Hey PRS Dealers...

[]-[@n$0Ma☩!©]

Curious how many of you follow the discussions in the forum versus those of you who just show up to post guitars for sale.

Do you find that the topics inform you regarding trends?

Do they tell you something more about your customers?

Do you get ideas for special runs from topics buzzing on our pages?

I suppose we'll know who actually reads the pages from the responses (or lack thereof).

 

[11top]

Good thread topic, Hanso. I'm curious to see the responses.

 

[Brian G]

Absolutely!

First off, I dig getting to know you folks. I am a PRS dealer, but first I'm a huge PRS fan so to connect with other PRS guys is a great thing.

The posts on the forum do help to give me ideas for special runs and private stock builds. I try to make sure to put pieces together that haven't been done before - or are in demand. The forum shows me what finish colors you folks like as well as inlay choices, pickups etc. I do like to take some chances with some wild stuff - but a lot of it is based around what is discussed on this board.

Also, when new products are announced, I use the board to see how anticipated they are. This helps me decide on order numbers and such.

Cool topic!

 

[jfb]

Really cool topic. Interested to see what everyone has to say.

Right on Brian G!

 

[]-[@n$0Ma☩!©]

Just Brian, eh?

 

[sergiodeblanc]

Just Brian, eh?

That's because Brian is the best!

 

[Brian G]

Thought about this thread a little bit more on my plane ride home from the Taylor factory yesterday.

I also use this forum big time as a reference - especially with trade-ins and consignments. All you folks know a ton about PRS and all the models that have come out of the factory - even the rare ones. Sometimes when a rare bird or a vintage PRS pops up in my shop I can come on here, do a search and make sure the specs are right, find out what years it was made, find out how popular they are etc. Its a great thing to be able to confirm that I am taking a piece in correctly.

What about you guys? Do you learn anything from dealer posts on here? Do you learn about new product in the dealer section and get new ideas for builds, or is the dealer section just kind of a candy shop for now?

 

[Jack Gretz]

I use the forum to check in on Customers and to help see their needs. I also use it to try to gauge trends in the market. I do use it for other things as well but I feel I could be letting out some of my sales and marketing techniques out to others so I will politely keep that too myself.

 

[GTRMAV]

For me, there was a warning from one of our forum brothers that taking your hobby to a business, meant losing your hobby. How TRUE that statement has turned out to be. First off there are a number of REALLY great PRS Dealers that commit a Ton of time and money to bring the best PRS Guitars to the public to sell. Each one of those guys have my respect...This is a TON and a HALF of work!!
i regularly cruise these pages hoping to find inspiration and trends in order to service the customers request and desires. It has meant that my posting on some topics might be looked on as inappropriate so I have obviously curtailed some of that. I don't want to be the new kid in the block and look stupid! Anyway.... I love this place, Thanks to all at PRS for rolling the dice and having a company sponsored site!! We all know how important it is to have a USA owned and fabricator of GREAT products. I am also personally thankful to have an opportunity to be an Authorized Dealer.

 

[gush]

This is a really thoughtful topic.

 

[]-[@n$0Ma☩!©]

This is a really thoughtful topic.

Thank you.

The Official PRS Forum is a free sales resource for dealers (not just a place for them to post pics and prices). The heartbeat of the PRS-buying community beats right here on these pages and that information is readily available to anyone who takes the time to participate.

Access is also100% free to members of our community - as you all know. We have so many insightful posts from which to glean new perspectives. It would be a shame for dealers to just show up, post their sale ads, and leave.

Anyway... I'm glad to see that at least 3 dealers have read this thread thread and responded.

 

[Boogie]

As a value-add to the authorized dealers, perhaps PRS could provide access to certain web analytics?

 

[TGSCAN]

;-)

 

[]-[@n$0Ma☩!©]

Ok, 4.

 

[vic@leftyguitarsonly]

Make it five. I read the forum daily ... although as a dealer who carries only lefty guitars, there are no current offerings aside from Private Stock guitars (of which I recently got my first and have three more in the oven). But it's a great resource to learn about the other guitars, get ideas for future Private Stock builds -- Shawn's Private Stock Friday thread is addictive and full of beautiful guitars, and I've seen the Santana I'm building crop up in the last few updates -- and it's a nice community of people who love these guitars. I have a Custom 24 in Santana Yellow that is my personal guitar, and have owned several lefty Custom 22s and McCartys over the years.

 

[TGSCAN]

Make it five. I read the forum daily ... although as a dealer who carries only lefty guitars, there are no current offerings aside from Private Stock guitars (of which I recently got my first and have three more in the oven). But it's a great resource to learn about the other guitars, get ideas for future Private Stock builds -- Shawn's Private Stock Friday thread is addictive and full of beautiful guitars, and I've seen the Santana I'm building crop up in the last few updates -- and it's a nice community of people who love these guitars. I have a Custom 24 in Santana Yellow that is my personal guitar, and have owned several lefty Custom 22s and McCartys over the years.

Hi Vic!

 

[themike]

I'm a dealer..... I deal a world of pain to those who choose to argue with me about PRS quality and practices on other forums using incorrect facts.

I PITTY DOZ FOOLS WHO DONT DO THEIR HOMEWORK!

 

[vic@leftyguitarsonly]

Hi Vic!

Howdy, Brent! Loving that OMG Brazilian guitar, man! Killer color.

 

[Molly]

Copied this from another thread as I thought it might be of interest to dealers. It's just my experience of trying to buy my first PRS. I eventually bought it from a private seller. Have a second one arriving today. Also from a private seller.

Congrats on the new guitar

What I find a little disturbing in some of the posts above are the references to the shoddy condition of supposedly new guitars. Surely they can't be PRS dealers can they? The place I bought my Studio from last month had a fantastic array of both SE and Maryland guitars and each one I picked up looked like it had just been cleaned and pretty much in tune.

We have one major chain store here in NZ and I think they're the only official supplier of PRS though a few drip through elsewhere. I'd emphasise that the staff were just the nicest bunch of people and the most grubby PRS I tried had been shipped down from another store for me to try. That said, some of the other models already in stock were pretty bad. A Mark Tremonti I tried was just filthy. Gunged-up, dry fretboard and strings that were black with rust and dirt. This is a $4,000 (discounted...) guitar here in NZ. One Studio I tried was very dusty (indicating that it hadn't been played in ages and that there might be a deal to be had on that one?). I asked. There wasn't.

To recalibrate my brain I kept trying known quantities like a CBS Strat and a Tele. I picked up an EVH that was nearly $2,000. The fret ends were so sharp! Every one of them. Bloody thing was borderline dangerous. Another guitar that needed attention.

On the whole, I think the large chain stores that sell everything musical just unpack a guitar, hang it up and wait for someone to part with a month's salary for it. Staff don't know a huge amount about the guitars (if anything) and, as nice as they are, might just as well be working in the hardware store next door. To get a well cared for and prepared PRS I suspect I'd have to find a small independent.

 

[Quimper Sound]

I do watch the forums more than I post. I guess after having taken some abuse for being a dealer on other forums such as TGP I am a bit shy even here. I think it is great that PRS understands dealers are an important part of the information chain. I learn more from my customers that I could ever learn from listening to myself. I also like to talk about guitars, sci fi, metals, college football and forums give me a place to do so.