PRS Metal

[jimistephen]

What's interesting to me is that I'm seeing a lot of country artists playing PRS these days, much moreso than mainstream rock/pop players.

Yes, there are a lot of country players playing PRS, but country today is more akin to southern rock of yesteryear and they used a lot of Gibson LP/SG's. With the advent of 5x/xx pickups I think it's the trifecta of right pickups, awesome quality and extreme playability that makes them great country guitarist of today.

 

[]-[@n$0Ma☩!©]

I believe PRS is awesome for playing metal. But the choices of amp and other stuff are to be considered too.
BTW, is the above guitar the same one in this video?

Yessir. This video too.

 

[HANGAR18]

Mark Tremonti. Case and point.

 

[Raven17]

Mark Tremonti. Case and point.

+1

 

[László]

Hey Hans, that's a really nice sounding guitar! It has enough personality to shine through a high gain amp, very cool.

 

[zappyad]

 

[Paulinator]

MMMMMMMMMMetalMMMMMadnesssss with uncovered 59/09's...........Does more than Metal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

+1. I get a KILLER '80s thrash metal tone with my 59/09s.

 

[]-[@n$0Ma☩!©]

Nice to see you around, man! Killer PRS, as always.

 

[FunkyFreeman]

Yessir. This video too.

That's a remarkable PRS that comes with awesome tones. Congrats.

 

[jimistephen]

So, what's the deal with these wild color guitars? Were they a NAMM special or a limited run or something that just never caught on and never really went anywhere when they were new?

 

[Deleted member 7139]

PRS are fine for delivering metal tones as they are, stock. (especially the new floyd custom with \m/ pickup or the old HFS/VB combo - but the 59/09 will be just fine to play contemporary metal without detuning too much)
You can, however, swap pickups to get more grind. The tremonti treble is a bonecrushing riff machine, scooped mids, bright, cuts like crazy, tight bottom end

 

[Tullin]

I play mostly metal and I used to be a Les Paul guy, but after a back injury resulting in surgery it was hard playing a full set with LPs so I made the switch. Been using stock Tremontis but now I've made the switch to cu22s loaded with EMGs and couldn't be happier. I have alot of people try my guitars and afterwards consider making the switch from ESP/Dean/Schecter to PRS.

 

[]-[@n$0Ma☩!©]

So, what's the deal with these wild color guitars? Were they a NAMM special or a limited run or something that just never caught on and never really went anywhere when they were new?

The Metal stigma for PRS has a lot to do with the origin of the brand. When PRS 1st hit the scene, he offered 3 models:
1) The PRS: an all mahogany guitar which was renamed the Standard in 1987 (which is why we call the 85/86's pre-standards)
2) The Custom: which had a maple cap on the body
3) The Metal: which was an all mahogany guitar which was custom painted by Bud Davis. These are the multi-color guitars you are seeing in this thread. To those of us who have been playing PRS guitars for a while, "PRS Metal" is a pretty specific thing.

There aren't many "Metal" models out there. Some estimates suggest there are around 20 from '85 to '91; most from '85 to '87. Stores practically gave them away to get them off their books. They are now among the most expensive vintage PRS guitars. There have been a few guitars refinished by Bud and the factory, in recent years, via the PRS Tech Center (PTC).

Here's a link for more info on Bud Davis.

http://prsguitars.com/forum/showthread.php?689-Bud-Davis

 

[Johnnyboy94]

Like someone else said, I can use a Tele for Metal, and I could use a BC Rich Warbeast for blues/jazz. it doesnt matter as much as some people would think.Not that I would play a WarBeast...yuck. And I pretty much hate EVERYTHING Dean makes.Metal tone is made so much more by amps/effects than the guitar itself, so classifying PRS(Or really any guitar) as a "(insert genre) Guitar" is kinda lame.....just my 2 cents.

 

[]-[@n$0Ma☩!©]

I agree. Amps and pickup location (neck vs treble position) play a much more significant role in the overall tonal equation.

 

[Johnnyboy94]

I agree. Amps and pickup location (neck vs treble position) play a much more significant role in the overall tonal equation.

I think the only exception would be EMG's. I personally do not care for most of them because they are wired so hot, and are therefore not good for certain kinds of music. That being said Ive seen a few sets that can get nice clean tones, but I think the \m/ pickup balances out the ability to be clean and smooth as well as get nasty when needed better than any other pickup by itself(amps and effects aside).

 

[Jet Whitey]

\m/

 

[jimistephen]

I think the only exception would be EMG's. I personally do not care for most of them because they are wired so hot, and are therefore not good for certain kinds of music. That being said Ive seen a few sets that can get nice clean tones, but I think the \m/ pickup balances out the ability to be clean and smooth as well as get nasty when needed better than any other pickup by itself(amps and effects aside).

Most people try to set they up like a passive pickup, you have to put them a lot lower into the body and then you get the subtle differences that you're used to.

 

[jcha008]

There will always be ignorant trolls.

 

[jimistephen]

I'm trolling because I offered a way to get an extremely clean sound out of EMG's, which they do amazingly well? People jack them up as high as passives and wonder why they only get one sound out of them. I've had people I know do that and when I set them up right it works fine. There's just as much in way of tonal range in an EMG as any passive pickup. They big they with EMG's is; 1. they're going to color the sound of the guitar more than a passive...i.e. they can take a cheap guitar and make it sound good, they can also take a great guitar and make it sound good. 2. you don't get the piss shocked out of you when the wiring in the house is bad, or like what happened to me, some one turns phantom power on on you channel and it was feeding power down my rig (I run direct) and through the strings, through me and into my metal headphones.