"My PRS" - we need your help!

[Hunter@PRS]

Hey folks!

We are preparing to launch this thing called #myPRS on our website. Basically if you have a story / positive experience about acquiring your first PRS guitar or a particular PRS guitar - we want to hear it.

We want to use some of your stories as an example to the public of how they should tell their story.

Here is what we need:
First Name, Last Intial (Hunter S.)
Photo of the guitar or you with the guitar (Optional, but it would be awesome)
Your Story (500 words or less please! ~ two paragraphs)

brief example:
I walked into a guitar store one day to pick up some strings, my eyes locked with a Custom 24 10-top in Jade on the wall. I played it and instantly fell in love.. etc..etc.

Not EVERY submission posted here in this thread will make it onto the site but please help us get some options with this project!

 

[sleary]

I'm in ...

Scott Leary

I regularly would keep an eye on prs in 1986. Often checking magazines and day dreaming that one day I'll own one. I played very other brand out there but still didnt own a prs. I kept a close eye on how prs was shaping up and the attention they were getting. The wood selection, electronics and attention to detail were by far surpassing any other manufacturers.
In September of 2012 I ordered an se cu24 and immediately fell in love with the feel and tone. Suck great tone and the guitar did not break my back. Detail was by far much better than anything I've played before and the price tag didn't hurt. December 2012 I decided to order a DGT as my first core line. My initial thought was , I hope the wait is worth it. I routinely checked my dealer and in early May of 2013 I got a call that my DGT was in. I went to the store and got them to bring out the box. I was a kid in a candy store ! Salesman put the case on the counter and I slowly opened the case. My jaw literally dropped when I saw it. I immediately plugged it in and noticed it didn't need to be tuned. The tone from the guitar resonated almost like angels. Very articulate, resonated amazing and sustain was beautiful.
Noticing that the guitar was made in April of 2013 also brought tremendous belonging to myself as it was the same month my daughter was born. Two things I hold dear to my heart. My Daughter and my DGT .

I now own a few prs guitars but my first core line will always stay and will be passed to my daughter later in life..

 

[veinbuster]

OK. I wrote for myself how I cam to most of my guitars. This is what I wanted to say about the first (there have been others, but we aren't counting).

Peter R.

I started seeing PRS guitars in the early 90s when I was traveling for work. I spent at least one evening a week playing different guitars at whichever local music store had the best selection. I was mostly just keeping off the streets and killing time, but couldn't help from noticing things I liked and fantasizing about what I might get if I came into some extra money. I was still quite taken with the Les Paul Custom I'd bought a couple of years ago, so not really suffering for a quality instrument, but a part of me was thinking it might be nice to get a Strat some day and complete the holy triumvirate (I already had a Tele, but it was a distant second to the Les Paul if I was in an electric frame of mind).

I kept playing Stratocasters, but none of them ever really spoke to me. I was quite in lust with a Parker Fly, but then I saw a PRS Dragon. Damn, what was that guy thinking? I visited it a number of times and burned a fair bit of cell phone time talking to my wife about buying it. She was supportive, but I was determined to pay off my mortgage as fast as I could, which meant turning over all raises and most of my bonus money to the bank. In hindsight, the fairly modest 4 figure price tag probably would have been one of the best investments I could have made.

Fiscal prudence aside, I was clearly bitten. I no longer went to music stores; I hunted out the PRS dealer. In those days, most of the cities I went to had only one dealer. I tried the different styles, followed the changes each year, and made a list of which stores I liked enough to buy from. In the mid 90s I happened to be in the right time and circumstances to take a job that meant less travel and promised the opportunity for significant financial rewards. I was confident that I could earn the bonus money, but not quite so sure it would get paid. When it looked safe, I had to check the local PRS dealers. There were half a dozen within 100km, so I went to them all, some several times. The hands down winner was a little shop in Port Credit. It didn't have the biggest selection, but The Guitar Shop was a great little store and the owner, Brent Moss clearly cared about guitars and what guitar players wanted.

I remember deliberating over the red flame custom 22 and a tortoise shell quilt for quite a while - and may have come close to wearing out my welcome. In the end the red flame custom 22 won out because it was essentially the dragon without the inlay: dragon look body, dragon pickups. I paid my money and took my prize.

 

[AP515]

2006 - I was traveling in Phoenix and had a day to kill. Went to a well known music store to look for a Les Paul. Everything I tried had some kind of issue. All the time I was playing those guitars there was this beautiful Emerald Green guitar hanging behind the register. I'd never seen one before. I'd never heard of a PRS before. I finally asked to play it. Sat down in front of a DRRI and plugged it in. It was already in tune! It felt good, it sounded great. It demanded that I take it home. People talk about "buyers remorse", I don't know what they are talking about. I've never regretted it for a single second. My 2006 Cu24 Artist package:

 

[Mikegarveyblues]

Mike G

I'd headed past Manchester, back over the winding, undulating road that is the Snake Pass and headed into Sheffield. I wasn't there to buy but return a faulty guitar by another manufacturer. I looked on the walls for something that took my fancy - as I always do - but the good stuff was out of my price range. The owner told me they had a Bernie Marsden in the back that had just arrived. I'd heard good things about this guitar but, being new out, could never find it in stock so it passed me by. The guitar came fresh out the box in tune and perfectly set up. A good start! I fell in love even before plugging it in. The neck was perfect, frets where silky smooth and the build quality was just perfect The whole guitar looked stunning. I plugged it into an amp and sat there playing with a smile on my face. I'd been searching for years for a good singlecut and now I had found it.

The guitar, referred to simply as 'The Bernie', has been my main guitar for a few years now and will be for many years to come. The quality is such that when I come to buy my next guitar, PRS will be my first port of call!

Of course, I've made a few small changes to it, but that's because it's MY PRS!

BOPersia 3 by MikeGBlues, on Flickr

 

[Hunter@PRS]

Guys,

Thanks so much taking the time to write your PRS stories!

If anyone else on the forum has one they want to share, post it here - it doesn't need to be too long : )

 

[John Beef]

John L. Phoenix, AZ

In 2006, I had been playing single coil, J-Master type guitars for over a decade. Our other guitar player at the time left the band, and we were having trouble replacing him, so we continued on as a three piece. We all agreed that the guitar tones needed to be beefed up with a guitar with humbuckers. I had initially expected to purchase a SG, but went into it with an open mind and played guitars of all varieties and price points looking for just the right one. It was funny, I couldn't find a SG that sounded halfway decent. I tried several Les Pauls, and none really satisfied me. I hadn't really considered a PRS going into it.

One local shop was having an end-of-year clearance and had this PRS Custom 22 with moons at a good price. Next to it was a Standard 22 with birds, and they were within $100 of each other. Both of them really blew me away with their tones and playability, and I had a hard time deciding between them. With its maple top, the Custom was slightly brighter toned than the Standard. Coming from brighter single coil guitars, I thought the Custom would be less of a transition, so I bought it. I had never spent this much money on a guitar before. However, time has proven this to be a fantastic investment. I have continued to play it for 8 years and counting. I have three other PRS guitars now, two SEs and one other USA (Mira), and this one continues to be the best all around.

 

[vchizzle]

Vaughn K.

My father used to take me to music stores when I was a teenager. On one of our usual trips one day, we came across this display in the middle of the store with several beautiful guitars of a brand we hadn’t heard of…PRS. We were amazed at the beauty of these translucent colored maple tops with incredible flame and figuring. Colors we’d never seen on a guitar before - whale blue really caught my attention. Then, we noticed these strange, but awesome looking bird inlays on the fretboard. We never saw such distinct and interesting inlays. I was afraid to pick one up, much less play one that day. They were way out of my price range and being a young, intermediate guitar player, I wasn’t ready for a guitar of this caliber yet. We got a catalogue and talked about those PRS guitars the rest of the day. The beauty and craftsmanship really made an impression on both of us. That day, I told my dad, somehow I was going to get a PRS someday.

Several months later, I played one and fell in love. It had a big, thick, rich tone and a singing quality about it. The playability far surpassed anything else I'd ever played. After a few years of obsessing, I had to find a way. I stumbled across an old Star Wars action figure in a pawn shop one day and it was expensive! Wait a minute, I had tons of these things! My dad made me take really good care of these toys. I talked to my dad, and with his permission, we found a buyer for all of it. It was enough to fund my PRS purchase! I went and tried out several PRS and decided to special order one with exactly what I wanted. Custom 22- 10 top, whale blue, wide-thin neck and stoptail. The wait…8 months, if memory serves me. I didn’t know at the time, but PRS was moving to the Stevensville factory. Anticipation was killing me. Then, I got the call. I raced to the store, opened the case and just about fell over. Plugged in a few minutes to make sure it everything worked and that guitar screamed. I drove home….fast, so I could show my dad. I was excited beyond belief. I got home, kneeling on the living room floor, both my parents waiting, and I opened up the case. Lots of ooohs, aaahs and wows came out. It was just like the first time my dad and I saw a PRS guitar. Amazement. My mom loved the blue color. That day will be ingrained in my mind forever. I still have that guitar and it has served me well, providing years of inspiration to play, write and express myself musically. It's also made buy a bunch more over the years. :top:

 

[CoreyT]

Corey T

Back in May of 2012 I took a guitar to a shop to have some work done to it and I noticed a few PRS SE and Core guitars hanging on the wall.
I had just got back into guitars after not playing for thirty years, and I had never heard of PRS before.
I asked about the price difference between the two, and the tech/sales guy explained a little to me about PRS.

The next day I started looking at other stores too that carried PRS, and I found one within a few miles of my work.
I went in and looked at a yellow 2012 SE Santana, played it, and I liked it very much.
I had the store owner order me one in orange, and that lead me down the path to many more PRS guitars.
As you can see I acquired several more SEs including the new Kingfisher bass, and also a 408 MT which is one of the best guitars I have ever owned.
I even got my youngest son an SE Semi-Hollow for his birthday a few years back, and he absolutely loves it.
I also like how these guitars stay in tune very well compared to other brands I had owned in the past.

 

[markintime]

I came into the guitar scene 'way back in the middle/late 60's into the folk music era. Not long after, I took my acoustic with me into the Navy just to keep up with things. A buddy of mine from LA was into rock, played electric and influenced me into buying a cheap knock-off of a Gibson SG made in the Philippines. That didn't last long; I couldn't play that thing and it sounded terrible. It wasn't until 2012, about 37 years later after on/off playing, that I got an electric semi-hollow from another buddy who made cigar-box guitars. Fueled once more, dissatisfaction set in and I wanted to trade and found out about PRS. Joined the forum, watched every PRS video I could find and bought into it lock, stock, and barrel. And no regrets. None whatsoever. In my opinion, Paul Reed Smith has found the best approach towards developing great instruments. That vision inspired me and my subsequent trade got me a 2013 SE Custom 24. Love it still. But as good as it is, the more I learned, the more I wanted. Found a great deal on a Paul's Guitar (if it's good enough for Paul, 'nuff said) that was built from the Wood Library (it is a one of a kind) and it is simply my pride and joy. Now I am scared that if I get good with it, set in with a band, or even join one, I may be hopelessly lost on the path towards to an eventual private stock instrument. And it will not be a wall hanger. It will be used. I believe that you can never be disappointed by buying the best, no matter how much it costs. Life is too short to settle for less. So don't do it. Ever.

So for now, here is My PRS:

 

[shinksma]

A bit long, but under 500 words! A couple of photos to choose from...

Steve H

Or here's me playing it:

When Porcupine Tree toured their Deadwing album in 2005, I saw them several times. Steven Wilson would often play an awesome-looking Emerald Green PRS Custom 22 - although at the time I had no clue about "PRS". Although I played guitar at the time, it had become a stale hobby, and a new instrument was generally unthinkable. But I vowed that I would try to get "that guitar". So I went looking in my local guitar shops, and realized that I was not likely to buy a PRS so quickly...they were well beyond the price range I thought appropriate for my skill level. Sure, same price range as a really nice Strat or Les Paul, but I wasn't buying those either. My existing inexpensive F & G guitars would be enough. Or so I thought...

Every time I subsequently saw Porcupine Tree or Steven Wilson, I saw Mr. Wilson and Wes (John Wesley) play those awesome sounding and looking PRSi. My hunger for them grew, and by then I had decided on a CU24, so every now and then I'd test-drive or ask about a PRS in a guitar store. Except my hobby had faded even more, and it seemed so ridiculous to invest in such a toy - I wasn't playing the instruments I had! But then, a couple of years ago I started playing acoustic songs with a couple of friends who were in various bands, and then we formed our own little band, and I started playing electric guitar occasionally with them - for solos or more light-rock stuff. So I was playing again...but not PRS, not yet.

Early last year I had a change in my life, and I decided a PRS - that PRS, the Emerald Green Custom24, was going to be mine. But first I needed a new couch - part of the "life change". I was going to go couch shopping after work, so at lunch I hopped on the Internet to see what sales were going on. But first, let me check if any Emerald Green CU24s happen to be available somewhere, somehow. WAIT! A local store had a used one in stock, a 10-top, at a price I could justify! I jumped in the car and headed there. It played like a dream. Yeah, it was a little bit more beat-up than I hoped, and didn't come with a case, or a tremolo bar, but it felt so good! I didn't need a couch, I needed this guitar! I was in and out of that store in about 20 minutes, and 5 of those minutes was them looking for the trem bar (and failing). Ordered an OEM case and trem bar the next day, and never looked back...

I still haven't bought a new couch, by the way...

 

[alantig]

My mother broke her leg in 1986, so that year for Christmas, a few of us gave her money so she could buy a Les Paul (she’d wanted one for a while).

Sometime in 1987, I took her to my local pusher to find something. She looked at Les Pauls, then decided to look at other things as well while she was there. One of the things I pointed out was a PRS - I don’t remember what model it was, and have no idea if it was an 86 or 87. I just remember that it was white. I told her what I knew about them, we went through a bunch of different sounds and such. And then she said, “What if I buy this and you take it and give me your white Les Paul?”


I had a white Les Paul Custom. Under normal circumstances, I probably make that deal. But the LPC was not that good, and I couldn’t do that to my mother. I’ve regretted not making that trade many times, but she ended up with an LP.


Fast-forward to 2004. My wife and kids left to go to Cub Scout family camping. I went to the pusher to buy new studio monitors. I still had PRS-GAS, and had been eyeing up a Custom 24. I bought my monitors and took them out to my car, and stopped, trying to decide whether or not I should go back in to look at the PRS (again). I figured if I went in, I was going to buy it. And since my wife was at camp - with no cell service - there was no one to talk me down. And that’s when I joined the PRS family.


But even more than the guitars (and I have a few now), what #MyPRS is to me is a family. I’ve made some great friends simply as a result of deciding to buy that guitar. I’ve been fortunate enough to attend each Experience, and I’ve gotten to see how the employees there care about not only what they produce, but who they produce them for. I’ve made friends through the events and the forums. At the one Experience she’s attended (so far), my wife said, “Who are you? You’re like a completely different person down here!” Followed later by, “No wonder you like this so much. This is great!”


It’s not my #1, but I doubt it’s going anywhere...

My current #1? This 408 Standard w/IRW neck. Found it at Experience 2012. I looked every year for a guitar that was finished on my birthday and never found one. Until that year. And it seemed to be the one that everyone was talking about.

 

[JMintzer]

Experience PRS 2010. I was walking around the factory, in the acoustic department, when I came across this:



The guys building the guitars told me it was a prototype and that it was going to be "a cannon", and then proceeded to tone tap the body. I immediately scurried down to the "Dealers Area", and begged my pusher, Brian Meader to get me that guitar!!!

He made some inquiries and by the days end he said it was mine. It arrived 3 months later...



Here's a pic of me playing it at the last PRS Experience...

 

[sergiodeblanc]

I gotta start watermarking my photos.

 

[vchizzle]

I gotta start watermarking my photos.

I was just about to ask. edit: I'm pretty certain that's me leaning against the wall behind Jaime. I think there's a finger in front of the camera lense or something though.

 

[alantig]

Damn, Jamie - you've never looked better!

 

[Chuckblues]

Charlie K

A few years ago I dropped by my local PRS dealer to pick up the PRS SE 2 X 12 cabinet that I had ordered . The manager was interested in the sound of the cab , so he had me demo it . They had a Bernie Marsden on the wall so I picked it up . Magic happened . So I bought the guitar the next day . It is one of my main guitars if not the main guitar (I have other PRS instruments )

.

 

[JMintzer]

Damn, Jamie - you've never looked better!

Bastid!

 

[CoreyT]

Bump...

 

[squirrel211]

Michael E
Easton, MD

My friend, and guest band-mate Alex, and me showing our MARYLAND PRIDE, while playing a show in Ocean City, MD last summer. That is my pretend guitar face for the camera!




I've played starts for almost my entire guitar playing life. My stepdad built me a 62 spec Daphne Blue strat, and it was my #1 for more than a decade. After booking a few shows at a venue with terrible buzz/hum issues, I picked up a blue SE , circa 2007? Initially I struggled with trying to make it sound like my strat, but I really liked the way it played. Then I saw Jimmy Herring playing a McCarty last winter, and they were suddenly on my radar.

I bought the the sunburst Custom 24 last May, brand new, and it is simply a remarkable instrument. It immediately became my #1!!!!

I am in the market for a keepsake/heirloom level guitar (for memorial reasons unfortunately) and after playing/owning a guitar from most major manufacturers and some smaller, more boutique guys, PRS is my first choice to build it for me; by a mile.