Paul's stoptail

I agree with everything here.

Is there a story behind the strap buttons? I was looking at an old Fender bass and realized the PRS buttons appear to be identical to the bass string hold downs on the headstock.


You have it correct. The Fender bass string hold-down is the basis of the PRS strap button. Clever... Simple...
 
Thanks for posting your reply, well said. It’s a privilege to get perspective from someone who was there. Paul with your help made history creating the best quality consistent guitars ever. Those early guitars changed so much for those who first saw and played PRS guitars when they hit the market in 85. For me it was 1988. Guitars with quality surpassing the Gibson’s, Fenders, and Kramer’s of that time. I think most Forum members here can admit PRS changed their guitar and musical experiences forever. You were a part of that. THANKS!

Aww sucks .... Thanks!
B-)
 
It pretty much is one piece of metal -- the brass isn't an "insert" as much as "forged-in". The insert is right at the "saddle" edge, and is partially machined. There's no gap at all, and looks like molten brass is poured into a machined hole in the aluminum.

In other words, if your concern is that the inserts won't transfer as much energy as the solid aluminum bridges... have no fear.
All I can say is when I bought my 1993 stoptail Custom 22 earlier this year it came with the original all aluminum bridge. I found a newer version with the brass inserts and I like it much more tone wise. More articulate, better string definition, more sustain…Paul knows tone, I have to say…
 
I agree there is better string definition and sustain with Paul's bridge, but I hear it being much brighter. Too much for me. However, I have only tried one on a couple older McCartys. I'm guessing with the updated pickups, tuners etc, it probably balances better.
 
I agree there is better string definition and sustain with Paul's bridge, but I hear it being much brighter. Too much for me. However, I have only tried one on a couple older McCartys. I'm guessing with the updated pickups, tuners etc, it probably balances better.
I agree @Senor Verde . And I don’t like lots of high end., but my Custom 22 came with Dragon 1’s which are really hot pickups and because of overwinding, they needed a bit more highs. With the stock bridge it had hardly any high end at all. I raised the polepieces and that helped some, then got the newer bridge and that combination worked for that guitar. The treble pickup is really hot. I also lowered it some.
on my early McCarty Goldtop I was happy with just the stock tailpiece and more vintage sounding pickups. I sold it a long time ago and have regretted it ever since….
 
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I’m waiting on a gorgeous Paul’s guitar, (which arrives on Tuesday! ) and the first thing I’m going to do is order the new version of John’s 2300 bridge. I have one on a 2009 McCarty, and it’s an incredibly articulate bridge. The mass of the individual saddles adds “tone” to the whole guitar. It’s like using a Klon pedal..you have to hear it to know what it adds to the instrument.
That‘s all I’m going to post on the subject, for now. After I do the work, I’ll attempt to post results and see what everyone thinks. Stayed tuned, fellow gear nerds!
 
OK. if the above philosophy is true, why isn't everyone putting brass nuts on their guitars? I had one on a mid 70's strat in the 80's, when brass nuts were all the rage. or for that matter, why aren't we making the stoptails themselves out of brass along with the tuners?
@John Mann can no doubt answer better, but I’m guessing that the cost/benefit ratio doesn’t justify that.
 
@John Mann can no doubt answer better, but I’m guessing that the cost/benefit ratio doesn’t justify that.
Brass definitely changes tone in it's own way, just as all other materials do.

The drawbacks to a brass nut are two fold... brass is not as slippery as the PRS Core nut (which is impregnated with brass) and added headstock weight (always a bad thing)
 
When I met Paul at a meet and greet a few years ago, he touched briefly on the brass inserts which at the time was still fairly new. He said something about the string coming in contact with as much brass as possible would result in even less "subtraction" to the energy a player puts into the string. Hence the move years ago to the brass posts on tuners.
Eric Johnson is known to use either a brass bridge saddle or a graphite bridge saddle for high E string only.

Just to fatten it up so it doesn't sound so thin and plinky.

The new Fender Virginia is a tribute to his original '54 Strat and includes that modification.

And the body is made of Sassafras!

Leo got enough sassafras in 1954 to make a few guitars out of and Erics '54 was one of those.

He says he wondered why he could never find a second '54 Strat that sounded exactly like his '54.

That's why.

They're very rare.
 
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