The Most Interesting PRS

[László]

I got nothin' when it comes to the best, the ultimate, etc., PRS. I think there are several that meet the criteria.

But this guitar I'm working with that has the 408s is really interesting. It's a different kind of vibe, yet it still has a very "PRS" thing happening. I am all the way live with this thing. It's cool.

First of all, whether in split coil or full bucker mode, there is a clarity and sensitivity to the pick's attack that makes subtle, light playing a joy, and you can really hear detail, yet playing harder doesn't result in overcompression or plinky qualities. It's just good all the time. And turn the volume up and it's got a great vibe.

The bridge bucker is open and clear, and again, sensitive to the pick, and in bucker mode turned up, and set the way I'm used to, reminds me of the 57/08 that was on my Stripped 58. Just a lovely, get-down, 'sax' tone with plenty of bite, yet back off and split the pickup, and you're in shimmering clean territory; a lot of Tele, but again, minus some of the clack type compression. More open, more the way I always wished a Strat could be, yet a little thicker than a Strat.

And there are so many more tones possible! It's just crazy good. This guitar is just so interesting to work with! Joy-joy!

Whatcha got that you feel is the most interesting PRS?

 

[wilerty]

The most interesting PRS to me me is any form of the P22 with two amps (one is acoustic). The Piezo just adds so much blended with the magnetic pups.

 

[WEDGE]

I think the most interesting are the double necks. Would be fun to give one a try.

 

[Twinfan]

Whatcha got that you feel is the most interesting PRS?

My Collection V International. For the 408 reasons you describe, the pernambuco neck which just has "something" and the way the whole guitar has the chime of a harp.

I've never experienced anything like it in a guitar before.

 

[Shawn@PRS]

The most interesting PRS in the world

 

[CoreyT]

You guy 's are making me wish my 408 was here

 

[László]

You guy 's are making me wish my 408 was here

What's interesting to me is the guitar's subtlety and variety of tones and combinations using volume and tone controls along with the switches.

This isn't the guitar to get if the idea is to turn the knobs full up and leave them there. The coolness lies in exploring the controls, which to me is what makes it so interesting.

I also find it not only very sensitive to the picking hand, but also to the pick itself. The differences between the picks I use really jumped out.

 

[jfb]

The most interesting PRS in the world

Bwahahaha!

 

[veinbuster]

The most interesting PRS to me me is any form of the P22 with two amps (one is acoustic). The Piezo just adds so much blended with the magnetic pups.

I'm close to these, but biased to the hollow body.

 

[László]

I'm close to these, but biased to the hollow body.

As a side note, the Avalon U5 direct box is a really useful tool, and it has EQ curves that work especially well with piezo pickups, if you ever want to explore going direct to the mixer with the piezo, and schlepping only one amp for the magnetic pickups. It also has a ground lift to cure ground loops, and sounds absolutely wonderful.

I use one in the studio a ton, and it's phenomenal for bass and keys as well.

 

[veinbuster]

As a side note, the Avalon U5 direct box is a really useful tool, and it has EQ curves that work especially well with piezo pickups, if you ever want to explore going direct to the mixer with the piezo, and schlepping only one amp for the magnetic pickups. It also has a ground lift to cure ground loops, and sounds absolutely wonderful.

I use one in the studio a ton, and it's phenomenal for bass and keys as well.

Thanks for the tip.

 

[vchizzle]

As far as interesting goes? I guess I'd say the 408. I can't say I have actual gas for one though. My experience is limited though, yet it didn't grab me enough to say, "OMG, I have to have this!". Maybe the 513, but was never visually pleasing to me.

 

[László]

As far as interesting goes? I guess I'd say the 408. I can't say I have actual gas for one though. My experience is limited though, yet it didn't grab me enough to say, "OMG, I have to have this!". Maybe the 513, but was never visually pleasing to me.

For me, as with anything else, it's a question of filling a perceived need. I was looking for two things: One, a guitar that would sit in the tone spectrum between my Artist V, and my SC58 that's equipped with 53/10s. If it captured something of what I liked about the Stripped 58's 57/08 tones, then so much the better. Looking back, it was a great sounding guitar I should have held on to.

Second, I had a specific need for true single coil tones on a recording project I knew was coming in.

The 408s seemed to be a perfect one-stop solution to my two needs, so I started listening to PRS site clips, and to the various demos people like Chris have done. I immediately heard the tones that would fit between the two guitars I had, and the Str 58 type tones. What I couldn't tell from the clips were how good the split pickups were, and I couldn't find one nearby. This is when a trusted dealer relationship like the one I have with Jack Gretz, who I've worked with for over a decade, comes into play.

I've had some wonderful Fenders and Andersons, all with single coils, as well as P-90s by Gibson and PRS. The split 408s are great sounding single coil pickups that hold their own quite well, as well as being super-nice humbuckers. I like the splits as well as any other single coil I've used, so that's saying something. I think they're closer to Fender single coils than P-90s, but they have a lot of power too.

I would guess that the wider bridge pickup helps fatten the tone into Str 58 territory, when the tone control is set a certain way, but it also does even more. It's just a great pickup -- for me. But if it doesn't float someone else's boat, I'm the last guy who'd argue they're somehow wrong.

They do some things that my other humbucker guitars don't do in bucker mode, so that's great. It's a good fit for me. For what it's worth, I have no idea if the denser "sinker" neck is part of that, or not, but it doesn't matter, because the guitar sounds great. Given everything it can do, it's my honest feeling that the 408s are a bargain.

I like the 513, too, but ultimately went in this direction.

 

[bluefade]

The most interesting PRS in the world

STAY PLUCKY,MY FRIENDS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[themike]

Now when we say "most interesting" are we speaking from a purely tonal standpoint or story/legend/backstory to the actual guitar?