Why update my old PRS to new PRS specs?

[sebesta1990]

I recently watched the PRS LIVE Q&A Event and I heard Paul mention that I could send my old PRS to PTC, to be brought up to new PRS specs. Sounds cool to me but wouldn't that take away from the "Vintage" PRS sound? Those old songs are from those old PRS guitars.

I have old guitars that have Dragon II pickups, HFS & Vintage Bass pickups, 57/08, etc. I understand that PRS is always improving but these old guitars are what I fell in love with. I get the part about making it look like new but the rest? I'm not so sure.

Don't even get me started about people buying a core PRS and then putting aftermarket pickups in it. Sacrilege!

Thoughts?

 

[Kiwi]

Don't even get me started about people buying a core PRS and then putting aftermarket pickups in it. Sacrilege!

Thoughts?

Behold, my PRS SC-J ... with Gibson Classic 57s:

I'm sure this violated some fundamental law of the universe, but on the other hand, it sounded pretty good.

=K

 

[KentuckyBoiledChiccan]

I recently watched the PRS LIVE Q&A Event and I heard Paul mention that I could send my old PRS to PTC, to be brought up to new PRS specs. Sounds cool to me but wouldn't that take away from the "Vintage" PRS sound? Those old songs are from those old PRS guitars.

I have old guitars that have Dragon II pickups, HFS & Vintage Bass pickups, 57/08, etc. I understand that PRS is always improving but these old guitars are what I fell in love with. I get the part about making it look like new but the rest? I'm not so sure.

Don't even get me started about people buying a core PRS and then putting aftermarket pickups in it. Sacrilege!

Thoughts?

I have upgraded my 99 Standard with everything except the wood and bridge (new saddles installed, tho). New phase III tuners, 59/09 pickups, frames, knobs, whole cavity redone with new pots, push-push tone with partial split on resistors, new switch, output jack, new nut... cost me a bit, IMO wort every penny I have spent

 

[SinSir]

Personally I prefer some of the older builds and woods but on the flip side I prefer the newer electronics and some other random things.. An extreme example is the CE. Give me an older CE24 any and every day, except for one key thing I much prefer the electronics of the new one.

 

[László]

I recently watched the PRS LIVE Q&A Event and I heard Paul mention that I could send my old PRS to PTC, to be brought up to new PRS specs. Sounds cool to me but wouldn't that take away from the "Vintage" PRS sound? Those old songs are from those old PRS guitars.

I have old guitars that have Dragon II pickups, HFS & Vintage Bass pickups, 57/08, etc. I understand that PRS is always improving but these old guitars are what I fell in love with. I get the part about making it look like new but the rest? I'm not so sure.

Don't even get me started about people buying a core PRS and then putting aftermarket pickups in it. Sacrilege!

Thoughts?

You like what you like, and that's great!

On the other hand, why not, if someone prefers the newer pickups/electronics/hardware? The original parts could always be saved and stored away - just in case, or to sell down the road if that's what's desired.

I had lots and lots of the older models over the years, and prefer the newer ones. Until the 57/08s came out, I wasn't a huge fan of the stock pickups, though I rarely changed them. If I still had, say, my '92 (or was it '93?) Artist II, I'd absolutely send it to the PTC to have 57/08s installed, and maybe even some other recent stuff. Of course, it's academic - I sold it in 1998.

 

[KentuckyBoiledChiccan]

I wonder if PTC would install a phase 3 bridge if I ask nicely?

To me I liked the look of the guitar a lot but Phase 1 tuners and HFS/VB was no no

I know lots people like phase 1 tuners but they just don't take thick strings. Depending on how I tune guitars I'm using as thick as .056 for the bass string (drop Db) and the thickest string I could shuffle in without slipping was .052, .054 if I got creative. So I had to upgrade

Pickups - stock pickups had no bounce at all, bit to muddy, to slow and lazy. 59/09 transferred this guitar into rock city bouncy castle. This whole mahagony guitar is actually brighter than my Custom on 85/15.

New nut in as old got broken during fileing for a set of 11's.

New pickup rings as old ones looked weird on refreshed, well polished and scratch free body.

New electronics for another 20 years of hassle free operation.

I used to use it for drop tuning only and that was the idea when I was pulling it from Reverb but man, its as good as my Custom and equally often used

 

[danktat]

I am about a close to a "leave it stock" guy as you can get when it comes to "premium" instruments. But I already have several threads up on this forum about that.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

I would 100% send my guitars to the PTC to get updated pickups!





If it were 2009.

 

[veinbuster]

Everybody should do whatever they want to a guitar that makes them like it better.

I like my older PRS for what they are. I like the sound of the 5x/xx pickups, but have always found the degree to which the tone knob impacts the volume to be annoying.

 

[gush]

Behold, my PRS SC-J ... with Gibson Classic 57s:

I'm sure this violated some fundamental law of the universe, but on the other hand, it sounded pretty good.

=K

I like Gibson 57 classic pickups and have considered putting a set in one of my prs guitars.

I had a Gibson 500T in the bridge of my McCarty for a while. Bad idea

 

[JasonE]

I would 100% send my guitars to the PTC to get updated pickups!





If it were 2009.

That was when I sent my Custom 22 in for new pickups.

 

[ElrytNamrogo]

I must've missed this...what exactly is this "updated to 2022 specs"?

Is this like a service where you send it in and they update the pickups and hardware, or something?

 

[László]

I would 100% send my guitars to the PTC to get updated pickups!





If it were 2009.

W.T.F. do YOU know!

 

[sergiodeblanc]

W.T.F. do YOU know!

Not much, but I have a pretty good track record for the cool sh!t.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

Separate thought: Why is Paul even advertising PTC services? They’ve been saying no a lot longer than yes lately. And not just the Covid years.

IMO, the best thing PRS has been doing to the new guitars is their construction (which is off the charts impeccable). I haven’t been bowled over by a set of their humbuckers or hardware in… sh!t… a decade? And they’re still not offering up their single coil recipe.

 

[László]

Not much, but I have a pretty good track record for the cool sh!t.

So does everyone else who has the good sense to play a PRS guitar!

There are those who like the older ones, those who like the newer ones, and those who like both.

I prefer the newer ones. But as with all musical instrument stuff, it's entirely about what you, the player like.

Even if you're, you know, completely wrong about what the cool sh!t actually is!

 

[CrimesAgainstMusic]

Nope...

I'm not sure what the differences are between "new " and " old", but I'm pretty sure the "old" stuff was pretty good, because if it were not, there probably not be any "new" stuff.

I would preserve it as is (replacing only stuff that may have broken ) But it would have a distinctly different , not better or worse "voice" than the "new stuff .

AND, if you need a new voice ...cop a "current" model !

Now that said ... I might make an exception for winged tuners ...