Best PRS for Country

ESPImperium

ESPImperium

New Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2012
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101
Location
Glasgow, Scotland
Im in the look for a guitar to play a bit of old Country music on, the plan for me was to go with a Fender Carbonita Tele, but I'm thinking about a PRS now as i think i could be replacing my Strat as well and i want a guitar that can replace my Strat and do Tele style sounds as well. What are the best options for a almost jack of all trades PRS? The guitar will be in Standard and Drop D tuning most of the time.

I am going to list a few of the models I'm interested in for playing country, and a bit of maybes Blues and everything else that my Tremonti can't do as its more my Rock/Metal machine. Heres a few of what I'm considering:

25th Anniversary SAS
25th Anniversary McCarty
305
Singlecut Standard Soapbar Mahogany Satin
NF3
Studio
Studio Trem
S2 Singlecut Semi-Hollow

Thanks in advance.
 
We have a member here who recorded a country licks video with a Studio with Narrowfields that was absolutely killer sounding! Close your eyes and you'd think he was rockin' a Tele.
 
My vote is for the 25th Ann SAS....

Hands down one of the best guitars PRS has made in the last 10 years...

PM me if you want to know a little more bout it.

Extremely versatile axe :)

Tony
 
To be honest I think the 408 does the best spank of any of my PRSi ( neck as a hum bucker bridge split ) so a 408 or a Pauls guitar
also look for a Hilland model that had some twang :)
 
I agree with the above comment about the 408, but my vote goes for the 25th McCarty Narrowfield. Seriously..... Dial back the volume on the thing a bit and it's sublime....
 
tonyvenn said:
My vote is for the 25th Ann SAS....

Hands down one of the best guitars PRS has made in the last 10 years...

PM me if you want to know a little more bout it.

Extremely versatile axe :)

Tony
Click to expand...


Amen!! PRS should have more Swamp Ash guitars on their line or at least as a Artist Package option.
On the actual line my vote would go to the Brent Mason's.
 
I play quite a bit of country--I'm primarily a Tele player. But I'm also an old rock 'n' roll guy from the '60's--and blues--and I've played a fair amount of jazz. I have a Brent Mason, and it's a really versatile guitar. It'll suggest a Tele on the bridge pickup in single-coil mode--well, a fat Tele anyway; it doesn't quite have that steely edge that a great Tele has, but it'll get fairly close. If I'd gotten a maple fingerboard it might have had a bit more twang, but I got rosewood. Still sounds great, though. The neck humbucker has as good a jazz tone as I've ever gotten from a solidbody.
If you don't want the humbucking sounds, you might look for a DC3 or a 305, both now discontinued, but there are bound to be some out there. I've tried both, and the DC3 is more Tele-like, a little more so maybe than the Brent Mason even, while the 305 is more like a really good Strat--but I've already got a good Strat! In the current PRS line, I'd say the Brent Mason is the way to go. Hey, if it's good enough for Brent, it's darn sure good enough for me!
 
Do not discount the 513, the old-school SAS with the 5-way blade, or if you don't want to sound like everyone else, the DGT
 
Luke Bryan's guitarist Michael Carter plays a SAS (older HSH model), a Custom 24, and a 305. Played all three at the concert I saw this summer.

Blake Shelton's guitarist Kevin Post played a 513 at the concert on the weekend, and according to the PRS artist page, plays a SC245 and a 305. Blake himself played a SC245.

Here I am, a prog rock heavy metal rock'n'roll guy, giving advice on country guitarist equipment! Who knew?

Myself, I would go with a SAS (Special or Studio).
 
As I understand it, Brent Mason is the busiest session player in Nashville. David Grissom is not only a renowned session cat, but has toured with both rock and country artists.

The interesting thing is that their namesake guitars are truly different.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that personal preference really ought to be the deciding factor, though I do think that for some country songs a tremolo is a good idea.

If it was me, and I was doing a lot of Nashville sessions, I'd check out both of these session players' models, but also I think a CU22 Soapbar would make a very good country music guitar, especially with a maple fingerboard.
 
For country, if you do NOT want one of the newer Brent Mason Signature guitars, find a Swamp Ash Studio.

The combo of swamp ash body wood and Narrowfield pickups are a combo made in guitar nirvana...

A used Johnny Hiland model would probably be a great choice as well.
 
Hopeful Sinner said:
For country, if you do NOT want one of the newer Brent Mason Signature guitars, find a Swamp Ash Studio.

The combo of swamp ash body wood and Narrowfield pickups are a combo made in guitar nirvana...

A used Johnny Hiland model would probably be a great choice as well.
Click to expand...

I think this sums it up. +10,000. But as Les said, let your preferences guide you.
 
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