How many of you guys actually PLAY guitar?

[jfb]

Last time I played one of my PRS guitars was in 1976...................... :tongue:

You drive a DeLorean?

 

[ozboy]

My good friend Matt Artinger once told me that if it wasn't for people who love beautiful and highly functional guitars but can't necessarily play all that well, he wouldn't be able to make ends meet as a guitar builder. A lot of truth to that, although I would add that guitar is basically a folk instrument so it really doesn't matter how well you play, it just matters that you play and put your heart into it.

I'm not a pro, nor do I gig as regularly as I probably could if I worked harder at it, but I do play out, have been in a number of different bands including my own doing my own compositions, and I do have a CD out on a real record label that still (after 12 years!) gets airplay on places like Sirius XM.

Oh, and this sweetheart of a guitar is going out on its first gig tonight. Looking forward to that quite a bit!

Great video. Really enjoy the music

 

[Huggy Love]

Well I play my PRS all the frigging time, and I'm a pro player, meaning when I play gig or record I get paid, but I'm not in a band and It's admittedly not my living. So I don't fit into the poll categories.

As for "many" PRS sitting around as "furniture", I do admit I once sold a new Les Paul and a Fender deluxe to some rich college kid that asked me to demo it for him because he didn't know how to play a note or a chord, pulled out the credit card and walked out the store with them to I guess take a couple lessons and send it to the closet for eternity. So I guess it could be but I do have a hard time thinking non-players would invest in anything beyond an SE.

 

[Spidouz]

It's not what I do, but I could easily understand a non-player to collect high-value guitars just for the sake of collection.

Guitars are ones of the rare products that can work 50 years later, keep their value or even increase their value of the years. They are beautiful piece of art and therefor I could understand someone rich to wish to collect them for that reason even if they can't play.

Personally I prefer an instrument to be played but I do respect someone that would only collect them to hang them and admire them.

 

[11top]

Last time I played one of my PRS guitars was in 1976...................... :tongue:

When you looked like your avatar?

 

[Ol'Lefty]

I voted (bedroom) and commented (degraded from 60's skill level, but good builder/repair) and then pondered and considered that almost all "invested" guitar owner/players at every level appreciate beautiful woods and tasteful ornamentation. I am the same way about my shotguns, but handguns are plain deadly tools that I still appreciate for well designed appearance with function. I have some handplanes that I use that are works of art ( I have doubles that leave the house). I have a set of hand-selected purpose made Lie-Nielsen screwdrivers for use when working on planes; they have exceptional curly maple handles.

The very first luthier-like work I did in 65 was pearl inlay and it turned out I was good at it. Pearl does not characterize the play of a guitar. Yet, real players talk about dots, birds, open birds, pearl, plastic, abalone. In 69 I learned about shifted and inlet braces - downhill from there<>.

Most of us think of our guitars as something more than a tool. From there the question is $$$.

 

[alantig]

When you looked like your avatar?

He's looked like that for that long????

BTW, here's that PRS Markie's talking about. He sold it shortly after the bicentennial.

 

[kes7u]

I'm a bedroom player, but hope to be good enough at some point to gig out. I have 5 PRS guitars, including an SE, Core Wood Library and 3 Private Stocks. My guitars are clearly WELL above my skill level. I appreciate them for what they are, though. I play all of them routinely, and they give me the inspiration to play whenever I can and to continue to strive to get better.

Kevin

 

[gush]

I have played in bands since the early 80s. It gets difficult to find time to practice but I love playing and I gig all of my prs guitars.

 

[The Fight]

I play guitar every day, only PRS!

 

[Blues Trucker]

I apologize for not reading before voting. I dont own one of the high end models. Not even a core. But I do play my SE rather badly in my bedroom. Someday I will buy a core, and I will play it. Someday I hope to be good enough to play in a band, and when/if I do, I will play a core if/when I own one.
As far as those guys that hang em on the wall and dont play em. If those guys werent buying Dragons, PRS wouldnt be making them. I am happy PRS makes them. I am happy there are people who buy them.
Tell me WHY I should care what someone else does with their property and maybe I will, or not. Probably not.

I didn't vote 'cause there wasn't a choice for I'm a F@ckin' Rock God!

Bangin!

 

[Deleted member 5962]

I must have missed something. What I read from the OP, was what seemed to be a completely innocent question. A question that seemed to stem from him and or others being surprised, that there were actually people who bought guitars as great as these PRS guitars are, and didn't play them. In questioning that, he came here and simply asked if that were the case.

What follows seems to be almost immediately people taking what he said WAY wrong, implying all kinds of things that he never said or even implied, and even questioning his right to ask the question. I had to re-read the OP 3 times because I'd read a reply and think "he didn't even imply that" and go back and read it again to make sure.

I didn't answer the poll. But here's my take. I'm surprised that people who can't play buy them. I don't get it. But I don't care. I only have 4 PRS guitars and only within the last two months got a PRS amp. But every rich guy who buys 10 or 15 or 50 PRS guitars, makes it that much easier for PRS to stay in business and do what they do, and what they do makes me VERY happy.... because they make incredible instruments, and I PLAY mine. Ever day.

 

[RedGuitars]

I'm a total hack. Can I play? Yes - but if you stopped me mid song and asked me what every note was on every finger, I couldn't tell you. Sometimes I couldn't even tell you the chord I'm playing. It's just some shape someone was kind enough to show/teach me.


I own an SE. I own 2 core limited edition models, as well as a PRS amp. I've owned roughly 20 PRS guitars prior, including one private stock.

Les wins this thread if you ask me.

 

[itstooloudMike]

I've been playing guitar since the mid-60s, and used to play in some fairly good bands. I only play at home now, and not as often as I would like. I can't play as well today as back when I was more active in bands, but I still enjoy playing for my own amusement. I can still play well enough to impress most non-guitarists, but I only rarely impress myself. I have a small collection of pretty nice guitars, that make a variety of sounds. Do I need guitars of this quality and value? Absolutely not. But I own them, and still enjoy playing them. In today's market, I'd take a bath if I sold them. So, I keep them, and play them as often as I can find time. I'm not wealthy, and it took years to acquire my guitar collection. Someday, my family will sell them to a stranger. But for now, they bring be joy and put a smile on my face when I play. If I were a guitar maker, I'd be happy with my work simply making someone happy.

 

[FantasyMetal]

I write and record my own music in my home studio (check out my SoundCloud!), but I live in an area where it is impossible to find people to play with who enjoy my style and so I will probably never gig out. That being said, I play my guitars about every day and I enjoy the freedom of owning enough guitars to have to ask myself "Which one am I going to play today?"

 

[pjdude]

I've been playing mostly covers over 30+ years. I don't gig quite as much as I used to, which has been as much as 5-6 nights per week, but I still gig a few times a month.

 

[drdoom8793]

I guess I technically fall under pro here. I'm on staff at my church as guitarist and lead vocals for our worship team.

 

[vchizzle]

I'm in a band. I don't care what people do with their guitars as long as they enjoy the guitar. Ok, well, I'd prefer they not be used to kill people(unless of course the person should be killed)...but who am I to decide that?

 

[Zafu]

Wish there was another option "I'm a bedroom player because I haven't found a band to play in YET" ;p

 

[shallbe]

I'm 54 years old, and have played in bands since the age of 17. I was a full time pro for about 7 years, long ago. I have also done some studio work as well. I have been playing in the same band now for 18 years.