Not comparing guitars to autos. Just making a valid point. A used car that provides transportation can be had for less then 3k much less 4500 bucks. I'm pro prs so there's that. I own 3 just bought a brand new WL 10 top. When I was in my early 30s I bought a new 10 top for 1500 bucks! I am glad PRS exist. The cost of guitars period is beyond stupid. It's not a necessity, tell a broke kid to drop 4500 on a new guitar. Prs are leaps and bounds above any production guitar made. If your going se your going overseas and that market is more competitive in the price range. And there are many quality veneer topped guitars for the same price and as dependable. I am considering I probably just bought my last new 10 top. I usually buy used to absorb cost but then there is no warranty and I've had finish issues on a 20th anny 10 top so that's why.. being new 10 top has eclipsed 4k and will not be getting cheaper.. in the next 3/4 years they will be 5k and up for a core 10 top. So that leaves me out of the conversation, sorry. It's not a question of quality at that price. The quality has always been there and always will be. For me there is a reality factor for entertainment, ymmv
its all relative though - a 'USED' car still cost a LOT more money than a brand new PRS. I can't ever recall seeing a Brand New 10-top for that money - not even in a sale - although I live in the UK so pricing is very different. Before PRS even had 10-tops, the price for a 'Custom' compared to a Standard was more than 1500 UK Pounds which is worth a lot more than 1500 dollars at the exchange rates back then let alone now.
A 'broke' kid isn't the market for a brand new Core let alone a Custom build that this project was being aimed at. A 'broke' kid, if they are in the market for a 'new' guitar would be looking at Harley Benton, Squire or Epiphone, perhaps even an SE Standard if they can 'push' their budget up enough to afford any of these 'new', otherwise they will be seeing what they can pick up 'used'.
PRS pricing isn't ridiculously high when you look at other guitars at the high end - compare it to some of the Fender or Gibson re-issues and/or signature models. In fact, if I look at the music shops inventory and list the guitars in descending price order, apart from the odd Private Stock, Gibson re-issues, Gibson Memphis guitars (335 for example), Fender 'Master craft', some Music Man guitars etc all crop up before you reach a Core PRS. Obviously the odd WL may pop in amongst the re-issue Les Pauls but most (if not all) of those Les Pauls are more expensive than a core 10-top Cu24, or Cu22 for example.
Yes they are expensive and have been for many, many years. They were more expensive than a Gibson Les Paul Custom when I saw my first PRS and almost as expensive as a Parker Fly. Knaggs and Nik Huber Guitars are more expensive for 'comparatively' similar models too Again though its ALL relative. If you cannot afford a Core, PRS do offer cheaper US made alternatives - the CE and Silver Sky models and if they are too expensive, you can buy an S2. Failing that, you have the SE range or any of the alternatives of which there are 'numerous' brands and models to pick from. Is an Nik Huber Les Paul (or should I say Orca) worth the 'massive' price difference from an Epiphone LP, from a Gibson LP Standard, from a Gibson Custom Shop re-issue, what about a PRS 594 or PRS 594 10-top? All of these are Cheaper than a Nik Huber version of this iconic double humbucker guitar. A broke kid isn't going to buy a Nik Huber, Knaggs, PRS 594, Gibson Les Paul - even the 'entry' Studio may be out of reach for the 'broke' kid.
If money is to tight for you to consider a built in the US Custom 24, you can buy an SE with a very nice veneer instead. you might find an old banger for the price of an SE, something that still 'runs' but that doesn't make the SE far too expensive because some person is willing to accept $500 for their old motor. All of these, including many brand new cars are much cheaper than a used '59 Gibson LP. A brand new Silver Sky is lot less money than a used Fender 63 fender Strat.
I could go on and on, making more ridiculous comparisons - especially comparing a brand new musical instrument and a 'used' vehicle. There are many used vehicles that cost a LOT more than a PRS - a Ferrari 250 GTO or how about a Ferrari F40, F50 or Enzo? All MUCH more expensive than ANY brand new guitar. You could argue that PRS 'core' guitars are the Ferrari of Guitars with their SE line being their Fiat motors...
Point is, you can't compare anything from a completely different category. A professional musician wanting the 'best' electric guitar and has the budget to do so, isn't looking to buy a 'used' car to do the job that a Guitar will. Its like comparing a Bugatti Chiron's price and saying you can buy a house or 2 for that. A house won't get you from A to B like a Chiron can and people looking to buy a Chiron won't be looking to live in it - very different things for doing very different jobs.
As I said, I live in the UK and believe it or not, a $4k guitar in the US ends up costing me the equivalent of over $5200 so if anyone can be critical, its those of us who live outside the US. However if these are out of the price range, you do what everyone else does if/when they can't afford to buy a 'new' car, you lower your expectations and/or buy from the used market. At least the Guitar market has excellent low priced new guitars that can do the job better than a 'banger' of a used car that you had to buy because that was all you could afford. Even a new Epiphone or Squire can be 'great' for that 'broke' kid that cannot afford to buy the 'Ferrari' of Guitars
