Help me decide (poll)

[HarrySound]

So my perfect guitar is actually number 2. The satin finish 30th. The problem is its £3 945 which is equivalent to just over $5 000
That neck and that top and everything else about it is beautiful.

My least favourite is number 3 the charcoal final run.

I nearly bought number 1 ,the Charcoal Burst 30th anniversary ,as I figured it would do the job but there's something really dull about that particular top and if you look closely it looks like someone "missed a bit" while staining it (around where your arm would rest)

Number 4 is the cheapest of the bunch and I'm warming to it. I love the natural cracks in the top even though it's not something that caught my eye initially.

Number 5 is really nice to look at. It's a stunning guitar and I like every single black gold guitar I've seen but it doesn't look like something I would go for. It's still an option though.

 

[JustRob]

2 was my choice also! But the choice was a lot easier for me. Since I wasn't buying I didn't even look at the prices. I wanted to buy a guitar a the 1st Experience I attended. I wanted a core but the price gave me pause. I mean, they had plenty of SE guitars that would suit my abilities just fine. My son looked at me and said, "Dad, if you buy the SE your just going to trade it last resort because your still going to want the core."
Bought the core. Point is, if it takes more saving, more time, whatever, get what you really want. It'll keep the GAS at bay a little longer....

 

[11top]

Since your asking for us to help you choose, you're asking for opinions about aesthetics I presume. So.....I've never understood taking a figured piece wood and putting a dull satin finish on it. I don't really care for it on ME1s, (even though I have a few since I like everything else about them), and I haven't really cared for it on other figured tops. I want the striations in the figure to pop, so I'd choose gloss. Again, this is just one guy's opinion, and to each his/her own.

 

[HarrySound]

So I can absolutely afford any guitar I wanted. I could even buy a dragon if I wanted. I have trouble justifying it though.
Sure, I play a lot and plan to have it for the rest of my life but at the end of the day it's just a guitar.
I guess the satin one is just too fancy and would be me crossing the line in to greed.
I was very close to ordering it but then suddenly pulled out due to the durability of a satin finish. That's when I started opening my options and started to look more towards a gloss finish.

I do absolutely want a core model. I'm just not sure which one.

 

[Spikedog007]

I'm guessing you like the charcoal burst and the other colors are the 'red herrings'...With that in mind I would pick number 1 with number 2 (satin finish) coming in a close second...

 

[László]

So I can absolutely afford any guitar I wanted. I could even buy a dragon if I wanted. I have trouble justifying it though.
Sure, I play a lot and plan to have it for the rest of my life but at the end of the day it's just a guitar.
I guess the satin one is just too fancy and would be me crossing the line in to greed..

If you can afford whatever you want, you really might want to look into a Private Stock. It isn't greed, you really do get another level of guitar greatness - as an instrument, not just as an object of bling.

 

[HarrySound]

That's the thing though. My perfect guitar is right there ready for the taking but that price is always going to be something I look back on and think "I could have gotten a better deal"
£3 000 and I'd jump on it, but it's very difficult to see £3 495 in value there.
I just don't know what to do!
If I put it off long enough maybe the desperate need will pass.

 

[JustRob]

I'm not sure why you would feel guilty about spending what it costs to get what you want. You're worth it.

But have you tried making an offer? Can't hurt to ask.

 

[CVS]

To be honest, any of the 5 guitars would work really well (at least for me)

 

[HarrySound]

I'm swinging in favour of the blue one now. It looks like a workhorse . It's not too pretty to be mortified when I get my first ding. That top has a lot of interesting things to look at too.
I'd miss out on the perfling on the neck I love so much though.

Plus it's blue and I'm a bills fan lol

 

[László]

I nearly bought number 1 ,the Charcoal Burst 30th anniversary ,as I figured it would do the job but there's something really dull about that particular top and if you look closely it looks like someone "missed a bit" while staining it (around where your arm would rest)

It's actually just a matter of that part of the wood absorbing the stain a little differently. Some areas of wood can be a little denser and less absorptive.

Number 4 is the cheapest of the bunch and I'm warming to it. I love the natural cracks in the top even though it's not something that caught my eye initially.

Actually, those are mineral streaks, not cracks. PRS wouldn't sell a cracked top. I think it looks kinda cool that way.

 

[Rider1260]

I voted #4 that is a classic PRS to me
#1 would work or #3 ( love the Natural back ) would be next

 

[HarrySound]

So I just went to the local guitar shop (which I've not been too before) nice place. I always feel awkward though.
I asked where the PRSs were and they showed me a whole rack of SE guitars then I explained I was looking for the next level they took me round the back and showed me a £22,000 dragon 2002 lol
Next to that were some custom 24s and CE24s.
I tried out the Custom 24 57/08 black gold and the CE24 and an S2.
As always when other people are around I completely forget how to play a guitar so it's a kinda unfair test.

The S2 I didn't like at all. Old strings, sticky fretboard, bad pickups.

The custom 24 had a regular neck just like the S2 so it was what I was used too but it had 9s on it which always feel horrible to me. Too cutting , and they were old strings also. I didn't like the 57/08 pickups at all either.

I am not one who plays through amps. I use amp modelling with a pair of monitor speakers and the clean channel of the Blackstar head wasn't what I would normally go for but I did really dig the gain channel however the 57/08s didn't do either well enough.

The CE24. Now, it was a horrible vintage sunburst finish but it was the best of the bunch.
The 85/15s surpassed my expectations and did both clean and gain sounds incredibly well. The gain sound sounded much like my tone of choice with my current Tremonti USA pickup and amp modelling.
The neck was wide but thin. Almost too wide but I adjusted to it.
It felt like a really nice guitar.

So my thoughts....
S2 bad at everything.
Custom 24 highest quality feel
CE24 best sounding and get neck profile

My conclusion is that a Custom 24 with a set of 10s and a thin neck plus 85/15 pickups will suit me just fine.

Also never buy anything from a shop because every guitar had dings and scratches in it. Was a shame.

Time to order!

Ordered!

 

[bodia]

Congrats! Feels good to push the "button."

 

[László]

I think we will need pics of what you ordered, just because that's what we do around here.

 

[markintime]

My conclusion is that a Custom 24 with a set of 10s and a thin neck plus 85/15 pickups will suit me just fine.

Also never buy anything from a shop because every guitar had dings and scratches in it. Was a shame.

Time to order!

Ordered!

Ditto on that, and it would suit me just fine as well.

 

[HarrySound]

So I got it.
The finish is a little duller than I expected. More grey in the blue but that's fine. Because it so new (2016) model I'm not used to the fretboard having no grease on it so my fingers aren't as quick on slides but that will come with time.
The ease of bending and freting notes is insane. I need to tweak my distorted sounds slightly to allow for the reduced output and changed dynamics (I may one day in the future months down the line opt for a Tremonti pickup) from what I was using before but already the clean sounds and the solo distortion sounds are stunning.
The curved top is much more comfortable than my SE flat top.

I'll keep playing it and get used to it. Need to get it all slippery.
I'll post some picks and a video later I think.
Yeah, apart from the dulling finish it feels great so far and I'm happy.

 

[HarrySound]

Just had the head phones on and stumbled on a strat tone so I put some dire straits backing tracks on and my word, it sounds incredible.

 

[HarrySound]

 

[Jekyll2000]

That's a beauty!