How NON PRS players sometimes feel

This is an interesting topic - in my experience, this 'stigma'? reputation seems to have diminished over the past several years based on Gibsons troubles, price hikes and quality issues, as well as Fenders very rapid expansion, contraction and changing of their core line of guitars. I own guitars and basses literally from A to Z, and the many PRSi I own are not only consistently great playing, sounding and constructed guitars, but also are absolutely gorgeous because that much more care is put into the top woods. I used to get a comment or 2 when busting out my PRS, but that hasn't happened in a long time.
 
xjbebop said:
I've been around the block more times than I can remember... many different brands and their related forums (especially since the advent of BBS / forums...) for many years.
And at some point on most of these different brand forums, including this one (I'm lookin' at you Serg... ;) , there will be some Kool-aid chuggin' uber fanboy who spouts out "this brand guitar is THE BEST, and anything else is shite!"
It's a narrow mindset that truly believes that the "best" guitar for one person is the "best" guitar for all people. In fact, it's rather sad to see the 'battle of the classes' within the PRS community, as mentioned above... "core models are king, S2 and SE's are peasants..."
The fact is that there are many players, myself included, that prefer to play an S2, or SE, or Mex Fender, or some other brand for personal reasons. I learned a long time ago that higher price does not guarantee a superior instrument.
Obviously there are different levels of quality, but there are numerous instruments out there that rival others that 'cost 2-3 times as much'
Along these same lines is the fallacy that fancy wood and finishes make a better instrument. I definitely enjoy and appreciate the artwork side of what PRS and some other brands accomplish, but when I'm honest with myself I realize that a few of my best playing, feeling and sounding gittars are actually just plain old boring black...

...oop's ... sorry about going on like that! Way off topic... I've been ill and I'm past due for my next medicinal whisky shot...
Bottom line is just play what makes you happy, and don't pee on other players choices... whee!
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It's actually far, far worse in other places. I'm a fan of 6th generation Ford Mustangs and hung out on a forum dedicated to that car for a few years as it was a really good place to pick up info on those new (at the time) cars. The V8 bigotry over there was just unbelievable, which is just silly when the turbo 4 cylinder version of the car (which I bought and enjoy the hell out of) puts out over 300 horses and torques. The mighty V8s of the previous generation couldn't do that! I could have afforded the V8 GT, but it just wasn't the right choice for me. To a certain crowd over there though, that was just self-emasculation and you would never ever convince them otherwise.
 
alantig said:
I've never quite understood the complaining about the price of PRSi (and it definitely still continues). Yes, they're somewhat expensive, but there have always been guitars in the same price range that don't get hit with the criticism that PRSG get. And a few years ago, when a certain guitar company jacked up prices pretty much just because they could (and because their CEO thought that would give them a certain cachet), they got some criticism, but not the kind that PRSG seems to get. I saw people complaining the other day because they felt the SE Hollowbody guitars were overpriced. Some people will just never be happy.

As @danktat said, my playing skill is in no way equal to the quality of my guitars, but they make me happy. And that's all that matters.
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I've known people* with good taste and the wherewithal to pay for PRS guitars who just didn't care for them. That wasn't snobbery, that was just "I tried 'em and didn't like 'em that much." My Modern Eagle was the guitar that got the "hey, now that one I like!" reaction from those folks. That was in the mid-2000s so my pet theory has been that for them the pickups were lacking something that those folks wanted. Post 2008 (i.e. post-5708 pickups), I think that problem has been fixed.



(*) Holy Carp, Alan, after I started typing it clicked that "those folks" were the northwest contingent of Boogie-Talk. Have you kept in touch?
 
danktat said:
What the friend said was less important to this post than what the response was. That response, and the way that it is worded that impressed me.
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Understood. My comments were certainly not aimed at you. I just think the “My brand is better than yours” and “Only doctors and lawyers play PRS” statements are silly. I don’t understand why some feel they have to criticize. Those individuals need to listen to Thumper.

 
Why Nickelback though? Why not Santana, or Neil Schon.. these guys were playing their PRSi out long before Nickelback ever came on the scene.

Or is it just because Nickelback hogged a lot of the magazine covers back in the early naughties.
 
Parralax view said:
Ya know, sometimes perception is reality in some cases. I used to work for the largest law firm in Dallas, Texas. Some of the laws had a "band". Every piece of gear was top notch. PRS, Gibson, Fender, Mesa, DW, etc. a dream rig for a band if there ever was one. Since I was in office services under the title of "facilities coordinator", I was a glorified gopher. No harm, they paid me obscenely. But, back to the band, they once had a rooftop "gig" at the Gypsy Tea room in Deep Ellum in Dallas, so me and my staff were the roadies taking all that gear to the roof. Since they knew I was a player, it fell to me to kind of set it up as I would have my own band if I had one. Once done and the evening started for the guests of "baby lawyers", basic interns and junior partners, the sound that came off that rooftop would have driven dogs mad. They were very over rigged and very under talented. Not once was I asked to play with them....;-) Badge of honor.
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This is not uncommon, but I can't say I wouldn't do the same thing if I could. Even though I am not a race car driver, I'd own a Ferrari if I had the means.
 
Herr Squid said:
(*) Holy Carp, Alan, after I started typing it clicked that "those folks" were the northwest contingent of Boogie-Talk. Have you kept in touch?
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I have not. I haven't even looked at the board in a few years. I used to keep in touch with Kingsley here and on Vintage Rocker, but he doesn't seem to post as much any more. Haven't seen him at any events in a few years - we did chat a bit at the first Experience. He's the guy who handed me a Mira and said, "You should try this."

I p!ssed a couple people off over there. I got a little tired with the "You guys are nuts for paying more than $2k for a guitar. I bought this $800 guitar and it's as good as - no, it's better - than those guitars. All I did was..." followed by a laundry list of things they changed or worked on that pretty much left the wood and the case as the only things original. I kind of made fun of that and said something like, "Huh - I pulled my guitar out of the case and played it."*

Which is not to say that mods are a bad thing - I've done them myself. But don't ask me to pretend that someone putting all that time, work, and parts into a guitar is cost-free.

* - Yes, I reworded that so as not to give Alnus a freebie!
 
11top said:
Understood. My comments were certainly not aimed at you. I just think the “My brand is better than yours” and “Only doctors and lawyers play PRS” statements are silly. I don’t understand why some feel they have to criticize. Those individuals need to listen to Thumper.

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Unfortunately, there is a segment of the musical community that seems to feel a part of something by bashing certain brands for certain things. PRS seems to be the brunt of quite a bit of it. So I don't pay that part any mind. But when I see someone come back with a good retort, sometimes I am just like "Yes, that is exactly how it is, even if I wouldn't have thought to word it that way". My understanding is that that guy's friend didn't have much more to say on it after that. :D
 
danktat said:
Unfortunately, there is a segment of the musical community that seems to feel a part of something by bashing certain brands for certain things. PRS seems to be the brunt of quite a bit of it. So I don't pay that part any mind. But when I see someone come back with a good retort, sometimes I am just like "Yes, that is exactly how it is, even if I wouldn't have thought to word it that way". My understanding is that that guy's friend didn't have much more to say on it after that. :D
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Yet you goto a guitar store, or try to order one online, and PRS is the brand that most consistently has waiting for more stock, pre-order for the next batch, or we are sold out and trying to get more. When my wife got me mine for the holidays, she tried buying locally and was consistently told; we do not have anymore, they sell out as soon as we get them in stock, we are not sure when more are coming in.

For a brand that has a stigma, they sure have a loyal following and sell well. Honestly, I think the stigma is diminished to the point of gone. My instructor, who is mainly a Fender guy, played my CE 24, and told me to keep brining it because he wants to play it again. He is one of those baseball bat neck people, and even admitted he liked the pattern thin neck. He also wants to get his hands on a Silver Sky, but there are non for sale locally at this time.
 
alantig said:
I have not. I haven't even looked at the board in a few years. I used to keep in touch with Kingsley here and on Vintage Rocker, but he doesn't seem to post as much any more. Haven't seen him at any events in a few years - we did chat a bit at the first Experience. He's the guy who handed me a Mira and said, "You should try this."



I liked Kingsleys posts in the past very much............
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The only and I mean only time someone has commented on my PRS is at a jam I was at here in Honolulu. The host had an SE Single Cut that I could barely play due to it being so low action wise. I'm a bit heavy handed, hence I like higher action, but I pulled out my McCarty and the only comment was, "Oh....he has a real one". Other than that, Honolulu musicians seem to be completely captivated with PRS guitars. I've seen lots of them at jams and bar performances. Dan's Guitars here is the only pusher of the mark and they usually have a waiting list for instruments..
 
Parralax view said:
Ya know, sometimes perception is reality in some cases. I used to work for the largest law firm in Dallas, Texas. Some of the laws had a "band". Every piece of gear was top notch. PRS, Gibson, Fender, Mesa, DW, etc. a dream rig for a band if there ever was one. Since I was in office services under the title of "facilities coordinator", I was a glorified gopher. No harm, they paid me obscenely. But, back to the band, they once had a rooftop "gig" at the Gypsy Tea room in Deep Ellum in Dallas, so me and my staff were the roadies taking all that gear to the roof. Since they knew I was a player, it fell to me to kind of set it up as I would have my own band if I had one. Once done and the evening started for the guests of "baby lawyers", basic interns and junior partners, the sound that came off that rooftop would have driven dogs mad. They were very over rigged and very under talented. Not once was I asked to play with them....;-) Badge of honor.
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File under “More Money Than Talent”.
 
alantig said:
I have not. I haven't even looked at the board in a few years. I used to keep in touch with Kingsley here and on Vintage Rocker, but he doesn't seem to post as much any more. Haven't seen him at any events in a few years - we did chat a bit at the first Experience. He's the guy who handed me a Mira and said, "You should try this."

I p!ssed a couple people off over there. I got a little tired with the "You guys are nuts for paying more than $2k for a guitar. I bought this $800 guitar and it's as good as - no, it's better - than those guitars. All I did was..." followed by a laundry list of things they changed or worked on that pretty much left the wood and the case as the only things original. I kind of made fun of that and said something like, "Huh - I pulled my guitar out of the case and played it."*

Which is not to say that mods are a bad thing - I've done them myself. But don't ask me to pretend that someone putting all that time, work, and parts into a guitar is cost-free.

* - Yes, I reworded that so as not to give Alnus a freebie!
Click to expand...

I didn't pick up on the "expensive guitars are stupid" vibe, but I did go through a patch of time where I was just fed up with the endless avalanche of all kinds of email. I snapped and unsubscribed, figuring I would go back if I missed it. And I did a little bit, but never found a link or other reference to get back in the door. Didn't feel strongly enough to try hard.

But now we're here and it's all good. Back to our regularly scheduled PRS forum goodness!
 
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