Paul's 85!

[Tosca]

By the way, if I wasn’t ‘wowed’ by the above top, am I just getting dangerously hard to please ? Serious question.

To be honest...it is pretty spectacular.

 

[docteurseb]

That’s what I feared

 

[Revad]

By the way, if I wasn’t ‘wowed’ by the above top, am I just getting dangerously hard to please ? Serious question.

Hard to tell ... we all expect different things ... the fact that you ask the question mean that this is not the one ... at least you know you love how it sounds ... but at this price, you deserve the look and the feelings ... maybe another one will turn you on in a few weeks ...

 

[Tonart]

By the way, if I wasn’t ‘wowed’ by the above top, am I just getting dangerously hard to please ? Serious question.

It’s certainly safe for your bank account.

One thing I’ve realised over the years is that it is better to be stringent with your standards of what impresses you, rather than the other way around.

Everyone only has so much storage space and resources. By being stringent, you’re actually prolonging your collection and hunting days, and avoiding unnecessary turnover of guitars (where financial loss is pretty much guaranteed).

You’re more likely to end up liking what you own, rather than just owning what you like.

 

[Tonart]

That said, the perfect guitar is next to impossible to find.

If it has a perfect top, then it doesn’t have:
Perfect playability
Perfect tone
Perfect resonance
Perfect color
Perfect control configuration
Ideal inlays
Ideal wood species
Ideal model
Ideal weight or balance

 

[Tosca]

Well...
It arrived yesterday but with a small chip and finish crack on both corners of the nut slot, and bit fat cluster of lacquer checking right at the back of the neck in that same area and the E tuner. Looks like there was a bit of shipping trauma... the guitar was actually a bit loose inside the padded case, which isn’t unusual (my MEV PS, Paul’s guitar Core had the same case issue) but coupled with the k early fragile nitro a small fall might have been enough to cause this.

It’s going back for a return, although I’m tempted to see if PRS can help with a refinish of the neck.
I was sure about the return earlier today, tonight not as much
The fragility of this lacquer has given me pause as far as owning one for investment purposes; for the purpose of playing it wouldn’t care.

Aside from that it does look great, though to be clear the chatoyance didn’t wow me. It plays effortlessly, and sounds incredible.
Most acoustically resonant guitar I’ve heard, though my PG Core I got a few weeks ago was already a monster in that department and very very close behind.
On the playability front I’ve just replicated the setup on my PG and it still doesn’t play quite as nicely. The only things left would be the nut slot filling to adequate height which might very well get me there, and those highly polished frets on PS guitars which is easy to do as well bout will have to wait the next string change.
Thing is the neck shape on that Paul’s 85 is perfect for my hands; fits like a glove.
Hence the hesitation about returning it vs trying to have it refinished. It’s incredible feeling and playing, and I know it may be hard to find another PRS with a neck shape that feels just as right as this one does (neck shape consistency isn’t PRS strength based on my recent experience with multiple guitars having supposedly the same neck shape but feeling way different).

By the way, if I wasn’t ‘wowed’ by the above top, am I just getting dangerously hard to please ? Serious question.

Hard to tell ... we all expect different things ... the fact that you ask the question mean that this is not the one ... at least you know you love how it sounds ... but at this price, you deserve the look and the feelings ... maybe another one will turn you on in a few weeks ...

It’s certainly safe for your bank account.

One thing I’ve realised over the years is that it is better to be stringent with your standards of what impresses you, rather than the other way around.

Everyone only has so much storage space and resources. By being stringent, you’re actually prolonging your collection and hunting days, and avoiding unnecessary turnover of guitars (where financial loss is pretty much guaranteed).

You’re more likely to end up liking what you own, rather than just owning what you like.

That said, the perfect guitar is next to impossible to find.

If it has a perfect top, then it doesn’t have:
Perfect playability
Perfect tone
Perfect resonance
Perfect color
Perfect control configuration
Ideal inlays
Ideal wood species
Ideal model
Ideal weight or balance

100% agree that you should be completely satisfied in every way at this price-point.

That being said...extensive experience has taught me that the sound and playability of an instrument are more difficult/elusive to find than the visually pleasing. I find it much easier to live with an instrument that makes me happy when I close my eyes, than one that I enjoy staring at but disappoints my ears/hands when I play it.

 

[docteurseb]

100% agree that you should be completely satisfied in every way at this price-point.

That being said...extensive experience has taught me that the sound and playability of an instrument are more difficult/elusive to find than the visually pleasing. I find it much easier to live with an instrument that makes me happy when I close my eyes, than one that I enjoy staring at but disappoints my ears/hands when I play it.

It's why I kept having second thoughts about returning it. It's technically as perfect as could be.

It does look beautiful indeed, it was just a case of building up unrealistic expectations.
Having looked at it quite a bit today, it is indeed spectacular:

Neck fits like a glove and the acoustic tone and resonance are some of the best I've heard from any guitar I owned (way too many already).
I am near certain it would be impossible for me to find a better one. I might find one that may possibly have more chatoyance but I doubt it. But I surely won't find one that feels and sounds as good, unless I get to play several of them which is never going to happen.

I'm just not sure this vintage lacquer is for me, at least not on a collector/investment grade instrument.

For now it'll be returned. Once it's fixed, I might very well buy it again.

 

[ToneChaser79]

It's why I kept having second thoughts about returning it. It's technically as perfect as could be.

It does look beautiful indeed, it was just a case of building up unrealistic expectations.
Having looked at it quite a bit today, it is indeed spectacular:

Neck fits like a glove and the acoustic tone and resonance are some of the best I've heard from any guitar I owned (way too many already).
I am near certain it would be impossible for me to find a better one. I might find one that may possibly have more chatoyance but I doubt it. But I surely won't find one that feels and sounds as good, unless I get to play several of them which is never going to happen.

I'm just not sure this vintage lacquer is for me, at least not on a collector/investment grade instrument.

For now it'll be returned. Once it's fixed, I might very well buy it again.

That looks amazing but if you’re not 100% now you probably won’t ever be

 

[docteurseb]

The only real reservation I have at this point is the type of finish used, not a small one admitedly.
Had there not been any shipping trauma I wouldn't have realized until much later (and by then too late) how truly easily/fast that lacquer checks.
I know PRS was very upfront about it, not blaming them in any way. However despite their warning and unless you're familiar with vintage lacquer/instruments (I am not) you still don't want to imagine it will check so quickly.

As a design choice I like it. Given the woods, finish, and hardware used (yes those contentious vintage style tuners with their lovely plastic knobs) it will fit the vintage vibe very well.
Maybe it is Paul's idea of getting a vintage looking instrument into some people's hand, one that will develop the vintage checked look in a small amount of time. I like that concept better than the aged PRS they experimented with couple years ago.
I'm just probably not quite ready to see that beautiful top possibly develop spider web checking over time.

For anyone dubious (I was) on how resonant the Paul's 85 is, here is a completely scientific evaluation :
This is a resonance/volume comparison, not a tone comparison as this is recorded with a fantastic smartphone's microphone. Sorry for the audio sync I'm not sure what happened on this one:

- PS Aqua Violet CU24-08 sounds effectively dead and boxy next to it: I still love you, you're pretty but you just don't scream as much.

- Candy green gold leaf S-style is incredible too, but that's an unusual one. I assembled way too many bolt-on-guitars over the years (GAS started that way) and only couple have been that way in 16 years.

- the orange tiger Paul's Guitar is close in volume, not quite as loud but impressive nonetheless. It's however not as full/fat sounding and does not sustain anywhere as long as the Paul's 85 though that last aspect is not seen in this particular test.

 

[bodia]

The only real reservation I have at this point is the type of finish used, not a small one admitedly.
Had there not been any shipping trauma I wouldn't have realized until much later (and by then too late) how truly easily/fast that lacquer checks.
I know PRS was very upfront about it, not blaming them in any way. However despite their warning and unless you're familiar with vintage lacquer/instruments (I am not) you still don't want to imagine it will check so quickly.

As a design choice I like it. Given the woods, finish, and hardware used (yes those contentious vintage style tuners with their lovely plastic knobs) it will fit the vintage vibe very well.
Maybe it is Paul's idea of getting a vintage looking instrument into some people's hand, one that will develop the vintage checked look in a small amount of time. I like that concept better than the aged PRS they experimented with couple years ago.
I'm just probably not quite ready to see that beautiful top possibly develop spider web checking over time.

For anyone dubious (I was) on how resonant the Paul's 85 is, here is a completely scientific evaluation :
This is a resonance/volume comparison, not a tone comparison as this is recorded with a fantastic smartphone's microphone. Sorry for the audio sync I'm not sure what happened on this one:

- PS Aqua Violet CU24-08 sounds effectively dead and boxy next to it: I still love you, you're pretty but you just don't scream as much.

- Candy green gold leaf S-style is incredible too, but that's an unusual one. I assembled way too many bolt-on-guitars over the years (GAS started that way) and only couple have been that way in 16 years.

- the orange tiger Paul's Guitar is close in volume, not quite as loud but impressive nonetheless. It's however not as full/fat sounding and does not sustain anywhere as long as the Paul's 85 though that last aspect is not seen in this particular test.

Shocking difference

 

[docteurseb]

There’s one particular Paul’s 85 I saw in PSF. If THAT one became available I’d have a hard, hard time...

Well time to empty your bank account... Check Reverb, it's there.

 

[bodia]

Damn! These sound incredible!

 

[docteurseb]

Yep (not what I needed to see, I'm still badly conflicted about it lol).
I'm surprised @Tonart hasn't yet pulled the trigger on the one of his dreams, I still see the listing available. @Tosca should snatch that one up, it's always good to have a backup

 

[Andrew Paul]

Beautiful guitars but finish will crack.... that’s deal breaker for me.

 

[]-[@n$0Ma☩!©]

Damn! These sound incredible![/MEDIA]

Agreed. But for that kinda money I'm going to need some Brazilian Rosewood with Mammoth inlay. Tops are nice though.

 

[bodia]

Agreed. But for that kinda money I'm going to need some Brazilian Rosewood with Mammoth inlay. Tops are nice though.

I hear ya on that. Totally agree.

 

[docteurseb]

On a side note I've decided to keep mine once it comes back as good as new (which it will).

Just too good sounding, looking, and feeling compared to any other guitar I've ever owned.

As for the planned lacquer checking ? I'm now actually VERY curious to see how it's going to look over time. Will I cry a bit once that beautiful top naturally starts checking ? Possible ;-) but I have no shortage of beautiful ones that won't to help me overcome that aging crisis

 

[bodia]

On a side note I've decided to keep mine once it comes back as good as new (which it will).

Just too good sounding, looking, and feeling compared to any other guitar I've ever owned.

As for the planned lacquer checking ? I'm now actually VERY curious to see how it's going to look over time. Will I cry a bit once that beautiful top naturally starts checking ? Possible ;-) but I have no shortage of beautiful ones that won't to help me overcome that aging crisis

Glad to hear it

 

[Drlepp]

On a side note I've decided to keep mine once it comes back as good as new (which it will).

Just too good sounding, looking, and feeling compared to any other guitar I've ever owned.

As for the planned lacquer checking ? I'm now actually VERY curious to see how it's going to look over time. Will I cry a bit once that beautiful top naturally starts checking ? Possible ;-) but I have no shortage of beautiful ones that won't to help me overcome that aging crisis

Nice! You should do a monthly (or for your sake maybe yearly?) update thread so we all can follow the aging of this guitar. I know I’d follow that one with great interest.

 

[Tonart]

Yep (not what I needed to see, I'm still badly conflicted about it lol).
I'm surprised @Tonart hasn't yet pulled the trigger on the one of his dreams, I still see the listing available. @Tosca should snatch that one up, it's always good to have a backup

I changed my mind on closer examination and started to “stalk” one of the 2 guitars Anderson’s received, until I realised they weren’t there anymore, a mere days after they even listed. What recession?