Paul's guitar feedback please

[nac]

I'm looking for some feedback from those of you who own, or have owned Pauls Guitar. What do you like about it? What do you think it does well? What is it not meant to do? If you sold it, why did you move on? etc. Any impressions or thoughts are appreciated.

I did try searching the foum and found bits and pieces but I'm hoping to get a little more data.

I was not initially drawn to this guitar when it came out. I'm not really a split coil user and the mini switches didn't do much for me but then I saw a recent review of the S2 version online and the tones from these pickups really caught my ear.

Thanks in advance all!

 

[alantig]

I find the pickups to be very clear. They have some of a humbucker's heft but with more clarity. The split coil tones are very good - whether you'll use them or not is up to, but I'd definitely suggesting trying them out. Someone here turned me on to the combo of the neck coil tapped and the bridge full. That was on a 408, but it works really well on the Paul's as well.

Maybe it's a lack of experimentation on my part, maybe it's just that I don't really chase tones, maybe (likely) it's just that I'm not good at that stuff, but I don't really hear the vintage tones from this guitar - not that those are what this guitar is meant to find.

 

[Bogner]

I Am Not A Fan Of That Guitar For A Few Reasons. The Options It Provides Aren't Options I Typically Gravitate To As A Rock And Metal Player. I Also Am Not A Fan Of Mini Toggles And Proprietary Shaped Pickups. Complete Turn Off To Me In Every Way.

Now That Being Said...If You Are A Person Who Plays Clean or Cleaner Tones And Can Benefit From Its Large Feature Set Then It Could Be A Very Fine Guitar For You. They Play Great, Feel Great, Etc. Just Like The Other PRS Models. For What I Do, It Is A No Go For Me But That Doesn't Mean It Is A Bad Guitar Just Because I Despise It.

Just Because A Guitar Isn't Good For Me Doesn't Mean It Isn't A Good Guitar...This Is One Of Those Situations. I Hope That Helps A Bit In Your Journey.

 

[DougGuitar]

I'm looking for some feedback from those of you who own, or have owned Pauls Guitar. What do you like about it? What do you think it does well? What is it not meant to do? If you sold it, why did you move on? etc. Any impressions or thoughts are appreciated.

I did try searching the foum and found bits and pieces but I'm hoping to get a little more data.

I was not initially drawn to this guitar when it came out. I'm not really a split coil user and the mini switches didn't do much for me but then I saw a recent review of the S2 version online and the tones from these pickups really caught my ear.

Thanks in advance all!

As far as coil splits go, most PRS guitars use coil splitters. You may not have noticed because some of them have push/pull tone switching instead of mini-toggles.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

They have cool inlays.

Edit: and usually come with nice cases

 

[John F]

If You Are A Person Who Plays Clean or Cleaner Tones And Can Benefit From Its Large Feature Set Then It Could Be A Very Fine Guitar For You. They Play Great, Feel Great, Etc. Just Like The Other PRS Models.

I agree with Bogner. I especially love my Paul’s for clean tones and I enjoy the split positions as much as full humbucker. I prefer my Paul’s over my Silver Sky, Custom 24, McCarty 594 and SE SAS. My Paul’s has a trem, I wish it was hard tail. I blocked it so I can drop tune it fast.

 

[DougGuitar]

They have cool inlays.

Those inlays are called Brush Birds I think.. (Plus another name I forget right now.)

 

[Stephen J.]

I have had one for about four years. I like the neck. It sounds great. I play mostly clean and use my fingers more than a pick. It offers a strong clear tone across the frequency spectrum that works well with my style. I generally prefer the single coil tones over the humbucker tones.
I also have a Modern Eagle V, but I haven’t spent a lot of time with it. The Paul’s Guitar is more aggressive in the bridge pickup, but the neck pickup sounds pretty much the same to me. I like the feel of the trem under my right hand better than the stop tail. At this point I feel like I will keep both, but if at some point I need to let something go, I would probably keep the MEV for the 2/4 positions.

 

[bodia]

Those inlays are called Brush Birds I think.. (Plus another name I forget right now.)

Brushstroke birds

 

[DougGuitar]

Yes, thanks. They say the memory is the first thing to go. I won't mention the 2nd thing to go..... <ahem>

 

[Buddy Shagmore]

I have a '20 core Paul's. The pattern neck is great. The TCI pickups work well for me too. The single coil tones are fantastic, when you need "thinner" tones. The bridge in hum mode offers up great lead tones with an overdrive. Mine's a keeper.

 

[László]

I have had a PS with the Paul’s pickups for 8 years. It’s the most beautiful sounding of my PRS’.

I also have more vintage-sounding PRS'. Every guitar is a little different; each one is the very best at something, but the guitar with the Paul's pickups is certainly my most versatile, including my DGT that has moved to a favorite position (but the DGT's more vintage-sounding, so there's that).

Is it right for anyone else? I dunno. Pick your poison. I love mine.

If you're going to drop 5-6 large on a guitar, makes sense to try it out for yourself before buying to see if it suits you, right?

 

[Bogner]

If you're going to drop 5-6 large on a guitar, makes sense to try it out for yourself before buying to see if it suits you, right?

Heck No! Live Dangerously And Buy Blind.

Quick Couple Of Quick Response Stories From My PRS Inquiries That Were Non Local To Me Over The Years From A Typical Inexperienced Sales Rep.

1) Heck Yeah It Plays Great! It's A PRS!!
2) It Doesn't Have The Mojo Of Some Other Brands But It Sure Looks Good!

When You Hear A Response Like That, Simply Hang Up And Call Another Dealer.