Given the prices of core models, no customer should be receiving an otherwise beautiful & meticulously crafted guitar w/ white, plastic t-buttons 😒

[Boz]

Yes, we're all thinking it. They're ugly, they're cheap looking. They don't match or go along with the otherwise well thought-out construction of a PRS guitar, especially given its the "core" series. What on earth was PRS thinking? So many positive steps forward over the recent years and then woops!!...face plant. I'm sorry but there is nothing to write home about regarding these tuner buttons.

Any supposed benefits due to weight reduction is IMO far too minimal to make up for the visual dissapointment of having to look at them while admiring your guitar. I actually just purchased a new wood library SSH myself, but was relieved that it was apparently constructed just prior to the change, and had the gold buttons that actually matched the rest of the hardware. Yes, we can purchase chrome, gold, smoked, or any other variation of tuning buttons for not a particularly considerable price if we desire. But should we have to even make that decision, given what we all would otherwise pay for a guitar in this price range?

 

[sergiodeblanc]

I’m fk’n outraged.

 

[Gtrbldr]

Well, I seriously wonder if they used wood instead of metal, the weight reduction could be achieved as well? It is not a cost cutting measure, because that is not the PRS MO.

 

[WEDGE]

With all due respect to the factory, it is every businesses MO to save money. If they can do it with a valid reason that improves the instruments all the better.

 

[Senor Verde]

It's all personal preference. To me, locking tuners look hideous and I wonder why someone would market an expensive, beautiful guitar that has ugly locking tuners. The new buttons don't really bother me, other than they seem larger than they need to be. Every PRS I've owned with locking tuners has had them swapped out, no big deal.

 

[dogrocketp]

Yes, we're all thinking it. They're ugly, they're cheap looking. They don't match or go along with the otherwise well thought-out construction of a PRS guitar, especially given its the "core" series. What on earth was PRS thinking? So many positive steps forward over the recent years and then woops!!...face plant. I'm sorry but there is nothing to write home about regarding these tuner buttons.

Any supposed benefits due to weight reduction is IMO far too minimal to make up for the visual dissapointment of having to look at them while admiring your guitar. I actually just purchased a new wood library SSH myself, but was relieved that it was apparently constructed just prior to the change, and had the gold buttons that actually matched the rest of the hardware. Yes, we can purchase chrome, gold, smoked, or any other variation of tuning buttons for not a particularly considerable price if we desire. But should we have to even make that decision, given what we all would otherwise pay for a guitar in this price range?

This is a joke?

 

[bluemoon]

Don't bother me. Kind of like them.

 

[Gtrbldr]

With all due respect to the factory, it is every businesses MO to save money. If they can do it with a valid reason that improves the instruments all the better.

That very much depends on the market they are serving and the rationale behind the product. If there are savings (which I doubt) it would be pennies on the few hundred dollars. That is not the kind of saving a premium, top of the line, product like USA made PRS guitars is after. So I would assume it is not a driver behind the choice. The rationale for that kind of product is different (do you think Rolls Royse factors those kinds of savings into product innovations?) than for middle of the road products.

Might be a different story for the SE line, but not the core line and up.

 

[Bogner]

They Needed These Lighter Ugly Buttons To Compensate For The Weight Of All The Hideous Clip On Tuners...LOL.

IMO, PRS Should Make Every Guitar With The Locking Tuners They Are Known For And Offer Different Button Styles, Wood Types, Metal Types (Colors), Etc. And Let People Customize Their Guitar From There. I Could Care Less About Klusons, Mini Toggles, Blade Switches And Whacky Shaped Pickups. I Can Live With The Klusons But The Other Stuff keeps Me From Buying More Products And I Like Buying Stuff.

 

[Aahzz]

Never once has the appearance of tuner buttons had the slightest impact on my guitar purchasing decision. Do they do their job? If so, I'm good with them.

 

[László]

Yes, we're all thinking it. They're ugly, they're cheap looking.

No, we're not all thinking it. Quite the contrary.

You don't like them, fine, don't buy a guitar with them. Pretty simple solution.

Meantime, we're guests in Paul R. Smith's house. There have been plenty of disrespectful threads about this bullsh!t already. Give it a f^cking rest.

 

[DISTORT6]

I’m firmly indifferent on this one.
Although I AM a huge fan of excessively long thread titles.

 

[Bogner]

No, we're not all thinking it. Quite the contrary.

You don't like them, fine, don't buy a guitar with them. Pretty simple solution.

Meantime, we're guests in Paul R. Smith's house. There have been plenty of disrespectful threads about this bullsh!t already. Give it a f^cking rest.

While I Can Agree With Your Sentiment I Can Also At The Same Time Disagree With It As Well. Paul Has Always Said He Will Sell What Sells And If The People Like Something It Sells And If They Don't It Won't. A Consumer Has Every Right To Voice Their Opinion No Matter Which Side Of The Fence That Opinion Falls On. I Genuinely Believe Paul Wants To Hear These Opinions...Likes Hearing These Opinions...Needs To Hear These Opinions To Have An Accurate Pulse On What The Market Is Saying Whether He Agrees With It Or Not. A Company Unwilling To Take Into Account What Their Audience/Consumer Is Saying Will Be A Company That Loses Market Share Or In Worse Cases, Their Relevance In Their Particular Industry. To Silence The Perceived Negative And To Only Voice The Perceived Positives Is Censorship In The Worst Way And Even Worse Than That It Leads People Down A Path Of Delusion Because Everything They Hear Is Great From All Their Yes Men And Women. That Is A Very Slippery Slope And Something We Have All Witnessed On Countless Levels And Every Outcome Is The Same...Not Good.

Should Paul Dig In His Heels On A Certain Thing Because He Simply Wants To Regardless Of What The Consumer Thinks, That Is One Thing. Should Paul Dig In His Heels Because He Is Unaware Of What The Consumers Are Saying That Is A Very Different Thing. Either Way The Company Is His But I Would Bet My Gear Collection Paul Wants To Know What People Think Regardless Of What That Thought May Be. He Is Too Wise Not To

 

[László]

While I Can Agree With Your Sentiment I Can Also At The Same Time Disagree With It As Well. Paul Has Always Said He Will Sell What Sells And If The People Like Something It Sells And If They Don't It Won't. A Consumer Has Every Right To Voice Their Opinion No Matter Which Side Of The Fence That Opinion Falls On. I Genuinely Believe Paul Wants To Hear These Opinions...Likes Hearing These Opinions...Needs To Hear These Opinions To Have An Accurate Pulse On What The Market Is Saying Whether He Agrees With It Or Not. A Company Unwilling To Take Into Account What Their Audience/Consumer Is Saying Will Be A Company That Loses Market Share Or In Worse Cases, Their Relevance In Their Particular Industry. To Silence The Perceived Negative And To Only Voice The Perceived Positives Is Censorship In The Worst Way And Even Worse Than That It Leads People Down A Path Of Delusion Because Everything They Hear Is Great From All Their Yes Men And Women. That Is A Very Slippery Slope And Something We Have All Witnessed On Countless Levels And Every Outcome Is The Same...Not Good.

Should Paul Dig In His Heels On A Certain Thing Because He Simply Wants To Regardless Of What The Consumer Thinks, That Is One Thing. Should Paul Dig In His Heels Because He Is Unaware Of What The Consumers Are Saying That Is A Very Different Thing. Either Way The Company Is His But I Would Bet My Gear Collection Paul Wants To Know What People Think Regardless Of What That Thought May Be. He Is Too Wise Not To

I'm confident that Paul relies on sales figures, as any sane businessman would, not internet threads dedicated to picayune bullsh!t like this.

Look at all the complaints about the Silver Sky when it was introduced; it practically broke the internet. PRS stuck to its guns. And then, of course, the model went on to sell extremely well.

How many threads about tuner buttons have there been, and it's the same people over and over. It's just a load. Don't like the buttons, go to amazon and get a set of 6 metal ones for $4.80, or don't buy the freaking guitar. Real simple stuff.

 

[Bogner]

I'm confident that Paul relies on sales figures, as any sane businessman would, not internet threads dedicated to picayune bullsh!t like this.

Look at all the complaints about the Silver Sky when it was introduced; it practically broke the internet. PRS stuck to its guns. And then, of course, the model went on to sell extremely well.

How many threads about tuner buttons have there been, and it's the same people over and over. It's just a load. Don't like the buttons, go to amazon and get a set of 6 metal ones for $4.80, or don't buy the freaking guitar. Real simple stuff.

And What Exactly Were Those Sales Figures Of Silver Sky's When He Decided To Tool Up And Release A New Model? That IS A Whole Different Ballgame From What We Are Talking About Here So Let's Not Muddy Waters With Non Similar Realities.

I Am Sure Paul Looks At Sales Metrics Very Closely, As He Should, But Don't Kid Yourself Into Thinking He Doesn't Want To Know What His Consumer Thinks And Says As Well...Even If He Doesn't Agree With Them...He Wants To Know.

Regarding Multiple Threads On Tuner Buttons...How Many Is Enough? I Have No Idea But Obviously It Is A Bigger Issue To Some Than It Is To Others Or The Threads Wouldn't Be Made. That In And Of Itself Should Tell You Something...Even If You Don't Agree.

 

[László]

And What Exactly Were Those sales Figures Of Silver Sky's When He Decided To Tool Up And Release A New Model?

How does that matter? People had their complaints, and raised hell.

Sorry, this kind of thing is internet chicken-sh!t that by and large doesn't affect sales at all.

Example: The complaining about bindings on the McCarty and 594 models. They're still there, and the models sell very well. Cheap-looking, people said. Meanwhile, they have to buy the materials, cut them, and it takes extra time to put them in, so it costs the company MORE. This is why for many, many years a plastic - yup, plastic - binding was a feature found only on a more expensive model (cf, Gibson, Martin, Guild, Rickenbacker, and many others).

Example: The complaining about freaking plastic pickup rings a few years back - PRS has used them since the beginning - and even complaints that they were 'too cream colored'. Meanwhile, they can't build the Core models fast enough and there's a two year backlog.

Example: The complaining about 'cheap' this or that, and meantime in the 2010s PRS started using inlaid-logo rosewood headstock veneers on most of its Core models -- formerly only available on the extra cost Artist Package option or PS. It takes extra time to build, costs more than a decal or sticker, and something very few guitar makers do on electric guitars at any price. Yet PRS does it because that's what Paul likes.

No one seems to notice the stuff that costs PRS more, and I will bet these tuning buttons cost more because they're custom OEM parts instead of generic.

Like Paul's decision to add brass inserts to the aluminum one piece bridge to improve tone - think that's cheaping out?

Did you know it costs PRS more to have exposed brass on the tuning machines instead of plating it? Paul has spoken about that.

Or instead of just drilling holes in a two piece bridge's stop tail, having it made with slots that make stringing it so much easier, a brilliant design when no one complained about the old fashioned stuff on other guitars.

Example: Working on the pickups, tuning machines, things like Gen III bridges and other parts to improve them when in fact they didn't have to, the guitars were selling well and people didn't seem to care.

The idea that PRS cheaps out on anything is complete crap.

People have complained here about knobs, about the dang wing tuners, about not having wing tuners, about the finishes whether nitro or poly - and by the way, the nitro is actually more expensive to shoot than poly due to environmental concerns - about black backs, about wrap finishes vs the fake bindings. Some didn't like the teardrop bursts on Singlecuts, some did.

There have been people complaining because they don't like having the molded ends on trem arms. Seriously. WTF, so take them off.

You name it, someone is going to b!tch about it. Someone is going to get out the torches and pitchforks and exhort people to storm the castle over this nonsense.

There's a tempest in a teapot over every single change or thing PRS does, and usually it's not about the tone, the playability or other things that truly matter to serious players. It's about bits and bobs and cosmetic stuff that a tiny minority give a rat's ass about.

The first post in this thread purports to speak for all of us. That's simply not true.

 

[Bowtiefanatc]

Yawn……

 

[TheCraftsman]

Perfection in playability and sound seems to be the “core” of PRS and as has been understood a thousand times, you can always switch em out

 

[veinbuster]

Never once has the appearance of tuner buttons had the slightest impact on my guitar purchasing decision. Do they do their job? If so, I'm good with them.

I confess that these tuner buttons influenced my purchase of a guitar.

 

[Fro]

The look of these tuner buttons doesn’t bother me. I don’t think they look any better or worse, but they do feel better in my little fingers when tuning.