Help me build a great PS Paul’s Guitar.

Isaac cruz

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Later this year I’m planning on ordering a PS Paul’s guitar which will be my only high end humbucker guitar. I know that I’m in the minority, but I prefer to have as little gear as possible. I’d rather have one very versatile guitar than 3 different ones at my disposal. Seems like the Paul’s is a great model for this purpose.

I was wondering which woods I should go for the top, body and neck and fretboard.

So far I know that I want Brazilian for the fretboard, but not sure if I should stick with stock mahogany for the body or neck or if I should go for something else. Would Braz fretboard and full Braz neck be overkill?

I’d rather put more cash on “enhancements” that make the guitar sound or feel better vs on aesthetic appointments.
 
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Well if it were mine I would get the new TCI Paul’s pups. PS Quilt top, matching quilt headstock with large eagle. Nice ribbon mahogany body Brazilian neck and fret board.

Tiger eye stain would go nice with Brazilian neck. Abalone birds and headstock eagle with gold trim.

Over the top but hell..... That would be my dream PS Paul’s guitar !
 
...I’d rather have one very versatile guitar than 3 different ones at my disposal. ..I’d rather put more cash on “enhancements” that make the guitar sound or feel better vs on aesthetic appointments.

Then I'd suggest trying to challenge PRS to build you a guitar out of local lumber (if MIA then why not Grown In GIA?). All those enhanced woods get yanked from the rain forests and they are not really necessary. Picks were made from turtle shells, inlays from elephant tusks, and players were able to get beyond that. Look at all the old Teles and Strats with maple necks and ash/alder bodies, famous instruments still bringing big money when they sell, and a few artists made a lot of popular songs with them.

Go for a satin finish for the best feeling guitar, at least the back of the neck (not sanding down to the wood just the surface satin), rolled fretboard edges, and so on so it feels like a great pair of worn-in jeans.

Then spend your time tweaking the pickups, pots, and caps for the tone.

.
 
If you want one versatile humbucker guitar, I would go with standard woods. Maple cap on a mahogany body is the natural start. What you want the maple to look like is up to you - the cosmetics won’t affect the tone. They has nicely figured mahogany backs so get one of those and have them cut the back plate from it.

A Brazilian neck isn’t overkill, but you have to like it. I do, but if I was going to have one guitar of this type I would go with a mahogany neck. Maybe birds eye maple if I saw a nice one.

Other things I would consider would be adding a piezo and/or two volume knobs a la DGT. I like to be able to blend the volume of the two pickups rather than just having them on or off - but I don’t really know if that is piezo compatible.
 
For me, a Private Stock would be my own personal choice and whilst I may have an idea of what I want, which wouldn't be too different from the regular builds - just a Rosewood neck instead of just a rosewood fingerboard. However, If I had the opportunity to visit PRS and see what's in their vault, I could very easily change my mind. A figured maple neck, something different to a Quilted maple top, maybe an Ebony fingerboard.

Point is that I may have an idea of what I want, but could change my mind when I see what I could have. It would still be 'my' choice and personal to me at that price. I can still be 'happy' with the regular cores as they are built with pretty much the wood choices although I could and would probably go or a solid Rosewood neck over a Mahogany w Rosewood fingerboard with most of 'choice' going on cosmetic decisions - quilt, inlays etc
 
Just curious... I wonder what the up charge is for a solid Brazilian neck nowadays?
 
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If you want one versatile humbucker guitar, I would go with standard woods.

I wood, too (see what I did there). ;]

Seriously, I think Veinbuster is right on with this observation. If you get the classic woods, you get the classic tones, and with a Paul’s Guitar, you get very nice coil splits, which is kinda the cherry on top.

This isn’t to say other wood choices won’t be very tasty. They will, but they’ll also be a bit different from tones made with the classic recipe.

Of course, whether you’re even looking for the classic stuff, or want something that’s its own thing, is your call.
 
I have a PS Paul’s guitar that was Paul Reed Smith’s personal prototype for the launch of the new TCI’s. He personallly handpicked the woods - Chaltecoco neck and Honduran Rosewood fingerboard, usual maple top and mahogany back. Chaltecoco is a close relative of Pernambuco wood that used to go on PRS’ top of the line PS specialty runs like the Collection Series, Paul’s 28 and Violin guitars - Paul’s wood of choice so to speak.

Not sure if it’s the wood species or his choosing the woods, but it’s abnormally resonant and woody sounding and has quickly become one the of favorites in my collection. It also feels super ‘solid and stable’, like a luxury car or something.

I would definitely encourage the same exact wood selection!
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I’d get a burl top, burl headstock veneer, burl bindings and regular birds instead of the brush strokes.
 
I have a PS Paul’s guitar that was Paul Reed Smith’s personal prototype for the launch of the new TCI’s. He personallly handpicked the woods - Chaltecoco neck and Honduran Rosewood fingerboard, usual maple top and mahogany back. Chaltecoco is a close relative of Pernambuco wood that used to go on PRS’ top of the line PS specialty runs like the Collection Series, Paul’s 28 and Violin guitars - Paul’s wood of choice so to speak.

Not sure if it’s the wood species or his choosing the woods, but it’s abnormally resonant and woody sounding and has quickly become one the of favorites in my collection. It also feels super ‘solid and stable’, like a luxury car or something.

I would definitely encourage the same exact wood selection!
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This is a fantastic suggestion! So is the Pernambuco not available in Private Stock?

The suggestions made for keeping it as close as possible to the original recipe make sense if it’s going to be my main, possibly only hb guitar.

So far I think it will be: mahogany body, maple top, Chaltecoco or Pernambuco neck.
 
I pondered selling mine from that limited run with the chaltecoco neck, but did not. Hard to say which is better.....That limited run or the other (DGT model) with pernambuco. I may well be wrong, but thought I
understood that neither is a current option, even on PS. But if you could get one, I doubt you would regret it.
 
This is a fantastic suggestion! So is the Pernambuco not available in Private Stock?

The suggestions made for keeping it as close as possible to the original recipe make sense if it’s going to be my main, possibly only hb guitar.

So far I think it will be: mahogany body, maple top, Chaltecoco or Pernambuco neck.

I think that's smart. I have a Paul's Guitar - nothing exotic...just a plain old regular production model - but it is a KILLER guitar. Mine has a trem, which probably affects the tone a little, but I still think it is one of the best sounding guitars I have - and have ever played. The "stock" wood recipe really seems to be thought out to result in a guitar that is pretty near perfect in balance, weight, tone and playability.

 
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