The Real Holy Grail PRS

LSchefman said:
This is a terrific idea for a thread! Kudos to you for starting it, Rockmark!

If by Grail you mean an instrument that is capable of the most pleasing, most unique tone I’ve ever gotten out of a guitar since I started playing in 1967, the prize goes to the mighty 20th Private Stock Anniversary Limited. I’ve never played a guitar that can touch the tones this thing is capable of.

You’ve all seen this thing. I don’t even want to bore you with the same pic one more time. I mean pic...who cares? Looks don’t make it a Grail!

Instead, I’ll let the tone of the guitar speak for itself. This is the guitar through the HXDA, but it sounds great with all of my amps. You’ve probably heard this little demo I wrote to show it off months ago. Still, if you’ve got good speakers, the string separation, clarity, choice of tone colors, and beauty of tone kind of stand out from the usual suspects.

There are no dirt pedals on this clip. Just the guitar, the amp, a little chorus mixed very lightly in front of the amp on the solo (hey, I LIKE chorus!), some delay and reverb. The volume and tone controls on the guitar control the amp.

I apologize for my playing; I know it sucks, you know it sucks, and yeah, the world knows it sucks. Don’t remind me. For a craptastic player like me, though, it’s like...genius! Haha!

But the guitar tone is an ‘in my head’ sound I’ve been hearing forever, a guitar that can be anything the player wants it to be, yet it retains its own personality. Sounds best with good audio equipment. Or, given my playing, sounds worst on good audio equipment. [shrug!]

Here goes:

https://soundcloud.com/lschefman/ps-20-hxda
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Sounds so good Les! I’ve definitely been listing after one of those.
 
My first PRS was a grail. Until it wasn't. My tonal taste changed. It did play like buttuh, though!

SC245, my gateway PRS.

I really haven't had an "all that and a bag of chips" guitar. I just want too much out of my instruments. Sacrifice magic for flexibility I guess. Or now I'm the weak point. That's likely. Maybe my guitars will leave me :(
 
You’ve all heard Mr. Clean strut his stuff with virtually every PRS pickup known. The DGTs that remain in it complete the magic equation. When CRGTR said, “there’s something special about this one” I knew he wasn’t embellishing. After 6+ years, I can confirm he’s right.

rig3-2013.jpg
 
elvis said:
My first PRS was a grail. Until it wasn't. My tonal taste changed. It did play like buttuh, though!
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Hmm...by this thinking, maybe I should go with the dragon. I didn’t even think about another electric guitar for 10 years. And the dragon still suits my tonal palette well. I just also play other sounds now.
CK_216DragonNeckHeelDetail.JPG
 
Gotta go with the SCT series. The 58 to 60 LP Standards that many consider "Grail" guitars had variations throughout, from flame to plain, to heel size, neck tenons, etc.
IMO; the switching system, control layout, even the choice of standard (all mahogany), or a maple top couldn't keep this from being among the best ever made. Modern Eagles are included. Say what you will about pickups, not all PAFs were magical. I did replace the 6's in mine.
Disclaimer: I posted this while listening to the Sex Pistols and drinking Scotch.
 
WA Paul said:
ME I SCT with 59/09s was mostly the tone I heard in my head for years. Pairing 59/09s with Braz RW necks just works well for classic to modern rock tones.

The Pattern Vintage neck carve was the carve I never knew I wanted.

I’ve always preferred shorter scale lengths, so going with 24.5” to add the piezo for my ‘AL’ version of the P245T with PV neck carve was a no brainer.
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Hard to argue with any of this.
 
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Holy Grail is a very high bar indeed.

It would have to be something that is out of the ordinary in resonance, liveliness of response, tone. And it have to do with the inherent guitar itself and not the pickups. Preferably it does not play and look too shabby too.

Taking all that very seriously, I would nominate these potential runs out of my limited experience:

- 57/08 limited
- Collection Series 2014 (The museum guitar)
- Violin I
- Run of 20 DGT Stoptails by Wildwood Guitars

These had stardust sprinkled onto them, I believe, and I’ve experienced two or more specimens from each of these runs to be confident enough. There’s always the odd individual SE, S2, Core, PS that is very special, but thats hard for me to communicate.

You know what would really be interesting? If Paul Reed Smith answered this question in a personal way. We’ve all seen some. He’s seen them all.
 
Tonart said:
Holy Grail is a very high bar indeed.

It would have to be something that is out of the ordinary in resonance, liveliness of response, tone. And it have to do with the inherent guitar itself and not the pickups. Preferably it does not play and look too shabby too.

Taking all that very seriously, I would nominate these potential runs out of my limited experience:

- 57/08 limited
- Collection Series 2014 (The museum guitar)
- Violin I
- Run of 20 DGT Stoptails by Wildwood Guitars

These had stardust sprinkled onto them, I believe, and I’ve experienced two or more specimens from each of these runs to be confident enough. There’s always the odd individual SE, S2, Core, PS that is very special, but thats hard for me to communicate.

You know what would really be interesting? If Paul Reed Smith answered this question in a personal way. We’ve all seen some. He’s seen them all.
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So many special ones to so many players. Tonart hits it here. Totally out of the ordinary! This is a very difficult question. This bar is set purposely high since it is on for the search for the "Best of the BEST" Paul ever made in your view. The sprinkled stardust statement kind of hits the nail on the head. Out of a batch let's say of 5000 guitars, hypothetical #, built w the exact specs down to the paint, there may be one or two that are magical way above the rest. The '59 LP that rich stars would pay 300k for to get it. Because they recognized they have stumbled upon it. And another may never show again. Not that any Gibson or PRS is worth anything near for reality reasoning but to the few, they would pay. One you get really excited about picking up when you are going to rehearse.
I would love for Paul, after creating all of this, to tell us the most special and best in his own personal experience as the best luthier in the world. As Tonart says Paul has seen them all.
 
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veinbuster said:
Yup. Westie is a candidate.
CK_151BabyDragonDetail.JPG

They and the Dirty 100 still change hands a bit, so maybe a bit short of holy.

I feel the violin guitar may be the one.
CK_17ViolaPickups.JPG
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When I first got my Pernie neck guitar, tone wise it was a revelation. But now pattern regular neck carve on a 25” scale isn’t quite what works best for me. Still just killer tone with ebony board and 57/08s. And a piezo :)
 
Rockmark said:
So many special ones to so many players. Tonart hits it here. Totally out of the ordinary! This is a very difficult question. This bar is set purposely high since it is on for the search for the "Best of the BEST" Paul ever made in your view. The sprinkled stardust statement kind of hits the nail on the head. Out of a batch let's say of 5000 guitars, hypotherical #, built w the exact specs down to the paint, there may be one or two that are magical way above the rest. The '59 LP that rich stars would pay 300k for to get it. Because they recognized they have stumbled upon it. And another may never show again. Not that any Gibson or PRS is worth anything near for reality reasoning but to the few, they would pay. One you get really excited about picking up when you are going to rehearse.
I would love for Paul, after creating all of this, to tell us the most special and best in his own personal experience as the best luthier in the world. As Tonart says Paul has seen them all.
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He’d say the next one off the line of course! ;)
 
There are so many correct answers to this question - mainly because PRS (and some other manufacturers BTW) make so many different types of great guitars; from standard core models, to limited runs, to custom built one offs. There just wasn't this choice back in the 50s. Which is why in reality it is very unlikely that any run of modern guitars will reach iconic status like a '59 burst of yore. You'd need a whole bunch of very successful guitar bands all playing exactly the same model limited run guitar to achieve that and I can't see that happening.

Still, in the interest in playing the game, I'd nominate the 53/10 limited (because it's all I have). You have a classic combination of mahogany and maple, carefully selected for tone (the Peruvian neck is lovely). A private stock grade quilted top for the looks. 53/10 pickups for a classic sound and a bit of rareness. Thin Nitro finish so it will age like the grail guitars of old. And they were limited to only 100 models (25 of each colour). I truly believe that if PRS had started in the 50s, then this is the type of guitar they would have been producing and it would be every bit as desirable as the '59 Les Paul (provided it had got into the hands of some famous players).
 
First off, I'll admit that this statement comes from lefty jealousy, but...

Am I the only one that hear's Eddie Murphy's voice from Mulan, every time they see those baby dragons?!?!?
 
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