The 'This is what a PRS sounds like to me' thread......

[Orange Tiger]

On other forums there are threads for what a typical Strat or Tele should sound like, likewise for Les Pauls. This got me to thinking about what is the archetypal for a PRS in your opinion?

Before you say that there's so many different models of PRS guitars that there is no 'one sound', keep in mind that there are also lots of different pup combinations in other guitars too (and remember this is just a chance for some fun and to post PRS guitar videos)


My musical preferences lie in the blues/rock category and I've always thought this a cool video.......https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTuT7jXtGYA An awesome looking guitar, played well with a fab tone!

What song/performance sums up what a PRS sounds like to you?

 

[László]

A recording is probably worth ten thousand words. Here are a few clips of my PRS guitars and amps. Caveat, I'm more of a piano player than a guitar player, so be forewarned. IMHO, a PRS does multiple things, and all sounds suit my taste just fine:

McCarty Singlecut, Bridge PUP, straight into HXDA Amp:

https://soundcloud.com/lschefman/blues-ii-hotg

My former 408, Neck PUP, split, some effects into the front of the HXDA:

https://soundcloud.com/lschefman/408-hxda-demo

Artist V into HXDA with a multi effect added at the board:

https://soundcloud.com/lschefman/morganatic-blues

408 into a buncha stuff, you'll have to endure piano and string intro before getting to the guitar:

 

[AP515]

I'll take tone like any one of these...
I'll probably most partial to Davy's but their all great.

This is pretty good too...

 

[xjbebop]

Basically gonna sound like the player at that moment plus the rest of the signal chain (amp, speaker, cab, effects...)
Sorry..... :rock:

 

[Jose]

To me, this:

 

[sergiodeblanc]

Basically gonna sound like the player at that moment plus the rest of the signal chain (amp, speaker, cab, effects...)
Sorry..... :rock:

Yeah... I kinda right there with you.

 

[Steve B]

Davey definitely finds the PRS vibe in this video (and in general). Having just bought my first PRS (McCarty 58 with 58/08s) a couple months ago I was pleased to "Discover" that he plays the same basic model as I just picked up. Interestingly, when I read your question, I immediately thought of a different clip of this same song...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjIPuLEAke8

His playing inspires me to find my own PRS tone, and thankfully there are a lot of them hiding in my newly acquired maple capped block of mahogany!

 

[LJD]

If you listen carefully you can make out my HBII with 53/10 split coil sound in this Morricone-ish track I did last season.

 

[henryjurstin13]

This is pretty good too...

Brent Rowan. I wanna know more about THIS guitar, amp, tone, player. Enlighten me.

 

[AP515]

Brent Rowan. I wanna know more about THIS guitar, amp, tone, player. Enlighten me.

Brent Rowan is a Nashville studio player with lots of awards. He's well known in country circles. The guitar looks like a McCarty with SAS wiring, but his website lists only 1 PRS and it is a 1985 with two humbuckers. Probably not the one in the video. Here is the website.

http://www.brentrowan.com/gear.php

The song is also pretty cool. Teka Brock sings it and Rich Herring (Little River Band) wrote it (I think). Brent's version is better IMO but he may be playing on the original too.

Now back to your originally scheduled thread...

 

[Orange Tiger]

Yes, that Brent Rowan guy sounds good. Never heard of him prior to this so thanks for posting!

 

[Orange Tiger]

Basically gonna sound like the player at that moment plus the rest of the signal chain (amp, speaker, cab, effects...)
Sorry..... :rock:

C'mon play the game!!

Don't you have any examples that make you think, yes, that's a PRS! ?

 

[solacematt]

I've gotta be honest, this is one of the three riffs I pull out when I try a PRS out.

 

[Goldtop]

Like some others have touched on, I think there are so many variables to consider. And of course the player is the biggest part of it all, but I think this is a cool subject so here goes:

When I think 'The PRS Tone', I go straight to David Grissom, especially on this song. This is from his days with Joe Ely - "Highways and Heartaches".

Goldtop Lloyd

 

[László]

Basically gonna sound like the player at that moment plus the rest of the signal chain (amp, speaker, cab, effects...)
Sorry..... :rock:

Only to a degree. The instruments in my bluesy clips sound different despite the fact that I'm the player, yet most are though the same amp and speaker cab. The other clips I will grant you depend a lot on the amp and effects.

 

[prsrocker1988]

David Grissom for sure - What Passes For Love and the stuff he did with Joe Ely like on Liberty Lunch.

Howard Leese on those 80s Heart records like Alone - one of my favorite solos of all time.

Lots of others too.

For me sonically a PRS is definitely fatter sounding than a single coil guitar like a Tele or Strat but not as fat or as low mid/bass heavy as a Les Paul IMO. It's probably more similar to an SG in that regard, but slightly fatter in sound than an SG. I find PRS's and SG's to cut through better in a dense mix than Les Pauls or 335s or guitars with a lot of low end or low mids.

While for me I still need the occasional G or F guitar, I find the PRS sits smack dab in the middle sonically and therefore while it can't sound like both guitars exactly, it can cover a lot more bases. I can go from singing vocal quality to strident biting tone, which is very nice. I personally am a fan of bright vs warm tone. I like treble and I welcome it. Partly due to high end hearing loss.

I find I make most guitars sound like Telecasters without even trying. I have a very strong attack on the notes and make it sound like a compressor without a compressor. I don't finger pick or hybrid pick though, I just have a very strong right head and a more wimpy left hand. Probably should be vice versa, but it works for me. But when I improvise, I like throwing in a lot of steel licks and stuff so I like throwing country licks into rock n' roll and rock n' roll licks into country. I just don't have a smooth tone, I'm definitely more biting strident tone. I try not to kill the audience but I do like my high end and the PRSs deliver better than most humbuckered instruments.