Your DGT is stunning Robert. I've never played anything past the S2 model and it was a smooth player. Going to have to try the higher end models soon. Great vid!
I have three, A Santana, a very early Custom 22 with SD pickups (pre bird inlays), and a beautiful prism stained Al Di meola model, which are pretty rare, and the Di meola is the one I keep going to. It is the best sounding, most versatile guitar I've ever owned! I can literally play any genre or style with it at will.
I agree. I'm turning 62 and my hands are starting to hurt a bit occasionally when I play hard on my 11-49 standard tuned guitars. I'm starting to change down to 10-46 to help my ageing knuckles.
Thank you Robert. I purchased a CE24 because of you from Sweetwater. I had them put 9’s on it and do a set up. It’s exactly like Tim said. It practically plays itself. Can’t say enough good things about this guitar. The tuning blew me away. Even after dive bombs, it still stays in tune
I put the strap button way out on the tip of the horn on an SG copy I have and the neck still dives. Found a strap with sheep wool padding that stops it sliding over my shoulder for the most part. One time before I hung 2 double D-cell flashlights off the bottom strap button to balance it. Made for an interesting light show on stage. Was easy to see the set-list to.😎😎
Couldn't agree more about the tuning issue. Even with the heat waves we've been having here in Portugal, the PRS just stays in tune, whereas all the others suffer a lot. Speaking for myself, obviously. But it so pleasant to have a guitar that's just user friendly. No fuss, no gimmicks.
Picked up my S2 last year. Dropped a set of 57/08’s and absolutely love it. Last week I got my first core. McCarty 594 silver burst. Doesn’t get any better
For your S2, how would you compare the 57/08 to the stock 58/15 "S" ? Was thinking about replacing mine as well. Did you look at other pickup brands/models? Thanks!
@@brianmckenzie1318 I don’t think I’ve heard anyone with buyer’s remorse for throwing 57/08 pickups in their S2. But they are pricey though. If you can drop the money, you won’t look back. But it’s also worth looking at some others, like Lollar Imperials or SD Antiquities. Regardless of which you choose, I doubt you’ll regret it, unless you have to eat ramen for the next 3 months. (Even then, maybe worth it.)
I always thought PRS guitars were nice but early on, was never a fan of the prices. Even the starting price. I was glad when they released the SE series because I could finally afford one. Somehow I got one with a flat top instead of the standard carved top, but it is the guitar that caught my eye and the one I wanted. It plays nicely and sounds great.
Torally agree about the SE. Having that quality of build and the beautiful playability in a guitar that cost me less than £500 new was just amazing. Love it.
Sometimes, I like, speak as if, like, everything is an approximation of, like, what I'm, like talking about. Like, it drives me f***ing crazy to hear this...LIKE LIKE LIKE all day. It is weak and annoying.
@@dragonpundit.6443 It's believe it's an age thing because nobody over 40 really speaks like that. "Literally" is also very popular, and when combined with "Like" can become doubly annoying. See below ⬇️ "I literally like bought this guitar" 🤔 "I bought this guitar "🙂
@@Mustaine1ify It drives me crazy...it makes them sound LIKE idiot Valley Girls. It's as if they aren't speaking specifically...its all Like something they are talking about, not exactly...it sounds stupid.
I have yet to own one, but I love PRS. I use to harvest maple blocks in high school as a side job and they were all for the PRS custom shops body’s. Very very high figured maple, we would travel all over western WA looking for good trees
That's a really cool story. Wood is such a beautiful material to work with. And look at the grey top on Robert's guitar. My mind got lost in that for 5 minutes, it's so beautiful. And this means you and I maybe connected. You may have harvested the wood for my guitar! Thanks! And if you're thinking of buying one, don't go on Sweetwater. They have some that are among the most beautiful guitars I've ever seen. It's like going to the grocery store when I'm hungry, I want to buy all the >$4,000 models. And twhile that is expensive, you're buying a future heirloom because properly cared for, they'll last forever. The same can be said for other first rate guitars, it's just that they're not PRS. : ) And I was kidding about not going to Sweetwater. It's a fantastic place to buy gear, IMO.
I’ve been a Fender player for most of my career and made the switch to PRS two years ago. Now, I truly have the perfect guitar. My choice was based on the design aspect alone and luckily enough I got a really great instrument. Thanks Paul!🎸🇺🇸
I played my buddy’s PRS and within 45 seconds I could tell it was the best playing guitar I had ever played. Not talking about sound or whether I felt inspired, I mean literally it played better.
I went to a guitar show in Sydney Australia in the early nineties, heard a PRS through a Soldano, thought it was the greatest thing ever. 20 years, 20 guitars and 20 amps later, I had a 93 10 top custom and a 50 watt hot rod Soldano. Couldn't take to the prs, felt light and sort of flimsy compared to my 96 les paul custom, and didn't have the punch and warmth. The PRS went after a few years, the lp and Soldano are still here. Forever.
Just pulled my 5 year old SG Special out of the case yesterday. It had been there 3 months. Still in tune. It's the only Gibson product I've ever had that could do that, though. Gibson QC has always struck me as pretty inconsistent. Too bad I've yet to run across a PRS as light as that SG. When your back is as worn out as mine, that gets to be a consideration.
I love PRS…have 5 USA models. My only criticism is I never can really gel with their pickups. I swap them and they come alive for me. I don’t think they are bad, just bland.
What did you swap yours with… i have an amazing looking custom 24 and have swapped the 59/09s for multiple seymour duncans and gibson burtsbucker pros as well as prs metals and now 85/15s and it always disappoints
@@ES335CD I’d probably just get rid of that guitar then haha I had a CE24 that sounds meh no matter what I put in it. Sold it. BUT, I put a custom 5 and 59 in one Custom 24, an Alpha Omega set in another custom 24(this one was for metal), Saturday Night specials on a singlecut, and bareknucke Mule set in my 594. My 408 is stock pickups, as you can’t really swap those. I use that one for clean tones and light OD exclusively, so it’s great…a bit disappointing on heavier sounds tho.
If you have a DGT, try rewiring it to have 3 push pull pots, one to split both HB's, one for a phase reversal switch and one for a master series/parallel switch, lots of tonal variations.
Not trying to be a troll or anything, but how are they "well engineered" as opposed to many other guitar models? For example, the strings don't go 100% straight from nut to tuner and the neck heel isn't the most comfortable or ergonomic in the market by a long shot. not bashing the brand, but that blanket statement just irked me XD I 100% agree...play many guitars until one just "feels right" in your hands. If I have 10 min to try a guitar I would spend 9 min unplugged just "feeling" the guitar and how it resonates...then I would care 1min about the easily replaceable pickups XD
The only problem is so few music stores have a decent collection of PRS guitars to try out. I've been fortunate enough to be able to buy and try a few (do a bit of selling as well on Reverb) to find the ones that "speak" to me.
I love PRS guitars for live playing, but I have two gripes. One is that they’re so well made they have a piano-like quality where there’s a total absence of the little variabilities that give guitars like strats their unique feel and sound. The second gripe is that they only occasionally release left handed guitars.
@@YesuAiNimenif they are so expensive get an se, I currently can’t afford a USA model and am saving it would be stupid of me to say because I can’t afford it that’s it’s expensive, all guitars are expensive nowadays
Got my ce 24 and it's now my favorite guitar. Followed up by my American strat, which is the guitar I put all my learning hours on. The prs just inspires me to pick it up and play, it stays in tune, the trem works well and doesn't lose pitch, the pickups and coil splitting options plus great pots leave so much room for tone variations and it just makes me smile
Last December, after a multi-year hiatus from playing, almost on a lark really, I bought a PRS SE Standard 24. Sweetwater. New. $650 bucks. Lowest man of the PRS Totempole. I never looked back. Can't put it down. Playing now at a level beyond my ambitions without one shred of feeling like I have worked hard, even though I really have. The quality that Paul insists in his SE line should get him into heaven all by itself. A few weeks after I picked up the Standard 24 I bought a PRS SE Angelus a30e used on Reverb. Same story.
Recently got a 594 s2. The top contour is so comfortable (even if it’s not as aesthetically pleasing as the violin carves) and it plays incredibly well. I think the S2 line is really under rated. I wish they would match the output of the pickups like the core model but that was my only gripe. The neck pickup was perfect but the bridge was too hot (9k). Chords were muddy and never cut like I expected but it was great for lead. I put a matching 8.3k in the bridge and it fixed my problem. Now it does everything I want it to. Perfect guitar 👌
I fell in love with PRS on my first play. It just fit. I can't explain any better. It fit me perfectly. They're right about the balance and weight, they're damn near perfect for me. But most important, they sound absolutely beautiful, and I love to play them. (Even though the guy at the store asked me not to touch the massively expensive one.)
I saw a video in 1989 or so on and by Paul Reed Smith. That only sold me, then I played one. I'd have bought one decades ago if my playing ability justified the cost. Keep playing!
Head stock design is one of the reasons i purchased a PRS. Amongst many others . The higher end models you really do get your moneys worth . Im a shreadder but i do play a lot of blues with a lot of bends and it stays in tune. If you really look at the finer details you will start to notice just how meticulous they build . Just things like the nut channels . The way they did those inlays in the string channels on the nut is a perfect example . Been a fan from the first time i played one . Fine imstrument !
I want to love them, I really do. As a MD resident, it's easy to demo all sorts of them- every decent store stocks them. But I have yet to bond with anything. Maybe I'm just so used to satin finish or gunstock finish necks, I just don't love the painted gloss thing? I don't know. In any case, given the prices, I need to LOVE it if I'm going to shell out like that because there is a world of boutique and custom options at this price point
I had an Artist 2 WAY back in the day. It was gorgeous with an Amber quilted top, it had a cool ass border along the neck & headstock, and it played & sounded AMAZING! I sold it to help buy PA gear to start a business and kick myself every day because I haven't seen one that nice in 20 years.
I bought two PRS new, a 90 24 fret Signature and a 97 McCarty. Try as I might I could newer bond with either of them. Very well made for sure, just didn’t have “it” for me.
Nobody can bond with a PRS because they are synthetic and you are organic (as of yet). The two do not mix. This is why people bond with vintage guitars, no matter how imperfect they might be. Vintage guitars are organic (because they were hand made), like the player is.
I've played bass in lots of bands and guitar in a few. Played with a pal who used a PRS and I used my Firebird. It was a great and sort of unique sound for a guy who spent decades hearing LP and Strat as a blend. Personally I don't care for PRS because I don't like the necks. They are great instruments regardless.
I completely agree about the DGT. I love mine. I have four core PRSi and the DGT is my favourite. I'm fundamentally a Stratocaster guy (I have nine!) but my PRS guitars are the best built guitars I own including my vintage Gibsons. No-one mentioned the MANN trem. Silky smooth and stays in tune better than any of my Strats.
I wired my tele with the bridge pickup only with the tone wired and not the neck. I also flipped the controls to stop knocking the switch, and made the volume knob closest to my pinky.
I was lucky to get a PRS SE Custom 24-08 in Blue Burst from Sweetwater in May 2022. It's a Sweetwater exclusive, and they go fast. Not only is the guitar gorgeous, but it plays great and stays in tune, even without locking tuners on this model. I love the pickup options, the balance, and the weight. It's almost 2 pounds lighter than my Les Paul, and about a pound heavier than my Strat. The body and fretboard binding are a great touch at this price. Fabulous value.
PRS has even more benefits, I could keep this conversation going haha 😂 I absolutely love them. Paul is a good guy, works hard to bring the best product to the table for us to love. This is a company doesn’t stop at “good enough” they try to go into exceptional even on their SE line. I’ve got a few PRS guitars, and no matter if it’s my expensive “now somewhat vintage pre hollow body 2” or my Se... I love them. It’s easy to create and cut loose when you have something that rarely breaks a string & stays in tune 😂
I have the PRS SE Custom 24 in a Tobacco Burst and I LOVE it. I did put locking tuners on it that I purchased from John Mann Guitar Vault USA and it stays in tune better that my MIM Fender Strat and I could be wrong, but I think the PRS style tremolo bridge helps it to stay in tune too. Great video!!
09:20 … Four knob functionality really comes into play in the middle position, ie; both pups on … The tone palette is huge, not least by adjusting the Volume pots… Once you are used to that, it’s very hard when you haven’t got it.
I have a DGT in that black and white stripe pattern. Love it. Much harder to play than my 84 strat but lovely sound and very good in many ways. And I’m going to try 9/10 now that I see you guys have had good luck with it. 11s are way too much. :)
Thanks for the video. I love my PRS Custom 24 SE, the way it sounds, plays, and looks. I am an older player who didn’t know how to play a single chord until 3 years ago but this guitar inspires me to play and play better. It feels great. And as I get better, I am exploring more and more of the tones. That it has both single coil and humbuckers expands the range.
I love whenb you guys talk about PRS guitars. I've got an SE 24 fret that obvioisly is not a PRS. But it's close. So it's cool hearing what players like you and Tim do to them to get them to sound good. I wasn't crazy about it when I got it, but it's getting there. And any video with Tim is great.
Honestly, PRS wise, Fiore + Silver Sky 2021 Zach Meyers SE S2 Mccarty 594 SC Hollowbody 2 Piezo Personally I think they nailed the Strat, and I was always a fan of the Gibson LP replacement, aka Mccarty Single cuts modified with the firebird controls, quality wise PRS just blows them out of the water.
for a long time I didn't know about PRS... when they were on my radar I was very interested in them and eventually got a brand new SE. shortly after getting it I tried to open the truss rod cover; the screw broke in half and was stuck in the guitar, which put me off of PRS. Maybe one day I'll try another one, but for now I'm happy with the guitars I have.
I saved money for a core PRS for ages, and when the time was right, I bought a limited series, pre BFR, EBMM Luke III. I'm not that smart. Anyway, I love my guitar, but now I'm saving again for the DGT. 😅 Nice to see both of you together. I'm gonna stop writing, 'cause I'm missing the video. Cheers! 🍻
Yes. 25" scale length. It splits the difference. Very nice. Strings aren't as taut as a Fender, so are easier to bend, and don't ever have that harsh clang that Fenders can sometimes have from how taut they are. When it's working it's awesome, because you get that chime and clarity. But push it too hard, or if I'm a little off, I fight a harsher tone. Gibsons are wonderfully fat when my touch is right on them, but they can also lack authority and clarity sometimes, at least for me. PRS hits right in the middle. Always clear. Fiddle with the knobs and they can be either wonderfully fat, or ringing and chimey, especially with a coil tap, like on mine. Never too harsh or too soft-twang. The 25" really does seem to hit the best of both worlds.
How about 8th decade and I'm getting my Custom 24-08 end of the month and I'm as excited as I was when I got my 3/4 Fender Mustang in 1964 :) Rock on dudes, NEVER stop playing.
I have two McCartys (one is a one piece slab of mahogany) both with solid Indian rosewood necks & a Singlecut with a solid Brazilian rosewood neck. Awesome, awesome guitars.
I can't afford the core models, or even the CE at this time, but the S2 are worth the price and I love my SE Custom! It's an excellent player guitar that does everything for under a grand.
I have a cherry red 1999 C e 24. 11 Gauge , super low action I use the single coils 65 percent of the time and double coil when I want extra thump I’ll never get rid of it Every inch and every setting oozes the most exsqusit tones Also I have a master coil tap on the tone nob It’s my favorite Can be like a strat or a Paul
I bought a 2021 SE custom 24/ ash top (used -$550), put Wilkinson WLS 130/S locking steel saddles on the trem bridge ($89), and it's damn near perfect. Easy to play, not too heavy, and will not go out of tune even with heavy trem use. The new SE's are very good build quality - good enough where it's hard for a working-class stiff to justify the extra $3K for an American-made version.
I have a '95 Custom 24 and a '98 McCarty. I can set them both up with paper thin action but I also have a '15 Hollowbody II and that one doesn't set up as low. The irony is I use 9 - 46 on the first 2 and the OEM gauge 11s on the HBII. Even with a higher action (comparatively), it plays like butter. I picked up a Silver Sky when they came out and that one doesn't have a low action either. It's set up with 10-52 (tuned down 1/2 step) and has a beautiful, silky smooth feel as well. If I could only keep 2, it would be the McCarty and the Silver Sky. They are completely stock and perfect right out of the case. But that would be a fight. The Custom 24 was my first PRS and I played many gigs and studio sessions with it. The HB II is so sweet, I would be plotting and scheming to get another. Ok, I give up! I ain't pickin' just one favorite!
I too have had my share of, “well this is nice, but it’s not a good fit for me” with PRS (that “I regret this purchase” feeling sucks so bad. I wish they did a CE with the middle pickup, like the 509 since I can’t afford a 509. 😞 I do like their acoustic parlor size model though.
I love my 93 CE24. Nothing has topped it except my 76 ES355. Nothing else comes close. The new CE24s are amazing too! I regret getting rid of mine. Id really like to try a nice Fire Red Burst 24-08 with a pattern thin neck. Whew baby.
I got a new core model custom 24 from GC hollywood in 1995 still have it and it still like new having been around the world with me a few times. Best investment i ever made i find it hard to play my other guitars im so spoiled un loke all the fancy ones mine is black try finding a 95 in black i dont think they made many cheers ps it has the old pointer locking tuners and they work fine if you know the trick paul told me about !
I love the engineering analysis here! PRS guitars are functional artworks. My motivation now that I'm getting back into playing music is to get good enough on my Squiers that I can justify moving up to a PRS. Rock on!
With a Classic Vibe model, if you like it enough, it may be as much "moving up" as you'll ever need to do. Even the Affinity line has become more than just 'good enough'.
I keep hearing people talking shit about the se PRS model but I have a zach myers that I put chrome pickup covers on it and I put a ebony truss rod cover with a crow sitting on a branch on it and let me tell you that my zach myers never goes out of tune and I love it .
I have a PRS S2 singlecut satin. They no longer make this model and it was the most inexpensive American made PRS at the time I bought it. It is my favorite guitar. The neck fits my hands perfectly. I lowered the action a smidge and it is super easy to play. No buzzes and no dead spots. I have a 1997 Heritage H535 and the PRS is 1/3 the money and plays better. They both sound really good but I really like the sound of the PRS #7 S pickups. I have 4 electric guitars but the PRS gets the most play time by far. I probably will never by a custom but I could see getting another S2 someday. Great guitars.
Great video. I've been playing guitar for many years and finally got my first PRS, an S2 and I love it. The sound, the quality, playability, the thing is flawless in my opinion. I don't see how any good guitar player wouldn't love a PRS. Just saying lol.
My first guitar was a Santana se, bought back in 03. I got heavily involved with the p and w scene and bought into the fender and Gibson hype. After years of playing anything from asat, to sg’s to lespauls to portlander I picked up a silver sky to compare to my strat. I was blown away. It’s a year and a half later and I now have 3 and am trying re acquire my first guitar lol.
I have 3 CE models and absolutely love them. They are so good out of the box it's insane. I've never had to do any work on them other than string changes and action to my taste. I admittedly absolutely love my Les Pauls though, they speak to me a bit more. So I need to audition a McCarty and compare.
I bought a Les Paul and an SG Supra. I liked them, but each had its own issues. LP still had tuning issues after having a new nut put on. The SG was nice if I was sitting but if I stood up and moved, the neck flexed too much and wouldn't stay in tune. So, after about $6k of Gibson, I'm done.
When you add all that up that they mentioned, plus the fact there's so many other features that make a PRS so good like brass inserts on the saddles, the pickup ring screws are flush mounted, the carve of the body elevates the picking area in relation to where your arm/elbow rest. I am holding my Paul's Guitar right now and going over all the things I can see as I write this. The bottom line is if it's on one of PRS's guitars, Paul has given it some thought. Nothing has escaped his scrutiny.
Thanks! I'm a low action player. I sanded my D-35 a little too low, and got used to it. Only thing is when you play with force, stroke up or down, and not towards the guitar. Plays herself!
If you want tone on bridge only run the hot lead of the tone pot to the bridge lug on the 3-way. You'll still have the tone active with both pickups but it will not affect the neck.
I love the look and sound of the the PRS guitars and I tried many of them, but the feel just wasn't right for me. I ended up getting a Tom Anderson Bobcat which solves all the same problems the PRS models do. The great thing about today's guitar market is that we have so many wonderful builders to choose from.
My next guitar is going to be a PRS. I've played quite a few, and I like my action crazy low. I'll keep playing them until I find "the one". Not something you wanna overthink. It's how I've bought all my guitars.
Grew us as an SG guy who switched to strats for a while. Then I saw a PRS on craigslist at a great price and figured if I didn't dig it I could flip it. Gorgeous guitar and the feel ... there would be no flipping this guitar! It's now my favorite. My only beef is the wiring, it's a 1990 so original five way rotary and sweet switch which paradoxically offer lots of discrete tone choices but also limit your flexibility without a real tone knob. You are forced to learn to use the volume knob better.
It’s easy to have independent coil splitting, you just need to add a second push/pull pot (replace an existing one)and wire each pickup to a separate one. I have a Chapman Ghostfret with master tone and master volume, both push/pull with neck pickup switched on volume pot, bridge pickup on tone pot
Had a Fender Toronado for years and wanted to love it but never really did - sounded ok through an amp but for digital recording I always thought it was noisy and didn’t love the tone. Sold it for $1K and picked up a PRS SE Starla brand new for $450. Sounds so much better on my home recordings.
The first time I ever held a true PRS was in the early 2000’s and it was Jeremy Camp’s and I got to fiddle around with it. It was a holy grail guitar that I always wanted to try. I HATED it lol but to be honest I was still early on in my playing but now I’m a bit older and man I really want a prs! Sorry about my autobiography 😂
Was finally after several years able to afford a real (USA) PRS back in 2018 online but ended up selling it after a few years as I just never liked the way it felt or sounded. I’m not a strat guy either but love teles and Les pauls.
The standard coil split and versatility is another thing these fix. I had my first encounter with one in 2002 at college, when I did a setup on one, and fell in love with it. I was sad to give it back. CE24 in whale blue. I'm going to buy one from that era once I save the money because I truly have always wanted one.
What's your favorite model of PRS? You know I'm going with the DGT.
Your DGT is stunning Robert. I've never played anything past the S2 model and it was a smooth player. Going to have to try the higher end models soon. Great vid!
My DGT and CU22 are great. Love the versatile tones of the DGT.
My new to me 594 single cut
The S2 Standard 24, I love the matte nitro finish with the pick guard. It’s a GREAT guitar.
I have three, A Santana, a very early Custom 22 with SD pickups (pre bird inlays), and a beautiful prism stained Al Di meola model, which are pretty rare, and the Di meola is the one I keep going to. It is the best sounding, most versatile guitar I've ever owned! I can literally play any genre or style with it at will.
"I'm just ready for it to be easy!" No truer words. For those of us that are approaching our 6th, 7th, decades, easy action is key. :)
Right with you on that. Well into my 6th decade and looking for what is easy on the hands.
Easiest playing guitar out there. I'm approaching 60 and the old hands need all the help they can get.
I agree. I'm turning 62 and my hands are starting to hurt a bit occasionally when I play hard on my 11-49 standard tuned guitars. I'm starting to change down to 10-46 to help my ageing knuckles.
I’m a beginner in the middle of my 4th decade. Hope I can carry a tune by my 6th.
Tim is such a humble cool guy. Especially putting it in context of his enormous musical contributions.
Thank you Robert. I purchased a CE24 because of you from Sweetwater. I had them put 9’s on it and do a set up. It’s exactly like Tim said. It practically plays itself. Can’t say enough good things about this guitar. The tuning blew me away. Even after dive bombs, it still stays in tune
I put the strap button way out on the tip of the horn on an SG copy I have and the neck still dives. Found a strap with sheep wool padding that stops it sliding over my shoulder for the most part. One time before I hung 2 double D-cell flashlights off the bottom strap button to balance it. Made for an interesting light show on stage. Was easy to see the set-list to.😎😎
Couldn't agree more about the tuning issue. Even with the heat waves we've been having here in Portugal, the PRS just stays in tune, whereas all the others suffer a lot. Speaking for myself, obviously. But it so pleasant to have a guitar that's just user friendly. No fuss, no gimmicks.
Picked up my S2 last year. Dropped a set of 57/08’s and absolutely love it. Last week I got my first core. McCarty 594 silver burst. Doesn’t get any better
Not too often you see a silver burst PRS!
@@mikeomatic9905 I reached out to PRS about this. Gave them my serial number and they replied it was a custom color in their records
For your S2, how would you compare the 57/08 to the stock 58/15 "S" ? Was thinking about replacing mine as well. Did you look at other pickup brands/models? Thanks!
@@brianmckenzie1318 I don’t think I’ve heard anyone with buyer’s remorse for throwing 57/08 pickups in their S2. But they are pricey though. If you can drop the money, you won’t look back. But it’s also worth looking at some others, like Lollar Imperials or SD Antiquities. Regardless of which you choose, I doubt you’ll regret it, unless you have to eat ramen for the next 3 months. (Even then, maybe worth it.)
I always thought PRS guitars were nice but early on, was never a fan of the prices. Even the starting price. I was glad when they released the SE series because I could finally afford one. Somehow I got one with a flat top instead of the standard carved top, but it is the guitar that caught my eye and the one I wanted. It plays nicely and sounds great.
Every price point of theirs is good. You really can't go wrong.
Torally agree about the SE. Having that quality of build and the beautiful playability in a guitar that cost me less than £500 new was just amazing. Love it.
Sometimes, I like, speak as if, like, everything is an approximation of, like, what I'm, like talking about. Like, it drives me f***ing crazy to hear this...LIKE LIKE LIKE all day. It is weak and annoying.
@@dragonpundit.6443 It's believe it's an age thing because nobody over 40 really speaks like that. "Literally" is also very popular, and when combined with "Like" can become doubly annoying. See below ⬇️
"I literally like bought this guitar" 🤔
"I bought this guitar "🙂
@@Mustaine1ify It drives me crazy...it makes them sound LIKE idiot Valley Girls. It's as if they aren't speaking specifically...its all Like something they are talking about, not exactly...it sounds stupid.
I have an Eastman SB/59v and the headstock angle on it is similar and that guitar is the insanely solid.
I have yet to own one, but I love PRS. I use to harvest maple blocks in high school as a side job and they were all for the PRS custom shops body’s. Very very high figured maple, we would travel all over western WA looking for good trees
That's a really cool story. Wood is such a beautiful material to work with. And look at the grey top on Robert's guitar. My mind got lost in that for 5 minutes, it's so beautiful.
And this means you and I maybe connected. You may have harvested the wood for my guitar! Thanks!
And if you're thinking of buying one, don't go on Sweetwater. They have some that are among the most beautiful guitars I've ever seen. It's like going to the grocery store when I'm hungry, I want to buy all the >$4,000 models. And twhile that is expensive, you're buying a future heirloom because properly cared for, they'll last forever. The same can be said for other first rate guitars, it's just that they're not PRS. : )
And I was kidding about not going to Sweetwater. It's a fantastic place to buy gear, IMO.
I’ve been a Fender player for most of my career and made the switch to PRS two years ago. Now, I truly have the perfect guitar. My choice was based on the design aspect alone and luckily enough I got a really great instrument. Thanks Paul!🎸🇺🇸
I played my buddy’s PRS and within 45 seconds I could tell it was the best playing guitar I had ever played. Not talking about sound or whether I felt inspired, I mean literally it played better.
You never tried a Vigier, Leduc or Parker
I went to a guitar show in Sydney Australia in the early nineties, heard a PRS through a Soldano, thought it was the greatest thing ever. 20 years, 20 guitars and 20 amps later, I had a 93 10 top custom and a 50 watt hot rod Soldano. Couldn't take to the prs, felt light and sort of flimsy compared to my 96 les paul custom, and didn't have the punch and warmth. The PRS went after a few years, the lp and Soldano are still here. Forever.
I bought my first PRs a couple months ago. I love it. Love it. Love it.
My 81 Firebrand SG will stay in tune sitting in the case 6 after months. It's amazing and the only guitar I own that does that.
Just pulled my 5 year old SG Special out of the case yesterday. It had been there 3 months. Still in tune. It's the only Gibson product I've ever had that could do that, though. Gibson QC has always struck me as pretty inconsistent. Too bad I've yet to run across a PRS as light as that SG. When your back is as worn out as mine, that gets to be a consideration.
I haven't picked it up in a couple weeks, but I just walked over to my CE to check whether it's in tune. Lo and behold, it is!
I love PRS…have 5 USA models. My only criticism is I never can really gel with their pickups. I swap them and they come alive for me. I don’t think they are bad, just bland.
Agreed, PRS is bland as can be.
I only like the dragon ii but have also thought about swapping to my preferred lp set like a custom5 and jazz
I agree when it comes to most of their newer guitars. My 02 McCarty has some of the best sounding pickups I’ve ever heard though
What did you swap yours with… i have an amazing looking custom 24 and have swapped the 59/09s for multiple seymour duncans and gibson burtsbucker pros as well as prs metals and now 85/15s and it always disappoints
@@ES335CD I’d probably just get rid of that guitar then haha I had a CE24 that sounds meh no matter what I put in it. Sold it. BUT, I put a custom 5 and 59 in one Custom 24, an Alpha Omega set in another custom 24(this one was for metal), Saturday Night specials on a singlecut, and bareknucke Mule set in my 594. My 408 is stock pickups, as you can’t really swap those. I use that one for clean tones and light OD exclusively, so it’s great…a bit disappointing on heavier sounds tho.
I have done the wiring on one of my PRS guitars that Tim is talking about at 10:10. It was the movement of one wire. Look it up. It was very simple.
If you have a DGT, try rewiring it to have 3 push pull pots, one to split both HB's, one for a phase reversal switch and one for a master series/parallel switch, lots of tonal variations.
@@RoadkillPinata great idea
They are incredibly consistent and well engineered. If you are a player, always play examples until one speaks to you, then buy.
Agreed 👍
Not trying to be a troll or anything, but how are they "well engineered" as opposed to many other guitar models? For example, the strings don't go 100% straight from nut to tuner and the neck heel isn't the most comfortable or ergonomic in the market by a long shot. not bashing the brand, but that blanket statement just irked me XD I 100% agree...play many guitars until one just "feels right" in your hands. If I have 10 min to try a guitar I would spend 9 min unplugged just "feeling" the guitar and how it resonates...then I would care 1min about the easily replaceable pickups XD
There are just as much defective PRS as there are defective epiphones and gibsons and fenders.
The only problem is so few music stores have a decent collection of PRS guitars to try out. I've been fortunate enough to be able to buy and try a few (do a bit of selling as well on Reverb) to find the ones that "speak" to me.
The four knobs is one of the reasons that I still love Gibson's style guitars . Can't wait to acquire a single cut PRS !
594 SC !
I love PRS guitars for live playing, but I have two gripes. One is that they’re so well made they have a piano-like quality where there’s a total absence of the little variabilities that give guitars like strats their unique feel and sound.
The second gripe is that they only occasionally release left handed guitars.
A third gripe..................waaaaaaaaay too expensive.
@@YesuAiNimen they aren't too expensive at all lol
@@choomanji Lol core lol models lol are lol expensive lol LOL LOL LOL LOL
@@YesuAiNimenso expensive. The Paul's Ego Premium.
@@YesuAiNimenif they are so expensive get an se, I currently can’t afford a USA model and am saving it would be stupid of me to say because I can’t afford it that’s it’s expensive, all guitars are expensive nowadays
Got my ce 24 and it's now my favorite guitar. Followed up by my American strat, which is the guitar I put all my learning hours on. The prs just inspires me to pick it up and play, it stays in tune, the trem works well and doesn't lose pitch, the pickups and coil splitting options plus great pots leave so much room for tone variations and it just makes me smile
Last December, after a multi-year hiatus from playing, almost on a lark really, I bought a PRS SE Standard 24. Sweetwater. New. $650 bucks. Lowest man of the PRS Totempole. I never looked back. Can't put it down. Playing now at a level beyond my ambitions without one shred of feeling like I have worked hard, even though I really have. The quality that Paul insists in his SE line should get him into heaven all by itself. A few weeks after I picked up the Standard 24 I bought a PRS SE Angelus a30e used on Reverb. Same story.
Recently got a 594 s2. The top contour is so comfortable (even if it’s not as aesthetically pleasing as the violin carves) and it plays incredibly well. I think the S2 line is really under rated.
I wish they would match the output of the pickups like the core model but that was my only gripe. The neck pickup was perfect but the bridge was too hot (9k). Chords were muddy and never cut like I expected but it was great for lead. I put a matching 8.3k in the bridge and it fixed my problem. Now it does everything I want it to. Perfect guitar 👌
I fell in love with PRS on my first play. It just fit. I can't explain any better. It fit me perfectly. They're right about the balance and weight, they're damn near perfect for me. But most important, they sound absolutely beautiful, and I love to play them. (Even though the guy at the store asked me not to touch the massively expensive one.)
I saw a video in 1989 or so on and by Paul Reed Smith. That only sold me, then I played one. I'd have bought one decades ago if my playing ability justified the cost. Keep playing!
The notes sound really clear on these pickups.
Head stock design is one of the reasons i purchased a PRS. Amongst many others . The higher end models you really do get your moneys worth . Im a shreadder but i do play a lot of blues with a lot of bends and it stays in tune. If you really look at the finer details you will start to notice just how meticulous they build . Just things like the nut channels . The way they did those inlays in the string channels on the nut is a perfect example . Been a fan from the first time i played one .
Fine imstrument !
I want to love them, I really do. As a MD resident, it's easy to demo all sorts of them- every decent store stocks them. But I have yet to bond with anything. Maybe I'm just so used to satin finish or gunstock finish necks, I just don't love the painted gloss thing? I don't know. In any case, given the prices, I need to LOVE it if I'm going to shell out like that because there is a world of boutique and custom options at this price point
Same here. They're great guitars and they have their beauty, but they just don't connect with me. For some of those reasons.
Robert and Tim bringing wisdom to the feel of scale length! Love you guys
I bought a singlecut S2 in 2020 and have loved it ever since.
I had an Artist 2 WAY back in the day. It was gorgeous with an Amber quilted top, it had a cool ass border along the neck & headstock, and it played & sounded AMAZING! I sold it to help buy PA gear to start a business and kick myself every day because I haven't seen one that nice in 20 years.
My main gigging axe is a PRS 513. It's absolutely fantastic.
I bought two PRS new, a 90 24 fret Signature and a 97 McCarty. Try as I might I could newer bond with either of them. Very well made for sure, just didn’t have “it” for me.
Nobody can bond with a PRS because they are synthetic and you are organic (as of yet).
The two do not mix. This is why people bond with vintage guitars, no matter how imperfect they might be. Vintage guitars are organic (because they were hand made), like the player is.
I've played bass in lots of bands and guitar in a few. Played with a pal who used a PRS and I used my Firebird. It was a great and sort of unique sound for a guy who spent decades hearing LP and Strat as a blend. Personally I don't care for PRS because I don't like the necks. They are great instruments regardless.
I completely agree about the DGT. I love mine. I have four core PRSi and the DGT is my favourite.
I'm fundamentally a Stratocaster guy (I have nine!) but my PRS guitars are the best built guitars I own including my vintage Gibsons.
No-one mentioned the MANN trem. Silky smooth and stays in tune better than any of my Strats.
These are all the things I like about my Ibanez SZ.
I wired my tele with the bridge pickup only with the tone wired and not the neck. I also flipped the controls to stop knocking the switch, and made the volume knob closest to my pinky.
I was lucky to get a PRS SE Custom 24-08 in Blue Burst from Sweetwater in May 2022. It's a Sweetwater exclusive, and they go fast. Not only is the guitar gorgeous, but it plays great and stays in tune, even without locking tuners on this model. I love the pickup options, the balance, and the weight. It's almost 2 pounds lighter than my Les Paul, and about a pound heavier than my Strat. The body and fretboard binding are a great touch at this price. Fabulous value.
PRS has even more benefits, I could keep this conversation going haha 😂 I absolutely love them. Paul is a good guy, works hard to bring the best product to the table for us to love. This is a company doesn’t stop at “good enough” they try to go into exceptional even on their SE line. I’ve got a few PRS guitars, and no matter if it’s my expensive “now somewhat vintage pre hollow body 2” or my Se... I love them. It’s easy to create and cut loose when you have something that rarely breaks a string & stays in tune 😂
I have the PRS SE Custom 24 in a Tobacco Burst and I LOVE it. I did put locking tuners on it that I purchased from John Mann Guitar Vault USA and it stays in tune better that my MIM Fender Strat and I could be wrong, but I think the PRS style tremolo bridge helps it to stay in tune too. Great video!!
I have this PRS blue in semi-hallow ! I Love it !!!
09:20 … Four knob functionality really comes into play in the middle position, ie; both pups on … The tone palette is huge, not least by adjusting the Volume pots… Once you are used to that, it’s very hard when you haven’t got it.
I have a custom 24 Floyd Core that is absolutely amazing. It’s the perfect blend of ‘classic’ and modern features. Just absolutely amazing!
I have a DGT in that black and white stripe pattern. Love it. Much harder to play than my 84 strat but lovely sound and very good in many ways.
And I’m going to try 9/10 now that I see you guys have had good luck with it. 11s are way too much. :)
Thanks for the video. I love my PRS Custom 24 SE, the way it sounds, plays, and looks. I am an older player who didn’t know how to play a single chord until 3 years ago but this guitar inspires me to play and play better. It feels great. And as I get better, I am exploring more and more of the tones. That it has both single coil and humbuckers expands the range.
I love whenb you guys talk about PRS guitars. I've got an SE 24 fret that obvioisly is not a PRS. But it's close. So it's cool hearing what players like you and Tim do to them to get them to sound good. I wasn't crazy about it when I got it, but it's getting there. And any video with Tim is great.
Honestly, PRS wise,
Fiore + Silver Sky
2021 Zach Meyers SE
S2 Mccarty 594 SC
Hollowbody 2 Piezo
Personally I think they nailed the Strat, and I was always a fan of the Gibson LP replacement, aka Mccarty Single cuts modified with the firebird controls, quality wise PRS just blows them out of the water.
1. Weight balance
2. String angle at headstock
3. Scale length between Strat and Les Paul
4. Good quality control
5. Awesome pickups
for a long time I didn't know about PRS... when they were on my radar I was very interested in them and eventually got a brand new SE. shortly after getting it I tried to open the truss rod cover; the screw broke in half and was stuck in the guitar, which put me off of PRS. Maybe one day I'll try another one, but for now I'm happy with the guitars I have.
I saved money for a core PRS for ages, and when the time was right, I bought a limited series, pre BFR, EBMM Luke III. I'm not that smart. Anyway, I love my guitar, but now I'm saving again for the DGT. 😅
Nice to see both of you together. I'm gonna stop writing, 'cause I'm missing the video. Cheers! 🍻
Oh dude the Lukes are AMAZING. And you will love the DGT when you get it.
Yes. 25" scale length. It splits the difference. Very nice. Strings aren't as taut as a Fender, so are easier to bend, and don't ever have that harsh clang that Fenders can sometimes have from how taut they are. When it's working it's awesome, because you get that chime and clarity. But push it too hard, or if I'm a little off, I fight a harsher tone. Gibsons are wonderfully fat when my touch is right on them, but they can also lack authority and clarity sometimes, at least for me. PRS hits right in the middle. Always clear. Fiddle with the knobs and they can be either wonderfully fat, or ringing and chimey, especially with a coil tap, like on mine. Never too harsh or too soft-twang. The 25" really does seem to hit the best of both worlds.
I pulled my custom 22 trem out after 3 months, and it was still in tune!!
It's so true. I have mid 90's PRS but really want a new one. Can't say that for any other brand. Maybe kiesel or some smaller builders.
Just bought a SE Custom 24-08 2021 as my first electric for 750$ new, couldn't be happier!!!!
(12:20) Going from 12s to 9s requires a new nut so that the strings have now lateral movement!
I’ve owned a Custom 24 SE for 2 months, and it is now my favourite.
Both you guys are amazing players who make the PRS sound come to life, unfortunately it has never worked out for me.
How about 8th decade and I'm getting my Custom 24-08 end of the month and I'm as excited as I was when I got my 3/4 Fender Mustang in 1964 :) Rock on dudes, NEVER stop playing.
I have a CE24 in Blue Matteo that I love. My number 1
I have two McCartys (one is a one piece slab of mahogany) both with solid Indian rosewood necks & a Singlecut with a solid Brazilian rosewood neck. Awesome, awesome guitars.
I got my first PRS over the winter and I really like it. The only gripe I have is the heel on the neck is longer than I'd like.
Loved my yellow santana the day I saw it. Checked all the boxes for me,
I can't afford the core models, or even the CE at this time, but the S2 are worth the price and I love my SE Custom! It's an excellent player guitar that does everything for under a grand.
A thoughtfully and properly upgraded SE custom can hang with any similar spec S2 IMHO for about $1k +- vs $1,800 - $1,900.
@@RaptorV1USA What upgrades would you make?
I have a cherry red 1999
C e 24. 11 Gauge , super low action
I use the single coils 65 percent of the time and double coil when I want extra thump
I’ll never get rid of it
Every inch and every setting oozes the most exsqusit tones
Also I have a master coil tap on the tone nob
It’s my favorite
Can be like a strat or a Paul
I just acquired a se Paul's guitar, my second se and I love it. One of these days I'll get my core custom 22 stop tail but I'm satisfied until then
I bought a 2021 SE custom 24/ ash top (used -$550), put Wilkinson WLS 130/S locking steel saddles on the trem bridge ($89), and it's damn near perfect. Easy to play, not too heavy, and will not go out of tune even with heavy trem use. The new SE's are very good build quality - good enough where it's hard for a working-class stiff to justify the extra $3K for an American-made version.
I have a '95 Custom 24 and a '98 McCarty. I can set them both up with paper thin action but I also have a '15 Hollowbody II and that one doesn't set up as low. The irony is I use 9 - 46 on the first 2 and the OEM gauge 11s on the HBII. Even with a higher action (comparatively), it plays like butter. I picked up a Silver Sky when they came out and that one doesn't have a low action either. It's set up with 10-52 (tuned down 1/2 step) and has a beautiful, silky smooth feel as well.
If I could only keep 2, it would be the McCarty and the Silver Sky. They are completely stock and perfect right out of the case. But that would be a fight. The Custom 24 was my first PRS and I played many gigs and studio sessions with it. The HB II is so sweet, I would be plotting and scheming to get another.
Ok, I give up! I ain't pickin' just one favorite!
Love the OCD here on table, all the picks and patch leads lined up just so, a man after my own foibles ;)
One day I will own a PRS..... love them since Alex Lifeson used them. Now Mark Tremonti. Great stuff. Best mix of the two techs and they look great
I have a Silver Sky and a Hollowbody II SE Piezo - both excellent!
I have a CE that I removed the push pull pot and replaced it with a standard and removed tone control on the neck but kept it on the bridge pickup.
Oh rad I bet that thing sounds amazing!
I agree , my son has a 25" Danelectro and I olve the 25" scale length. To me it's perfect. I have Fenders and a Taylor at 25" so Paul got that right.
I too have had my share of, “well this is nice, but it’s not a good fit for me” with PRS (that “I regret this purchase” feeling sucks so bad. I wish they did a CE with the middle pickup, like the 509 since I can’t afford a 509. 😞 I do like their acoustic parlor size model though.
Their parlour acoustic blew me away. Never had an acoustic that player so easily/smoothly. If i wasnt broke i woulda bought it for sure.
I love my 93 CE24. Nothing has topped it except my 76 ES355. Nothing else comes close. The new CE24s are amazing too! I regret getting rid of mine. Id really like to try a nice Fire Red Burst 24-08 with a pattern thin neck. Whew baby.
I got a new core model custom 24 from GC hollywood in 1995 still have it and it still like new having been around the world with me a few times. Best investment i ever made i find it hard to play my other guitars im so spoiled un loke all the fancy ones mine is black try finding a 95 in black i dont think they made many cheers ps it has the old pointer locking tuners and they work fine if you know the trick paul told me about !
I have a PRS S2 custom 24 and a PRS soapbar. Love em both
I love the engineering analysis here!
PRS guitars are functional artworks. My motivation now that I'm getting back into playing music is to get good enough on my Squiers that I can justify moving up to a PRS.
Rock on!
With a Classic Vibe model, if you like it enough, it may be as much "moving up" as you'll ever need to do. Even the Affinity line has become more than just 'good enough'.
My 1993 CE24 that I put 58/08's in and it is amazing!
Custom 24-08 covers everything you'd ever need. LOVE mine. Great video!
My CE24 had an issue so it went back for warranty work. Had them rewire it to 24-08. Very sweet!
I keep hearing people talking shit about the se PRS model but I have a zach myers that I put chrome pickup covers on it and I put a ebony truss rod cover with a crow sitting on a branch on it and let me tell you that my zach myers never goes out of tune and I love it .
I have a PRS S2 singlecut satin. They no longer make this model and it was the most inexpensive American made PRS at the time I bought it. It is my favorite guitar. The neck fits my hands perfectly. I lowered the action a smidge and it is super easy to play. No buzzes and no dead spots. I have a 1997 Heritage H535 and the PRS is 1/3 the money and plays better. They both sound really good but I really like the sound of the PRS #7 S pickups. I have 4 electric guitars but the PRS gets the most play time by far. I probably will never by a custom but I could see getting another S2 someday. Great guitars.
I LOVE my PRS Woodlibrary CS. Definitely my favorite of my guitars, and will be REALLY hard to beat.
Great video. I've been playing guitar for many years and finally got my first PRS, an S2 and I love it. The sound, the quality, playability, the thing is flawless in my opinion. I don't see how any good guitar player wouldn't love a PRS. Just saying lol.
My first guitar was a Santana se, bought back in 03. I got heavily involved with the p and w scene and bought into the fender and Gibson hype. After years of playing anything from asat, to sg’s to lespauls to portlander I picked up a silver sky to compare to my strat. I was blown away. It’s a year and a half later and I now have 3 and am trying re acquire my first guitar lol.
Thanks for the latest video featuring Tim Pierce and the PRS guitars. Great video and helpful. Now I know why I love my PRS ;-)
I have 3 CE models and absolutely love them. They are so good out of the box it's insane. I've never had to do any work on them other than string changes and action to my taste. I admittedly absolutely love my Les Pauls though, they speak to me a bit more. So I need to audition a McCarty and compare.
I bought a Les Paul and an SG Supra. I liked them, but each had its own issues. LP still had tuning issues after having a new nut put on. The SG was nice if I was sitting but if I stood up and moved, the neck flexed too much and wouldn't stay in tune. So, after about $6k of Gibson, I'm done.
That DGT you bought is my favorite PRS ever. Good choice.
When you add all that up that they mentioned, plus the fact there's so many other features that make a PRS so good like brass inserts on the saddles, the pickup ring screws are flush mounted, the carve of the body elevates the picking area in relation to where your arm/elbow rest. I am holding my Paul's Guitar right now and going over all the things I can see as I write this. The bottom line is if it's on one of PRS's guitars, Paul has given it some thought. Nothing has escaped his scrutiny.
I just recently got a DGT Wood library & I absolutely love it!!
Thanks! I'm a low action player. I sanded my D-35 a little too low, and got used to it. Only thing is when you play with force, stroke up or down, and not towards the guitar. Plays herself!
If you want tone on bridge only run the hot lead of the tone pot to the bridge lug on the 3-way. You'll still have the tone active with both pickups but it will not affect the neck.
I love the look and sound of the the PRS guitars and I tried many of them, but the feel just wasn't right for me. I ended up getting a Tom Anderson Bobcat which solves all the same problems the PRS models do. The great thing about today's guitar market is that we have so many wonderful builders to choose from.
My next guitar is going to be a PRS. I've played quite a few, and I like my action crazy low. I'll keep playing them until I find "the one". Not something you wanna overthink. It's how I've bought all my guitars.
Love Tim, already follow him. Love my PRSs. Thanks for the video.
Grew us as an SG guy who switched to strats for a while. Then I saw a PRS on craigslist at a great price and figured if I didn't dig it I could flip it. Gorgeous guitar and the feel ... there would be no flipping this guitar! It's now my favorite. My only beef is the wiring, it's a 1990 so original five way rotary and sweet switch which paradoxically offer lots of discrete tone choices but also limit your flexibility without a real tone knob. You are forced to learn to use the volume knob better.
It’s easy to have independent coil splitting, you just need to add a second push/pull pot (replace an existing one)and wire each pickup to a separate one. I have a Chapman Ghostfret with master tone and master volume, both push/pull with neck pickup switched on volume pot, bridge pickup on tone pot
Had a Fender Toronado for years and wanted to love it but never really did - sounded ok through an amp but for digital recording I always thought it was noisy and didn’t love the tone. Sold it for $1K and picked up a PRS SE Starla brand new for $450. Sounds so much better on my home recordings.
The first time I ever held a true PRS was in the early 2000’s and it was Jeremy Camp’s and I got to fiddle around with it. It was a holy grail guitar that I always wanted to try. I HATED it lol but to be honest I was still early on in my playing but now I’m a bit older and man I really want a prs! Sorry about my autobiography 😂
"Autobiographies" are fine! :)
I like your post: it's interesting!
Was finally after several years able to afford a real (USA) PRS back in 2018 online but ended up selling it after a few years as I just never liked the way it felt or sounded. I’m not a strat guy either but love teles and Les pauls.
The standard coil split and versatility is another thing these fix. I had my first encounter with one in 2002 at college, when I did a setup on one, and fell in love with it. I was sad to give it back. CE24 in whale blue. I'm going to buy one from that era once I save the money because I truly have always wanted one.
Love the intro licks. Was moving my emotions