Original Guitar Player review of the PRS Custom

[Brad737]

When I bought my 1985 Custom last year, I was happy to find a copy of the Guitar Player magazine that had their first review of the PRS Custom. I thought you all might enjoy seeing it.

 

[jfb]

Very, very nice stuff. Love that '85.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

You never need an excuse to post that beauty.

 

[kingsleyd]

I remember when that issue came out. What's especially cool is the review is done by Rick Turner -- one of the most experienced and knowledgeable guitar builders out there then, now, and ever.

(and a damn nice guy too!)

Kinda sad how much the editorial quality of magazines (and most everything else) has declined in the past 30-ish years...

 

[Brad737]

Ain't that the truth! I remember a fairly recent issue where half of the products reviewed got an Editor'a Pick or Gold award. Lame...

Kinda sad how much the editorial quality of magazines (and most everything else) has declined in the past 30-ish years...

 

[]-[@n$0Ma☩!©]

Thanks for sharing this, Brad! Interesting that Paul also preferred the tone of the PRS Guitar (what we now call a pre-standard) over the maple-capped Custom.

If you don't mind, I am going to 'attach' those images to this thread so they are on permanent record.

 

[László]

The great thing is that Rick Turner's praise and observations about PRS are every bit as true today:

"I have not played an electric guitar I've liked better, and very few I've liked as much..."

 

[kingsleyd]

Ain't that the truth! I remember a fairly recent issue where half of the products reviewed got an Editor'a Pick or Gold award. Lame...

Well, I will say this: Guitar Player has an Artist feature on my brother, Jon, in this month's (July) issue. And Jon, unlike his older brother, plays PRS guitars pretty much exclusively! He just released a duo CD with Colin Edwin (of Porcupine Tree) that seems to be getting a lot of press. Good -- it's a really nice record!

Of course, the article is way shorter than it would have been 30 years ago. And, unlike other more modern guitar periodicals, the article may or may not ever appear online unless you're a print subscriber (which I haven't been for 15 years) -- it certainly isn't there now.

 

[kingsleyd]

Another gratuitous early Custom photo! Funny, brother Jon had a late-80s pre-Standard back in the day and I always thought it sounded better than the Custom I had in those days, which was an '89. This one (an '86), which I acquired about 6 years ago, is a great ​sounding guitar.

 

[Michael B]

SWEET!!!!!

 

[alantig]

Ain't that the truth! I remember a fairly recent issue where half of the products reviewed got an Editor'a Pick or Gold award. Lame...

I think either editors don't realize how their reviews are perceived, or they're being rather disingenuous.

I've read editors' explanations when they're challenged about how their reviews are overwhelmingly positive (I don't remember the last negative review I saw in GP). They explain it away as a matter of so much product available (agree), not enough time and space to review everything (agree), and that they would rather recommend something useful and quality than spend time and space on a negative review. This is where I have a problem with their logic - I fully accept that they can't get to everything, but because the reviews are all positive and they don't want to spend time on the negative, I have to wonder if they've seen a piece they haven't reviewed. If I hear about the new Distorto-Fab pedal and a magazine gives it a positive review, I have some basis to act on. If they don't review, I'm left wondering - did they not try it out? If they did, was it okay? Did it suck? They're not helping at all.

Plus, as their reader feedback shows, a steady diet of positive reviews leads one to believe that they're becoming industry pollyannas. I'd think that would not be a benefit to a company who has a product review - if the motives of the reviewer are questioned, their results are questioned as well.

That doesn't mean they have to rip a product to shreds, but it sure doesn't hurt to have a review that says a product has potential but needs refinement. Premiere Guitar has actually been pretty good with that - every now and then a review will basically say "good idea, but the execution's not quite there yet".

 

[pondsnorkeler]

Very cool! Thanks for sharing. I first heard of PRS in '87 and bought my first one, a used '87 Std., in '88. I still have it. I have been through many PRS's since and still have 2 basses and 11 electric guitars, all PRS.

 

[FlaGuitars]

VERY COOL !!! I was a die-hard Gibson man but after seeing this ad I decided my next guitar would be PRS. I ended up getting one in 1988. Have been die-hard PRS man since. The sentence that rang true the most was "It has what good antiques, great cars and FINE ART OBJECTS have "

 

[Lewguitar]

When I bought my 1985 Custom last year, I was happy to find a copy of the Guitar Player magazine that had their first review of the PRS Custom. I thought you all might enjoy seeing it.

Now THAT IS interesting!

In the article, Rick says Paul expressed a preference for the all mahogany version of this guitar. Without the flame maple top!

I have one of Rick's Model One guitars. It's a beauty. Wish I could post a photo of it.

 

[RickP]

He was right on the money:

”The PRS guitar, however, is a stunning success. This may very well become a new standard by which other guitars are compared.”

 

[The Bird]

To tell you the truth, even now in 2023 I would write pretty much the exact same thing.

 

[Lewguitar]

Rick is another genius, IMO. I read that whole article and he talks about the diff in sound between an all mahogany guitar and one with an arched maple top. And the interaction between maple and mahogany.

Also the diff in tone from having a solid body guitar with an arched top vs. a flat top.

Rick's Model One has an arched back as well as an arched top, and he feels that the wood vibrates more nicely, even in a solid body, if the top and back are not parallel surfaces.

Rick was one of the founders of Alembic, he and Stanley Owsley (the acid test chemist and genius) built the Wall Of Sound Grateful Dead PA together, and he created the Turner Model One guitar with the rotating humbucking pickup you see Lindsey Buckingham always playing.

Before that, Buckingham played Strats and Les Pauls. Stopped using them almost completely after Rick gave him the Model One prototype before a show. Buckingham used it that night for the whole Fleetwood Mac show.

Buckingham also plays the Turner Renaissance acoustic/electric guitars. Those are pretty fabulous too!

 

[Moondog Wily]

Great article, thanks for the necro-bump FlaGuitars! I played a Rick Turner in Aug '22 for the first time and I LOVED it!! After I get all the PRS I NEED, I will definitely be looking to his offerings for some other fiddles!!!

 

[Alnus Rubra]

Always good when something like this is shared again. Thanks.

 

[andy474x]

Great read, thanks for sharing!