prs guitars sound ( attack)

dtray187

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Dec 8, 2013
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Hey guys, I have always noticed that prs guitars, have a much greater attack/ pluck sound vs gibson models and most others.
Is this strictly from the pick ups or just prs as a whole?
 
I think much of that comes from PRS just making superior guitars. So much innovation has gone into these instruments. Even the materials that aren't wood (bridges, nut, tuners etc) are chosen based on creating tonality and timbre. One of the most treasured and underrated (IMHO) features is the capacitor on the volume pot which actually bleeds treble as you turn your volume down. This leads to a nice chimey/bell like tone no matter what gain you may play with. There are some great videos on youtube of Paul talking about the "rules of tone". Check them out, they really show his passion for wanting to create the perfect guitar. Hope this helps:)
 
Define "attack/pluck" please, are you talking plugged in, unplugged? Just want to figure out specifically what you're speaking of.
 
If you listen to Paul's comments about guitar making, he feels (and I agree) that the guitar is a subtractive instrument. It can't add something to the string's response to a pick stroke, it's a question of what gets removed by the interaction of the string, the hardware, the woods, the nut, the design, etc.

Sure, you can really hear the pluck of the strings on a PRS, and it's because the sound of the attack portion of the waveform isn't being subtracted and lost from these interactions.

If you imagine the guitar string as a synth oscillator, and the wood, electronics and metal parts as filters, LFOs, and resonators shaping the tone of a note, you grok the concept.

What's also great about this is that you can modify how the guitar responds very well with the tone/volume controls and electronics. So instead of the guitar limiting your expressiveness, and the guitar telling you what to do, it's more a case of the guitar responding to your ideas, and you telling the guitar what to do.

This is what I love about PRS guitars. That, and the way they play and of course, the way they inspire via their looks.
 
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Thanks guys! I am referring to plugged in. It is noticeable to me very much on my se semi hollow hb, vs the few other semi's in that shape. Alot of attack, not a bad thing at all, just trying too make it a little more toned down and smooth, woody, airy, like my Ibanez ajd91, was wondering if pick up change would do the trick?
 
Maybe? Have you tried just turning down the tone and/or volume knobs on the guitar a bit? Could try a different volume pot too, maybe 250k pot. Not sure if that would help, but is cheap to try.
 
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