Thoughts on white plastic?

[hord1080]

PRS fanboi here, but It just feels too cheap for PRS to be honest and I wish they would change it up a bit. The first time I played a CE I felt a little disappointed by the solid white birds, especially since the SE's usually have very nice faux-balone inlays. I get that they do this probably to meet a price point and protect the Core line, and at the end of the day not a big deal and maybe I am off here. Also why use white dots (on say the Vela) when you have those beautiful moon inlays? I can still accept these as at the end of the day it's a player's guitar and I am probably being dramatic. Worse yet and where I draw the line is - I have been seeing a trend of the PRS signature on the headstock is only white inlay plastic and I really do not like this. Give me the raised metal signature all day long over this or at least leave this as an option! Since the artist package is not an option and abalone signature is gone, it feels like a letdown to see this white plastic signature to be honest. Thoughts?

Funny enough I don't have the same reaction to the black plastic inlays as much - usually the black signature is on a maple boarded neck and the hardware is smoked and there is contrast and a cool vibe going, although a smoked metal logo would be even cooler. Also, the Silver sky with maple board has black outline birds which are way nicer than solid white birds. I do think that on the CE maybe changing to white outline birds is the ticket if they have some business case for white plastic. I just want to see PRS change it up here a little on these mid range guitars (and drop that white plastic sig as the only option).

 

[11top]

Manufacturers rarely offer the same materials across all lines/levels of product. It only makes sense that the more expensive models differentiate themselves from a marketing perspective. I admit I've wished that a given company offered such and such on lesser expensive models, but I understand why they differentiate. Also, on less expensive models, from an economy of scale perspective, it makes sense that options are going to be more limited. None the less, I think PRS has done an exception job of offering great options across its line of models.

I guess a more direct answer to your question is, they can't please everyone all of the time, because we don't always want the same thing.

 

[Tone-y]

.....I prefer white satin

 

[SinSir]

Speaking of the white birds, I used to dislike them and honestly wasn't overly impressed with S2 in general. The birds were one of my brains arguments. I kept playing them, brought one home, and now it's an entirely different story.

A little while back I was at a music store A/B a SE and S2 in great light. Then I noticed the birds, yes the SE had MOP style birds and the S2 had the white, but side by side under good light you could clearly see the S2 birds quality. I preferred them over the SE and so did someone else. Guess I'm saying sometimes for me the difference is not only in person and side by side but also perspective.

I still love me some SE but some of those differences I viewed on the S2 as asthetic downgrades I've come to appreciate the quality of materials.