Owning the highest echelon of PRS guitars

Timt

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Sep 3, 2021
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Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Hi folks,
Im pretty new here however not new to PRS's guitars.

After moving from SE, S2 and eventually to a core guitar, I personally do feel there's a big step change in playing a core guitar.

And I wonder what's there in the world of wood library and private stock guitars...
Knowing their value and if I were to own them (in my imagination), I would play them sparingly and admire them (open the case and look at it and close it back) occasionally.
Not sure that's enough to justify to buy a WL or PS... it is really worth that experience of owning even 1?

So folks... appreciate that if you would share your experiences.

Tim
 
WL isn't going to be that much different from Core. It's really just a Core model with fancier tops. Now, if you're talking about some of the special WL Dealer runs that have unique wood combinations (like Swamp Ash, Korina, etc) then you're looking at something different than Core. Personally, I find the added expense on those to be worth it. You can get some special things that way that you would otherwise have to go PS to get. As for PS, there is some additional mojo in those builds. I've owned one, and played 3 or 4 others, and there is just something "more" to them. Hard for me to put in words, but it's there.
 
I have a WL and a PS. There is definitely a step or three up from core to PS. I can't quantify exactly what the difference is, but I can definitely feel it. And mine gets played - granted, not as much as some others here, but it's my #1, so it gets pulled out quite a bit. I don't gig, but if I did, I'd use it. Expensive, yes, but for me it was worth it, and it's value (to me) is in how I feel when I play it and the sounds it makes. I'm sure I'd be inconsolable if I ever put a big ding into it (TWSS), but my feeling is, as a player, if you're going to customize a guitar to your playing specs, you should be playing it.
 
WL isn't going to be that much different from Core. It's really just a Core model with fancier tops. Now, if you're talking about some of the special WL Dealer runs that have unique wood combinations (like Swamp Ash, Korina, etc) then you're looking at something different than Core. Personally, I find the added expense on those to be worth it. You can get some special things that way that you would otherwise have to go PS to get. As for PS, there is some additional mojo in those builds. I've owned one, and played 3 or 4 others, and there is just something "more" to them. Hard for me to put in words, but it's there.

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?
 
I have a WL and a PS. There is definitely a step or three up from core to PS. I can't quantify exactly what the difference is, but I can definitely feel it. And mine gets played - granted, not as much as some others here, but it's my #1, so it gets pulled out quite a bit. I don't gig, but if I did, I'd use it. Expensive, yes, but for me it was worth it, and it's value (to me) is in how I feel when I play it and the sounds it makes. I'm sure I'd be inconsolable if I ever put a big ding into it (TWSS), but my feeling is, as a player, if you're going to customize a guitar to your playing specs, you should be playing it.

Yea man, the fear of putting a dink that would be 1 of my qualms...
The same question that I asked Bodia is that would you be satisfied at the point now that you would not look for a "better" guitar?
 
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?

That's the magic question to me. If I were to get one, I would want it to be my number one guitar. I'd get it with cracking nitro finish, so it will patina nicely as I play the hell out of it, not worrying too much about dings.


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

If you want the very best PRS has to offer, Private Stock is the way.
 
I have very limited experience with PS. The only one I ever played did not blown me away. Same time that guitar was a case queen and rarely was played, setup was way off and generally very neglected guitar. The guitar was owned my a friend of mine who passed away due to cancer. I believe its still in his family possession.

Other forum users are most likely more qualified to answer your question
 
That's the magic question to me. If I were to get one, I would want it to be my number one guitar. I'd get it with cracking nitro finish, so it will patina nicely as I play the hell out of it, not worrying too much about dings.




If you want the very best PRS has to offer, Private Stock is the way.

Cool... a comment i can compiled to justify a case to get my PS... :)
 
I have very limited experience with PS. The only one I ever played did not blown me away. Same time that guitar was a case queen and rarely was played, setup was way off and generally very neglected guitar. The guitar was owned my a friend of mine who passed away due to cancer. I believe its still in his family possession.

Other forum users are most likely more qualified to answer your question

Sorry to be hear about your loss...
You are not blown away because the tone/feel didnt exceed your expectation assuming that you played a "better" guitar?
 
Wood Library mostly gets you fancier wood combination, colors, and often more interesting looking tops as many shops making those runs spend a considerable amount of time picking what they consider to be the best looking ones.
But that is changing soon as I was told they'll no longer be able to pick tops when WL resume (if they haven't resumed already).

Personally I like many of those WL runs as I love RW, curly maple, or roasted maple necks; or even anything else as long as it's a satin finish (yes I you could satinize a gloss finish on a Core, that works too but is always seen as devaluing that guitar when it comes time for resell).

Private Stock gets you the ultimate aesthetics and options, and you reach diminishing returns in terms of playability/tone at that price point.
They are not a good value obviously, and whether they are worth it to you mostly boils down to your wallet (let's not kid ourselves here).
I've never had a PS that sounded bad, but I also never had a Core that did either.
The PS do tend to have more ring and woody tone to them, but I've also had a handful Core that sounded better than a PS.

The PS have always felt better in my hands though, and that's mostly down to their generally more rolled fingerboard edges, and highly polished frets.
You can polish frets to a mirror like shine on a Core though, it's not that hard.

One downside of owning a PS is that you can quickly become numb to the aesthetics of Core.
I still find some WL/Core attractive but that's exceedingly rare once you spend too much time around the crazy tops and colors of PS guitars. Saves me a lot on GAS attacks though...
 
Sorry to be hear about your loss...
You are not blown away because the tone/feel didnt exceed your expectation assuming that you played a "better" guitar?

Cheers mate. Mike was a decent dude.

I did played guitars i my life that totally masmerised me like Ibanez LACS that resonated like no Ibanez should or a Gibson CC that played itself, or Reverend Corgan that I would totally buy if not the religious related brand name. Same time my two Cores has all I need and nothing I don't. I hardly expect more and it doesn't make me ill if I need to play them outside my house or handing over to a jam mate
 
Yea man, the fear of putting a dink that would be 1 of my qualms...
The same question that I asked Bodia is that would you be satisfied at the point now that you would not look for a "better" guitar?

I'm not too worried about a ding - I'm thinking more like a gouge across the top. But I'd feel that way about any guitar, so...

The tough part of answering your question - and it's a very personal answer for any of us - is what qualifies as a "better" guitar? When I got the PS, my wife asked (jokingly, I think), "So you're done buying guitars now that you got the 'ultimate' guitar for you, right?" No doubt it's my best and favorite guitar, but given that I (non-professionally) record a variety of stuff, I still have the desire to have and play (and buy) other guitars. And frankly, after going through the whole PS experience, I was ready to do it all again. It's quite the experience to go through the vault, check out different woods, and just plain talk about guitars with people who are the best at what they do. When you do that, it's definitely your dream, but it is a collaborative process if you want it to be.

Maybe this is the best answer. I've started the PS process a couple times since then, although I've never gotten past the quote stage. Each time I've started, I've started a spec sheet, gotten halfway through or so, and tossed the sheet because I realized I was speccing the guitar I already have.
 
Wood Library mostly gets you fancier wood combination, colors, and often more interesting looking tops as many shops making those runs spend a considerable amount of time picking what they consider to be the best looking ones.
But that is changing soon as I was told they'll no longer be able to pick tops when WL resume (if they haven't resumed already).

Personally I like many of those WL runs as I love RW, curly maple, or roasted maple necks; or even anything else as long as it's a satin finish (yes I you could satinize a gloss finish on a Core, that works too but is always seen as devaluing that guitar when it comes time for resell).

Private Stock gets you the ultimate aesthetics and options, and you reach diminishing returns in terms of playability/tone at that price point.
They are not a good value obviously, and whether they are worth it to you mostly boils down to your wallet (let's not kid ourselves here).
I've never had a PS that sounded bad, but I also never had a Core that did either.
The PS do tend to have more ring and woody tone to them, but I've also had a handful Core that sounded better than a PS.

The PS have always felt better in my hands though, and that's mostly down to their generally more rolled fingerboard edges, and highly polished frets.
You can polish frets to a mirror like shine on a Core though, it's not that hard.

One downside of owning a PS is that you can quickly become numb to the aesthetics of Core.
I still find some WL/Core attractive but that's exceedingly rare once you spend too much time around the crazy tops and colors of PS guitars. Saves me a lot on GAS attacks though...

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.
 
Cheers mate. Mike was a decent dude.

I did played guitars i my life that totally masmerised me like Ibanez LACS that resonated like no Ibanez should or a Gibson CC that played itself, or Reverend Corgan that I would totally buy if not the religious related brand name. Same time my two Cores has all I need and nothing I don't. I hardly expect more and it doesn't make me ill if I need to play them outside my house or handing over to a jam mate

I guess the 2 cores that you have kinda satisfied you to a point that it is ok not to have a "better" guitar i would presumed?
 
I guess the 2 cores that you have kinda satisfied you to a point that it is ok not to have a "better" guitar i would presumed?

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.
 
I'm not too worried about a ding - I'm thinking more like a gouge across the top. But I'd feel that way about any guitar, so...

The tough part of answering your question - and it's a very personal answer for any of us - is what qualifies as a "better" guitar? When I got the PS, my wife asked (jokingly, I think), "So you're done buying guitars now that you got the 'ultimate' guitar for you, right?" No doubt it's my best and favorite guitar, but given that I (non-professionally) record a variety of stuff, I still have the desire to have and play (and buy) other guitars. And frankly, after going through the whole PS experience, I was ready to do it all again. It's quite the experience to go through the vault, check out different woods, and just plain talk about guitars with people who are the best at what they do. When you do that, it's definitely your dream, but it is a collaborative process if you want it to be.

Maybe this is the best answer. I've started the PS process a couple times since then, although I've never gotten past the quote stage. Each time I've started, I've started a spec sheet, gotten halfway through or so, and tossed the sheet because I realized I was speccing the guitar I already have.

Personal answers are what i m looking for when i posted this..
You have brought me to a different aspect of own a PS where the experience of designing your own guitar with PRS team would be quite a great feeling.
Thanks man, i never thought of that.
 
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?
 
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