kukumba
New Member
I have been playing for close to 30 years and about 2.5 years ago I picked my first PRS. I was impressed and after thinking about for a few days I went back and bought that guitar. Since then I have bought a lot more PRS's and they all get played a lot. I have been thinking about it and here is why PRS guitars are the best in the world:
1. Made in USA by people who seem to really care about the details. Everything about PRS is about quality. PRS takes such pride in the manufacturing that they produce essentially perfect instruments every time. They have raised the bar so high on themselves that if you pick one up and see even the slightest flaw in the finish or setup it surprises you. I have played hundreds of guitars at Brian's Guitars in CT and everyone of them is so close to perfect that it amazes me. For comparison, if you pick up a similarly priced Gibson or Fender it’s immediately obvious how different they are. In my opinion the average Les Paul does not even compare in quality.
2. PRS pickups are amazing. I love them all. They all sounds great as far as I’m concerned Sure they are all different and some people like this one over that one, but they still all sound great.
3. PRS guitars play great. They seem to have something for everyone in the line. I’m partial to Custom 24’s and 408’s but they all play.
4. PRS is constantly evolving. I love the fact that “Paul’s Guitar” is so different. By comparison again, Gibson and Fender have been making the same guitar for 50 years. I agree that Strats, Teles, Les Pauls and ES 335’s are great guitars. I think that history will show that the guitars that PRS is making right now will stand the test of time and become just as important and popular as Strats and Les Pauls seem to be. If Hendrix and Page had PRS around I bet they would have been playing them. (You got to give Gibson points for coming up with the Flying V and Explorer back in the day. I also give Fender points for the bolt on neck of the Strat and the contoured body. Bottom line is those designs are great and they have stood the test of time.)
5. I think it’s great that PRSH is so involved in the day-to-day operations and marketing. I do worry a little about PRS after PRSH leaves. One thing I have learned is that nothing lasts forever and I hope that PRS (like Apple) survives life after PRSH retires.
6. PRS Amps kick ass as well. Everyone I have played through sounds pretty good and compares nicely to Boogies, Fenders and other top amps.
7. PRS guitar cases are the best you can buy. The whole fancy paisley case was a great idea. A $3,000 or $4,000 guitar deserves to be in a super nice case. I wouldn’t want to take it out on the road and beat the hell out of it, but sitting in a closet or out in the living room it’s nice to have a case that looks and feels as great as the guitar in it.
8. The PRS Experience is an awesome event. I went last year for the first time and I will be going this year. If you love PRS guitars then the Experience is the ultimate weekend. All things PRS for 3 days. Surrounded by thousands of people who love it as much as you do. And it’s free! How can you beat that. When you walk around the factory and meet the guys who built your guitar its hard not to feel connected with the company in a serious way. I love how open they are about how everything is done. I can only imagine how many Gibson and Fender secret agents are there taking notes and stealing ideas for how they could improve their production lines.
9. This Forum is great. Everyone is so polite and supportive. This is a great community.
I could go on some more, but I’ll stop here and let others chime in about whatever I missed.
1. Made in USA by people who seem to really care about the details. Everything about PRS is about quality. PRS takes such pride in the manufacturing that they produce essentially perfect instruments every time. They have raised the bar so high on themselves that if you pick one up and see even the slightest flaw in the finish or setup it surprises you. I have played hundreds of guitars at Brian's Guitars in CT and everyone of them is so close to perfect that it amazes me. For comparison, if you pick up a similarly priced Gibson or Fender it’s immediately obvious how different they are. In my opinion the average Les Paul does not even compare in quality.
2. PRS pickups are amazing. I love them all. They all sounds great as far as I’m concerned Sure they are all different and some people like this one over that one, but they still all sound great.
3. PRS guitars play great. They seem to have something for everyone in the line. I’m partial to Custom 24’s and 408’s but they all play.
4. PRS is constantly evolving. I love the fact that “Paul’s Guitar” is so different. By comparison again, Gibson and Fender have been making the same guitar for 50 years. I agree that Strats, Teles, Les Pauls and ES 335’s are great guitars. I think that history will show that the guitars that PRS is making right now will stand the test of time and become just as important and popular as Strats and Les Pauls seem to be. If Hendrix and Page had PRS around I bet they would have been playing them. (You got to give Gibson points for coming up with the Flying V and Explorer back in the day. I also give Fender points for the bolt on neck of the Strat and the contoured body. Bottom line is those designs are great and they have stood the test of time.)
5. I think it’s great that PRSH is so involved in the day-to-day operations and marketing. I do worry a little about PRS after PRSH leaves. One thing I have learned is that nothing lasts forever and I hope that PRS (like Apple) survives life after PRSH retires.
6. PRS Amps kick ass as well. Everyone I have played through sounds pretty good and compares nicely to Boogies, Fenders and other top amps.
7. PRS guitar cases are the best you can buy. The whole fancy paisley case was a great idea. A $3,000 or $4,000 guitar deserves to be in a super nice case. I wouldn’t want to take it out on the road and beat the hell out of it, but sitting in a closet or out in the living room it’s nice to have a case that looks and feels as great as the guitar in it.
8. The PRS Experience is an awesome event. I went last year for the first time and I will be going this year. If you love PRS guitars then the Experience is the ultimate weekend. All things PRS for 3 days. Surrounded by thousands of people who love it as much as you do. And it’s free! How can you beat that. When you walk around the factory and meet the guys who built your guitar its hard not to feel connected with the company in a serious way. I love how open they are about how everything is done. I can only imagine how many Gibson and Fender secret agents are there taking notes and stealing ideas for how they could improve their production lines.
9. This Forum is great. Everyone is so polite and supportive. This is a great community.
I could go on some more, but I’ll stop here and let others chime in about whatever I missed.
