Anybody compare a Paul's Guitar and PRS Studio?

[P90s]

If you've been able to A/B these, which one does a better job of capturing the Strat neck pick-up sound? A noted PRS demo artist told me at a PRS job that the Paul's Guitar p/u in single-coil mode was the most Strat-like tones of all Core models....but that was before the Core Studio came out.

The idea of getting PRS build quality and a 25" neck is very appealing. Thanks in advance for your insights.

 

[Buddy Shagmore]

I have a core Paul's Guitar. The neck pickup on single coil sounds nothing like a strat. It sounds like a Paul's Guitar in single coil mode.
If you don't have a good strat, by all means consider getting one. I am waiting on a Grosh NOS Retro myself.

 

[Patrick Montgomery]

The Paul’s Guitar is closer but both are their own thing. The neck pup in the studio sounds nothing like a strat. I’ve owned about every PRS model and the closest to a strat sound in anything is the 513 or 509 in single coil mode, or the modern eagle V. Both have a middle pickup though which really helps with the “stratiness” in pos 2 and 4. The Paul’s guitar splits are killer single coil tones though

 

[Patrick Montgomery]

I forgot the silver sky too - obvious strat choice. Although IMO it’s not really very strat like either in pos 1-3 (bridge, bridge/middle, middle). It’s less highs in the pup voicing than strats

 

[RJK Tech]

i agree with other posts that for strat sounds a 509 is a great alternative.

The 509, Special and Paul’s guitar are all just fantastic in their own way. I wouldn’t give up any if them.

Paul’s guitar has gotten preferential treatment lately but not for strat tones.

 

[dogrocketp]

Interesting to me that we all have different ideas about what a “Strat” sound is and how to achieve it. I use the following for different versions of the single coil sound. DC3 maple board- Dead quiet, great for noisy, brassy, or mushy amps. S2 Studio - This one seems to love Fender amps, the bridge pickup is underrated to my ears. Swamp Ash Special- Has a freeway switch, so there are 12 possible tones, with several sounding similar, but has great bite with overdrive. 509- I need to spend more time with this, has a rosewood board. The most perfectly made guitar I have touched. Early triple soapbar, rosewood board - steroid single coil sounds, works well in a band setting, and the bridge is tonal Nirvana at volume. 2010 triple soapbar maple neck -Honey, I’m home! This is the end of the road for me. This helps me get the sound I’ve always wanted. Fantastic rhythm sounds on 2 & 4. I back off the tone control on the neck pickup and it’s as latenightlastcall smoky as I could want. The bridge gives me all the snarl and liquid flow I could want. I don’t think there is a better, only what our ears want to hear.

 

[bodia]

I'll chime in that I found the MEV to get better SC sounds than my 509, and my SSH. I moved both of them as the MEV made them redundant.

 

[RJK Tech]

I'll chime in that I found the MEV to get better SC sounds than my 509, and my SSH. I moved both of them as the MEV made them redundant.

The one i’m lacking. Gotta get one of those MEV’s.

 

[Buddy Shagmore]

Not to say my Paul's Gtr on neck sc is a bad tone, I dig it a lot. But it sounds nothing like a good strat.