Private Stock owners....

[windsongstudios]

Other than the sheer awesomeness of having a PS guitar what were/are some of the main differences you notice over a "core" PRS? I know this may seem like an obvious question but I would really love to read some of your experiences in comparing the two.

 

[Tim]

From a purely objective point of view…… like with anything there is a law of diminishing returns. How much extra would you spend to get something a bit better, faster, stronger, prettier etc or simply “OMG, I must have that’. That is a good point to debate out.

For me it is more about the Subjective…. The value of the experience!! For me a new Private Stock means:

• Weeks of daydreaming what tone quest and what visual I might want
• Flying to the US for a trip
• Catching up with my buddies
• Heading to the Library
• Fighting over all the great wood
• Chatting to Paul Miles and the team about ideas
• Helping others pick through their stuff
• Giving our #2 picks to Markie (and watching them come out even better!!!)
• Chatting about it afterwards
• Catching the odd glimpse of the build either on this forum or when friends visit the factory and snap a pic
• Waiting for it to arrive
• Having created something unique and personal
• Sharing and chatting about it with friends

Actually having a ‘souvenir’ from a great experience….. which also happens to be one of the best musical instruments on the planet!! For me the experience and investment (not financial) that was put into the build means the guitar has instant mojo, in a way brand new guitars usually don’t. There already good times/bad times/anxiety/excitement all kinds of memories and emotion attached to that. Like a guitar that you have had a long time there memories attached to it that pop in to your mind when you play them!!

To me, that is what it is about. That wasn’t necessarily what made me buy my first PS (that was probably more about the ‘better/prettier/must have that’…. But it is the experience that has seen me go back…. and back…. and…..


For example…. There is a burl guitar that popped up in Private Stock Friday thread last week…. What I saw it, not only was it a monstrous piece of wood with specs that you can’t buy off the shelf…. I also remembered going to my first NAMM….. racing around Anaheim with Markie…… ‘Fighting’ over that piece of Burl with 11Top….. hanging with Doug at Wild West… being awake for like 60 hours… jamming with Doc…. Betting $1 on which guitars Mark would buy (I won)… meeting some forum buddies and Dealers I had only chatted to on-line…. Helping Rossi pick a private Stock DGT…. Getting stuck at the airport and worrying I wouldn’t get home…. Telling my wife I’d bought another…. Eating way too much the diner across from the HoJo…. Finalising all the specs with Doug and Paul miles…. Seeing the headstock overlay and fretboard when I was back at the Factory in March, and getting stuck in the Indiana snow on that trip!!!

All that mojo in a guitar that isn’t even born yet!!!

 

[jfb]

Tim, I couldn't have said it any better. That's what it's all about.

 

[markie]

Timmy Walls Fugg'in Rocks!

 

[11top]

^ And TW is the zen master of PS design!









........And, why did you see that burl first? :dontknow: :bawling:

 

[sergiodeblanc]

Man, designing a PS must be incredible, it's like couture, but way more rad.

 

[László]

Man, designing a PS must be incredible, it's like couture, but way more rad.

You can make the experience what you want. It can be very low-key.

 

[MA Pete]

Well put, Tim!

As I have well documented on another thread on another Forum, for me it is not about the destination, it's about the journey.

I went through 50+ PRS in 4 years, and then "graduated" to Private Stocks. At that point, I knew all the things I liked, and spec'ing my own awesome creations was the next step in my journey! I have three incredible 245 scale Private Stocks that I spec'ed personally, my three favorite guitars I have ever owned, partially because of the great tone and playability, but also because of the connection I have with picking every piece of wood and every detail of the spec. Any I look at or play any of the three of them, it brings a smile to my face.

The experience of spec'ing them out with my favorite two dealers and meeting with Paul Miles, Tina, and PRSh was just great on each trip. On my first Wood Library Trip, I met fellow Forum member AeeCee (Alan), and he helped my spec out my first PS, along with Eric of Willcutt's, which turned out great. That night, we ended up with Paul Reed Smith and Paul Miles at Paul's studio, taking turns playing Paul's PS Sig through some prototype MDT's. Epic!

I have two more in the oven at the Wood Library, inbound soon. The funny thing is, the waiting is not tough for me. My guitars I have are great, the new ones will be killer as well, but I am patient, whenever they come in, they come in.

And I am not done yet, still have a "wish list" for the next mad creations! DC 22?

In the meantime, I will live vicariously through yankeebulldog's NGD's!

 

[Tag]

Other than the sheer awesomeness of having a PS guitar what were/are some of the main differences you notice over a "core" PRS? I know this may seem like an obvious question but I would really love to read some of your experiences in comparing the two.

I have 2 PSs with a 3rd on the way, and a production CU 22 semi hollow LTD. Both tonally, and in play-ability, the PSs really do not have much of, or any advantage. That being said, there is SOMETHING in the way they feel in your hands, and especially the looks, that just make you want to pick them up and play them more often. Acoustically, my PSs do sound better, and I think that is due to the thin nitro finish I get on them. The one thing I feel PRS could do to improve their guitars across the board is to go all nitro. The workmanship on production PRSs is fantastic. The PSs are really as good as any electrics I have seen, anywhere, at any price. The one other thing that REALLY matters is getting a guitar EXACTLY how you want it. When a guitar looks beautiful to you, you never want to let it go, and with PRSs consistency, they are one of the few builders I would order from and not worry about the guitar ending up looking great, but sounding like a dog.

 

[Tag]

And I am not done yet, still have a "wish list" for the next mad creations! DC 22?

Yes! Semi hollow with trem!! :biggrin:

 

[AaeCee]

Well put, Tim!

As I have well documented on another thread on another Forum, for me it is not about the destination, it's about the journey.

The experience of spec'ing them out with my favorite two dealers and meeting with Paul Miles, Tina, and PRSh was just great on each trip. On my first Wood Library Trip, I met fellow Forum member AeeCee (Alan), and he helped my spec out my first PS, along with Eric of Willcutt's, which turned out great. That night, we ended up with Paul Reed Smith and Paul Miles at Paul's studio, taking turns playing Paul's PS Sig through some prototype MDT's. Epic!

And although I didn't spec mine that day, I got to live the experience vicariously through Pete, and it indeed was a great time for all! What Pete isn't telling you about that evening at Paul's studio, is that there was a moment of 'harmonic convergence' for him when he played Paul's guitar and amp. Something a bit mystical took place, kinda like RJ at the crossroads.....like he found this special zone.....

In any case, everything said in all of these posts really does sum up the experience, and now that I'm finally a PS owner, I can really appreciate the special nuances that separate it from an already superb stock PRS. There's certainly a bit of extra magic in mine, totally exclusive of physical appearance.

 

[László]

As I have well documented on another thread on another Forum, for me it is not about the destination, it's about the journey.

I've got a PS coming. For me it's about the "destination," i.e., the guitar.

I know. It's not supposed to be that way.

Call me a Philistine. But when someone says, "Where are you going for vacation?" I don't answer, "I'm going to enjoy the airport, the plane, the second airport, the cab to the hotel, the check-in procedure..."

Please. No. I just want to lay on the beach. Give me a Star Trek Transporter, and suddenly I'm at my destination; that's the way I want to travel!



I had been put off in the past by the thought of how complicated the PS process seemed. So I'm here to say that it doesn't have to be like traveling to London for 3 private fittings with your tailor before the suit is ready.

I spent very little time on the "journey" part, by choice. I knew what I wanted. I didn't fuss over the wood -- it was picked by Jack Gretz and Paul Smith at the Experience last fall (I couldn't attend). I figured that I'd wind up in better shape if I let the real "artists" do their thing. And they picked beautiful stuff.

Transporter, indeed!

That isn't to say I'm not looking forward to the guitar, I very much am!

In fact, PRS' team made a few suggestions that I thought were great ideas, and we went with them. The communication has been excellent.

I'm merely mentioning this because a PS doesn't necessarily have to involve all that process, effort and travel. You don't have to be "in the know," and you don't have to be a custom guitar planner with a lot of PRS history. Cool if that's what you're into, of course, but it's up to you.

All you need is a good dealer. It's truly no different from ordering an Artist package guitar (except they show you a picture of the wood), unless you WANT it to be.

As I said, I'm really happy about how it's gone so far. I'm looking forward to the destination. But for me, the trip has been delightfully painless.