I have a strange predicament.

MuffinForce1

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Joined
Jan 20, 2022
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Okay, here’s a little backstory. So a few months ago, my dad was diagnosed with kidney cancer. Now, he has a lot of combined health problems, and ones that are in the past, so he has about a 50/50 chance of survival. Now, you might be thinking, “well, what does this have to do with guitars, much less PRS at all?” Well, I’m 14, and my dad has quite a bit of money out back, and he wants to get me something nice that I can remember him by and enjoy for the rest of my life, and also have as somewhat of a financial cushion. So, I’m looking towards a PS PRS Custom 24. Now, sounds great and all, but it almost feels wrong trying to custom order a guitar with a 15,000 dollar budget at the age of 14. I‘ve only been playing for about 3 years and own an SE model of the Custom 24, but it just feels like I’m almost… not worthy or a guitar of that caliber? Even though my dad wants to get something like this for me. I love the idea and the commitment he has to it, but do you think it’s wrong for, undoubtedly, a relatively inexperienced kid to have a PS guitar? Yes, it would get taken care of properly, and no I wouldn’t beat it around and scratch/dent it. What are your guy’s thoughts? To me I love it and have great ideas, but it almost feels like, well, what you’re probably thinking reading this, like I’m spoiled or something and not worthy of this guitar. But yeah, this doesn’t need to get drawn out any longer. Thoughts?
 
Any core or higher grade of PRS guitar will outlive most other things you could sink money into. (Like a car for instance. Don't buy an overpriced car. It won't last.) Get the private stock but make it a tasteful selection of ingredients which will still look cool 50 years from now.
 
It’s a great idea. Few people ever reach an instrument’s potential. It’s not about your playing being worthy—it’s about having something that has meaning to you, that brings you joy and great memories.

There are plenty of thing in life worth feeling guilt over. Having a nice guitar is not one of them.
 
Sorry to hear about your Dad. Whatever his prognosis CELEBRATE the times you have had and will continue to have!

As for the guitar, experience does not dictate how "fancy" a guitar you are "worthy" of. If you are both on board with this, then make it a memorable experience and design the MFer together. Or say thanks Dad and design it with your dealer. Whatever transpires, sounds like a win for everyone involved.
 
First off, best wishes to you and your father.

As others have said, if you're not creating a financial burden, there's no guilt in having a guitar you may deem above what you deserve. But there's really no such thing. And at 14, you're far from a finished product, and you'll see on this board there are many of us of different ages and skill levels who realize that when it comes to this instrument, you're never a finished product. So it's not a guitar that's above your level, it's a guitar you'll grow to appreciate even more as your skill level rises.

Beyond that, it's a guitar that will be a special connection between you and your dad for years to come.
 
fwiw, I'm an old guy. When my mother passed away some years ago, my wife surprised me and bought me a very special guitar that she knew I was interested in as a memorial to remember my mom by. It is one of the very first EBMM Majesty's to be available to the public. Needless to say, it will always be very important to me for all those reasons.
If your father is wishing something like this for you, honor his wish the best you can.
And no matter what happens to you through your future life, do not lose that gift....
 
Fahk… the possibility of losing your father at 14 doesn’t make you spoiled at all.

If your dad wants to do this with and for you, I mean, do it. Do it with him! It’ll take awhile for the guitar to be built, so when it’s done it may be kinda bittersweet, but put all your guy’s positive energy into it. It may give him something to look forward to and help him push forward during tougher times.

Make that sh!t an heirloom. Go classic appointments, make it future proof, and pass it down to your son or daughter when your time comes. Maybe avoid thin necks and go for a 22 fret guitar? That’s what most people gravitate to as they age into guitars.
 
I can't add much more to the subject than what has preceded me. But I can say that you have one incredible father! I have a family heirloom and it became mine as my father entrusted my judgement and for that I will be forever grateful and cherish his memory even more. Without putting you up on the proverbial pedestal or anything, you are showing a great deal of maturity and humility in asking our advice, so I commend you for it. Do the honorable thing and give him his wish and enjoy all the time you have together. Hopefully you can share the beautiful music that comes from it. Thoughts and prayer to you all.
 
I can't add much more to the subject than what has preceded me. But I can say that you have one incredible father! I have a family heirloom and it became mine as my father entrusted my judgement and for that I will be forever grateful and cherish his memory even more. Without putting you up on the proverbial pedestal or anything, you are showing a great deal of maturity and humility in asking our advice, so I commend you for it. Do the honorable thing and give him his wish and enjoy all the time you have together. Hopefully you can share the beautiful music that comes from it. Thoughts and prayer to you all.
Daryl that was beautifully said. You are a wonderful human being!
 
Bummer about your Dad, but one silver lining is he did not disappear in a moment with zero notice! Take advantage of the time you have left with him to whatever extent possible!!

I echo the sentiment of most here, but I would put a bit of a twist on it ;~)) I would say, find a PS instrument at one of the dealers that you really like that is available today. From your description of experience, I doubt that you are set on having a specific wood for the neck, another specific wood for the body, another specific wood for the fret board, bridge pickup X and neck pickup Y, etc. There are a LOT of beautiful PS's floating around looking for a home that would definitely lift your boat (more on that in a minute)!!! The big advantage to this path as I see it is, you will be able to take possession of said six stringer, and actually play it for your Dad! He will be able to hear and see you enjoy this gem of an instrument, and I think with that added to the mix, it is worth more than designing one that he may never see or hear.

As for "Am I worthy", I went through this same mental exercise last year. Now, I am decades older than you, but I wanted a PRS for over 25 years, but always shied away from the money it would cost for even a core model, and I did not want to settle for an SE (I've got a bit of a "must be made in America" complex for some items). In December of 2020, I was starting to make a lot more music and decided, I am getting one. Took me about 4 weeks of searching, but I found a Wood Library McCarty 594 Hollowbody II that I instantly fell in love with. Three hours after seeing it I had paid for it ;~)) About two weeks later it was in my hand and I fell in love with everything about it! I did not feel I was worthy, and did not need a guitar of this caliber in some senses. But then I also know that it made me so happy, and that any discussion of "worthy" was a waste of time for me to wait for the point in which I felt that good about myself before I bought a really nice piece of equipment. I may never get one with that kind of logic! And most of the time, this "are you worthy" question is one which is imposed on us by society and it's manipulative hidden messages about self worth. I could not be happier with the decision to get the guitar I was not worthy of ;~)) Which takes us to the other two that I bought after I got that one! I did NOT NEED another guitar (or two), and the one I had just acquired was fulfilling all I could want in playability, tone and looks wise for the time being! But I had a special event in my life that I did not realize was going to happen, and I decided to track down PRS guitars that shared the date that matched that emotionally significant moment in my life! I found 4 all together, I was able to purchase two of them. One I did not really care for and the other one got purchased by someone else before I could pull the trigger. Both acquired were CU24's, they were both "born" on the same day (twins) and I will cling to them both until the day I die! One is a Core model and the other is a Private Stock! Now again, I did not feel "worthy" but the same arguments above convinced me that I should not wait because trying to find guitars in the future that matched up with that special date would be a real PITA. I dug myself into debt to get these guitars even though I did not NEED them, did not feel I was worthy of them, but wanted them enough to do what I had to do to get them. I am psyched that I did. That PS feels even better than my Wood Library HBII and the Core CU24 has a bite to it that scares me at times! Maybe it is the PS frets, maybe it is the Hormigo fret board wood, whatever the case is, it is mine now and I LOVE playing it as well as the core model! Now neither are getting as much time as my HBII in large part due to the type of music I was doing in most of 2021, but that is going to change soon! And when it does, they are coming out to PLAY! I take exceptional care of all of them, and am not going to be "passing them around" for everyone to play, but they will get played and not live in their cases (well, they will when not in my hands)!

Long and short is, make your Dad happy by letting him make you happy! And never feel that anything is beyond what you should have, it is a societal restriction that keeps people from achieving what they really want in life!! These guitars allow me to play stuff I could never play on my strat or other guitars (this is the lift your boat part) and therefore make me be able to play better, and have prompted me to play longer, so that alone is worth the price of admission!!!

Blessings to you, your Dad and his health, and I hope you are able to joyously celebrate the time he has left! Hopefully to the sound of you playing that gift he wants to give to you!!

P.S. Read "The Fountainhead" by Ayn Rand and you will loose any inhibitions about your self worth! I first read it when I was your age almost exactly and have read it half a dozen times since then!! It changed my life!!!
 
Guitar life for me started at 14. My dad helped me spend my money wisely and cover where i was short. Never gave him enough credit for that.

As a dad and a stage 4 prostate cancer patient, I can empathize with your dad’s concern. It’s probably tough at 14 to understand what’s going through his head right now, but someday you will. It won’t need to be a fancy private stock CU24 to remind you of him, just something that lets him launch you into the world of music…that gives so much back. The music you make with whatever instrument you choose will be because of him. That’s his legacy. You are his legacy. Pick out a guitar and amp that speaks to you both and live that legacy with pride.
 
@MuffinForce1, since you asked, let me offer my perspective as a 50 something father and soon to be grandfather. My own father died when I was 9 years old. He would not have been in a position to offer me something like your father has offered you. But I am sure, like all parents, his wish for my future was my health and happiness, and to know that he loved me and that be the most valuable memory. You father’s gesture is not financial, it’s not about your skill as a guitar player. It is his opportunity to provide you with something that has the potential to bring you joy, potentially for the rest of your life. The instrument and the joy it will bring you are symbols of the joy you bring him, and a reminder of his love and pride in you.

Do not feel unworthy. Feel blessed for all of the good times and good memories he provided and let the guitar forever be your connection to that love.
 
This is a project that will give both you and your dad happiness now and in the future. Whatever time he has left is special. Know that he loves you, and that this will be a memorial of that love for you. No one will ever take that from you. My dad loved the blues, even when he was sick and fragile, I took him to concerts. Every time I get on stage to play the blues, I smile and tell my dad I play with his heart. As a father, we all live through our children. It is our best happiness.
 
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