Do the Private Stock luthiers only work on PS guitars?

[jco5055]

Hi guys! As the title states, are the Private Stock luthiers/builders only working on Private Stock guitars specifically? Or do they also work on stuff like maybe 10 top, Wood library etc? I never played a Private Stock guitar but know I could get my hands on something like a wood library to try, so I was wondering if the same luthiers work on those (and should be a similar quality playability wise (stuff like fretwork and such), if not as many "crazy" inlays/woods etc).

Thanks!

 

[László]

Hi guys! As the title states, are the Private Stock luthiers/builders only working on Private Stock guitars specifically? Or do they also work on stuff like maybe 10 top, Wood library etc? I never played a Private Stock guitar but know I could get my hands on something like a wood library to try, so I was wondering if the same luthiers work on those (and should be a similar quality playability wise (stuff like fretwork and such), if not as many "crazy" inlays/woods etc).

Thanks!

As far as I know, only PS.

 

[veinbuster]

As far as I know, only PS.

Yes, dedicated staff.

But, to the inner question of playability: a wood library won’t be any less playable.

 

[Em7]

Private Stock is basically the "Custom Shop" at PRS. Like the custom shops at Fender and Gibson, staff members are highly-experienced former production line employees who only work on Private Stock instruments. However, with that said, the difference between a Private Stock and production PRS is not as great as the difference between a custom shop Fender or Gibson and a custom shop Fender or Gibson. Private Stock is about options and outrageous wood.

I just went through the process of considering a Private Stock build as a retirement present to myself. I found the number of choices on the Private Stock build sheet to be overwhelming. I was stuck in analysis paralysis. In the end, I wound up getting a Fender Custom Shop '61 Aztec Gold Strat that weighs 6lbs 10ozs and a Gibson Custom Shop R7 that weights 8lbs 2ozs, both new, for less than I would have spent on the Private Stock. As much as I love PRS guitars, Strats and Les Pauls have more meaning to me because they are guitar models on which I learned how to play guitar (PRS did not open their doors until a decade after I started to play guitar). That being said, I already own a McCarty 58 that is as nice as any non-overly blinged Private Stock I have seen. However, I am considering putting it on the chopping block to move it on to new home where it will be played. The truth is that the guitar has sat in its case most of its life because it is too pretty to play. It basically looks new. I am afraid that I would do the same thing with a Private Stock. My 57/08-equipped Mira Korina has seen more playing time than all of the other PRS guitars I own or have owned combined. Other than birds, it is a simple build that plays incredibly well. I love the pre-pattern era regular neck carve on that guitar. I wish that PRS still made core Miras and Starlas., but those Knaggs designs were clearly not profitable.

 

[11top]

If your very best luthiers are assigned to PS, wouldn’t it be reasonable that PS guitars would be the most “playable”? Ask Paul Smith.

 

[László]

If your very best luthiers are assigned to PS, wouldn’t it be reasonable that PS guitars would be the most “playable”? Ask Paul Smith.

This.

You can feel the additional time, effort and skill put into the entire guitar, especially the neck and fretboard. The words silky, buttery, sophisticated feeling, luxurious-feeling, etc. come to mind. And the more you get used to this level of build, the differences become even more apparent.

Then there are the different wood species, a whole 'nother thing that makes them a bit different from Core and other models. Madagascar and BRW fretboards give them a different character, as do other wood choices; African mahogany is a little different from South American mahogany, or swamp ash, or other interesting sonic seasonings.

I used to think PS was only about fanciness, based on very limited playing of other folks' guitars or in stores. It isn't. The differences are for real.

 

[alantig]

This.

You can feel the additional time, effort and skill put into the entire guitar, especially the neck and fretboard. The words silky, buttery, sophisticated feeling, luxurious-feeling, etc. come to mind. And the more you get used to this level of build, the differences become even more apparent.

Then there are the different wood species, a whole 'nother thing that makes them a bit different from Core and other models. Madagascar and BRW fretboards give them a different character, as do other wood choices; African mahogany is a little different from South American mahogany, or swamp ash, or other interesting sonic seasonings.

I used to think PS was only about fanciness, based on very limited playing of other folks' guitars or in stores. It isn't. The differences are for real.

This (again).

Since day 1 with my own PS, I've said that there's a difference I can feel, even if I can't articulate it or quantify it. There's just an overall feel that's different than any other PRS I have. And while I may not play my PS the most of all my PRSi, when I pick it up, the first thought I have is usually, "Why am I not playing this more?" I have a Honduran RW neck, and I have no idea what they did to it, but it feels like no other RW neck I've ever played.

Yes, there's definitely the potential for the bling factor to seem - or even be - overpowering, but it's not just about the bling.

 

[László]

This (again).

Since day 1 with my own PS, I've said that there's a difference I can feel, even if I can't articulate it or quantify it. There's just an overall feel that's different than any other PRS I have. And while I may not play my PS the most of all my PRSi, when I pick it up, the first thought I have is usually, "Why am I not playing this more?" I have a Honduran RW neck, and I have no idea what they did to it, but it feels like no other RW neck I've ever played.

Yes, there's definitely the potential for the bling factor to seem - or even be - overpowering, but it's not just about the bling.

Plus, there are PS models without bling. My McCarty Singlecut has nickel hardware and no bling at all. The mammoth ivory birds have zero bling factor. They look no different than Corian. Everything else looks just like any other PRS Singlecut.

 

[cjlloyd]

Plus, there are PS models without bling. My McCarty Singlecut has nickel hardware and no bling at all. The mammoth ivory birds have zero bling factor. They look no different than Corian. Everything else looks just like any other PRS Singlecut.

I've always thought that if I were to spec a PS it would be fairly understated. Some of the stuff in the PS Friday thread is incredible, but it sometimes goes a bit far for my taste. I think that, when faced with the almost endless options along with the price tag that comes with them, many customers feel they have to go further and more crazy than their sense would otherwise lead them were they just picking up a guitar off the shelf. Of course it's all personal preference, and I can't speak for anyone but myself, but I wouldn't be all that surprised if a handful of PS customers live to regret some of the more outlandish spec decisions they make.

 

[László]

Of course it's all personal preference, and I can't speak for anyone but myself, but I wouldn't be all that surprised if a handful of PS customers live to regret some of the more outlandish spec decisions they make.

There's a fine line between 'not enough' and 'too much'. The problem is, it's a moving target - our tastes change over the years.

More than once I've seen a PS and thought, "Gee, that looks great, maybe I should've done something like that." It's human nature to second-guess ourselves.