Why no core Paul’s Guitars in stores

L

lwildcatz

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Sep 7, 2013
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Hello everyone! I have a question that has been bugging me about the new Paul’s Guitar that debuted in January at NAMM. Why have very, very few been produced over the last eight months? I check all the usual stores ( Northeast Music Center, Willcutts, Wildwood, Dave’s, Moore’s Music, The Music Zoo, Washington Music Center) etc.,etc., etc. And I just don’t see them.

Every thread I have read on the guitar from all the magazines to viewing all the youtube demonstrations of the guitar, everybody swears by it. Is there just not the demand to produce them like some of the more popular models. It seems to some that it is the most versitile and perhaps the best PRS produced in their current line-up and to top it all off, PRSh plays this model. Very interested in one but for some reason they are not being ordered by the usual suspects. Can someone (Shawn maybe) tell us when they might start landing?

-Scott
 
They are very rare. I've only ever seen 2 in person. One of which is the PRS experience limited edition, which is a guitar that haunts my dreams.
 
lwildcatz said:
Hello everyone! I have a question that has been bugging me about the new Paul’s Guitar that debuted in January at NAMM. Why have very, very few been produced over the last eight months? I check all the usual stores ( Northeast Music Center, Willcutts, Wildwood, Dave’s, Moore’s Music, The Music Zoo, Washington Music Center) etc.,etc., etc. And I just don’t see them.

Every thread I have read on the guitar from all the magazines to viewing all the youtube demonstrations of the guitar, everybody swears by it. Is there just not the demand to produce them like some of the more popular models. It seems to some that it is the most versitile and perhaps the best PRS produced in their current line-up and to top it all off, PRSh plays this model. Very interested in one but for some reason they are not being ordered by the usual suspects. Can someone (Shawn maybe) tell us when they might start landing?

-Scott
Click to expand...

I'm reminded of how the same thing happens with all the gun magazines. An article appears on the cover of a magazine(s) promoting a new model of firearm, complete with reviews, pictures, testimonials and so on. So the reader then thinks to himself, "I'm going to go out and buy one of these new guns" only to be told at the dealer that they won't be getting any deliveries of this new model for X# of months. It seems to me that all manufacturers do that same thing. Advertise first to see how much of a demand there is and then determine how many you want to kick out from the production line. No manufacturer wants to build too many of something only to have them sit unsold in warehouses (like 2015 Gibson models lol). I'm guessing that PRS is doing the same thing here. It's also a long boat ride from Surabaya Indonesia.
 
I can see some around in the UK and Europe.

I believe PRS aim to make around 40 core guitars per day - at least that was the figure given in one factory tour with a dealer. That's not just Paul's but all the current core models and that's for a 'global' market. I don't know what percentage of those core guitars are Paul's but there are over 20 different models - if you include the Core Signature line, all 3 hollowbody models, the 4 Custom 24 (regular, Piezo, Floyd, 24-08) etc. Even if they were all being made in equal numbers, that would mean ~2 a day for the whole global market. If they are very popular, particularly after some glowing reviews, then stores will be contacting customers who pre-ordered or put their name down to be advised when new stock comes in before they are advertised.

If its vitally important you get one sooner rather than later, Contact a few of the PRS dealers in your area or who youprefer to deal with and put your name down on a list to be contacted when stock arrives. Despite being an established brand, they are not churning out guitars like Fender or Gibson and probably less than Gibson's custom shop - at least in terms of the number of Core guitars (not inc S2 or CE)
 
A short while ago, when I was considering my first "core" guitar and wanted to check out the feel of the necks, I stopped by the local G.C. (I'm in a relatively large metropolitan area) because they were listed as a dealer of them. So I went in and asked where "the nice ones" were and almost got laughed at. Guess I should've known. Not trying to spread all the typical hate about that store, but... I wasn't surprised, really.

Good thing I've found about PRSi, though, is that they're darned consistently good. This makes me feel much more confident about buying them sight-unseen (which I have done, too).
 
Unless you are totally hung up on getting a TCI-loaded Paul's Guitar, the older model KILLS - and can often be found at a bit of a steal. I guess most people "fear" the pickups because you are kind of stuck with 'em. Personally, I find the pickups to be very pleasing sonically, and with very few modifications (if any) it could be my ONLY guitars.

Here's mine - a 2015 PGT in Honey....









While I love the PRS stopbar, and I will admit I have been able to try the Paul's stopbar with the brass inserts, I am glad both of my Paul's Guitars have had trems. I don't use the trem very often, but I just dig the overall look. When I take it out to a gig I feel like I am playing some super exotic guitar. The large Brushstroke Birds give (to me, anyway) an "Asian" vibe that matches the Honduran Rosewood and the Honey stained top. The guitar just drips class and tone.
 
@markd21 I can see the Paul's guitar being a complete flop!!!

Who wants a guitar where you have to like the Pick-ups, appreciate the quality and tone of it, the very usable split coil tones that don't lose volume and the critics have all been positive? Who wants to buy such a great guitar as it was made, stock, when you may want to change those excellent Pick-ups for some after-market set? Who wants to buy a guitar with a fixed bridge - no opportunity to mess with the intonation? It must be a terrible guitar because it doesn't allow for much after-market modding.... o_O:confused:o_O:D:D

Some people don't know what they're missing, more concerned about the what if instead of seeing how great things are as stock. Its the same with my 509 - although that has a trem bridge so some opportunity to mess the intonation up LOL

Most people that I know with the older Paul's love it and your 2015 is nice looking example.
 
I never really bonded with my friend's PG. I found myself more in the 408/Siggy camp personally. I do love the pickups and I like having a bit more oomph on the Siggy treble pickup.
 
@Mozzi - oh, I totally agree. It's silly, really. One of the things I got tired of, in the early 90s, was having to mod a guitar to make it "right". I was a big Ibanez guy at the time. The 540S and the original square heel RG550s were my guitar of choice. If I could get them with the IBZ/USA pickups I was good to go - I could keep 'em stock and be happy. Once Ibanez switch the "V" pickups I had to start putting in Dimarzios to bring the guitars back to the spec I liked. At first it was cool because I was learning how to solder and wire a guitar. I was learning about changing my tone via pot and cap values. Eventually though I learned and got sick of spending the extra money - especially since the guitars were more expensive.

I want to buy guitars that are "perfect" in their stock form. Jackson did this for me after the Ibanez thing. An OFR and SD pickups from the factory. Done. I buy the guitar and it sounds and plays the way I want. A bit generic, but it got the job done for the music I was playing at the time.

PRS. Boom. EVERYTHING is right and perfect out of the case. So much so that I don't even have to think about it. I see it and think it's pretty - I can buy it without fear of needing to change it. The ONLY thing PRS has that I hate is the HFS pickup - but that is easily avoided by not buying older models with the HFS. Sure, I prefer 57/08s over everything else, but I can get by (happily) with whatever pickup Paul and the team decide will be best in a particular 22 fret model. Trem? Stoptail? doesn't matter. Both are great.

I give PRS credit for putting guitars like the 408, 509, and Paul's on the market. It shows TOTAL faith in their product - you CAN'T change those pickups. I dig that. It's really a situation of "listen to the instrument and what it offers sonically" over "have a preconceived notion of how your mods will change a killer instrument."

Here's a guitar I wish PRS would reintroduce as a "Studio" model. Two Narrow 408s and a 305 pickup make for some AMAZING tones.

 
Totally love my PGs! Keepers for life (and maybe even beyond :eek:)
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@markd21 I only buy the guitars that I like everything about them. Obviously I include the tones that instrument is able to give me with its stock pick-ups and, if it doesn't sound right with Stock PU's, how do you know that other PU's will give you the sound you hope to get? At least I know exactly what the guitar can do when I buy it. I certainly wouldn't spend core PRS money on something that I am not completely happy with.

What ever aspect you can think of, from aesthetics, to build quality, to playability, to tone etc all have to be right and fit in with what I already have!! I couldn't care less if I can't change my 509's PU's or the Special 22's Narrowfield, I bought these guitars because of those PU's. Buying PRS, I know that everything is going to be 'right' so its just whether or not they offer me something different to what I already have....
 
Mozzi said:
@markd21 I only buy the guitars that I like everything about them. Obviously I include the tones that instrument is able to give me with its stock pick-ups and, if it doesn't sound right with Stock PU's, how do you know that other PU's will give you the sound you hope to get? At least I know exactly what the guitar can do when I buy it. I certainly wouldn't spend core PRS money on something that I am not completely happy with.

What ever aspect you can think of, from aesthetics, to build quality, to playability, to tone etc all have to be right and fit in with what I already have!! I couldn't care less if I can't change my 509's PU's or the Special 22's Narrowfield, I bought these guitars because of those PU's. Buying PRS, I know that everything is going to be 'right' so its just whether or not they offer me something different to what I already have....
Click to expand...

Right on!
 
markd21 said:
I want a Semi Hollow Signature some day. It's low on the pole, but they look like they'd be KILLER.
Click to expand...

There's a couple really nice 408 Semi Hollows on the Verb right now. One is an experience model that was owned by an employee. I like those because they have ebony boards and in the videos I've seen they sound incredible.
 
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