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

[Clashcityrocker]

PRS will probably come up with some cool new body design that will catch on. The Silver Sky was proof people really wanted PRS guitars. The flame tops and body style might not be en vogue with many players or the possibility that they don't bring their nice PRS guitars out to gig.

 

[Serious Poo]

IMHO, PRS didn't take the growth of extended range guitars seriously enough. They could have owned that space if they had committed more resources to actually build and promote a core model baritone or 7 string.

 

[vchizzle]

The market PRS is more geared towards now, is far bigger than any heavy rock or metal markets on the whole. Fact is, people been chasing classic tones for decades. Newer PRS attack whatever’s going to sell and keep the company healthy and pumping out guitars. The classic tones market is a tough one to crack and takes a lot of time and convincing. Many people will never get convinced, so bravo to PRS for being able to break into that and sell a pile of guitars. That scene that existed in the 90’s doesn’t have near the overall market share in the music industry that it did then. They gotta put the focus into what’s going to sell the most guitars.

 

[Clashcityrocker]

The market seems to be trending towards people buying multiple guitars and not necessarily gigging with them. It could be for home playing or just that guitar you always wanted growing up but never could afford before. I just see the American models holding their value and the imports losing their value because there is so many out there. You are living in the golden age of guitars.

 

[rpoce24]

I also think PRS wanted to break the image that they are only a rock or metal guitar. For a long time, when people heard someone played PRS they assumed that was your thing. So they are now catering to players in other markets, and somewhat neglecting more established markets.

 

[Parralax view]

It appears that PRS lost the nu-metal thing as stated, but look on those New Country stages and they all have at least one of them somewhere in the band...

 

[Vader]

Free or at cost guitars plus endorsement cash is what talks. Truly profitable metal bands are few and far between. Those guys are happy to get free guitars or even just a mention by an endorser. I have some friends that are endorsed by companies and still record with/buy other brands and play their endorsement guitars live. Maybe PRS budgets less for endorsements? I don't know.

 

[Clashcityrocker]

I think it's because they don't fit into the hipster bohemian style of many of the indie bands out now. You know bands that are so hip and up with the times that they have bumperstickers from all their favorite bands on the back of their mother's station wagon.

 

[John]

I'm late in pitching in for this thread, but PRS is still alive and well in the rock and metal scene. Sure, the core line is a prominent example of product placement to appeal to the blues oriented crowd, but with a few tweaks in those guitars, or some of the SE offerings, or better yet some of the amps, and they still have a niche that's still very much alive for metal- even for the more modern stuff that I mess with.
I may not be a good example, but I myself can attest to them still being anything but dead when it comes to rock and metal- they're my gold standard for such styles.

 

[Anthonyl]

Mikael and Fredrik, from Opeth, are PRS guys

 

[alantig]

Mikael and Fredrik, from Opeth, are PRS guys

But according to some people (not me), they're no longer metal enough.

 

[John]

I see this post was brought up again after some time. In any case, they're still alive and well for rock and metal as a whole and I still stand by my previous sentiments from earlier in this thread.

 

[WeFixFlats]

Mikael and Fredrik, from Opeth, are PRS guys

Here you go:

https://www.premierguitar.com/articles/30143-rig-rundown-opeth-Mikael-Åkerfeldt-Fredrik-Åkesson