PRS Tone VS the other maor brands...

[newfmp3]

Currently GAS'ing for a really nice acoustic. This is not going to happen right away. Have some health battles creeping up again, anyone that remembers me knows I had some bad luck over the past 8 years. Anyways, I don't know if it's just a distraction for me right now or what(it most definitely is) , but I'm really itching for a new guitar. I've been though hell this past few years, and If I get through this, I want to reward myself with something nice because I deserve it....so there! HA!

I have never played a PRS Acoustic. Never even seen a American one in person and where I live that's not going to happen unless I order one.

I know these things are outrageous in cost. But I was looking at D28, or the new 814CE and up here is Canada an 814 CE is approaching 4 grand and I've seen used PRS's around there.

So it got me thinking, I love PRS. The Acoustic's I've seen online, here or at other stores, I mean they are just superb looking. Probably the nicest looking guitars I've seen. I've said it here before, and some of them really are my dream guitar, that one guitar I'd like to have before I can't play them anymore.

Online Video's never capture the tone of a guitar. So how would PRS compare to Martin/Taylor? Brighter, warmer? How are the necks? I want as close to a PRS pattern reg neck as I can get as they are my favorite.

My guitar style is mostly finger pick, anything from soft listening music, blues, light strumming, various rock songs. I really don't care about plugged in sound. I rarely leave the house so there's no point in pluggin in.

 

[nosidamde]

I've also been GAS'ing for a new full body acoustic ever since I've sold off my Taylor 414CE just the other day. I've always had a lust for the Taylor K24CE, even though I just picked up a Koa Taylor T5z Custom, and I'm looking to possibly pull the trigger in the next year on a K24CE. I would really love to purchase a PRS acoustic, but I'm in the same boat as you newfmp3. I have never played, heard, or seen an American PRS acoustic in person. I'd be interested to hear what everyone has to say about what they currently have. How do they hold up over time, what style of music do you play with them, finger style or pick style, tone quality?

 

[veinbuster]

The tone part of the question isn't really something I feel is appropriate to answer. On an acoustic that comes largely from the wood choice - much more than a brand. I've played several PRS acoustic and have owned one for a few years. I also one some Taylor's and a couple of Laskins.

Without exception, the PRS are easy to play. They share an electric player friendly neck feel with Taylor, but I find the PRS neck very much like playing an electric.

PRS are very articulate. You will hear note separation very clearly. If you are a picker (finger or otherwise) you will really like how well the guitar carries the different lines. They are excellent acoustics by just about any measure. My PRS is early in the life of an acoustic, but it sounds exactly like when I first played it - important to note that it started out sounding nice and mature.

I play acoustic quite regularly. More finger style than otherwise. Rarely just strumming. I'm a big fan of textural variations in sound. Dynamics in attack, volume, etc. this is key to my choice of acoustic. PRS is well suited to that. My Taylors are as well - mostly build to order or limited runs. I really like Taylor and the options I can get from them.

 

[newfmp3]

I've also been GAS'ing for a new full body acoustic ever since I've sold off my Taylor 414CE just the other day. I've always had a lust for the Taylor K24CE, even though I just picked up a Koa Taylor T5z Custom, and I'm looking to possibly pull the trigger in the next year on a K24CE. I would really love to purchase a PRS acoustic, but I'm in the same boat as you newfmp3. I have never played, heard, or seen an American PRS acoustic in person. I'd be interested to hear what everyone has to say about what they currently have. How do they hold up over time, what style of music do you play with them, finger style or pick style, tone quality?

I'm a sucker for a nice piece of KOA. The K24 is very nice, but everyone tells me the koa's are very bright. There is a guy here with an all KOA Private Stock PRS that will make you forget the K24 - it is stunning.

 

[veinbuster]

I'm a sucker for a nice piece of KOA. The K24 is very nice, but everyone tells me the koa's are very bright. There is a guy here with an all KOA Private Stock PRS that will make you forget the K24 - it is stunning.

I don't find my Taylor koa especially bright. It does have the big bottom that rosewood does. It does have a very mellow sound to it, like the sharp edge has been rounded off. I really like the sound, but wouldn't recommend it if it was going to be the only acoustic you have - unless you really like that sound.

 

[jcha008]

The PRS acoustics are some of the nicest I've ever tried. With the traditional out look on the bright Taylor versus a boomier Martin, I feel PRS has a very well balanced sound. It's a bit round and very even across the board. They project forward very well with the stiff back and looser top. So you might lose a tad bit resonant feel that flaps against the chest, but that's more of a personal thing.

Probably some of the easier playing acoustics too. As veinbuster mentioned, very electric guitar player friendly .

 

[László]

Online Video's never capture the tone of a guitar. So how would PRS compare to Martin/Taylor?.

Judge for yourself, here's my maple bodied Tonare Grand, just noodling around to demonstrate how it sounds and sustains.:

Forgive the playing, this was recorded the first day I had it, and wasn't used to it. Recorded with a Neumann TLM102. Listen on decent monitors or headphones, not a laptop, etc:

https://soundcloud.com/lschefman/acoustic-noodle

https://soundcloud.com/lschefman/ps-blonde

Having had 40 series Martins and 900 series Taylors, the USA PRS acoustics are a definite step up as far as I'm concerned. YMMV. But it's a much richer tone with more fundamental and very clear overtones. There is far greater string to string definition, even strummed fast, there is more sustain, and the guitar is louder.

Also you might want to take a listen to Tony McManus' album Mysterious Boundaries, which really shows how the PRS guitars actually sound in good hands. It's an incredibly accurate representation of the actual tone of the guitars. Take a listen on iTunes.

 

[nosidamde]

Probably some of the easier playing acoustics too. As veinbuster mentioned, very electric guitar player friendly .

This is one of the reasons I ended up with my Taylor T5z Custom, it has an electric guitar style neck, it makes playing four hour acoustic shows much easier on me. I'm not concerned about this with the next acoustic I buy because it will be a stay home toy.

Judge for yourself, here's my maple bodied Tonare Grand, just noodling around to demonstrate how it sounds and sustains.:

Forgive the playing, this was recorded the first day I had it, and wasn't used to it. Recorded with a Neumann TLM102. Listen on decent monitors or headphones, not a laptop, etc:

https://soundcloud.com/lschefman/acoustic-noodle

https://soundcloud.com/lschefman/ps-blonde

Having had 40 series Martins and 900 series Taylors, the USA PRS acoustics are a definite step up as far as I'm concerned. YMMV. But it's a much richer tone with more fundamental and very clear overtones. There is far greater string to string definition, even strummed fast, there is more sustain, and the guitar is louder.

Also you might want to take a listen to Tony McManus' album Mysterious Boundaries, which really shows how the PRS guitars actually sound in good hands. It's an incredibly accurate representation of the actual tone of the guitars. Take a listen on iTunes.

Thank you for the sound clips! Sounds good to me. I'll check out that album by Tony McManus.

If I end up deciding on a PRS Angelus instead of that K24CE, later this year when I'm ready, the problem will likely be availability of the Angelus...

 

[newfmp3]

Yes, thanks for the clips. I still do not understand why PRS is so against making a reasonably priced acoustic. It seems you either get a $700 SE or a $5000 model. Why not something in the 2k range? or even 3k?

 

[nosidamde]

Yes, thanks for the clips. I still do not understand why PRS is so against making a reasonably priced acoustic. It seems you either get a $700 SE or a $5000 model. Why not something in the 2k range? or even 3k?

$5,000? More like $6-8k for what I'm finding. Even $4-5k would be better. I understand what you're saying though and agree with you.

 

[newfmp3]

yeah I was being generous. I see 8-10k ones all over the place. Of course I'm in Canada.

 

[veinbuster]

Yes, thanks for the clips. I still do not understand why PRS is so against making a reasonably priced acoustic. It seems you either get a $700 SE or a $5000 model. Why not something in the 2k range? or even 3k?

They are very early in their life as acoustic builders. They can differentiate themselves in the price ranges they offer. If they build a strong name for themselvs in the acoustic market place, maybe they will try to compete in a different price point.

 

[László]

Yes, thanks for the clips. I still do not understand why PRS is so against making a reasonably priced acoustic. It seems you either get a $700 SE or a $5000 model. Why not something in the 2k range? or even 3k?

Your guess is as good as anyone's. Maybe they just don't want to compromise the US acoustics in any way. Even the earlier Core models were made every bit as well as my Private Stock version, with incredible attention to detail.

Fact is, the SEs are truly fine guitars, too, so I can see where they'd figure that they'd be wasting effort to make a lesser priced US model.

I will say this: both my earlier Core and my later PS acoustics were worth every penny. I've never looked back and thought, "I wish I'd gotten off more cheaply."

They're that good.

 

[Acoustic Guy]

As a few of the members have already mentioned, these acoustics have amazing note separation. I am currently working through Johann Pachelbel's Canon in D and the Angelus' tonal range STILL blows me away! As far as sustain goes, nothing I've owned previously ( ..and this includes 3 Taylors of which one of them was K22 ) is it's equal.

They are more expensive than the other mid-range acoustics out there, but as LSchefman mentioned, their build quality is simply impeccable….which probably pushes up their prices more than the average joe would want to fork out for a guitar in that class. I have an African Blackwood Private Stock which is the envy of everyone that sees and hears the instrument – plainly put, it’s a thing of beauty! While it almost cost me an arm and a leg, I would invest in another PRS acoustic without hesitation. They honestly are that good. The Cores and APs’ have become incredibly scarce, so if you can get your hands on one,.. BUY IT!

Look forward to reading how things go.

 

[newfmp3]

Thanks. Like I said, this isn't happening right away. Have some medical stuff to go through which will involve some expense and lots of time during which I won't be able to play anything anyways. Once that's done we shall see. Probably a good year from now really. Something to look forward to though.

 

[tabl10s]

They are very early in their life as acoustic builders. They can differentiate themselves in the price ranges they offer. If they build a strong name for themselvs in the acoustic market place, maybe they will try to compete in a different price point.

To me, it's not good to have too many price points if you want to be taken seriously when starting out. Anything cheaper than the SE series would be laughable to the competition and as already shown, the core models were the same as the PS(construction), but with less bling.

Got this yesterday.
http://prsguitars.com/forum/showthread.php?13953-NAGD

 

[newfmp3]

Nobody wants cheaper then SE. The problem is there is nothing to compete with Taylor's 6xx/7xx/8xx series, or Martin D28, or Gibson's offerings etc

 

[tabl10s]

The tone part of the question isn't really something I feel is appropriate to answer. On an acoustic that comes largely from the wood choice - much more than a brand. I've played several PRS acoustic and have owned one for a few years. I also one some Taylor's and a couple of Laskins.

Without exception, the PRS are easy to play. They share an electric player friendly neck feel with Taylor, but I find the PRS neck very much like playing an electric.

PRS are very articulate. You will hear note separation very clearly. If you are a picker (finger or otherwise) you will really like how well the guitar carries the different lines. They are excellent acoustics by just about any measure. My PRS is early in the life of an acoustic, but it sounds exactly like when I first played it - important to note that it started out sounding nice and mature.

I play acoustic quite regularly. More finger style than otherwise. Rarely just strumming. I'm a big fan of textural variations in sound. Dynamics in attack, volume, etc. this is key to my choice of acoustic. PRS is well suited to that. My Taylors are as well - mostly build to order or limited runs. I really like Taylor and the options I can get from them.

How does they compare to Laskins?

 

[jas]

Currently GAS'ing for a really nice acoustic. This is not going to happen right away. Have some health battles creeping up again, anyone that remembers me knows I had some bad luck over the past 8 years. Anyways, I don't know if it's just a distraction for me right now or what(it most definitely is) , but I'm really itching for a new guitar. I've been though hell this past few years, and If I get through this, I want to reward myself with something nice because I deserve it....so there! HA!

I have never played a PRS Acoustic. Never even seen a American one in person and where I live that's not going to happen unless I order one.

I know these things are outrageous in cost. But I was looking at D28, or the new 814CE and up here is Canada an 814 CE is approaching 4 grand and I've seen used PRS's around there.

So it got me thinking, I love PRS. The Acoustic's I've seen online, here or at other stores, I mean they are just superb looking. Probably the nicest looking guitars I've seen. I've said it here before, and some of them really are my dream guitar, that one guitar I'd like to have before I can't play them anymore.

Online Video's never capture the tone of a guitar. So how would PRS compare to Martin/Taylor? Brighter, warmer? How are the necks? I want as close to a PRS pattern reg neck as I can get as they are my favorite.

My guitar style is mostly finger pick, anything from soft listening music, blues, light strumming, various rock songs. I really don't care about plugged in sound. I rarely leave the house so there's no point in pluggin in.

I think that the PRS American made acoustics are some of the finest guitars on the market. I've owned several high end acoustics (Mcpherson, Charis, Lowden, Martin Custom Shop, Collings, Bourgeios) and they can sit in any room with those builders.

The thing that I think sets the PRS off from some of the others is the sustain. I've never played another guitar that possessed as much sustain and resonance as the PRS (I've had 3 Angelus). Anytime you start talking about $4K and up guitars, they are going to all be really good (for the most part).

As far as comparing them to martin/taylor's? That's really apples and oranges. A D28 should have a booming low end where as something like an 814ce should be a little more balanced tonally but should be brighter than the Martin.

Again, guitar to guitar is going to be so different. I once played a new $1800 D18 in my local shop that put to shame all the Martin Custom shop guitars they had in stock at the time. I have found though that the PRS American made guitars are consistently good from guitar to guitar.

 

[bigcohoona]

I'm somewhat in the same park as "Jas's" post.

I've owned Mcpherson's, Taylors, Seagulls, 9 Takamine's (4 Limited Editions) ,etc. I went on a 3 year "find the best tone tour" and even drove to Canada to get the Takamine "Storm". It was a great adventure into tone, craftsmanship, and "GAS" prices (pun intended).

As many have stated, the wood tone plays a very large factor in all of it. For instance though I loved the appearance of the Tak "Storm", it was all Hog and way to mellow for what I wanted. On the other side of the spectrum is my Mcpherson which has a Redwood top.. though it is by far the finest Acoustic I've ever played (with the best sustain) The Redwood hits peak volume a little too quickly and it's a little too bright for what I normally enjoy. Funny enough my Taylor 710ce (Rosewood / Spruce), is the best overall of all my guitars.

The Taylor surprises me because unplugged I find almost all Taylor's too bright. Their dreadnaught is the only one that really works for me, lets me dig to get volume and is wonderfully articulate with softer playing and in the higher notes. The Dreadnaught shape give me a tad more bass. Mine is a 2001, tech-maintained, former Nashville pro's live ax, so it has had a lot of time and opportunity to breathe and age.

I've also enjoyed Larivees and Cole Clarks. The Fat Lady II and CC's pickup system are sweet.

Best bang for buck I have found to be Takamine's and Seagulls, (Godin's A6 Ultra Koa Top is my next purchase). Almost everything from Godin (including Seagulls) are wonderfully made with a much lower price-point than they could probably sell for. My cedar topped, cherry back, is a great picker n grinner. They seem to have fairly thick necks though. The Tak's are just solid, middle of the road price wise, and their Piezo system sounds fantastic, just ask The Boss.

As to the PRS... (don't kill me!) I actually have not heard one I really enjoyed, which is of course purely subjective. I have no doubt they have the same level of craftsmanship as their other guitars but perhaps it is the level of how clear or how precisely they articulate, as mentioned above, which for me personally lowers it's appeal. I'm primarily a strummer and jazz player on acoustic and the tone has to blend well. It could be that the PRS' are somewhat too precise for what I personally use acoustics for. They sound to me sort of what I'd imagine a Steinway grand sounding if it were made entirely of Rock Maple, just super bright.

Martins are the last guitar I've never really owned or played.. why, I have no idea.... I'm even married to a former "Martin" lol. Watch them end up being my favorite!

I also agree with Jas "Again, guitar to guitar is going to be so different." So very true! I once bought an Alvarez Artist series on consignment for $200 and it was one of the best sounding acoustics I've owned.


Great thread. It's been cool to read everyone's experiences and thoughts.