ck they're talking about, as evidenced by the above statement.

I don't much care what the OP does, it's his life. but that statement is unadulterated bullsh!t.

There are legions of pros who play the best instruments they can buy, guitars that cost plenty. They play them in studios, and they play them in shows all over the world.

I'm one of the ones who plays mine in sessions for ad and TV work. I've been playing Core PRS since 1991 because they have the tone that's my voice. And I enjoy my work. My broadcast royalties pay for my gear, and my creative and session fees pay for my overall expenses. Get a clue. We don't buy guitars to show the guitars off, we buy 'em to show off our playing and writing.

There are also plenty of amateur and semi pro musicians who buy their expensive guitars because they love playing them.

If someone's afraid to take their guitar out the door, I think that's a bit odd, but that's not my business.

Nobody puts Les in a corner!!!

 

[dmatthews]

Nobody puts Les in a corner!!!

Except for Mrs. Les...

 

[helmi]

I highly doubt your going to really bond with a SE after having a core PRS. just being honest!

 

[László]

Except for Mrs. Les...

Every time, too!

 

[László]

If you NEED a Core model... if you aren't able to do your "job" with an SE version... you aren't a very good musician.

That's another sweeping overgeneralization. It's not about playing the notes; it's about what helps you play and sound like the best version of yourself. It's also about what inspires the best work.

Different situations call for different requirements.

If your job is to play bar gigs, or dazzle your mom with your recording chops, I won't bother arguing that the following comments apply, because in all probability no one's listening all that intensely to what you're doing.

Things are different in the professional recording world, where every tiny little detail is under a microscope, and where the producer is analyzing and evaluating what's on tape in every take, over and over, often for days at a time.

As a player, we want to be the best versions of ourselves, not to see what we can get away with. In fact, it's a requirement.

I've done thousands of sessions, both on my own tracks and on other producer's tracks. I've brought lots of dazzling, incredible players into my studio and studios I've booked both here and in Europe, to record every kind of instrument, from orchestral instruments, to ethnic instruments, to rock and hip hop.

The thing all of these great musicians have in common is that they bring their best gear to every session. They drag along the gear that helps them achieve their unique voice. They want the inspiration. They want the tone to best represent what they do. That's why people hire them, not to have a certain guitar used, but to have the player's best voice.

I once rented a Warwick bass, a very good German instrument, for some sessions in Paris. After we got back, the client sent me to LA to re-record the bass parts because comparing the final sessions to my demos, he thought the Modulus bass I used for the demos sounded sweeter. They probably spent ten grand for me to play the same damn parts, the exact same way, with a different instrument, and didn't bat an eye. In other words, he thought my best voice was on the other instrument.

BTW, the reason I rented a bass for those sessions in France was that I had a ton of gear and there were duties that had to be paid. I figured I'd be OK with any good bass. Wasn't true.

It's interesting:

I've never told my session folks that the gear they prefer, regardless of price, can't be used in my sessions. If musicians bring the ear candy, and if it sounds good, I'm happy.

Yet, not one single guitar player I've done a session with in 33 years has brought in an SE, an Epiphone, a Mexican Fender, an offshore acoustic or amp, or anything of the sort into a session. Never! Drummers will bring their full Sonor Hi Life kits instead of use what the studio has already set up.

Coincidence? I doubt it.

I also bring my best gear to my sessions. Why wouldn't I?

And by 'my best gear' I mean the gear that maximizes my musical intentions, whether that's from tone, from playing feel, or from its ability to inspire my best work.

Orchestral musicians bring instruments they carry mortgages on in order to buy them. Jazz musicians bring incredible stuff. Drummers will specify the studio put up a certain type of kit, or bring their own.

Do clients who attend sessions notice? Yes. They do.

My first year in the business, the creative director of a large ad agency was in a session, and said to me, "You play well, but you need to up your tone to finish this project." It's not like I was playing junk; I was playing a '65 SG Special and a '67 black panel Fender Bassman.

That was the day I bought my first PRS. He came back the next day and left happy. Listening back to the tracks, he was right. It was a better tone, for the style I was playing. Horses for courses.

I get lots of compliments on my tone. That's a good thing. It means my tracks stay on the session. Which means I get paid for the session and the broadcast royalties and re-use fees that add up.

Here's a thing that's also true: If I don't care for the tone on a track I've hired someone to do, I'll thank them, pay them for the session, and then bring in someone else to do the final tracks. If I don't like MY playing, tone or inspiration on a particular track, I'll hire someone who can do it better. I can't recall hiring someone a second time whose tracks I haven't used, and of course, they miss out on the back end fees on the session they get paid for.

Can a given player do his or her best work with an SE? I'll bet there are those who can. But they're not in the majority in pro-recording-land.

My two cents.

 

[opnoob]

If guitars are simply tools to you, yes you should definitely do it as having multiple different styles of guitars as opposed to one will probably give you a greater breadth. And as you mentioned if the cost or pristineness of an instrument is preventing you from using it as intended, thats a major problem!

But if guitars are more than tools, like they are to me and most other guitarists, I think that's a decision you'd regret.