Played a couple of Private Stock, no biggie...

Both guitars are beautiful. Hopefully they play as nice as they look.
 
I've played a few PS guitars, and some of them were pretty amazing. I REALLY know what I want out of a guitar, and thankfully have been able to find it in "cheaper" Artist and Wood Library PRS. I' so happy with my 4 that I don't dream about a PS anymore. I DO, however, still look at WL and AP versions of PRS for sale on the internet.
 
To me and for me, PS is all about getting something you cannot otherwise get. I have a GOM 594 that is not unique. I love it. But, I’m also convinced that had I been more prescient/patient I would now have a core 594 receiving an equal amount of love at a much lower cost.
 
To me and for me, PS is all about getting something you cannot otherwise get. I have a GOM 594 that is not unique. I love it. But, I’m also convinced that had I been more prescient/patient I would now have a core 594 receiving an equal amount of love at a much lower cost.

The Bible says you can have both.

"What Bible are you talking about, weirdo?"

"You know, the one I wrote. You don't think everyone refers to it as the Bible?"

"No. They do not."

"Oh. Well, it's the one I wrote about every guitar having its own universe of tone."

"No one in the universe but you has ever heard of it."

"That's why I'm telling you. It's a very short bible. Read it."

"How short is it?"

"One sentence. The sentence is, 'Every guitar is its own universe of tone'."

"You already said that."

"Yes. I'm quoting from scripture." :)
 
I believe the law of diminishing returns has a bit to say on the matter.

& I just happen to have a badas 594. It's like a tuning fork with frets. Every note just jumps out & resonates through you.

I have a regular McCarty as well. Very nice guitar. But, not in the same class with this 594.

That said I can't imagine a better musically pure instrument.

I've played other 594s, & core models & this one is just different. Not much of a looker as far as PRS goes. Probably not even a 5 top.

But... all that to say for me, my 594 has set the bar really high.
 
I believe the law of diminishing returns has a bit to say on the matter.

& I just happen to have a badas 594. It's like a tuning fork with frets. Every note just jumps out & resonates through you.

I have a regular McCarty as well. Very nice guitar. But, not in the same class with this 594.

That said I can't imagine a better musically pure instrument.

I've played other 594s, & core models & this one is just different. Not much of a looker as far as PRS goes. Probably not even a 5 top.

But... all that to say for me, my 594 has set the bar really high.

True enough, and for me, tone trumps looks any day!

Oddly enough, I have a really nice sounding 594 and a great McCarty. You just never know!
 
I have several PS guitars. All bought in store and the reason why I was happy to get them was because they played wonderfully. I have played some that didn't on various "levels" and of course other brands. The problem I have in going PS build myself is there is no guarantee the guitar will play out of this world just because you hand selected the wood, etc yourself. I guess what I am saying is a bird in the hand....You know how the guitar plays and feels in hand. The other you don't. All that aside, it would be cool to have something totally unique.
 
I hope these weren't customer ordered guitars they let you have a go on :D

I know PS is build anything, but I would go for PS off the shelf rather than wait 18months or whatever it is, not that I can afford it though anyway
 
I have several PS guitars. All bought in store and the reason why I was happy to get them was because they played wonderfully. I have played some that didn't on various "levels" and of course other brands. The problem I have in going PS build myself is there is no guarantee the guitar will play out of this world just because you hand selected the wood, etc yourself. I guess what I am saying is a bird in the hand....You know how the guitar plays and feels in hand. The other you don't. All that aside, it would be cool to have something totally unique.
Good point and a reasonable way to buy.

I like doing my own builds. I’m confident the PS team will give me a guitar that will play well. Picking woods is part of the fun. And no guarantee a dealer will on spec build the features I'm interested in at the time. Like a stop tail Santana with signature switching, or a NF on a CU22 platform.
 
Good point and a reasonable way to buy.

I like doing my own builds. I’m confident the PS team will give me a guitar that will play well. Picking woods is part of the fun. And no guarantee a dealer will on spec build the features I'm interested in at the time. Like a stop tail Santana with signature switching, or a NF on a CU22 platform.
I would be confident the PS dept. would give me a good guitar. It is still a toss up when you have one in hand vs. one yet to be built. Who knows, the one yet to be built could be even better than the one you have in hand. 2 of my PS I bought I wasn't looking for at the time and both were one chord wonders. They were hanging up on the wall, I swiped the strings as it hung and it resonated and sounded beautiful. I picked up the guitar, played one chord and knew I was an owner. This happened on two occasions and the same story basically on both. They weren't exactly what I may choose on any given day to have built but were certainly fine spec wise, etc. Their color was nice but probably not what I would have chosen as a first choice. The guitars were just that good that I had to have them. On other occasions I have played other PRS guitars on their various levels and quickly put them back. I have rarely played a bad one but I have played several that I thought were just average in comparison to the ones I have and love. On a side note, I have a very basic McCarty that plays and sounds way above its price point. Each guitar is unique, its fun to find (or build) a great one. :)
 
I've had both, mostly PS now (just because).

If it's value you are looking for, the PS guitars aren't it.

Aesthetics/customization aside, which are a major part of what a PS is, the differences are often relatively minor IMHO as is generally the case when going from say a Fender Custom Shop Teambuilt to a Fender Custom Shop Masterbuilt.

You get highly polished frets, which you could do yourself on a Core.
You get, usually, much more nicely rolled fingerboard edges which make a noticeable difference in feel (well, to me at least).
Tone-wise, I was a skeptic for a while but most PS have been superior in resonance/woody tone than Core. That said I have two Core guitars that are fantastic too.
The setup is typically impeccable, never had to change it yet on a PS but the same couldn't be said on Core (no big deal though).

Also, if you were to spec one yourself and go to the Vault (once that reopens) you'd have a much different experience than buying a pre-built PS off the shelf.
 
I’m firmly in the PS camp. Before the pandemic there were some VERY compelling gently used PS guitars available at reasonable prices.

That’s said, I think PRS is making the best guitars they ever have made right now. Changes to the finish narrow the gap and the 35th anniversary guitars look terrific! Haven’t had a chance to try one though. When you start at a very high quality level, it’s tough to improve upon it. But PS does. May be more subtle and about feel, but to me it’s a tangible difference. But I’m a certified neurotic according to multiple doctors :p

I have had a few PS that I didn’t get along with and moved on from them. Most were bought used while I was experimenting with different model and tone wood combinations. One was even a Braz neck PS that simply didn’t resonate like the other ones I still have.

My custom order P245T was everything I’d hope it would be with sky high expectations, but I was a nervous wreck waiting for it. What if I didn’t love it? I did not get to experience picking out the woods in person at the Vault with my dealer pre COVID due to business travel. Would love to do that one day, but not likely anytime soon with my chronic illness.

The best news is that ones budget no longer determines whether you can get a great guitar from PRS.
 
Due to the huge variance in materials in the PS vault, it’s impossible to make a general judgement on PS guitars in this context.

I would say from experience when they are “run of the mill”, they can be no better than a core guitar.

But when they are good, they are really good. Truly spectacular. And very very different from what say a Gibson Custom Shop can offer, which uses a fixed choice of woods for every guitar, no exceptions entertained. Show me a Fender CS strat with a pernambuco neck.

So the main point is, PS guitars can vary wildly. It’s inherent in the PS concept itself. Roll the dice.

It all depends on the pieces of wood you pick. Certain fixed PS runs like the Paul’s 85 using the same batch of woods may have more consistency. Maybe.

From experience, braz necks are consistently good and are really valuable as a basic “safe choice”.

Every now and then though, when you have a really exotic rare material and the end product turns out magical and special - well nothing beats that. It then truly becomes something unique. I would bring them with me into the next world, if I could!
 
You'd think they would bookmatch the headstock wings on a PS as well as on my core but ...

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