My Fenders are worried...VERY worried...

[Mikegarveyblues]

My modified Strat and my modified Bernie live in perfect harmony.

Different sounds and different construction techniques but I love them both.

Each to their own. If you buy a guitar and it leaves you feeling the others are redundant then yes, may as well get rid... Although I would give yourself a period of time before you do it or you may hanker after those particular tones down the line.

I love PRS guitars and I hope one day to get a core PRS. That's my goal for my next guitar, but I need a true single coil guitar in my life too.

 

[Bluesboy998]

What Drew said.

 

[gball]

The truth is that when I got my first PRS it kind of forced me to re-evaluate what I prioritize in my guitars and the kind of tones that work best for me as a player.
I ended up getting rid of both of my Strats. They were both really nice Custom Shop guitars but it was quickly apparent that I had moved beyond them.

(That being said, my Gibsons are not going anywhere)

 

[CantankerousCarl]

To expand / echo a bit, I grew to be PRS-exclusive for quite awhile. I like to think that PRS taught me what a great instrument was - and that there could be great instruments at entry, middle and high price levels. The SE line reset my expectations of what an affordable "started" guitar could deliver. My reintroduction to the Core line raised the bar for what I thought a guitar could be. And the S2 line splits the middle quite effectively.

That being said, I think because of my PRS-ification, I learned to appreciate truly fine instruments from other manufacturers. I have a Hamer Artist Custom and a few Knaggs that I treasure. These are some amazingly well-crafted instruments. And now that I know what to look, feel, and listen for, there are some really impressive instruments (and duds) from most manufacturers.

SOOO, to get back to "worried Fenders," I do think that Strats and Teles have something less tangible going on that makes them more special to my ears. I have never owned or even played a Tele. And, regarding Strats, I like the tone of my HSS and SSS SE EGs better than 97% of the Strats I have ever laid hands and ears on. I also think that positions 9, 8 and 7 on a good old Alder-bodied rotary-sportin' HFS/VB CE are the bee's knees - all day, every day. And I just Frankensteined a poor-man's Andy Timmons sig model from an older 'hog Ibby SA Prestige and some Cruisers - just to get me more chewy single-coiley goodness. It has many forms.

However, I feel that the sound of a good Strat just IS. So if you have one, keep it.

 

[markintime]

After reading all the previous posts and digesting the respective opinions, I would venture the following: if you want to recreate the past, stick with what produced it. If you want to EVOLVE with music, as it is constantly evolving, go with what will give you what you want. And to hell with what doesn't fulfill your needs.

As for me, that means PRS. Forward- looking, not dwelling in the past.

Sorry if that offends anyone. It is IMHO.

 

[Rider1260]

Your guitars should be very scared this took about 5 years
I still have a Strat and a Lester but don't really play them

 

[markintime]

^^^ Oh man, there is no place in my house that I could have a wall like that, much less two of them! Congrats on such a family!

 

[gush]

I own two non prs guitars. Fender acoustic and my G&L nighthawk that I bought new in 1983. The fender is a cheap guitar and I don't care what happens to it. My G&L is a very fine guitar it was also my first real guitar so for that reason I won't sell it.

All the other nons slowly went away oneby one. But I keeping looking for and buying prs guitars bbecause I enjoy them and they make me feel good.

The only nons that interest me are America Tele, es335 , jackson PC model.

I love the way prs guitars look, feel and sound.

 

[Zafu]

If those Fenders aren't doing it for you, for sure you should go for it.

Personally, I'd never part with my Custom built 54' Strat reissue. It's a freakin killer guitar and compliments my PRS CU 30th CU 24. With those two alone, the only gap and gas I have severely is for a PRS H2 which I'm really hoping to satisfy within the next 12 months if business is good.

Cheers. Zafu

 

[Drew]

As for me, that means PRS. Forward- looking, not dwelling in the past.

Really? The company that abandoned all of their modern pickup designs to revisit the 50s for the past 5+ years is forward thinking? The CU24 used to be a modern guitar. Now, you get PAF pickups, subdued colors, etc. Paul was forward thinking 30 years ago. Now, they are reverting in a lot of aspects. Lets not delude ourselves. PRS is stuck in the past just like all of the other companies.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

Really? The company that abandoned all of their modern pickup designs to revisit the 50s for the past 5+ years is forward thinking? The CU24 used to be a modern guitar. Now, you get PAF pickups, subdued colors, etc. Paul was forward thinking 30 years ago. Now, they are reverting in a lot of aspects. Lets not delude ourselves. PRS is stuck in the past just like all of the other companies.

While I can kind of agree.. I think it has a lot to do with their customers and the overall state of music, or dare I say the world.

Nothing "new" has come along in music for the past 15 years (except maybe dubstep and even that has roots in the 90's) and when guitarists talk about "modern sounding" guitars we're really talking about tones that are at least 30 years old anyway. That's the thing about the world we live in... besides a new iPhone every couple of months there isn't any thing "new" any more.

Instead of new trends we just start rehashing stuff and starting little niches for people to compartmentalize themselves into. It used to be that you could tell what era it was based on what clothes people wore, but aside from random trends where people recycle old bits like popping your collar up on your polo shirt, the wrap dress coming back into style again, or people dipping thrash metal in their peanut butter.. as humans we're becoming a f@ckin nostalgia act.

 

[bodia]

.. as humans we're becoming a f@ckin nostalgia act.

I can get on board with this. Ten years ago I was going to see a newly reunited Judas Priest with a couple of buddies. As a tribute to Rob Halford, I shaved my head and turned ghey for a day. Still have the bald head.:rock:

 

[Kazz]

^^^ Oh man, there is no place in my house that I could have a wall like that, much less two of them! Congrats on such a family!

I think the point of the post was to show how all of those non-PRS guitars on the wall in the first pic had been replaced with the PRSi in the second. So probably just one wall, but still impressive.

 

[gush]

I can get on board with this. Ten years ago I was going to see a newly reunited Judas Priest with a couple of buddies. As a tribute to Rob Halford, I shaved my head and turned ghey for a day. Still have the bald head.:rock:

Lmao!!!!!!

 

[The Viking Gangster]

I think the Brent Mason PRS model can cover some tele sounds, but also a great strat sound (spilt bridge with middle) but better IMHO. I think the Brent Mason would have more open snap and chime than a DGT model because of the maple neck. Check out sound clips on YouTube.

 

[markintime]

You're doing it right. As you buy more PRS guitars, you'll realize Fenders are nothing more than some random parts slapped together.

That says it for me. I've always thought Fenders as something you could get from a bubble gum machine. Sorry, but at this point I don't much care who gets offended by my opinion. That's just me.

 

[G-Man]

The guitar market is radically different than it was five years ago. Gibson has focused on making every reissue under the sun in the US and some focus on imports but not much. No real push top make Epiphone a huge brand as before. They recently bought Onkyo the home theater company and one other recording console company to focus on other areas. Fender is also heavy in the vintage market while flooding the market with guitars from Mexico which are actually pretty good. Again, the main focus is not on innovation but on recreating history as accurately as possible and vertically integrating into the market with cheaper products. In that same market, Ibanez who was crushing the market for a while has really fallen off the market as far as i can tell. Same factory that is making SE's? maybe.

Is Fender freaking out, I would say yes one one hand and no on the other. On the yes side, PRS moved into the under $800 market with a better product that is somewhat comparable to existing brand models that Fender also sells against. A $700 SE Custom 22 vs. a Mexico made Stratocaster? You decide. On the no side, is the guy who is going to buy a ZM or a Tremonti Se the same guy that is going to buy a Stratocater or even a Les Paul for that matter? Probably not.

Gibson and Fender seem a bit content with where they are at and the effort they are putting into their business. The real question is can PRS pull off the "Be all to everyone" strategy the they are trying to employ? So far, it seems to be working from the core and SE side but what ill happen with the S2 and the "pick guard style" cheaper guitars will be interesting to see what happens. The boards seem to like them this time around vs. not so much last time they were introduced.

Who knows?????

 

[Mikegarveyblues]

Personally, I think PRS is both forwards and backwards looking. Leo, McCarty and the rest did a great job with the knowledge and tools they had at the time. There's a reason why Strats and LP's continue to sell well. Nostalgia is part of it but only part of it.

Paul takes those elements they created and continues to refine them. No gimmicks like robo bloody tuners, just sensible refinements that make the guitar play and sound better. But Paul isn't going to f@ck with what is true, tried and tested and if that means sticking with what was good in the 50's so be it.

 

[The Viking Gangster]

Even thought PRS has started to focus on PAF instead of Modern pickups, they are still forward thinking, or at least focus on continuous improvement. Their material and build specs get better and better. I don't see that with Gibson or Fender. If you pick a fender tele, Gibson Les Paul, or a PRS right off the wall in a guitar shop, most likely, the PRS will be the better guitar of the three. You may get lucky and find that "gem" of a Les Paul or Tele.

PRS is a production made instrument with boutique quality comparable with Tom Anderson and others. That is with the guitars PRS are making today. They may have not been that way 10 years or so years ago, which goes to my point that they continuously improve.

Most Gibsons don't stay in tune as well as PRS (in general), nor do they have the same intonation as PRS. I know there are people out there that own impeccable Gibsons, and fight for their greatness, but to my experience, from USA to Custom (ones I've owned and testing in stores) they don't hold there tuning.

Tele's in general have a bubble gum machine quality to them. Most of the time they are thin sounding and have string buzz somewhere. Often there is a whistle buzz with the high e string in the nut slot. Now again, there are people who happen to have a great tele, but most of the time, it's not that way.

I know there are many many rock, country, and Jazz stars out there with Gibson and Fender guitars. That's part of the momentum and history those companies have built. They will always be in our hearts.

PRS is making guitars that have great quality and resonance. That's why it's O.K. to start swapping out non PRS guitars for PRS guitars.

 

[Blues Trucker]

If they make a new \M/ pup the classic rock guys will say they arent making good guitars anymore and are only focusing on the future and ignoring what made them great.
If they make a new 58 style pup the modern metal guys will say they arent innovating and are just looking backwards.
I think everyone should relax. PRS has done a great job getting where they are. I am sure they will be fine.
I recently picked up a new 50s strat. It hasnt replaced my SE and it hasnt satiated my desire to someday own a Core. So PRS will definitely be making some guitars and amps for me to buy in the future.