Do I really need a PRS Studio guitar?

[SinSir]

I’d be surprised if the 57/08 and other pickups of that generation have had TCI versions created. I’d suspect that what PRS is selling are leftovers from some time ago. I really can’t see them doing a run of say, older Dragon IIs just to sell the occasional set online.

I have a set of TCI 5708. They've used them in limited runs of guitars. They only do TCI for pickups installed in a guitar. These came from a CE24. I don't think the accessory store are leftovers. They get new stock in all the time and on rare occasion do go out of stock. The 5708 are a hot seller. Look at all the guitars people use them for swaps.

 

[RC Mike]

I have a set of TCI 5708. They've used them in limited runs of guitars. They only do TCI for pickups installed in a guitar. These came from a CE24. I don't think the accessory store are leftovers. They get new stock in all the time and on rare occasion do go out of stock. The 5708 are a hot seller. Look at all the guitars people use them for swaps.

Interesting! I had a set of 57/08s in a 2021 CE, and never thought to look if they were TCI.

I remember putting a list of the PRS Accessories store pickup inventory together last year. So I figured I’d indulge my curiosity again. The things a person can do with a few minutes, an iPad, and a dull TV show on…. The results surprised me.

Pickup	Nov 24, 2022 Stock	Dec 01, 2023 Stock
D2 Bass, Gold	5	16
D2 Bass	5	13
D2 Treble, Gold	3	19
D2 Treble	6	9
57/08 Treble	16	27
57/08 Bass	18	14
59/09 Treble	14	33
59/09 Bass	8	20
HFS	11	20
HFS Gold	5	12
VB	18	8
VB Gold	4	8
Tremonti Bass	17	19
Tremonti Treble	27	27
\m/ Bass	8	13
\m/ Treble	11	19

 

[SinSir]

I remember putting a list of the PRS Accessories store pickup inventory together last year. So I figured I’d indulge my curiosity again. The things a person can do with a few minutes, an iPad, and a dull TV show on…. The results surprised me.

Pickup	Nov 24, 2022 Stock	Dec 01, 2023 Stock
D2 Bass, Gold	5	16
D2 Bass	5	13
D2 Treble, Gold	3	19
D2 Treble	6	9
57/08 Treble	16	27
57/08 Bass	18	14
59/09 Treble	14	33
59/09 Bass	8	20
HFS	11	20
HFS Gold	5	12
VB	18	8
VB Gold	4	8
Tremonti Bass	17	19
Tremonti Treble	27	27
\m/ Bass	8	13
\m/ Treble	11	19

That's awesome!! Interesting to look at the data. To think they just had the pickups on sale too.. I wonder what the numbers were presale?

I wasn't sure on the 5708 either from the CE, until they were pulled. Makes sense though,  they made the all TCI announcement in 2019, but like you had my doubts on legacy pickups.

 

[JasonE]

Hi Jason. I just got back from a trip out of town and have been catching up on this thread. Congrats on your guitar! It looks stunning! I posted a separate thread re: input on how the studio compares / contrasts to a DGT.

I’m planning on taking my DGT to Haggerty’s Music in Rapid City this coming weekend to compare it to a PRS Studio they have assuming it’s not sold by then. I was really impressed with the Studio last time I played it!

Was the guitar still there?

 

[Markcarl]

Was the guitar still there?

One of them was. I brought my Axe-FX and DGT and compared the Studio with my DGT. They really are different animals. To my ears the Studio is like an HSS guitar and the DGT is more like a Les Paul / Telecaster hybrid. There’s enough of a difference between these guitars that I’m gonna get a Studio. Will post pics when I get it.

 

[Glide-bpm]

Pull that trigger, babyyyyyy!!!

 

[JasonE]

One of them was. I brought my Axe-FX and DGT and compared the Studio with my DGT. They really are different animals. To my ears the Studio is like an HSS guitar and the DGT is more like a Les Paul / Telecaster hybrid. There’s enough of a difference between these guitars that I’m gonna get a Studio. Will post pics when I get it.

That is pretty much where I landed on them as well. They are pretty different. I have found some things they each do better than the other. For me, the more gain you are using the more the DGT wins. In clean to really low gain situations I tend to like the Studio more.

 

[JasonE]

I spent a lot of time with the Studio in the past week. Lowering the middle pickup really helped with not hitting it with my pick. It wasn't that much of an adjustment. It was already close to where it is now. It is just a smidge lower. I have definitely decided that the stock humbucker is staying where it is. I have 4 other guitars out right now along with the Studio. I was testing out some pedals and swapping from one guitar to another. The Studio hung right there with all the rest of them. The output was on par with my other guitars with 57/08s in them. That was my biggest worry and it has been put to bed now. The playing and tweaking I did a couple of weeks ago has definitely got this guitar sounding like I want it to sound.

 

[aamefford]

This thread pops up regularly in my new posts. Didn’t we settle the OP way back with “yes”?

 

[dmatthews]

This thread pops up regularly in my new posts. Didn’t we settle the OP way back with “yes”?

Yes

 

[JasonE]

This thread pops up regularly in my new posts. Didn’t we settle the OP way back with “yes”?

Yes, and I bought one.

 

[Markcarl]

You only live once!

 

[JasonE]

You only live once!

The older I get, the more that saying is meaning to me. My wife actually told me that she had thought about letting me try quitting my job and doing music full time. She said she would love for me to have the chance to do that. I told her the nest egg will run out at some point and unless I figured out a way to make good money with it fast, I would be looking for a new job in the next few years. I love that she would like to let me have that experience though.

 

[JasonE]

I have had 5 guitars out in my office / music room for a good while. I have 3 hangers on the wall so there is always at least 3 out. People like seeing them on video calls. right now, there are 4 PRS guitars and a Suhr in the room. I have been grabbing each of them and playing a little when I can in between meetings and at lunch. The Studio I bought last fall is one of them. It has been on the wall since it showed up.

I really noticed this week how this guitar really rings out acoustically. I play unplugged a lot. The Studio is louder and clearer than just about every other guitar I have out right now. The others sound darker and the strings don't ring out as long. They are all setup pretty much the same. They told me when I bought it that this was a good one. I chalked that up to a sales pitch to make me feel good about the guitar I just spent money on. I am now a believer. This thing plays great and rings like a bell. Once I got the bridge pickup in a place where it opened up a bit I have been very happy with how it sounds. This neck feels so comfortable that it now has me a bit torn as to which profile I will have on the PS I am working the details out on now.

I think part of what I am hearing is that the two guitars I mentioned are the ones with trems I have out. The other three are stop tails. I am just really liking the sound and feel of the Studio and trem right now. The honeymoon phase is definitely past on this one because I have had it for about 5 months and have been playing it along side of a number of my other guitars. I am glad I bought it and feel like I got a good one for sure.

 

[Daveporter33765]

I have been playing and collecting guitars for many years. Of all the guitars I currently own, my PRS Core Studio is my favorite. Each note on the fretboard sustains and “blooms” with harmonic content like.no other guitar I have owned or played ever has. In addition, the volume and tone controls on this guitar make a huge difference in tones along their entire range. I would part with any other guitar I currently own except for my Studio!

 

[JasonE]

I have been playing and collecting guitars for many years. Of all the guitars I currently iwn, my PRS Core Studio is my favorite. Each note on the fretboard sustains and “blooms” with harmonic content like.no other guitar I have owned or played ever has. In addition, the volume and tone controls on this guitar make a huge difference in tones along their entire range. I would part with any other guitar I currently own except for my Studio!

I agree that these pickup are very responsive to volume knob changes. I find that I like the sound of the guitar best with the volume rolled back a couple of numbers. I can then roll it all the way up for a good solo tone. It is interesting that the guitar gets noticeably brighter with a little volume roll off.

 

[gush]

My wife has already said she doesn't care if I buy one. I don't know how she would feel if I bought two though.

How are you supposed to know your boundaries if you don't push past them once in a while???

 

[JasonE]

How are you supposed to know your boundaries if you don't push past them once in a while???

Oh, I pushed the boundaries. I am in the early part of the process of having a private stock built. She thought it was a cool idea when I told her I was planning on taking her with me to the factory to pick the wood and such.

 

[Prina]

Oh, I pushed the boundaries. I am in the early part of the process of having a private stock built. She thought it was a cool idea when I told her I was planning on taking her with me to the factory to pick the wood and such.

Best way to 'push boundries' with a spouse. Make it win-win. Smart!

 

[Rapdog]

I say wait if you aren’t smitten with either. Also if you are close to KC then you can swing by and borrow my NF3 to tryout the narrowfields to see if you like them. Good luck. I went down this road before but couldn’t find one I loved the look of.