Owning the highest echelon of PRS guitars

[dmatthews]

I gig and take my 594 WL to band practice without batting an eye.
Probably would with a PS as well.
I'm very careful with my gear and believe that guitars are meant to be played. YMMV

 

[Timt]

I love these two more than anything. Better as what? Better looking, nicer top? No one really forced me to buy PRS I only got them as they are best I could get. Both are pro guitars, sound great, resonate as pro guitar should.

I always say that I don't deserve good looking guitar, I trash my guitars, not even trying. The last strat I bought got a ding first day - I just started laughing. The day I got the Custom was so damn careful but I managed to ding it twice since Feb. I'm not overly happy about that as its a decent looker but I'm not heart broken either. I would with anything higher than Core, tho. Very much reason why I will never own WL or PS guitar, I don't want to be scared to play them.

Excuse me for my lack of words... Better in the sense of tone and feel?
Hmmm... putting dinks in your guitars.. saves me money... probably a good problem to have? hehe
I think i share 1 of your qualm of accidentally putting a dink on my PS... that might deter me from getting 1.
Something for me to ponder.

 

[bodia]

With the "more" experience, did you feel that you have reached a point that ok I have reached the "promised land" of tone and feel?
And... would you be satisfied at the point now that you would not look for a "better" guitar?

Not necessarily. I no longer have that PS, but I do still have several WL models.

 

[Timt]

So, readying all your posts (OP) I'd ask if you're trying to buy a guitar or a piece of art. You stated initially that it would probably be a case queen if you got a PS. Then you ask if you'd be satisfied that you would reach a "grail" or something, where you'd never feel you wanted a better guitar.

I would probably never buy a PS because I can buy three cores for that money and buy the ones I would play all the time. A 594 and a Silver Sky would get played to death. I don't buy guitars as art, I buy them as instruments. TO BE PLAYED! And yes, if I did have a PS, I'd try to keep it from getting dinged up, but not by not playing it.

And, as I see you are continuing in this line of thought... A nice 594 is nicer than any guitar most people ever played. So is my C24, C22 and NF3 for that matter. So, what is the point of the mindset to have "the best" guitar? Is it to play, or to look at?

You have given me quite a bit to think when you mentioned "a guitar or a piece of art"...
i would definately want to play but at the same time not to damage it at all...
Owning 1 super nice guitar vs 3 very nice guitars...hmm..
Thanks for shedding some sense for me to consider.

 

[Simon Says]

Excuse me for my lack of words... Better in the sense of tone and feel?
Hmmm... putting dinks in your guitars.. saves me money... probably a good problem to have? hehe
I think i share 1 of your qualm of accidentally putting a dink on my PS... that might deter me from getting 1.
Something for me to ponder.

Aw no, both are amazing. Custom with 85/15 tuned to Eb standard - all around great guitar and Standard 24 with 59/09 gives notch better snap in drop Db. Perfectly complement each other and do my 90% of what I expect from guitars. Most likely at least one more Core will come later this year

 

[Timt]

I gig and take my 594 WL to band practice without batting an eye.
Probably would with a PS as well.
I'm very careful with my gear and believe that guitars are meant to be played. YMMV

I guess for you its worth getting WL/PS since you own a 594 WL.
How did you get over the "fear" of putting a dink on your guitar? Did it go off over time?

 

[dmatthews]

I guess for you its worth getting WL/PS since you own a 594 WL.
How did you get over the "fear" of putting a dink on your guitar? Did it go off over time?

Much of what I have acquired is used in excellent/pristine condition, so I'm worried less about issues and depreciation.

 

[docteurseb]

Reducing GAS is a pretty attractive factor of getting a PS to me...
One take away from here, is that I really need to know exactly what i want in a guitar in every detail in getting a PS.
Thanks for your input... really helps me like all other comments so far.

You have given me quite a bit to think when you mentioned "a guitar or a piece of art"...
i would definately want to play but at the same time not to damage it at all...
Owning 1 super nice guitar vs 3 very nice guitars...hmm..
Thanks for shedding some sense for me to consider.

And that's an excellent point... some PS are so damn good looking that, combined with the price point, you could end up being scared to play them for fear of damaging them.
That happened with my first PS, it has a matching curly maple back all finished in Northern lights like the top and neck. A bit over the top, insanely beautiful. I barely played it and ended up selling it a year later.
After that though I've been a lot more inclined to play them. In the really worst case if it gets dinged/scratched/etc and ends up bothering me all that much I could always have it fixed/refinished but the PS team (very expensive though).
The first ding hurts the most, after the you're in fact very likely not to care anymore and just play and enjoy the damn thing.

 

[Timt]

Aw no, both are amazing. Custom with 85/15 tuned to Eb standard - all around great guitar and Standard 24 with 59/09 gives notch better snap in drop Db. Perfectly complement each other and do my 90% of what I expect from guitars. Most likely at least one more Core will come later this year

Focusing on cores would yield more options vs spending your best on 1 PS

 

[Timt]

Much of what I have acquired is used in excellent/pristine condition, so I'm worried less about issues and depreciation.

That will work...

 

[Timt]

And that's an excellent point... some PS are so damn good looking that, combined with the price point, you could end up being scared to play them for fear of damaging them.
That happened with my first PS, it has a matching curly maple back all finished in Northern lights like the top and neck. A bit over the top, insanely beautiful. I barely played it and ended up selling it a year later.
After that though I've been a lot more inclined to play them. In the really worst case if it gets dinged/scratched/etc and ends up bothering me all that much I could always have it fixed/refinished but the PS team (very expensive though).
The first ding hurts the most, after the you're in fact very likely not to care anymore and just play and enjoy the damn thing.

Yea having to sell it for not playing it would be something i would like to avoid. I guess getting a used WL/PS would be a good option learning from your comment...

 

[Simon Says]

Focusing on cores would yield more options vs spending your best on 1 PS

Well I'm not a dentist, mate

 

[docteurseb]

On the plus side once the market comes back to normal, you can save a lot on used PS where any slight minor scratch or ding is deemed an atrocity by prospective buyers...

 

[strat63]

On the plus side once the market comes back to normal, you can save a lot on used PS where any slight minor scratch or ding is deemed an atrocity by prospective buyers...

Very true. Even without a ding or 2, a used PS can be a much better value proposition if you find one with the specs you want. Of course you miss out on the whole experience of picking out the wood and various other options. That's a lot of fun if you can afford it

 

[veinbuster]

So guys.. would you all think that i should skipped WL and go straight PS? To cut the chase...

No.

If a wood library run matches the specs you would choose for a Private Stock, get the wood library and keep a few thousand dollars in your pocket for something else.

And to a couple of your other comments/questions:
I would not buy a Private Stock to look at. I would buy it to play.
I bought the best guitar PRS made in 1999 and didn’t even look at another guitar for 10 years, so yes, you can buy a Private Stock and feel like you have reached the summit. Definitely worth the experience.

 

[Simon Says]

Focusing on cores would yield more options vs spending your best on 1 PS

The only options I really need are tuning related. I have my main half step down and a drop Db which as I said covers most of my needs. I really want a guitar for D standard and keep looking for "perfect" Tremonti for this and I was thinking about Fiore for E standard as I'm a little strat sick after I have sold my last Fender but same time I like when my guitars sound fairly even and Fiore would stand out to much. I said that million times before here and I will say it again - tonally I'm a meat and potato type of a guy, one solid rock tone and tuning options is all I need. ALL I need

 

[vchizzle]

I say this to everyone pondering a PS. If you’re going to do it, do something that is unavailable via core or wood library. Whether that’s a wood combination, control scheme, neck shape, etc. Otherwise , it’s diminishing returns IMO. You do get extra craftsmanship whatever you decide, but it is the finer details. That matters to some, not so much to others. Make the extra money you’re putting down to good use. Know what you want.

I built my spec to be what I wanted sonically from the guitar and controls most useful to me. It’s a double cut body that is singlecut thickness. DGT control scheme with added mini toggle to tap neck pickup, bridge pickup taps via the tone control.

 

[Screamingdaisy]

What’s held me back from PS is that every time I spec one out I wind up with what is essentially a core McCarty.

 

[László]

I "liked" every post here, because everyone's point of view is right on...for that person.

I go back to 1991 with PRS. I've had lots of cores, I have a few PS models, and several WL models; lots of Core models. I'd guess the total would be 35 or so PRSes. Here's my take:

Cores are superb guitars. WL are variations on a theme. PS guitars are on another level entirely (at least they are for me).

The most interesting WL guitars (to me) are the ones that offer something a bit different, as one poster said above. So I have a WL McCarty Trem, instead of a McCarty. Before that I had a couple of WL guitars with maple necks that weren't offered on Core.

I got my first PS because I wanted an acoustic in maple, and PRS was only offering them in Core/Artist at the time with mahogany or cocobolo. It's the guitar that changed everything for me, and led to more PS models. I can't put into words how lovely it feels and sounds. I've had it for going on 8 years and haven't looked at another acoustic since. My son, who's a producer in LA, says it's 'like hearing a concert grand piano'. Plays great, too, and has a carbon fiber truss rod that simply does not move no matter the season.

I bought three PS electric guitars from runs that I didn't spec. Each one has been wonderful, and the woods and features are a little bit different from what you can get in Core. They go way beyond fancy trim. They're just incredible to feel and play, and the tone is off the chart. I'm very, very picky about my audio and tone, and wouldn't have bought several of these if I hadn't truly felt what I'm talking about. I play them in my ad music work; I play all of my guitars. They're special instruments. YMMV.

As to dings, my mantra is, "The gear serves me, I do not serve the gear."

On the other hand, I'm pretty careful about them, and they're all still mint. It isn't hard to keep a guitar in mint shape, if you case it when not in use.

I'm not into guitars as decor. I have paintings and woodcuts for that.

 

[Tonart]

For PS I would advise to study and observe for a long long time, before buying. Be a stalker on PSF and dealer sites. Distinguish what is really rare and outstanding, even among the PS world, apart from the “run of the mill”. Otherwise you run the risk of straddling the borders between PS and core.

Then, pounce without hesitation when a special top, a special neck, or a special complete dealer spec guitar becomes available. You have to be fast when the time comes.

PS is great, no indeed it is irreplaceable and unrivalled, for that really rare, out of this world specimen that pops out once a while. There is no rare Gibson Custom Shop guitars produced anymore, cos every guitar they churn out is essentially the same, same woods, same look etc.

I once asked a dealer, does PRS have African Blackwood necks if I wanted to do a PS. Not knowing at that time what a monumentally big ask that was. They replied well it so happens they have ONE such neck blank in the vault. I later found out you just don’t find African Blackwood neck blanks anywhere, not just the PRS vault.

Rest is history, never looked back except with fondness. I would say my entire guitar collection, including the disappointments and misses, has been worth it just for that one single hit.

One final thought if you will. If something is rare because nature makes very little of it, it is truly rare. By contrast, limited editions really mean unlimited.