Paul's 85!

I think you're trying to look for objective justification for the price and that's just never gonna exist. It doesn't exist for the Graveyard 594 either. I have one and love it, but is it twice as good as my Wood Library 594? No. And is the Wood Library twice as good as a regular Core 594? No, of course not. Even an S2 594 at $1700 MAP plays perfectly and sounds great.

The higher tiers do have more care and attention put into them, and you can see that reflected in being more and more perfect. But, that's not why they go for $10k+. It's because they're something special and really cool. If you think a particular guitar is really cool, then maybe it's worth the price to you. But if you don't think it's cool, yeah of course it's not gonna seem worth it.

dont get me wrong ...
I am not wondering about the price of a private stock (in that case your speach would be obvious, and i am completly into it)
When i saw the teasing and the spec of that guitar i was expected a range of price beetween the modern eagle V and the graveyard 2.
Not that ... so what did i miss ?
Thats not a little difference
A MEV is 10000 euros in europe
Graveyard 2 about 12000
The paul’s 85 is 15000 ...

sorry but at some point there must be an explanation

maybe the explanation will pop up if i see it for real !
 
I think you're trying to look for objective justification for the price and that's just never gonna exist. It doesn't exist for the Graveyard 594 either. I have one and love it, but is it twice as good as my Wood Library 594? No. And is the Wood Library twice as good as a regular Core 594? No, of course not. Even an S2 594 at $1700 MAP plays perfectly and sounds great.

The higher tiers do have more care and attention put into them, and you can see that reflected in being more and more perfect. But, that's not why they go for $10k+. It's because they're something special and really cool. If you think a particular guitar is really cool, then maybe it's worth the price to you. But if you don't think it's cool, yeah of course it's not gonna seem worth it.

Totally agree. I'll kick the can a little farther down the road:

This isn't about the time spent making it, or the care put into it. The result of the effort is what you're buying. It's really about putting a price on an art form.

Paul's PS runs are wonderful instruments, but they're also works of art in their own right (assuming for the moment that the luthier's art is as worthy of being called 'art' as any other creative endeavor). I have a couple of these runs. You might ask if I (as someone who sprung for them) think they're worth the money.

Well.

Since when has the equation of art to money ever made sense?

A group of critics say this piece of art or that one is worth millions of dollars, and no one argues about it. Because the magic about art is that people realize, "Only a few of us are able to create something that." So they pay what they have to pay in order to acquire it. This is why owning great art has historically been the exclusive province of very wealthy people.

In contrast, you can own a PS guitar, this combination of instrument and work of art, for about the same money as a pretty nice motorcycle. It actually takes more time to make, and uses rarer materials than the motorcycle, but that's largely irrelevant to the price of either one.

Both are within reach of the ordinary dude. You don't have to be a billionaire to own one of these guitars. Maybe you have to do some saving. Maybe you have to get a little credit. But an ordinary person can actually buy either the guitar or the bike.

As a musician, I'd rather own a PS than a motorcycle.

If I bought the motorcycle, no one would question it, because it's large and shiny and you can go places on it.

However, it actually takes longer to make a PS than it does a motorcycle. And I can 'go places' on the PS where a motorcycle can't go. Yet I'm sure there are people who doubt my sanity for getting them. So do I think the guitars were worth the money?

Sure. Obviously. If not, I wouldn't buy one.

Does it matter if someone else agrees? Nope. Why should it?
 
The explanation is that's how much they are willing to sell you one for. What's simpler than that?

It's not like taxes that you have to pay or you go to jail.

It's your choice. Either you buy, or you don't. That's not up to them.

that was not the debate AT ALL
But thanks for your point

i never said it was not worth it
I was just trying to understand

so whats so special with pauls limited runs ?
 
so whats so special with pauls limited runs ?
The runs that Paul is most directly involved in tend to be for guitars that he wants to play; i.e. what is the best guitar he can build for himself at that moment.

Just that is appealing to someone who likes guitar characteristics similar to what Paul likes. He can select wood better than any of us. He hears things that most of us can’t hear. The result is a better package than we could do ourselves if we went to the vault.

So...people who want the best Paul can come up with today will pay a premium. This run is getting buyers fast enough that it probably could have been priced a bit higher. It will still be a great guitar in 20 years, even if there are some lines in the finish.

A Paul run is almost always heirloom worthy.
 
The runs that Paul is most directly involved in tend to be for guitars that he wants to play; i.e. what is the best guitar he can build for himself at that moment.

Just that is appealing to someone who likes guitar characteristics similar to what Paul likes. He can select wood better than any of us. He hears things that most of us can’t hear. The result is a better package than we could do ourselves if we went to the vault.

So...people who want the best Paul can come up with today will pay a premium. This run is getting buyers fast enough that it probably could have been priced a bit higher. It will still be a great guitar in 20 years, even if there are some lines in the finish.

A Paul run is almost always heirloom worthy.

Thanks a lot !
I understand the hype and the price then , that make sense
 
I disagree. PRS owes no explanation for what they price their product. They make something, they put a value on it, people decide if that's a value purchase for them. The historians here can correct me, but I believe that's how the free market works.

thank you for one more condescending comment

the historians can correct me either but i never said it wasnt worth it , i never said what it should cost, just what i was expected
so the « what did i miss » question was by pure humility

but i get how sensitive it can be

so i am sorry for the feelings that i hurt
And thanks to those who actually help me in my understanding
 
thank you for one more condescending comment

the historians can correct me either but i never said it wasnt worth it , i never said what it should cost, just what i was expected
so the « what did i miss » question was by pure humility

but i get how sensitive it can be

so i am sorry for the feelings that i hurt
And thanks to those who actually help me in my understanding

Wasn't meant to be condescending...I'm sorry it was perceived that way.

I get questioned all the time about my fees - 2 already today! (I'm a not-rich dentist) Bottom line is things cost what they cost. It's up to the consumer to decide if they are comfortable with that cost, to determine if it has "value" to them. The vendor/manufacturer/service provider is under no obligation to justify what they value their services or product at. How else would the cable companies be able to get away with everything?:confused:;)
 
Wasn't meant to be condescending...I'm sorry it was perceived that way.

I get questioned all the time about my fees - 2 already today! (I'm a not-rich dentist) Bottom line is things cost what they cost. It's up to the consumer to decide if they are comfortable with that cost, to determine if it has "value" to them. The vendor/manufacturer/service provider is under no obligation to justify what they value their services or product at. How else would the cable companies be able to get away with everything?:confused:;)

No problem ! ;-)

actually if that sells its because it is the good price !

For me, as a customer and far more as a guitar player, i need to understand how the builder estimate the value of its work . the price is a number so its easy to see it and point it, but the question was not just about the price but about the value of that work for PRS (it can be the woods, the specs, the finish, i dont know ! Or maybe its just « let put that price it will sell anyway! » and that doesnt bother me at all !)

i have 5 PRS guitars , 4 of them are Private stock and 3 of these private stocks are 594 ... sometimes it is because how it looks , sometimes for the story behind, sometimes for the specs and sometimes its a combination of reasons ... and everybody have these own reasons

whatever is the price, i am not interesting in that one ... (well until i have one in hands ;-) )
 
I'm especially looking forward to the "(a very special paper-thin, vintage-formula nitrocellulose that will crack over time)" as I'm a fan of relics (appreciate the craftsmanship) and wonder if this is PRS' stepping stone into that polarizing territory.

https://www.prsguitars.com/index.php/electrics/model/private_stock_pauls_85

PRS Relics? Sign me up!

prsprivatestock85_1024x1024.png
 
The proto is beautiful. Expensive, but that's where private stocks swim. I'm sure it will be a wonderful guitar. The issue I have is when pre ordering any of these special/very expensive runs is it's a coin toss what you may end up with looks wise. They will all have the same quality in the builds but you are obligated to buy whatever the dealer is sent. I learned that I like to see what my guitars look like before I plunk down the bigger bucks. Learned my lesson after preordering a new Dragon. Really disliked the top when it arrived and can honestly say I have seen much better tops on core off the shelf models. It was a major disappointment and totally uninspiring to play. Never again have bought another without first seeing pics. Now my new Dragon 35th has a dream top. However I waited till the end. When everyone thought they were mostly gone I was able to cherry pick mine from about 10 still available. I looked at all available out there and can say there was only one I liked more that was already gone. Patience pays.
But regarding cost and value, it's whatever the market will bear between the seller and buyer. Always boils down to that. We are all big boys/girls when deciding how we are separated from our cash.
 
that was not the debate AT ALL
But thanks for your point

i never said it was not worth it
I was just trying to understand

so whats so special with pauls limited runs ?

I get what you're asking. I just don't think it's an answerable question, since it's both an artistic product and a musical instrument.

I have a couple of the limited run PS guitars. I can't explain why they're more wonderful than some other guitar. I love the tone and they're gorgeous. What else can be said?

Can I quantify why they cost more than my Wood Library guitars? I'm not sure I can, nor do I think there's much of a point to trying. They're all wonderful instruments.

Why is the Mona Lisa more valuable than another very fine artist's paintings? You can buy larger, more lavishly illustrated canvases for a lot less money, by very fine, internationally beloved, artists. If there's a short answer to that question that doesn't involve a whole lot of speculation, I'd love to see it.
 
He can select wood better than any of us. He hears things that most of us can’t hear. The result is a better package than we could do ourselves if we went to the vault.
Prescient words indeed. I can vouch for it. This tone and resonance on this guitar is indeed out of the ordinary. That Paul chose the woods personally is indeed one of the reasons I bought it.
bkC51mv.jpg
q6IIXc1.png
 
Let's see...
Compared to an identically spec'd one off Private Stock build (which by the way is more limited than a run of 80-120 identical guitars):
  • Private Stock HB 594: priced the same.
  • Graveyard I: same/cheaper, despite the exceptional tops
  • Graveyard II: considerably cheaper (you were getting the design cost of a new fretboard and veneer inlays for free)
  • Modern Eagle V: ever so slightly more expensive
  • Paul's 85: roughly 25-30% more expensive.
All are art pieces.
All are limited in their own way.

Only one stands out, which can be a little bit shocking/disappointing at first, but that one too will be sold out sooner rather than later.
If this has the specs you need, and you value Paul's involvement in the entire wood selection process, this is a fantastic guitar to add to a collection.
 
Last edited:
You get to own a guitar, personally hand-picked and created (Paul's own specs!), by the man who started the company in celebration of its 35th history. Not sure why this is even a discussion, tbh.

Paul-with-his-PRS-Private-Stock-Pauls-85-Limited-Edition.jpg
 
FYI, the one at Ish just got back on the market and is up for grabs (based on their IG account).
 
Back
Top