Why did PRS Guitars disappear from the rock/metal scene?

[Mathias Eriksson]

In the late 90s, early 2000s, PRS guitars were the essential tool in the alternative rock & Nu-Metal scene. Hooked up to Mesa Dual/Triple R's for that modern, loud and crunchy tone. But all of a sudden most of these artists stopped using them, and you rarely see a PRS guitar in the same spectrum anymore. Sure we still have some players like Mark Tremonti, Clint Lowery from Sevendust, Mark Holcomb from Periphery, Zach Myers from Shinedown to name a few. But during this era, you could almost expect that everybody was playing a PRS just by the sound of the music.

And from what I understand, PRS are striving for more vintage sounding pickups these days, only the Mark Holcomb and Mark Tremonti models offers those hotter ones, and Holcombs's guitar comes with Seymour Duncans for that matter. What about HFS's? I know they are still for sale but why not keep them with a classic Custom 22 & 24? And same goes for the SC250 which is completely gone.

What exactly did happend here? Was it just some sort of hype train and everybody happend to switch simultaneously? For what reason? If the guitars did their job, why the change?

 

[Ovibos]

Because PRS doesn't sell an import 7 or 8 string with Fishmans.

 

[jvin248]

.

I'm sure the reason is PRS stopped giving out free guitars to those players. Focusing their marketing attention and spend on Strat copy artists and LP copy artists. Opening up those genres to receive guitars from alternative brands.

Back in the 70s, KISS received free guitars from Gibson to play on stage once they filled large enough venues (today that is view count/subscribers on youtube, lol). However, it was also the days performers thought it was cool to smash and burn guitars on stage. So they were destroying a band-set of new Gibson guitars five nights a week for a whole tour. Gibson thought that was an alarming cost and stopped sending pallets of those free guitars and so KISS switched to playing Ibanez. Though I think KISS also stopped smashing guitars too as there were so many of their fans who wanted to have any guitar to play and here these people were grossly destroying the stuff. That is how guitar brands marketed themselves. Even Paul in the 80s gave free guitars to Santana to get advertising.

PRS has an Artist Relations department that I am sure are so swamped handling the Strat-guy that they have no time for the Mesa-playing metal bands anymore.

.

 

[alantig]

Well, let’s be accurate here - Paul Stanley switched endorsements because he could make another buck from someone else. It’s a pattern he’s had since he switched to Ibanez in the mid-70s. Ibanez, Washburn, Silvertone, Hamer - not sure if he had official endorsement deals with all of them, but he certainly bounced between those companies a lot. By about 1977, they’d switched to a prop guitar - he walks off-stage and comes back with a different guitar to smash. And it was only ever one per show.

Except for a period in the 80s when he endorsed Washburn (which led to me getting my first and now only Les Paul), Ace Frehley has always endorsed Gibson. On rare occasions, he’d play something else on stage, but it was very rare (well, until he got the lighted guitar for “New York Groove” - that guitar became a staple for that song).

 

[jb_abides]

Because PRS doesn't sell an import 7 or 8 string with Fishmans.

Yeah

...and OP, you really answered your own question in your first sentence. During that timeframe, those styles of music were developing, strong "scenes" and companies were 'placing bets' investing in those artists it was felt would make a lasting impact on the market.

Also, PRS has changed. The company, now part of the guitar Big 3, is viable as a first-look brand. Back then PRS needed to seed more attention. Now they can be more selective, and focus upon more diverse genres which drive sales.

 

[Deli6505]

Well, let’s be accurate here - Paul Stanley switched endorsements because he could make another buck from someone else. It’s a pattern he’s had since he switched to Ibanez in the mid-70s. Ibanez, Washburn, Silvertone, Hamer - not sure if he had official endorsement deals with all of them, but he certainly bounced between those companies a lot. By about 1977, they’d switched to a prop guitar - he walks off-stage and comes back with a different guitar to smash. And it was only ever one per show.

Except for a period in the 80s when he endorsed Washburn (which led to me getting my first and now only Les Paul), Ace Frehley has always endorsed Gibson. On rare occasions, he’d play something else on stage, but it was very rare (well, until he got the lighted guitar for “New York Groove” - that guitar became a staple for that song).

He also heavily endorsed B.C. Rich guitars in the 80s.

Whatever the flavor of the year/month/week is at the moment, I am proud to be one of the chosen few who rocks his PRS among the sea of LTDs and Schecters that seem to be the order of the day here in the Detroit area.

 

[Mozzi]

I see PRS guitars being used quite often in Rock & Metal. Orianthi and Chris Robertson may not have 'signature' models for sale anymore but they are still PRS artists and there is of course Mark Tremonti, Zach Myers and Mark Holcombe. Even Myles Kennedy plays a PRS. There is a 'BIG' list of PRS Artists and artists that cover every genre. PRS do make a Custom 24 with a Floyd at both SE and core level.

I don't think any PRS would struggle in any genre and I include the 594 - the most 'vintage' guitar PRS make. It works because it also has a lot of clarity even with gain and the fact that its not 'hot' in the pick-ups doesn't mean that it can't do metal!!

 

[Mathias Eriksson]

Yeah

...and OP, you really answered your own question in your first sentence. During that timeframe, those styles of music were developing, strong "scenes" and companies were 'placing bets' investing in those artists it was felt would make a lasting impact on the market.

Also, PRS has changed. The company, now part of the guitar Big 3, is viable as a first-look brand. Back then PRS needed to seed more attention. Now they can be more selective, and focus upon more diverse genres which drive sales.

I just find it weird that some of these guys used to play PRS's for years and suddenly switch to another brand. Chad Kroeger, Benjamin Burnley, Brad Delson, Jim Root, I can for sure make the list longer if I put some thought into it. The question is still, why? If PRS guitars are that versatile and great playing guitars, why swap them out?

 

[walrus]

I'd put Jim Matheos (Fates Warning) in this genre, he's been a PRS player for years...

 

[alantig]

He also heavily endorsed B.C. Rich guitars in the 80s.

Whatever the flavor of the year/month/week is at the moment, I am proud to be one of the chosen few who rocks his PRS among the sea of LTDs and Schecters that seem to be the order of the day here in the Detroit area.

Thank you. I knew there was another one but it just wouldn’t come to me. (Yeah, yeah, much like my wife, I know.)

 

[Mathias Eriksson]

I see PRS guitars being used quite often in Rock & Metal. Orianthi and Chris Robertson may not have 'signature' models for sale anymore but they are still PRS artists and there is of course Mark Tremonti, Zach Myers and Mark Holcombe. Even Myles Kennedy plays a PRS. There is a 'BIG' list of PRS Artists and artists that cover every genre. PRS do make a Custom 24 with a Floyd at both SE and core level.

I don't think any PRS would struggle in any genre and I include the 594 - the most 'vintage' guitar PRS make. It works because it also has a lot of clarity even with gain and the fact that its not 'hot' in the pick-ups doesn't mean that it can't do metal!!

For sure. But if you take a look at some music videos from the modern metal and rock scene, you can rarley spot a PRS.

 

[alantig]

The question is still, why? If PRS guitars are that versatile and great playing guitars, why swap them out?

It’s a five-letter word spelled $$$$$. If Gibson is going to pay Kroeger, they don’t want him playing a CU24 onstage. And these guys may not have the clout to word the deal so that they can play what they want. Frankly, a lot of these bands need the financial support for touring because the backing just isn’t there any more, so if it means leaving a ‘better’ guitar behind, they have to do it.

 

[Mathias Eriksson]

It’s a five-letter word spelled $$$$$. If Gibson is going to pay Kroeger, they don’t want him playing a CU24 onstage. And these guys may not have the clout to word the deal so that they can play what they want. Frankly, a lot of these bands need the financial support for touring because the backing just isn’t there any more, so if it means leaving a ‘better’ guitar behind, they have to do it.

So it's that simple? I can for sure see the angle, even if it's odd from a "nobody's pespective". Sure it would be hard to imagine Fender dangling a fat check infront of you saying you have to play Strats if you accept it, when in reality you can't stand the guitar.

 

[Black Plaid]

So it's that simple? I can for sure see the angle, even if it's odd from a "nobody's pespective". Sure it would be hard to imagine Fender dangling a fat check infront of you saying you have to play Strats if you accept it, when in reality you can't stand the guitar.

It seems unlikely that it would go down anything like that, I mean, Gibson would never approach the guitarist from a band like Carcass and do an endorsement for them to only play an ES-335. It just wouldn't make any sense.

 

[John]

PRS is still around for the rock and metal scenes, both for guitars and amps. Regarding the initial spectrum you speak of, there's plenty more that has fortunately progressed above and beyond that narrow scope of 90's nu-metal and butt-rock scenes, but I digress.
While I would like to see more modern offerings among the core and S2 lines at least the custom 24 for example still make quite a viable and popular choice for modern metal.

 

[ColdGtr]

I think too many of that style guitar players went with 7 string imports

 

[sergiodeblanc]

More math and less satanism is the major problem.

 

[ColdGtr]

I think it's great to see more PRS showing up equally more in other genres these days, my concern then was maybe it was branded just a metal type guitar.

 

[Hungerbeast]

I feel like PRS has a pretty decent representation in the rock/metal scene, but maybe they are a bit too “elegant” for many metal bands? They’re not all hard edged like Ibanezes or Jacksons. More 7 string models wouldn’t hurt.

 

[Tosca]

More math and less satanism is the major problem.

Satan just doesn’t have the cash to hand out those fat contracts for your soul that he used to.

(Not since he purchased Gib$0n anyway...)