Do you feel like your PRS is too nice?

[SinSir]

No, I have SEs, but I do have a Strat that is too nice to play.

Bob

That poor strat

 

[revtime]

I have one expensive (to me) guitar.
An Ibanez Prestige that I got a killer deal on. 1500 brand new. I play it but treat it with kid gloves.
I have owned EBMM stuff and other expensive ones but they all got sold off. They were stress inducing. And I have way less expensive guitars that play just like the $$$ did.
I also get to own a bunch of great guitars instead of 1 or 2 eye popping guitars.
If money was no object then hey I would daily drive a lambo and not care about wear n tear and play private stocks and lean em against hand wired dumbles that I leave open beers on.
Alas I dont have unlimited funds.

 

[Daryl Jones]

My most expensive guitar is my SE Hollowbody II Piezo. My hands literally shook when I first held it...was like holding a newborn! OK maybe not quite but I was scared s**tless just the same. I first played it in public (outside at a birthday party) and I was worried I might damage it somehow. Temperature change, humidity change, somebody knocking it over while I was setting up my other gear (it stayed in the case until I was done everything else). A family member that had imbibed too much too early even came up and started feeling the headstock between songs (which didn't go well with me at all) and suffered a very loud verbal reprimand for her stupidity. Funny how you can turn your head only slightly from a mic and lose some of the acuity when singing but when you swear at some a-hole that desperately deserves it, it's crystal clear over the PA! But the axe survived without a scratch and I'm somewhat over that trepidation. Part of it was the nerves from playing in a larger outing for the first time rather than just a dozen or so friends or other musicians jamming together. But the thought that something nasty could happen to "my baby" was disconcerting.
3 years ago I came home from work on a Saturday and my wife was walking on eggshells. I went into the music room and she followed me (a rarity) so I knew something was up. My Custom 24 was sitting in a different position on the stand from how I had set it the day before...she didn't touch it but she pointed to the corner of the headstock. HORRORS! There was a small ding in the corner of the finish on the high end. I was in dumbfounded silence and she stammered out that she clipped it with the vacuum cleaner hose and it tipped over and the headstock caught the corner of one of my amps. The required WTF!? were you doing vacuuming in here in the first place? spewed out before I could contain myself properly and she ran crying from the room. Even I have to look close to see the small blemish but it was the first ding in my first PRS so it hurt.
But s**t happens, and it will continue to do so. I don't want to have any serious damage done to any of my gear, but you can't always help or prevent the inevitable.
I bought them to play, and play them I do and will continue to do so. If they get scuffed (or worse) that's life. I won't go looking for it though, I am careful with my gear as much as possible.

 

[Woodrow F Call]

I get the OP. My first PRS (CU22) got a good dink in the top and it broke my heart. I'm a lot more okay with that kind of thing today. I got a road worn tele that I do just love because, I don't get any heartburn about marks on it. It is easier to enjoy.... but I'm getting more comfortable with character marks on my PRS guitars.

 

[11top]

Pete says “No”.

 

[Steve's addiction]

I don't play my CU24 Artist much. I feel the tone I can get on my 89 CE is the same so the Artist is more of a backup. They both have the same pickups (HFS VB)

 

[millenofx77]

Having 6 nice electrics guitars at home included a ME1. This guitar sounds too good to be a case queen. Each time i am recording something, this ME win the A/B (CDEF) test. Looks nice, but sounds even better.
latest fun with it:

https://soundcloud.com/arnodru%2Fpunk-stuff

 

[pdq]

Toolmaster:

No -- I am not into multiples, and I don't understand people who have 20 - 30+ Stratocaster look-a-likes each worth a few hundred dollars and never get played.

I have the Martin 12 string, which by itself is an orchestra. Then I have the 2 electrics, a pristine 1992 Gibson LP with PAF pickups which has a very well defined "voice" and the 2021 PRS Private Stock Custom 24 with a very different "voice". With these 3, I feel like I can cover the entire spectrum without needing 27 more guitars. I'd rather have 3 "really nice" guitars versus spending the same money on 30. I'm also a traditionalist, so I don't have a desire to play a 7, 8, stringed, or other configuration guitar. I guess I'm old school in that regard.

But, all 3 get played regularly -- there are no "Case Queens". When the new SC594 Private Stock arrives, I'll sell the Gibson LP to maintain my limit of 3.

Different strokes for different folks, eh?

Only need 3 for me -- click on the below:

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[Woodrow F Call]

Lol, I'm at the airport reading this with my DGT in a gigbag. I guess I should get over too nice to play!

 

[John F]

I adore all my guitars and I anguish over every scratch and ding no matter the brand or money spent to aquire them. I’ve purchased used guitars that were “loved” by someone and I’m ok with them less than perfect. All my instruments stay in the cases which keeps the colors bright and limits damage. I routinely took my nicest guitars out of the house for lessons, but other than that I don’t play out so I try to keep them all nice. I treat my vehicles the same way, I worked hard to afford nice things and I want them to last. I would not take my nice guitars to a club though, so I admit they are too nice in my opinion to take the risk. I won’t even leave one in a stand overnight to keep them unblemished. I am addressing this though.

Friday I am taking delivery of a iri blue SE Swamp Ash Special that is going on a stand and not going to live in a case, come what may. It will be loved, warts and all. I will play more often because it will be within reach, and I expect it to be knocked around and tripped over. I will keep rotating the others as I currently do and enjoying each of them in turn.

This will be my first SE.

 

[Tonart]

I purchased a custom 24 wood library in aquableux purple burst last year (killer quilt top). Its probably the nicest guitar I've ever owned. At the time I didn't know the risk of color fading so it's pretty much been a case queen since I got it. Because it's not sitting out I rarely play it, and when I do I'm really careful not to scratch her. My previous PRS was a standard 24 in platinum metallic so I never really worried too much about it.

I recently got a great deal on a fender custom shop tele in heavy relic finish. It's a totally different vibe when I play it. It's already beat to sh*t and I can bang on it with a guilt-free conscience. I leave it out on the stand. I don't care if it gets exposed to light, or dusty, etc. As such I'm playing it all the time. Does anyone else ever experience this feeling?

I'm almost considering selling my wood library and maybe getting a metallic color again.

I think it’s an honest feeling, an honest question, and an honest conundrum for any product where visual beauty is a big selling point. Its just diametrical opposites, valuing something for its beauty and risking that very same value diminished by damage.

I just don’t think the issue is exclusive to PRS. I wouldn’t want to unnecessarily ding up my Gibson R9’s too. You also hardly see any Ferrari cars bearing a whole bunch of dings and scratches. That’s because the owners probably do regular repairs and refinishes. They’re built to be beautiful and it’s one of the selling points.

So one could take the same philosophy, if so bothered. Use the guitar all you want with reasonable care, and tell yourself you could always do a refinish one day if you want to restore the same pristine look.

Or don’t buy that beautiful guitar in the first place, as suggested. I’d wanna be honest with myself and say that this inherent conundrum is why some people don’t fancy PRS. But they’d be wrong, since there are plenty of Goldtops and other “pure utility” options.

For me I am perfectly happy and comfortable to perceive them as art pieces that you could play if you wanted to. I do most of my heavy grinding on beautiful SE’s. They do get damaged, the conundrum still exists, but at least the cost is manageable.

 

[Mike Duncan]

https://imgur.com/a/DxNk1eU

Green one is too nice. The gold one is really beaten up.

 

[Tedder]

I just bought my first core, and it's a wood library 24-08. Definitely the most I have ever spent on a guitar. I have only had it for 3 months, but I have worn the satin finish down to a shine where my hands touch it while playing. It also is showing pick scratches because I'm a bit of a knuckle dragger... and it hurt for a minute. But I bought this thing to play the cr@p out of. I'm not going to be shy about it. I'm also not planning to sell it.

Here you can see the shiny spots already. I do wonder what it will look like in 10 years, but whatever that is will be love marks and battle marks 100%.

 

[jamjam1]

Not too nice. Just right. But I keep it in the case when not playing because it's blue and I don't want it to fade. (Blues apparently fade when exposed to light.) That's annoying and I'd prefer not to baby it. But whatever, I like the finish and color so I'll try to keep it as is.

 

[Daryl Jones]

I fully believe that no guitar is too nice to play. But to subject a really expensive PS (or close to a one off creation) to the hardships of being knocked around between home and gig locations is something I don't think I could stomach. Cripes, I get nervous taking my Hollowbody outside on the deck to play in the off chance I drop it...I crapped razor blades at that outside birthday party I did with it!
But that is kind of a moot point for me since I will likely never have one... unless I have a magical Fairy Godmother I never heard of.

 

[Alnus Rubra]

I think that when I gig my Santana, I’ll be careful as much as I can be. But I still want to gig it.

Re-reading this thread, I agree with Sergio -

“Life’s too short not to play your nicest guitar” (or similar)

 

[deepender]

I keep my custom 24 in its case and I'm very careful when playing it. But it plays and sounds so good that I play it all the time anyway!

I’m right there with you.

 

[Tony M.]

That’s exactly why I always have a spare garbage disposal waiting in the box in my basement office (laundry room) and 13 PRS guitars in there too.

Ya never know!

A garbage disposal and 13 guitars?
That's a pretty big box.

 

[Sky]

Life’s too short to not play your nicest guitar.

This right here ^^^^

 

[sgrady41]

I have a few I would not take out of the Studio, but do occasionally play them. Jus depending on how many you have, some do sit a little. I have a list I keep, and it has a slot for played, cleaned, treated, strings, etc. Keep it on the computer and updated.

I get it, some are just to impressive to beat on, it is more of a celebration for me when I play them.