Are there any PRS guitars that successfully delve into stratocaster territory?

[Tag]

I used to own a PRS when I first started playing guitar, and selling it to get into acoustics was one of my biggest mistakes. It was a PRS SE Singlecut Semi-hollow and I remember it being one of the nicest feeling, nicest looking guitars. A little more than a year later, I've made a shift back into electrics and after trying out several guitars, realized that I really really like Strats.

I was all set on buying one until I remembered how much I loved my old PRS before I sold it. I was wondering if there is a line of PRS guitars that can get bright, funky, and with a chimey attack while still being able to get dirty and bluesy like my old PRS did. I'd also like a fat neck for rhythm since my other guitar, an ESP EC-1000 does everything I need as far as leads go but the thin neck makes barre chording a more fatiguing experience. I feel that a PRS can cover more territory but I just don't know which lines out there are good for my needs. I plan on going to guitar center in the next week to see if I can start weighing in my options.

My budget is around $1000 at used prices.

PRSs are my favorite guitars, but I love Strats and teles as well, and nothing sounds like either of them. If you want a Strat, get an honest to goodness Fender Strat. You will then have that sound. Later, get a PRS for what it does like no other guitar in the world. Sound and play like a PRS!

 

[TMFU]

Yeah, well it seems to be a reasonably well kept secret. I had been looking for guitars and had stumbled across that Sapphire Smokeburst and when I saw where it said it had 57/08s in it, I was sure they had a misprint. However I then called PRS and spoke with Matt King and he confirmed that they did this. At the time I didn't think to ask him about the numbers of these that were made. Later I tried to find out more info from Guitar Center and they didn't know much. I eventually spoke with a guy at a local Guitar Center and asked him what he could find out. He came back a bit later saying that he called PRS and was told they only made 50 of them.

So, it seems these things aren't very widely known. and... well I suspect that the guy who was previously told that the S2s have 57/08's in them, was probably just being fed a load of crap anyway. It's only that one model that has them and is a limited run. But then, apparently Guitar Center only carries US made PRS guitars at the stores that have the 'platinum' rooms, so there is a reasonable chance that he was shown the Sapphire Smokeburst I suppose. Meanwhile, it's certainly misleading to say that S2s have 57/08 pickups.

Fair enough, I wasn't aware of those. Good to know. I love 57/08's I was pleasantly surprised at the output they have.

 

[_pete_]

Here's the S2 with 57/08's

http://www.guitarcenter.com/PRS-S2-...ardware-Electric-Guitar-110288693-i3798209.gc

 

[swede71]

As strange as it might sound my DGT sounds strattier than my CU22 soapbar did,and this is humbucker mode I'm talking about.

 

[Grasshopper]

SE EG's are the hot-rodder's favorite PRS, because they're all routed H-S-H under the pickguard (regardless of the factory-installed pickups). So you can retrofit them with virtually any pickups. Also, there's no significant resale value to worry about messing up.

What's amusing is that these were discontinued after only ~3 years...yet the new S2 Standard 22's are basically the same guitar.

On mine, the stock single-coil pickups sounded very good, at least to my ear. The stock bridge humbucker was the same basic pickup that PRS used on other 2002-2010 SE's -- not bad, but not stellar. The stock volume pot had an unusually abrupt taper for a PRS, and (also unusually) had no treble bleed cap.

These guitars look like Strats, but don't sound particularly Stratlike, because of their very different construction -- all mahogany, set-neck. They sound more like Gibson Melody Makers. A U.S.-made E.G. would be a lot more Stratlike.

I replaced my SE EG's neck and bridge pickups with Seymour Duncan P-Rails, and built in almost every possible switching option. Now it's entirely its own thing.

Coincidentally I also have a '71 Swede (Hagstrom), and it sounds like a PRS..

 

[IKnowALittle]

Sorry, I don't mean to be contrarian. I just never get this. If you want a Strat sound, then buy a Strat. Lots of options, lots of price points.
PRS have their own sound. To my ears, far superior to any other guitar.
Why try to pound a square peg into a round hole ... it will never work.

 

[Michael_DK]

Sorry, I don't mean to be contrarian. I just never get this. If you want a Strat sound, then buy a Strat. Lots of options, lots of price points.
PRS have their own sound. To my ears, far superior to any other guitar.
Why try to pound a square peg into a round hole ... it will never work.

I agree. But I also understand why people would want the sound of X in a PRS package.

Get a PRS if you want a PRS tone - or IF the feel and features trumps the tone sufficiently for you.
If the tone of X trumps the feel of PRS - then GET brand X instead. Many people have spent a lot of money trying to get sound X in guitar Y.

I guess people need direct experience, and sometimes it takes longer to reach the conclusion than the time you have available in the store. Sometimes it even takes a couple of purchases to finally get to that point of clarity.
It doesn't help that there is a lot of bashing of various brands in all the camps. The LP crowd bashes PRS for not having the tone of a LP, the PRS crowd bashes Gibson for poor quality control, whatever. (Yeah, only some people; however, speaking from the point of somebody doing research for a future purchase - what they are presented with. And I don't think we're that bad over here ).

For me, I've come to the conclusion that I probably only want ONE prs (gasp!), and seek different flavours elsewhere. Doesn't mean PRS don't make great and toneful guitars. Just means that if I want a tele sound, I'm better off going where the gold is. The same is true of a PRS sound (and yes, there IS a prs sound. But of course, I don't have to tell you guys this ;-))

The good thing is that most guitar stores are usually stocked pretty well with teles, strats and LPs, so it's easy to play many of them and find the one that speaks to you. Whereas where I live, there are VERY few PRS from the core or S2 lines in the stores, so you have to chance the internet purchases. Quality-wise, that's usually a pretty safe bet with a PRS, but tone-wise (if you're not familiar with the PRS tone), it's a different matter.

Bottom line: if you're after a specific and "well-known" tone from a competing brand, you are probably better off looking elsewhere. You wouldn't look for a tele to get a strat sound, so why think a PRS would get you closer?

 

[_pete_]

SE EG's are the hot-rodder's favorite PRS, ...yet the new S2 Standard 22's are basically the same guitar.

Brilliant!
I can't believe I never thought of that.
S2 Std.22 + 3 single coils + new pickguard = S2 EG
I may have to do this.

Anyone know if the S2 Standards have a swimming pool rout?

 

[Mikegarveyblues]

PRSs are my favorite guitars, but I love Strats and teles as well, and nothing sounds like either of them. If you want a Strat, get an honest to goodness Fender Strat. You will then have that sound. Later, get a PRS for what it does like no other guitar in the world. Sound and play like a PRS!

Agree with this completely.

I've found guitars with coil tap are useful in gigging situations where you want single coil-ish tones but don't need to be exact. The crowd really, really doesn't care! But if you're recording or you just really want that Strat tone then you really need a Strat type guitar.

I just appreciate guitars with coil tap as a guitar with other tonal options as opposed to specifically trying to make a humbucker sound like a single coil.

 

[aristotle]

I can certainly understand why somebody would want a PRS that can be configured to cover strat territory. It's all fine to say "just go buy a strat", but if you want to cover a bunch of bases in a single guitar, I'd much prefer a PRS that has several voices than to just live with a strat.

My 513 is by far the closest to a strat tone than any other PRS that I have (and I assume a 305 would be the also but without the humbucking options....) I just don't buy into the idea that if you want that strat like tone, you have to buy an actual strat.

For full disclosure though, I do have a couple a strats and a tele that I really like.... They don't get nearly as much love from me as my 513 does though, and if I'm going for a tele tone, I'll almost always grab my DG wraptail in split coil mode before I grab the tele.

 

[markintime]

I agree. But I also understand why people would want the sound of X in a PRS package.

Get a PRS if you want a PRS tone - or IF the feel and features trumps the tone sufficiently for you.
If the tone of X trumps the feel of PRS - then GET brand X instead. Many people have spent a lot of money trying to get sound X in guitar Y.

I guess people need direct experience, and sometimes it takes longer to reach the conclusion than the time you have available in the store. Sometimes it even takes a couple of purchases to finally get to that point of clarity.
It doesn't help that there is a lot of bashing of various brands in all the camps. The LP crowd bashes PRS for not having the tone of a LP, the PRS crowd bashes Gibson for poor quality control, whatever. (Yeah, only some people; however, speaking from the point of somebody doing research for a future purchase - what they are presented with. And I don't think we're that bad over here ).

For me, I've come to the conclusion that I probably only want ONE prs (gasp!), and seek different flavours elsewhere. Doesn't mean PRS don't make great and toneful guitars. Just means that if I want a tele sound, I'm better off going where the gold is. The same is true of a PRS sound (and yes, there IS a prs sound. But of course, I don't have to tell you guys this ;-))

The good thing is that most guitar stores are usually stocked pretty well with teles, strats and LPs, so it's easy to play many of them and find the one that speaks to you. Whereas where I live, there are VERY few PRS from the core or S2 lines in the stores, so you have to chance the internet purchases. Quality-wise, that's usually a pretty safe bet with a PRS, but tone-wise (if you're not familiar with the PRS tone), it's a different matter.

Bottom line: if you're after a specific and "well-known" tone from a competing brand, you are probably better off looking elsewhere. You wouldn't look for a tele to get a strat sound, so why think a PRS would get you closer?

Normally I wouldn't even be thinking along these lines since I have two PRSi. Bought them because 1. I've never cared for the look of Fenders, and 2. stuff I've read about Gibson's QC, etc.and 3. I am in love with the look (and sound) of PRS guitars. But what I have not seen yet (and maybe it's discussed in Fender forums - wouldn't know 'cause I've not visited any) is simply this: Has anyone considered putting PRS pickups in a Strat or Tele? Hmmmmmmm.....???? Hmmmmm...??

 

[László]

I'm the odd man out, as usual.

I like being a PRS player. I think they sound perfect in my work.

I've been all-PRS since 2000, and a PRS player since 1991. Not one client has requested that I replace a PRS track with a Strat track (or anything else since I had an odd request for a Rick back in 1996). I don't think they care. As for me, I just want to play as well as I can, and I believe my PRSes help me do that.

 

[Michael_DK]

I'm the odd man out, as usual.

I like being a PRS player. I think they sound perfect in my work.

I've been all-PRS since 2000, and a PRS player since 1991. Not one client has requested that I replace a PRS track with a Strat track (or anything else since I had an odd request for a Rick back in 1996). I don't think they care. As for me, I just want to play as well as I can, and I believe my PRSes help me do that.

Les, when you say client, do you mean somebody who commisions a piece of music? If so, I think that's a bit different. There's no doubt in my mind that the choice of guitar matters most to the actual player as opposed to the listener.

 

[László]

Les, when you say client, do you mean somebody who commisions a piece of music? If so, I think that's a bit different. There's no doubt in my mind that the choice of guitar matters most to the actual player as opposed to the listener.

Yes, the stuff that gets commissioned, and it's a bit different probably because it's original. And I do agree that choice of guitar matters most to the player, as it should!

I say I'm the odd man out because most of my studio buddies who do what I do seem to have several guitars on hand, and most tell me that they have them to do different styles of music, which makes sense in one way.

However, I'm also noticing a different trend, and seeing players using unexpected choices, especially in Nashville where I sometimes commission sessions. So I'm pretty comfortable using my PRSes on everything.

 

[IKnowALittle]

I'm looking at buying a new car. Go into the Chevy dealership ...

CG -- what are you looking for.
Me -- I really love the new Mustang, the engine, the transmission, the steering, but mostly the tone. What do you have that replicates that.
CG -- well, we have the Camero or the Corvette.
Me -- nah, they suck, no tone, no Wide Fat gearshift, where are the birds? ... anything else?
CG -- well, you could buy a Mustang.

 

[Whitecat]

I wonder if Private Stock would still make a Chesapeake Severn if you asked?

 

[László]

I'm surprised no one mentioned the Brent Mason model. Seems like that'd be a very versatile guitar...

 

[HANGAR18]

You can easily get a used SAS with the humbuckers and 5-way blade for that price.

Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner! Either a Swamp Ash Special or a Swamp Ash Studio (see photo).

To counter what someone said earlier, "Why not just play a Strat" I would say that Strats may not be as comfortable to play as the "PRS shape" of guitar bodies. (YMMV) I like the idea of getting Strat tone when desired but I dont' like the feel of Strats. I've tried to like Stratocasters but I just don't. But I do like the Strat style tone I get out of my Swamp Ash Studio (in the second switch position away from the neck) better than the tone I got from any real Strat I've ever owned. I'm a big fan of the Narrowfield pickups.

 

[shinksma]

I wonder if Private Stock would still make a Chesapeake Severn if you asked?

Nope. They'd direct you to Mr. Knaggs' company - he got to take the design rights to those guitars (or at least he claimed that back in 2010-ish, in something I happened to read recently).

 

[Orange Tiger]

Funnily enough, I was playing my CU22 yesterday through the clean channel with a touch of compression and the guitar volume rolled off a bit and I was surprised just how 'stratty' it did sound - completely by accident!!