Newbie question regarding Guitar and amp of choice..

[Alex Figueroa]

Evening,
I was hoping for a little direction as to which PRS for my first electric. I'm completely new to Guitars but have done so much research in these past few months that I have even acquired a taste of "GAS". tongue emoticon
Now for a little about my experience as well as my needs.
I started with a Fender Strat Squire but didn't like the overall feel in my hands as well as tone. I then went with a MIM HSS Strat and it felt ever so slightly better yet it was still a little hard to play (High action) but definitely made much better. I can't recall where but heard about PRS Guitars and how great they are at which point I took a little break and hit the research button again. Eventually I settled on a PRS SE Custom 24 and at that point I realized PRS was the brand for me. It was easy to play and it felt pretty good in my hands yet I even liked its voice. The wheels in my head started turning and immediately I knew I would be playing for the long haul so why not not go for a USA made variant so I returned that Guitar along with all the others. So herein lies my Dilemma and question..
Is there such a thing as a newbie buying to much of a Guitar to soon? Or buying way past my skill level? I just figured if I invested in a quality guitar now, I wouldn't have to resell later for a better one since I certainly see myself playing for the unforeseeable future. Just my opinion and thought.
So I'm looking at the S2 line of Guitars and this is where I'm a little stuck. There's so many models in this range that a novice like myself becomes a little overwhelmed. As for the sound, I'm definitely interested in the Blues (as well as slow blues) and Jazz tones yet perhaps down the road when I gain more skill a smooth rock and roll would be something I'd like to learn as well. No metal or the like. I was eyeing the S2 Standard 24 (and satin model), S2 Custom 24 as well as the S2 Vela. Not to mention the semi hollow models lol. I don't know much about the Mira or 22 iterations aside from specs. Unfortunately I don't have a local Guitar shop that carries them so being able to hold one is not an option. So I've been living on YouTube but there's only so much I can learn about them through watching someone else play over the internet hence my long and drawn out post. smile emoticon
Last but not least I've actually considered the CE 24 model and was wondering if it's worth the extra cash over anything in the S2 line?
My second question is regarding my choice of tube amp for the sounds I'm looking for. During my little testing phase I played through a Blackstar ID core 20 but have since returned it as well because I was told to invest an all tube amp.
I've been thinking about the Fender Blues Deluxe reissue, Hot Rod Deluxe III, and George Benson Hot Rod Deluxe. The new line of Bassbreakers look great but wasn't sure if it's something I should consider or give me the Bluesy tones I'm looking for. Others I was looking at but much higher in price are the Mesa/Boogie Express 5:25, Orange TH30C, PRS Archon 25 Combo, and the PRS 2 Channel Custom 20. I would consider the higher priced ones if only they are leagues better then what I have already listed even though it's stretching my budget. Through research and my needs I couldn't find reason for a head and cabinet unless someone here feels otherwise.
I don't plan on playing outside of my house but I wouldn't want to sacrifice power or quality because I need to keep low, if that makes sense. I have a fairly nice size house and garage if need be lol. In time depending on my guitar path things may or can change but I'd rather invest in quality and future proof myself rather then not.
So basically I'm looking to hear which is the "best" PRS out of all the ones I mentioned for the Blues tone I'm looking for. As far as amps I was looking to find out which one would best suit my needs based on everything I mentioned from the list I gave.
I also want to take a min to thank you for allowing me to be apart of this group and also apologize in advance for the very very long post as well as any silly obvious questions due to my lack of knowledge. Thanks again. Be well.

 

[markintime]

Hi Alex, welcome. I'm strong on the blues myself, and I do like rock and roll and some country. You mention the S2 Standard and Vela and I have one of each. If you are gonna stick with one for a while, I would probably shoot for the Vela. Rock solid. For an amp, your most budget friendly would probably be the Blackstar line, like the HT Club 40 combo. I have the Club 50 (see my sig), because I wanted head and cab with a 2x12. YMMV, but the money you'd save would let you look at more that you could put toward the guitar, like the CE 24. Which I wish I was in a position to get myself.

Good luck in your hunt!

 

[AP515]

Welcome! No, there is no such thing as buying too much of a guitar for a newbie. Three is however, buying too little. That squier was too little and you experienced why. If blues was my main interest (and it is) I would go for the S2 singlecut. For amps, I would look at something used to keep the cost down. My experience has been that there are lots of differences in tone from amps and you are probably going to buy a few before you find the tone you like, so buy expecting to turn them for a few years and this way you won't loose much money turning them.

 

[László]

Famous blues players have played just about everything out there in the electric guitar world; hollowbodies, solid bodies, single coils, humbuckers, odd-shaped guitars, and classics.

Blues isn't what guitar you play, it's what NOTES you play, your feel, and your vibe. That's a fact. A guitar and amp are not a formula for playing blues, and there is no "best."

The trick is to find what helps you express yourself the best way you can figure out, and any of the models PRS makes will get you there.

As to amps, my suggestion is to play through a bunch of them once you've got your guitar set, and see what amp has the tone you're going for.

As with guitars, there's no such thing as a strictly "blues" amp; blues players have used just about everything. Don't be afraid to dive in and take your best guess. You really can't screw this up, because there are no rules.

Hell, Stevie Ray Vaughn played through an amp made for pedal steel guitar, the Dumble Steel String Singer, and threw in an old Fender along with it. Duane Allman played Marshalls. Most recently, the Allman Brothers Band was touring with PRS amps - which, incidentally, I highly recommend you look at.

 

[Rider1260]

I have no experience with the S2 line my suggestion is to find a Core line used ( or new ) that speaks to you anyone will play blues ( and beyond ) if you like the S2 CU24 take a look at a Core CU24 also
check out the Vintage Rocker Forum and the PRS Forums along with the great dealers on this site
As far as amps go there are LOTS of great ones the PRS amps I have played Kill ( I have an H ) but I am also a longtime Mesa lover the new MK5 25/35 are great amps !!!

 

[Huggy Love]

When it comes to the guitar, go play as many PRS as you can get your hands on and buy the one that feels right, sounds right, and makes you want to play it constantly...........regardless of what series or model.
As for amps, buy the one that produces the tone you want (blues tones) and fits your needs regardless of brand (20-25w is ok, anything beyond that is overkill for home practice).
Once you've picked the guitar, it's a good idea to use it when you try out amps cause that's what you're going to be pairing it up with.
Lastly, there are a lot of amps out now that have switchable wattage setting so you can have home practice power settings and jam with your buddies power settings.

Good luck in your search for tone.

 

[ozboy]

The guitar is almost completely irrelevant. In fact you could argue blues is irrelevant. There is nothing new to say in blues every last lick, all three of them, have been played to death Inumerable times. Some of the delta guys in the early days just had a string on a door looking at some of the old dodo/ videos floating round the net.

http://www.myrareguitars.com/getting-elmore-james-sound-cheap

If you must learn blues a simple guitar and a cheap amp will do it. You only need a clean tone. Can you sing?nearly every great blues guitarist was primarily a singer and that includes jimi Hendrix. Eric Clapton, Peter Green, Srv, Albert King, Freddie King, Elmore James, bb King, lightning Hopkins, muddy waters,we're all primarily singers or at least the singing is a big part of why they are who they are. Basically you have to be jimmy page if you can't sing.

I realise this sounds a bit negative and controversial. I actually love blues from Charlie Parker (actually I don't know how much blues he played, through to Duane allman) but I only play it for myself. The standard required to get your average man in the street to pay attention to this 100myear old over played out of date genre is mind blowing.

 

[László]

The standard required to get your average man in the street to pay attention to this 100myear old over played out of date genre is mind blowing.

The Charlie Parker reference in your post is interesting, since he was a bebop horn player...but I'd like to address this sentence.

People play what they like, and what they want to play. To my way of thinking, it's a good thing, a positive thing, and a life-affirming thing to play the music you personally find satisfying.

Because music's all about emotion and self-expression.

So if someone wanting to learn this 100 year old, over-played, out-of-date genre bothers you, that strikes me as kinda strange. What do you care what someone else wants to play?

What do you play? Metal? Been around since the late 60s, out of date, over-played. Rock? Hell, it's been done since what, 1952? Out of date, over-played. Fusion? Out of date, over-played. Jazz? No one listens to jazz, right? It's got the weakest sales of any genre of music sold today.

Except people who love it, love it.

12 tone stuff? That's from the 1920s.

I play Bach on piano. I love it. Out of date, over-played since 1710. I play ragtime from the 1890s, jazz from the 1920s, rock from whenever...the point is, who says music has to be new? Who says it has to sell records to be valid (though of course it does still sell records, back catalogs of blues sell fairly well, and Billboard still indicates strong blues sales for current artists like Bonnie Raitt and Tedeschi/Trucks, etc)?

Who says someone who loves music has to "get your average man in the street to pay attention?" Where is that law written down? I'm willing to bet that the majority of players on this forum never leave the comfort of their own music rooms, and never plan to.

Then there's the question of the value of a musical style that has lasted for a very long time. That happened because it means something to people, it strikes an emotional chord, and it matters to the folks who like it.

As a folk music style, it's also relatively easy to learn and play. So people enjoy that feeling of mastery. How is that a bad thing?

One last thing: if all you can think of is three licks for a blues number, that's kind of a shame, because a lot of interesting melodies and solos can be played over blues. So that says more about you, your inventiveness, and your musical skill set, than it does about blues' potential for self-expression.

 

[Alex Figueroa]

Hi Alex, welcome. I'm strong on the blues myself, and I do like rock and roll and some country. You mention the S2 Standard and Vela and I have one of each. If you are gonna stick with one for a while, I would probably shoot for the Vela. Rock solid. For an amp, your most budget friendly would probably be the Blackstar line, like the HT Club 40 combo. I have the Club 50 (see my sig), because I wanted head and cab with a 2x12. YMMV, but the money you'd save would let you look at more that you could put toward the guitar, like the CE 24. Which I wish I was in a position to get myself.

Good luck in your hunt!

Thank you for the advice. Very nice Guitar collection as well. So knowing you have a few from the S2 line, you would recommend me the CE 24 above them all? I'll certainly look into the Blackstar line but if I had a budget of about 1200 ish would you still say HT Club 40? Thanks again.

 

[Alex Figueroa]

Welcome! No, there is no such thing as buying too much of a guitar for a newbie. Three is however, buying too little. That squier was too little and you experienced why. If blues was my main interest (and it is) I would go for the S2 singlecut. For amps, I would look at something used to keep the cost down. My experience has been that there are lots of differences in tone from amps and you are probably going to buy a few before you find the tone you like, so buy expecting to turn them for a few years and this way you won't loose much money turning them.

Thanks buddy! That's 'music' to my ears! I've never really considered the S2 Singlecut and I guess that's because I can't find a place to try it out. I'll try harder though, thanks again!

 

[Alex Figueroa]

Famous blues players have played just about everything out there in the electric guitar world; hollowbodies, solid bodies, single coils, humbuckers, odd-shaped guitars, and classics.

Blues isn't what guitar you play, it's what NOTES you play, your feel, and your vibe. That's a fact. A guitar and amp are not a formula for playing blues, and there is no "best."

The trick is to find what helps you express yourself the best way you can figure out, and any of the models PRS makes will get you there.

As to amps, my suggestion is to play through a bunch of them once you've got your guitar set, and see what amp has the tone you're going for.

As with guitars, there's no such thing as a strictly "blues" amp; blues players have used just about everything. Don't be afraid to dive in and take your best guess. You really can't screw this up, because there are no rules.

Hell, Stevie Ray Vaughn played through an amp made for pedal steel guitar, the Dumble Steel String Singer, and threw in an old Fender along with it. Duane Allman played Marshalls. Most recently, the Allman Brothers Band was touring with PRS amps - which, incidentally, I highly recommend you look at.

I really appreciate the advice as well as warding off the bad vibes that people can sometimes give off. I would only be playing for myself and maybe my wife. But it doesn't mean I wouldn't want something really nice to learn on and master because of the passion behind it. Thanks again my friend.

 

[Alex Figueroa]

I have no experience with the S2 line my suggestion is to find a Core line used ( or new ) that speaks to you anyone will play blues ( and beyond ) if you like the S2 CU24 take a look at a Core CU24 also
check out the Vintage Rocker Forum and the PRS Forums along with the great dealers on this site
As far as amps go there are LOTS of great ones the PRS amps I have played Kill ( I have an H ) but I am also a longtime Mesa lover the new MK5 25/35 are great amps !!!

I think the CE 24 was as far as I was willing to start out with. Although I was looking at the core line but even used is a little beyond (my 2k marker). I've watched tons of vids on those two brands of amps and boy do they sound great. However I don't think I'm ready to go past 1200 for my first amp but who knows what I'll do in a few days. Is the Orange series any good? thanks again.

 

[Alex Figueroa]

When it comes to the guitar, go play as many PRS as you can get your hands on and buy the one that feels right, sounds right, and makes you want to play it constantly...........regardless of what series or model.
As for amps, buy the one that produces the tone you want (blues tones) and fits your needs regardless of brand (20-25w is ok, anything beyond that is overkill for home practice).
Once you've picked the guitar, it's a good idea to use it when you try out amps cause that's what you're going to be pairing it up with.
Lastly, there are a lot of amps out now that have switchable wattage setting so you can have home practice power settings and jam with your buddies power settings.

Good luck in your search for tone.

Thanks for the advice. I like the idea of having a switch to push or throttle back power. I'll have to find ones with that feature in my budget. Thanks again

 

[jay]

nothing

 

[rugerpc]

Welcome to the forum.

If you are seeking enablers, you came to the right place! The membership here is pretty diversified, so the suggestions you get will reflect that. Just remember to take overly gushing or overly critical posts with a huge grain of salt. Those posts are more about the agenda of the poster than they are about your questions.

I don't think you can buy too nice a guitar or amp if you are sure this is something you want to and will do. Just be careful to realize when you are unnecessarily dipping into the rent or grocery money. From your posts, it looks like you have that part safely sorted out.

For most brands, as the price goes up, the quality goes up. But it isn't linear. Is a Porsche really 10 times better than a Mustang? The sticker price might suggest that, but we all know that it isn' true. People would buy the Porsche and accept the relatively incremental gains only if they didn't need the money elsewhere.

Guitars and amps are the same. The S2 line has perks that the SE line doesn't. Same for core over S2 and signature or AP over core, etc. You just have to be realistic about your budget.

So, no such thing as too much guitar foe a newbie *if* you are committed to continue.

I'm not going to suggest a specific model. You need to get your mitts on as many examples as you can and find the one or 2 that just feel right. If there is nothing near you, it is worth it to travel. If you pick right,you're going to have this guitar for a while, and you can't pick right without picking it up.

I will suggest that you look at both 24 and 22 fret guitars. The position under the strings for the neck pickup is different for those specs. With all other things being equal like woods, finish, and even the same pickups, the neck pickup on a 22 fret guitar will be 'warmer' and more 'mellow' while the same exact pickup on a 24 fret guitar will be 'brighter' and more 'treble'.

It will be a personal preference for you. Neither one is the 'correct' way to go for any musical style.

 

[markintime]

Really, when it all boils down to it, the advice of trying everything you can get your hands on is all good. And the point of getting the guitar you like first is good because then you can take when you are ready to try out which amp works best with it. If you are only playing for yourself and your wife, then you won't need anything like 40 or 50 watts. A 10 watter would be plenty and still give great sound. One main reason I like Blackstar is because of their ISF function, which lets you play with settings all the way from American to British tones. But, YMMV. Again, good luck!

 

[László]

You need to get your mitts on as many examples as you can and find the one or 2 that just feel right. If there is nothing near you, it is worth it to travel. If you pick right,you're going to have this guitar for a while, and you can't pick right without picking it up.

Smartest advice, ever.

Lots of us have had a lot of PRS models, and know pretty much what to expect from the various neck carves, body shapes, and pickup configurations from experience. For these kind of folks (myself included), there can be confidence about buying from a dealer far away and not messing up the plan, though it's still a good idea to have a 24 hour approval period just in case.

But the best way to pick a guitar is to play, and hear, the one you're getting. Every piece of wood resonates a little differently, and every piece of wood, electronic part, and bits and bobs of hardware affect the tone of the instrument. No two feel or sound identical. The hand sanding even gives each neck a slightly different vibe.

And that's the beauty of it, really. We can each satisfy our own ears, and everyone's brain is most satisfied with something different from what the next person's brain finds appealing.

Two final thoughts:

Don't just buy a guitar with your eyes. Your hands and ears matter more in the long run when it comes to living with a guitar.

Don't follow anyone else's advice slavishly. Sure, people have often got good advice and are well-meaning, but you still have to do what's right for you, and from trad jazz to metal, no musical style requires a particular kind of guitar. None.

"I see you bought a Bosendorfer piano? That's only for Brahms, man, to play Bach you need a Baldwin or a Steinway."

"Uh....riiiiight....."

 

[ozboy]

The Charlie Parker reference in your post is interesting, since he was a bebop horn player...but I'd like to address this sentence.

People play what they like, and what they want to play. To my way of thinking, it's a good thing, a positive thing, and a life-affirming thing to play the music you personally find satisfying.

Because music's all about emotion and self-expression.

So if someone wanting to learn this 100 year old, over-played, out-of-date genre bothers you, that strikes me as kinda strange. What do you care what someone else wants to play?

.
.

I'm at the Byron Bay blues festival now (well in Byron Bay, beautiful morning, festival doesn't start till Thursday), and Tedeschi Trucks are on the bill. Funnily enough the blues and roots festival now plays less blues than it used to. Your points are all valid Les of course they are. Completely valid including the Charlie Parker one. . You have to play something and it might as well be blues as Sor or Bach. i was only talking last night at dinner with people about the idea of becoming a concert pianist or violinist. What is the point, it's all been done before, but if it makes the person happy that is probably reason enough, assuming you need a reason. I will no doubt play some blues today like I do most every day, and I'm fairly certain there is no point, so let's get back to which pre se model is best for the blues.

 

[rugerpc]

Just a bit more on 22 vs 24 frets. This animated gif shows how the neck pup on a 24 fret guitar is closer to the bridge*. That changes the tone of the pup towards the treble.

*some will say the bridge is closer to the neck pup. Trust me, it doesn't make any difference how you see it or say it, the change in tone is the same.

 

[ozboy]

Is the fretboard on that gif back to front?