Can we talk about Paul for a minute?

[jrw32]

Man, yeah, I love Paul, who doesn't? But he's gotten...vague...

And he deserves that **** -- he's Paul Smith!!

But when I see him phoning it in when visit ****-sites like MusiciansFriend.com, a part of my dies. This guy is a living LEGEND, and he's hawking his wares on **** sites like that...it just crushes me. This is Paul FUCKING Smith! As a marketing guy (and as a musician/disciple)...it's just wrong! And he needs to step back and retain the MYSTIQUE.

(And everyone else, saying that I'm a troll, is either insane or stupid.)

At the end of the day it's a business though, right? Why wouldn't he be hawking his guitars at the big music stores, online and off? Especially when PRS now has guitars for all levels...entry, mid, and up...

 

[Evan]

What the hell was that? Who's that guy? And is that the sort of **** I should expect here?

Am I about to be banned for speaking my mind?

 

[Blackbird]

Man, yeah, I love Paul, who doesn't? But he's gotten...vague...

And he deserves that **** -- he's Paul Smith!!

But when I see him phoning it in when visit ****-sites like MusiciansFriend.com, a part of my dies. This guy is a living LEGEND, and he's hawking his wares on **** sites like that...it just crushes me. This is Paul Smith! As a marketing guy (and as a musician/disciple)...it's just wrong! And he needs to step back and retain the MYSTIQUE.

(And everyone else, saying that I'm a troll, is either insane or stupid.)

For someone who claims to be a "marketing professional,"(over and over again in multiple posts) you would think that person would capable of communicating without the use of profanity. Perhaps if you were a little more articulate and thoughtful with your wording, you wouldn't come off sounding like such a little girl.

 

[Evan]

At the end of the day it's a business though, right? Why wouldn't he be hawking his guitars at the big music stores, online and off? Especially when PRS now has guitars for all levels...entry, mid, and up...

Yeah, that's a totally fair point. I have no retort...and thank God PRS continues to do well...

 

[Evan]

For someone who claims to be a "marketing professional,"(over and over again in multiple posts) you would think that person would capable of communicating without the use of profanity. Perhaps if you were a little more articulate and thoughtful with your wording, you wouldn't come off sounding like such a little girl.

Fair point, did you have something to add? (I hadn't realized I was offending anyones' sensibilities.)

 

[Paulgshaffer]

Ingredients

Pastry

2cups Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour1teaspoon salt2/3cup plus 2 tablespoons shortening4to 6 tablespoons cold water
Filling

3/4cup sugar1/2cup Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour1/2teaspoon ground cinnamon, if desired6cups blueberries1tablespoon lemon juice1tablespoon butter or margarine, if desired


Directions

• 1​
  In medium bowl, mix 2 cups flour and the salt. Cut in shortening, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until particles are size of small peas. Sprinkle with cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and pastry almost cleans side of bowl (1 to 2 teaspoons more water can be added if necessary).
• 2​
  Gather pastry into a ball. Divide in half; shape into 2 flattened rounds on lightly floured surface. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate about 45 minutes or until dough is firm and cold, yet pliable. This allows the shortening to become slightly firm, which helps make the baked pastry more flaky. If refrigerated longer, let pastry soften slightly before rolling.
• 3​
  Heat oven to 425°F. With floured rolling pin, roll one round into round 2 inches larger than upside-down 9-inch glass pie plate. Fold pastry into fourths; place in pie plate. Unfold and ease into plate, pressing firmly against bottom and side.
• 4​
  In large bowl, mix sugar, 1/2 cup flour and the cinnamon. Stir in blueberries. Spoon into pastry-lined pie plate. Sprinkle any remaining sugar mixture over blueberry mixture. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Cut butter into small pieces; sprinkle over blueberries. Cover with top pastry that has slits cut in it; seal and flute. Cover edge with 2- to 3-inch strip of foil to prevent excessive browning.
• 5​
  Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until crust is golden brown and juice begins to bubble through slits in crust, removing foil for last 15 minutes of baking. Cool on cooling rack at least 2 hours.

 

[NomadMike]

I've rarely liked what comes out of the PRS marketing dept, the latest S2 SH series of videos featuring some guy from a band I've never heard of who never even strums a chord on the guitar is the latest example and has earned a few face palms,
but I can't think of anyone better than Paul Reed Smith talking about the guitars that come from his factory. My ears perked up when he was talking about the voicing of the S2 Starla's pickups and said they were shooting for a sound like a Teisco but without being like ice picks (I'm paraphrasing), but that let me know that the guy knew more about guitar tones than just what came out of an LP with PAFs.
Paul is a guitar geek, and he talks like one, like most of us on any guitar forum. I'm personally glad that he doesn't have any mystique, he's a guy who produces guitars, not a guru.

But he's gotten...vague...

One thing I will add, describing a guitar is often vague as players like different things.

 

[jrw32]

I've rarely liked what comes out of the PRS marketing dept, the latest S2 SH series of videos featuring some guy from a band I never heard of who never even strums a chord on the guitar is the latest example.
But I can't think of anyone better than Paul Reed Smith talking about the guitars that come from his factory. My ears perked up when he was talking about the voicing of the S2 Starla's pickups and said they were shooting for a sound like a Teisco but without being like ice picks (I'm paraphrasing), but that let me know that the guy knew more about guitar tones than just what came out of and LP with PAFs.
Paul is a guitar geek, and he talks like one, like most of us on any guitar forum.

Great points...and I couldn't agree more about some of those S2 videos...seeing them is great, but let's HEAR them!

 

[Blackbird]

Fair point, did you have something to add? (I hadn't realized I was offending anyones' sensibilities.)

Well, I already inquired about the dialogue you quoted, asked you for a link in post #9 and you never responded. This confirmed that you weren't actually quoting anything, just spewing hyperbole. When you do things like that you have to expect people to assume you're an off-balance troll. And, while you're probably just new and proud of yourself, people that are really good marketing professionals don't have to proclaim so in every post.

And yes I do have something to add, you're a dick.

 

[Evan]

Evan, I think you're perhaps confusing your personal bias about Paul's approach with what does, or doesn't, work with his customers and potential customers.

I'm not saying you don't love PRS guitars. Obviously, you do.

But you don't personally like what he has to say, and how he says it.

It's not surprising to me that you didn't do your market research on musical products. After all, the client or your agency's research department would give you the buzz words that customers in a certain segment want or need to hear. You may know market-speak, but you know very little of music-speak among professional musicians.

For example, you object to the term, "musical."

You may not realize it, but this is a term used to describe instruments in the serious music community. And by "serious music community," I don't mean rock musicians alone. I mean symphony players.

If you go to a conservatory, or do sessions with orchestral players (I guest lecture frequently at the University level, and do lots of sessions with orchestral musicians), it is very common to describe a particular instrument as being "musical." That is, it's an instrument whose tone naturally enhances the music, that you don't have to fight to produce a pleasing sound. Not all instruments, even good ones, are "musical." One of the guys I met who teaches double-bass at a major university's music school mortgaged his house to get a particular 19th century German bass. I asked what made him get it, and he said, "It's just musical."

Symphony players are also often described by their peers as "musical" or "not musical," regardless of their dexterity and ability to read or follow the music. It's odd to hear a professional whose whole life is symphonic music be described as anything but musical, but that's the term used at times.

When Paul says a guitar is "musical" he means it in that sense. You hear lots of great players using this term as well, even in the rock panoply. Lots of my session guys talk this way, too.

This may need to be explained to you, a marketing guy, but not to musicians.

Also, I don't see you getting hate. But you do have a way of communicating your ideas that pisses people off. So...you're the pot calling the kettle black. First consider your own skills at putting forth your ideas.

Now that was good. And I'll take the censure with gratitude...you're right, I'm wrong.

Well said, btw!

{There's just no arguing with right..this was right, I was wrong. (and a bit drunk, but that's no excuse.}

 

[László]

Now that was good. And I'll take the censure with gratitude...you're right, I'm wrong.

Well said, btw!

{There's just no arguing with right..this was right, I was wrong.}

Glad you responded to it. I was initially disappointed that you hadn't before.

I think it's not a matter of right and wrong, just a matter of getting a handle on a market segment you're less familiar with.

 

[RedGuitars]

Wow, well in the spirit of Rock and Roll...go **** YOURSELF.

I don't know who the **** you are, or who you THINK you are, but go **** YOURSELF.

Where I come from, we speak our mind. So if I didn't properly genuflect when addressing Paul Reed Smith, well, go **** yourself again.

Look, *******...

You come to the official PRS forum to speak your mind about how lame PRS himself is, and you think that's ok.

I simply asked you to read the rules and now you've repeatedly told me to go **** myself.

I sincerely hope you are banned in short order.

Buh-bye.

 

[László]

I hope he's not banned. Lots of folks come here with an initial attitude that might be abrasive, but then learn that we have a way of communicating that's perhaps different from other forums.

I have suffered the same disease in the past, and put my foot in it way too often.

I say give Even a shot, let him become accustomed to the more respectful way we communicate.

 

[Evan]

Look, *******...

You come to the official PRS forum to speak your mind about how lame PRS himself is, and you think that's ok.

I simply asked you to read the rules and now you've repeatedly told me to go **** myself.

I sincerely hope you are banned in short order.

Buh-bye.

Wow. See, I'd hoped that my recent mea culpa would send you to bed happy.

Oh well.

 

[toothace]

I hope he's not banned. Lots of folks come here with an initial attitude that might be abrasive, but then learn that we have a way of communicating that's perhaps different from other forums.

I have suffered the same disease in the past.

I say give Even a shot, let him become accustomed to the way we communicate.

…or at least let him sober up...:beer:

 

[Evan]

Look, I'm new here, and I don't know if you're Putin or what, but let's try to get along, okay?

 

[Evan]

>Glad you responded to it. I was initially disappointed that you hadn't before.

Is there some kind of time limit here? What exactly is this?

 

[WEDGE]

Can't wait to meet this guy at an Experience event and see how much balls he has and how mush **** he talks in person and not behind a keyboard. Not a troll but a shitstirrer for sure.

 

[László]

>Glad you responded to it. I was initially disappointed that you hadn't before.

Is there some kind of time limit here? What exactly is this?

Not at all. I simply saw that you'd responded to other posts after mine. So I figured you were going to ignore it. Glad you didn't.

Every group of people has unwritten rules as to what's an acceptable way to communicate. This isn't an English Gentlemen's Club, but it's also not Harmony Central.

 

[pat10295]

Now this is a discussion board after all, and the OP's original point does in some way relate with PRS. That being said, I believe that he has reason to express his points. Also, we're all just people typing in front of the computer, so there's no need for anger to flare up.

Now Evan, I will say that I respect your points that you've made, however I don't necessarily agree with them. While yes, a lot of the videos you see on YouTube of Paul often contain a few similar lines or actions, he's just trying to market his company. The information behind the guitars hasn't changed, so why say something else next time the camera goes on? I believe that PRS Guitar's marketing department has a little say in how Paul goes out and represents the company, however I don't believe that he lets them force him what to say or do.

Maybe I've read him wrong, but I think that how he acts is 100% Paul Reed Smith not 70% Paul/30% Company or 30% Paul/70% Company. I truly believe what he is saying is genuine, similar to the quality of the guitars coming out of the factories. Let's not forget that Paul's roots are in guitar making. The lessons he picks up in business are more or less achieved through experience. He didn't have a professor to tell him what's right or wrong in the business world (that I know of), the business world was his professor in regards to the subject. In most cases similar, not everyone's going to agree with the practices 100% but Paul does strive to make sure that a good portion of his potential prospects, and loyal customers are happy.

I actually would like to thank Evan, for sticking to his guns. Sure call me a suck-up or such, but there's enough people in this world who are fickle don't you guys think?