That’s a really silly dis on a PRS. You can say that about any brand. For instance, if you find a good PRS, you just don’t need a Gibson or a Fender. If you find a good Godin or ESP... or even you or a friend makes you the perfect guitar for you, then you don’t need anything else. Now need is different than want. I have many good Gibson and a good Tele and a good Godin and I still wanted my two PRSi and I’m still considering getting a Mira, Vela or Studio. I’d be lying to myself if I thought I needed all the guitars I have. Do I want them, do they do something different for me, do I feel connected to every singe one? Oh absolutely!!
I don't know the context of 'PRS guitars are a solution looking for a Problem' but I see that as a compliment. To me that reads that PRS are 'perfect' and that they are the 'solution' to all those people that go looking for problems on any guitar. Those that think Gibson Les Pauls are badly designed because of the weak headstock area and tuning issues, also the inconsistency of their build - buy a PRS and that's the 'solution'. Of course most musicians will know that there are great Les Pauls too but the quality does vary and some 'minor' issue (like a bit of bleed on the binding that's purely cosmetic) doesn't detract from a great sounding Les Paul. It also seems that they are saying PRS are so perfect that they don't need to be continuously improving and so a 'solution' to a Problem that perhaps doesn't exist in their heads. They don't see the need to improve the bridge with Brass so its 'better' for example when the old one was 'perfect' anyway - its a 'solution' to a problem that never was - the old bridge was perfect so why improve it, the old locking tuners were perfect, so why improve it. It does depend on context but either way, it seems more of a compliment than a criticism.
I also disagree with the second statement, that you don't 'need' a PRS if you find a great Gibson or Fender. Admittedly if you buy a 594 or Silver Sky, you may not want to keep looking for the 'best' Les Paul or Strat you can find and if you have found a great Les Paul or Strat, then you may not 'need' the 594 or Silver Sky BUT PRS do make other guitars that can be a great addition to your arsenal of guitars. Its going to cost you an awful lot of money to get a great 63/64 Fender Strat but you can buy a Silver Sky for a LOT less money and you will pay a LOT for a real 58 Les Paul too.
The point is though, regarding those statements, that PRS guitars are far more consistent and more reliable. You don't have to go round every music store and try every Les Paul or every strat to try and find '
the' one. Chasing that 'unicorn' (as John Mayer would put it) to find that one Les Paul or Strat that sings to you, that feels & plays just right, has no fit & finish issues and comes in the colour you really wanted. Maybe if you have spent all that time chasing the unicorn and finally catching it, you might not want certain PRS models - not to say that PRS still has other guitars to offer something these don't offer. You can walk into any PRS selling retailer, pick up any model and it will be as consistently great. The only selection headache is picking the one with the 'best' top with your preferred colour scheme - not worrying about the 'fit & finish issues, the tone or playability - the most important aspects.
Obviously there are Les Pauls and Strats that are superb instruments with no issues at all but they do vary. The difference between the 'best' and the 'Worst' in the same model (ie just the Standard or just the Traditional - not ALL the LP's inc Studio or Junior alongside the Standard) is much wider than the worst to best PRS 594. Effectively, all PRS core Guitars are 'unicorns' so its much easier to find
the one. Its up to the individual if they want just their unicorn Gibson or Fender that they spent time chasing down or whether they could add a PRS - either as something different like any of the Custom 24 models (Cu24-08, Cu24, Cu24 w Piezo as well as the CE range), or something similar like the 594 or Silver Sky. I would add the Custom 22 to this too as that has more in common with the Les Paul but with a Trem - either way, these all have their own voice - although some are much closer to a Fender (Silver Sky and a 63/64 Strat for example) or Gibson LP than others.
I love my PRS guitar collection and, if money was not an issue, I certainly would own a Gibson Les Paul and maybe a 335 or other semi-hollow model. I don't know that I would buy a Fender myself as I am not a fan of their headstock or pick-guards on a guitar - I like to see the wood and always wonder if the paint and pick-guard are hiding something. I was always a Gibson fan and still am but I would still pick a PRS over a Gibson first. Because I had to pick one or the other, not both, I picked my 594 instead but I would happily own both and maybe will go on the hunt for a great LP when I have the funds to do so but my next Guitar is most likely going to be a hollowbody 594.
I do think though that a lot of 'internet' people who are making these comments are people that cannot afford a PRS, let alone a mid range Gibson/Fender and are intermediate guitarists at best. They certainly haven't had experience of playing a PRS and their 'heroes' aren't known for playing a PRS either. The fact that PRS haven't been in business as long as Fender or Gibson is also a reason not to like them because Jimi or Jimmy never played them. The same mentality that think 'Vintage' guitars are better despite the fact that they were relatively new when Jimi and Jimmy played their guitars and the choice was much more limited too. Its that mentality that also holds Gibson and Fender back too - they can't innovate or modernise their guitars because they have to stick to the same guitar they were making 50-60yrs ago. It made sense that the Gibson Les Paul Traditional was built like the old guitars and the Standard with the HP circuit and push/pull options is the 'standard' for today not the Standard it was 60yrs ago - it still sounded and played like a Traditional but had more options for the musician too.
I much prefer Pauls approach, which toes back in to the first point about the guitars are like a solution looking for a problem. His approach is to keep pushing the guitars forward, keep improving and refining them - hence we have guitars like the Custom 24-08 and Pauls guitar with the TCI pick-ups. I appreciate the fact that Paul is looking for ways to improve their guitars and has many Quality Control checks along the path of each guitars creation. I like the fact that I can happily order a guitar online without having to check it over for issues, play it in a shop to see how it feels/sounds (even though its often on a completely different rig to mine) and know that when it arrives, I can literally play it after taking it out of the case. Maybe that's too much for some people!
Spanish Cedar is an amazing light weight tonewood, about 7.5lbs on this one
