Will PRS ever do another P-90 Core guitar...?

[Greywolf]

I've done the Gibby thing too with a Custom Historic '55 LP Special ..with Lollars and a Jason Schroeder bridge stock.. and I have had my first soapy a '66 SG for 40 years

 

[FragileThunder]

Don’t know the answer but will gladly repost pics of my recently acquired McSoapy!

 

[GGJJGG]

Are there any sound comparisons out there between the soap bar and the 58/15 LT?

 

[Herr Squid]

PRS has done various soapbar guitars over the decades, I would guess that they'll do more if they think they can sell 'em. The 594 Soapbar Limiteds were fantastic guitars, I have a hard time imagining a better P90-equipped axe.

 

[Eseffinga]

To echo Herr Squid…from what I have seen and heard with Paul over the years, if it sells they make em. And when they don’t they stop.

I imagine there is a finite amount of time allotted on each piece of equipment, and with each step of the process, and materials to each step of the process.

Like lefties. At a certain point, it just isn’t cost effective to put those resources into the model if that’s not what customers are demanding.

Which bums me out to no end, because I’d really love to see what PRS would develop if they did their own twists on even just the P90 pickups. Not to mention models that could be developed around and out of that.

There is a reason my PS order way back when was for a P90 equipped HB-I. More mahogany.

Although, funny story. I originally asked PRS for a Hollowbody I with a Korina neck and body. They refused to build it because in their words, the wood is toxic, and unpredictable, and they didn’t use Korina.

Of course this was back in 2000, and I think they just didn’t have any and had no plans to go find me some. At least back then, PS was not anything you can dream up.

Anyway, I remember what a hassle it was for them to determine how they were going to get P90s to work for my build. I believe they ended up doing it by gluing on some blocks to the underside for the soapbars to screw into. Rather than writing a new program for the cnc and having to start with a bugger hunk of wood, which would admittedly be a waste anyway.

They were very pleased with themselves when they solved the P90 hollowbody mounting issue.

Alas, since I deferred to them on the Mahogany I requested light weight and figured mahogany. I got light weight and no figure.

But it rang and rang, so I kept it anyway. Plus if I hadn’t, my otherwise 1-off guitar would have had a pseudo twin out there too.

Still haven't seen another like it, although Chris’s came close. He also ordered a P90 Hollowbody around the same time.

But my PS soapie order was a whole raft of things that didn’t happen. Or went kind of askew. There was the whole “Matteo Blue” color ripoff. That is another somewhat bitter story. But it is what it is.

I miss it sometimes.

I went through literal dozens of McSoapy variations in the late 90s and early 2000s. It was my thing for a long long time.

Had 2 of the ultra rare Rosewood neck McSoapy Standards. A couple of the Pre-McCarty limited signed production McSoapies from early 90s. A black top/natural back McSoapy Trem (never a production guitar), Cu22 soapbars, including a very pretty NAMM show one. Some 1-off color McSoapies. It was a weird time for me. I learned a lot.

One of these days I’ll stumble across another that does it for me. I will always try them of I see them in shops. I have my eye out for a 594 version that does it for me.

Until then I have my white McCarty Soapie. And like, jeez… 3 R6s, my es-295, a junior, a special, etc. that all do things I really like.

But for me, the shortcoming has long been the pickups. I am sure there are some duncan diehards here. And the Antiquities are a vast improvement over the super overly hot nonsense they were using in the early days, but I would love to see PRS put their big pickup brains to work on the P90.

It is the pickup that in my mind is the simplest, and also the biggest challenge to make really really special. So few parts, means the balance of ingredients has to be just so, or it veers pretty hard one way or another. And most winders shoot for the middle of the safe road.

Only, I get it. No money in it for PRS to do it. Not even enough orders to build the guitars and fill those few orders with outsourced parts. Much less develop their own tooling, and r&d.

Oh well. Always hoping some “name” player comes along and sparks interest in the sheep.

 

[Greywolf]

 

[d^rren]

I would love to see them do something like an S2 triple soapbar. Or an S2 One.

I came really close to picking up an S2 Standard 22 and swapping out the dual humbuckers for three P90s. Still might do that if I come across a deal on a nice S2 Standard.

 

[Eseffinga]

If I could convince them to do a small run of 594 SC Korinas, I’d probably die and go to heaven. solid color tops, natural back and sides. Yum! I might even leave the Antiquities in them.

Maybe.

 

[Geo408]

I love P-90’s, but I hate the noise..and yes, I know all the ways to minimize the noise, but it’s hard to do any of the tricks, live on a stage. I think instead of p-90’s PRS will be using the 408 style pickups, or the narrowfields because they cover that tone very well. My 408, and my custom 22 semi-hollow are about the most versatile guitars out there. Add a Vela to that combo, and you can cover just about any major guitar sound out there..ymmv, of course.

 

[Prina]

Eventually the demand for P-90s will either cause them to do a run or those that want them will go used PRS or with Gibson, Knaggs.

But the demand is out there. I was really fortunate to grab my SE245 soapbar a year ago. Now they're 50% more and come on the market much less frequently.

 

[Greywolf]

My 2 cents , Paul is happy with his pickups and wants to stay with that direction . If you love Soapies , watch the market and snag them when there is a reasonable deal , so far except for the PS ones they are still mostly in that range.

 

[Gtrbldr]

My 2 cents , Paul is happy with his pickups and wants to stay with that direction . If you love Soapies , watch the market and snag them when there is a reasonable deal , so far except for the PS ones they are still mostly in that range.

I think so as well. Unless he cracks the noiseless code (or finds something like the system Suhr uses), I do not see it coming. Even the D style Single was removed from the Vela in favour of the narrowfield.

 

[Black Plaid]

Are there any comparisons between P90s and Pauls TCI pickups? It seems quite the coincidence that they are about the same size, and many of Pauls' early guitars featured P90s

 

[dogrocketp]

To echo Herr Squid…from what I have seen and heard with Paul over the years, if it sells they make em. And when they don’t they stop.

I imagine there is a finite amount of time allotted on each piece of equipment, and with each step of the process, and materials to each step of the process.

Like lefties. At a certain point, it just isn’t cost effective to put those resources into the model if that’s not what customers are demanding.

Which bums me out to no end, because I’d really love to see what PRS would develop if they did their own twists on even just the P90 pickups. Not to mention models that could be developed around and out of that.

There is a reason my PS order way back when was for a P90 equipped HB-I. More mahogany.

Although, funny story. I originally asked PRS for a Hollowbody I with a Korina neck and body. They refused to build it because in their words, the wood is toxic, and unpredictable, and they didn’t use Korina.

Of course this was back in 2000, and I think they just didn’t have any and had no plans to go find me some. At least back then, PS was not anything you can dream up.

Anyway, I remember what a hassle it was for them to determine how they were going to get P90s to work for my build. I believe they ended up doing it by gluing on some blocks to the underside for the soapbars to screw into. Rather than writing a new program for the cnc and having to start with a bugger hunk of wood, which would admittedly be a waste anyway.

They were very pleased with themselves when they solved the P90 hollowbody mounting issue.

Alas, since I deferred to them on the Mahogany I requested light weight and figured mahogany. I got light weight and no figure.

But it rang and rang, so I kept it anyway. Plus if I hadn’t, my otherwise 1-off guitar would have had a pseudo twin out there too.

Still haven't seen another like it, although Chris’s came close. He also ordered a P90 Hollowbody around the same time.

But my PS soapie order was a whole raft of things that didn’t happen. Or went kind of askew. There was the whole “Matteo Blue” color ripoff. That is another somewhat bitter story. But it is what it is.

I miss it sometimes.

I went through literal dozens of McSoapy variations in the late 90s and early 2000s. It was my thing for a long long time.

Had 2 of the ultra rare Rosewood neck McSoapy Standards. A couple of the Pre-McCarty limited signed production McSoapies from early 90s. A black top/natural back McSoapy Trem (never a production guitar), Cu22 soapbars, including a very pretty NAMM show one. Some 1-off color McSoapies. It was a weird time for me. I learned a lot.

One of these days I’ll stumble across another that does it for me. I will always try them of I see them in shops. I have my eye out for a 594 version that does it for me.

Until then I have my white McCarty Soapie. And like, jeez… 3 R6s, my es-295, a junior, a special, etc. that all do things I really like.

But for me, the shortcoming has long been the pickups. I am sure there are some duncan diehards here. And the Antiquities are a vast improvement over the super overly hot nonsense they were using in the early days, but I would love to see PRS put their big pickup brains to work on the P90.

It is the pickup that in my mind is the simplest, and also the biggest challenge to make really really special. So few parts, means the balance of ingredients has to be just so, or it veers pretty hard one way or another. And most winders shoot for the middle of the safe road.

Only, I get it. No money in it for PRS to do it. Not even enough orders to build the guitars and fill those few orders with outsourced parts. Much less develop their own tooling, and r&d.

Oh well. Always hoping some “name” player comes along and sparks interest in the sheep.

I look to Lindy Fralin for P90's. Try one of the EG lll's with noiseless P90's that Lindy did. It'll rock your world, and I think they're seriously undervalued.

 

[Mr_You]

I really hope PRS is considering offering 40th anniversary S2 594 Soapbar Honey Gold Burst models.

 

[dmatthews]

I really hope PRS is considering offering 40th anniversary S2 594 Soapbar Honey Gold Burst models.

Soapy...

 

[theDeepender]

I don't know, but when @AP515 turned me on to the idea of adding a soapy, I jumped on a 2018 594 soapbar and dayum... what a fantastic score!
It goes to most all gigs and practices. A supreme keeper.
I pondered this same question a year or so ago. S2 or Core, I think it would sell well.
Freakin' great axe...

I would not get the LP. I'd find one used. But I'm biased...

I’m sure I’ll take some hits on this, but it’s just my opinion. When I first saw the P90s on a PRS hanging in our local guitar store, my first thought was that it had to be a mistake. That someone would put something so (I’m my opinion only) ugly on such a glorious guitar. I would have loved to see, I don’t know, maybe black plastic instead. I will say this though, they do look very much like bars of soap.

 

[Moondog Wily]

I’m sure I’ll take some hits on this, but it’s just my opinion. When I first saw the P90s on a PRS hanging in our local guitar store, my first thought was that it had to be a mistake. That someone would put something so (I’m my opinion only) ugly on such a glorious guitar. I would have loved to see, I don’t know, maybe black plastic instead. I will say this though, they do look very much like bars of soap.

I am with you on the looks of P90's! I think they are the ugliest pickups known to mankind, especially in that common off white color ! But hey, the sound is what we pay the pounds for (at least in most cases), so put a bag over it and rock it!!

 

[Alnus Rubra]

Soapy...

 

[xpios]

Hi guys,

So is there any reason why PRS stopped making the P-90 loaded Mcarty model...? Im tempted to get a goldtop LP but i would prefer the PRS...

Also, what are the chances they do another core model with p-90's in the future...?



Rock on!...

V...

Id totally be down to buy one... even an S2 594 with p90s, but it would also be nice if Paul moved the bridge pup a little closer to the bridge like the LP Specials have.