# Prestige Guitars: Canada's Best Kept Guitar Secret?



## DrumBob (Aug 17, 2014)

I recently became acquainted with Prestige Guitars from Vancouver, and was surprised to learn that they've been in business for something like eighteen years, making decent quality instruments at an attractive price point. A shop in Milford, Pennsylvania, Water Wheel Guitars, carries them and has several examples on display. I tried the Classic TBK and loved it; a Les Paul shape, but lighter, sleeker, with a thinner body, a belly cut, black flame top, two Duncan P90s and top quality hardware and electronics all around. I liked it so much, I decided to write a review for an upcoming issue of _Vintage Guitar_, which will likely appear in the April 2021 issue, available in February. The price was $899; very reasonable for a guitar of this quality. 

I also tried the DC Coupe in metallic red, but didn't care for that one as much. The Bigsby threw it out of tune immediately, but its "Gretschness" was pretty cool.

Can anyone tell me more about Prestige?


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## Kerry Brown (Mar 31, 2014)

They have a store in North Vancouver. I’ve been in there a few times. It’s a block away from Michaels where my wife shops sometimes. Lots of very nice guitars hanging on the wall. It’s in strip mall with very little parking so not very much traffic. I’ve never seen more than one other customer in there. A lot of very nice guitars and a few amps, Vox and Blackstar. They have a back room where they have some high end used gear. Nice people, quite willing to spend some time talking gear. I believe they have a shop in the back where they assemble the guitars which I understand are custom made for them in Korea. They source the wood, ship it to Korea, then finish and setup the guitar back in Vancouver. A friend has one of their Les Pauls. It is a very nice guitar.


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## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

That was Sparrows work model and it didn't work out for them.
I thought that this outfit was related, no idea if it is or not, it was just a thought.

They seemed too blingy for me, the few I have seen.
I've also saw them linger around Kijiji for a long time too.


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## Hammertone (Feb 3, 2006)

DrumBob said:


> ...they've been in business for something like eighteen years, making decent quality instruments at an attractive price point. ...





Kerry Brown said:


> ...I believe they have a shop in the back where they assemble the guitars which I understand are custom made for them in Korea. They source the wood, ship it to Korea, then finish and setup the guitar back in Vancouver. ...


I've played them. They are decent-playing guitars, very much like other nice Korean-made guitars. The finishes very much look like they are sprayed in Korea. They seem to be doing the same kind of thing that Reverend and Duesenberg do - trying to build a brand image that is separate from the Korean factory where the instruments are built and painted.


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## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

Hammertone said:


> I've played them. They are decent-playing guitars, very much like other nice Korean-made guitars. The finishes very much look like they are sprayed in Korea.


Could be either assembled here, or just setup too.


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## Hammertone (Feb 3, 2006)

I don't recall if they have any stickers indicating country of origin. IIRC, international labelling agreements are set up so that if more than a certain percentage of "value" is added in a certain country, one can indicate that as the country of origin. 

I think makers prefer to obscure their supply chain because it allows them to build their brands, and de-link their pricing structures from consumer perceptions regarding country of origin. Reverend is pretty open about it. Prestige less so. Duesenberg has been called out the most, probably because their very high North American price points highlight the gap between consumer perceptions of the value of German-made guitars compared to Korean-made guitars.


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## Chito (Feb 17, 2006)

I have a Prestige NYS Standard with the P-90s. I've had it for about 10 years now and I've also gigged with it. It's a pretty good guitar. To those who are curious about how or where they are made, here is from their website:

_



From the start, we set out to build guitars that are classic and timeless. From wood to components and all aspects of fit and finish, we maintain the utmost in quality. Now going into our 16th year, our award-winning line has rounded out to feature a full range of solid body and semi-hollow electrics, as well as hand carved acoustic guitars.

The process starts with our obsession in sourcing the top tonewoods available, for use in each and every guitar we build. In order to ensure the greatest quality figuring and consistency throughout our line, we take great pride in hand selecting every piece of wood that goes into each instrument. Our Heritage Series electrics feature Solid carved Flame, Quilt, Burl and Spalt Maple Tops; while our Eclipse series acoustics feature Solid Spruce, Cedar, Khaya, Rosewood and Koa.
Our wood vault houses anything and every- thing from Brazilian Rosewood, South American Cocobolo, Hawaiian KOA, African Zebrawood; to any type of Maple you can imagine. Being situated in Vancouver, Canada; we are fortunate to have access to some of the highest quality Maple right in our back yard and we take full advantage.

Our custom shop approach to building guitars has led us to join forces with the best known and most respected OEM and component manufacturers on the planet. We exclusively use Seymour Duncan USA Pick-ups, TonePros Locking Bridges, TUSQ XL nuts, Alpha Pots, Grover Tuners, and Bigsby USA Vibratos, on every one of our instruments.

Click to expand...

_Here is my Prestige NYS Standard


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## MarkM (May 23, 2019)

That's a nice guitar!


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## Double A (Jan 31, 2017)

I'm itching to try one. Always have had really good luck with Korean built guitars.


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## knight_yyz (Mar 14, 2015)

My friend Mike has 2 Spalted maple guitars from Prestige. He had a bunch of Gibson custom shops, tried the Prestige, sold all his custom shops and now he has 2 prestige guitars. Says he will never go back to Gibson. I've owned one myself, and it felt no different than any guitar I have ever played. Fit and finish was top notch, frets were perfect. I just prefer guitars with p90's or single coils so I sold it. If they ever make the same guitar below (diferent color next time) with p90's and I was in the market for something new, I would probably buy it


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## Pickboy to the stars. (Nov 25, 2020)

I'm a touring tech/collector, and live in Vancouver. I have yet to even see or hold a Prestige, so to hear that they are based here in Van surprised me. Ill certainly keep this on my radar and see if I can find a few to noodle with. That being said, I'm not out in the stores very often looking at retail. Looks as if Todd, and Devin both have good endorsements with them, and I now remember seeing a Namm interview on how the Devin guitar was designed. Really cool interview. Killer sounding acoustic. 



Hard to find a quality Paul in that price range like you stated. Ultimately, something in the quality portion usually gets sacrificed in order to manufacture the guitar at a +profit. More profit = less tone.

Most of my personal affection, is in the 70's MIJ era. The Artists I work for, are typically endorsed with custom shop scale of guitars. My weakness is actually Paul's and Explorers, so I'm that potential customer that sure as F*** isn't going to give Gibson a 50% name tax, when I can get an equal or better quality axe elsewhere for much less prostate bruising. My employer cant even buy them at the discounted artist rate without feeling some discomfort afterwards.
So me knowing that I would never be able to afford a Les Paul on the level I am used to working with, I decided one night to research 2 words I had heard so much about. Lawsuit guitar.
End result, less cost/ but much more research.
Below, Ill attach a pic of some of my kids. If you ask the "mine or the highway" Kool aid crowd, these are not attractive in any way at all. It burns their skin actually. (If it aint made in Murika, its gotta be japcrap..)
Now to the trained eye, there is some very cool history there in that row. The 1978 2700, hands down mops the stage clean compared to any guitar I've ever played, including my Artist/Employer's custom shop guitars........
Insert the long "did he just say that?" pause here. Yes... its gooder.
Why I can say that.....
I have been entrusted with some really special and expensive hardware in my 3 decades of touring. On tour, they become my children. I'm literally that tech that brings the guitars from the truck or bus into my hotel room on a rolling luggage cart immediately upon arrival. Those kids are never left unattended on tour. Not only do I lovingly play them and appreciate those moments more than most will, but I also shape their live sound, their tone, and pull out their personality on a world class stage every day. That my friends, is bad ass.
I'm their foster parent, family doctor, surgeon, bodyguard, detailer, life coach, media liaison, relationship counselor, and the instruments best friend all gaff taped together. The artist spends maybe 60 minutes a day with the guitars total. For the other 23 hours, I'm a Pitbull. I actually bribe another crew member to babysit the guitar cart, when I know ill be away from the room for more than a couple hours. So for me, being a lifetime Les Paul guy comes from a very rare and special perspective, and not just playing with it for 30 minutes and giving it back to the nanny screaming.
And stilI....tone is tone, and it doesn't lie.
This 2700 is the Les Paul Killer. No Kool-Aid for me please.
The best Double cut Ibanez ever made, and almost the rarest at around 350 guitars total production. Nobody knows for sure the actual number.
I paid $950 bucks CDN 4 years ago. To see they are selling for much more than that on the market more recently, (Quadrupled in value) truly validates the craftsmanship of the Japanese builders of that time.

The 75/76 white/tv yellow SG pictured, is one of three I can find in the world. One of the three being an Ibanez. (Mann was Ibanez's Canadian clone name for importing reasons. Built side by side.).I think one possibility of its rarity, is maybe the run of those may have been confiscated and destroyed by customs upon arrival at its destination? Its an insane guitar. .Cheap sunglasses, to Paranoid, to Painkiller all with the roll of the vol pot. Paid $500 used

The 3rd ill mention, is the black guitar.(3rd from the right end) You figure out the brand and model. Yes its real. As a matter of fact... its a pre production prototype built in secrecy at the Kasuga factory. Took me 3 years of research to find that out. Damn thing should be in a museum somewhere.
For those that discount that era of quality, and the research needed to recognize and find the good ones,....affordably,
I cant imagine what this one's value is.... Like I said, its a piece of guitar history, and should be behind glass somewhere. I don't even feel comfortable adjusting anything on it lol.

I paid $50 bucks for it off a craigslist ad not knowing a damn thing about it. I just knew it had all the tell tale markings of the era I was starting my researching. 4 years later, I end up in a chat with the guy who ran the R&D floor, as well of production of the whole series. He recognized it instantly, and told me when, where, and how that 1 guitar was built, and its purpose. True story.

If these Prestige guitars are under a grand, you just might get a few peoples attention. Just have to pay real close eyes on any changes that appear between launch, and later runs. That's when things start to change in quality vs profit. The Devin acoustic does sound killer. No quality control issues there.


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## Grab n Go (May 1, 2013)

I used to own a red Prestige Musician. It's a single cut, thinline hollowbody, 25.5" scale, with a Bigsby and SD JB & Jazz pickup combo. It was beautifully finished, no complaints or issues whatsoever. I think I paid just under a grand at the time. I probably should have kept it, but I sold it to fund the Holdsworth model I still have today.

The body was massive. I'm about 6 feet tall and I could _just_ get my arm around the thing sitting down.

Tonally, it was bright and airy sounding with a big low end. Sort of piano-like.

I've seen the exact same body type used in Carparelli guitars in the past, so I'm pretty sure it's the same Korean builder. But since the final product is finished in Canada, there's presumably a final QC in Vancouver.

Not my picture, but that's basically how it looked.


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## DrumBob (Aug 17, 2014)

A representative from Prestige told me that the guitars are essentially made in Korea by World Music and are then shipped to Vancouver to be finished. This is what Duesenberg does. The difference between Prestige and Duesenberg is, Prestige is honest about what they do. Duesenberg wants you to think the guitars are made in Germany, which is BS.


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## Dave B4 (Jan 11, 2020)

Are their acoustics made in korea as well? Seem expensive if that’s the case?


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## DrumBob (Aug 17, 2014)

Dave B4 said:


> Are their acoustics made in korea as well? Seem expensive if that’s the case?


No idea. We didn't discuss acoustics.


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## 2manyGuitars (Jul 6, 2009)

DrumBob said:


> A representative from Prestige told me that the guitars are essentially made in Korea by World Music and are then shipped to Vancouver to be finished. This is what Duesenberg does. The difference between Prestige and Duesenberg is, Prestige is honest about what they do. Duesenberg wants you to think the guitars are made in Germany, which is BS.


I remember when I first came across Duesenberg guitars. Some were kind of ugly but a few were pretty cool. When I saw the price and then the whole “mystery” about where they’re actually made, I said fuck ‘em.

You’re not going to get me to pay $4500 for a guitar when you won’t even tell me where they’re made.


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## DrumBob (Aug 17, 2014)

2manyGuitars said:


> I remember when I first came across Duesenberg guitars. Some were kind of ugly but a few were pretty cool. When I saw the price and then the whole “mystery” about where they’re actually made, I said fuck ‘em.
> 
> You’re not going to get me to pay $4500 for a guitar when you won’t even tell me where they’re made.


I totally agree. Duesenberg has perpetrated the biggest hoax imaginable on the guitar buying/playing public for years. They commandeer the name of a long discontinued and legendary luxury car that was probably languishing in the public domain, in order to give the impression of extremely high quality at a steep price. The guitars are made largely in Korea and finished in Germany. Of course, they lie about it and want you to believe they are made in Germany so they can justify their outrageous prices. I hate that kind of subterfuge. 

While I like the looks of some of the Duesenberg guitars, their business model is an insult, and I won't buy one because of that. I really liked one model they have called the Paloma, because it reminds me of those old Italian EKO guitars from the 60's. They also have a model that's a dead ringer for a Wandre guitar, a real rare bird. 

If the street price was about $1200 or so, I'd buy a Duesenberg or two, but not as long as they continue to lie to the world and stick us for inflated prices.


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## 2manyGuitars (Jul 6, 2009)

DrumBob said:


> I really liked one model they have called the Paloma, because it reminds me of those old Italian EKO guitars from the 60's. They also have a model that's a dead ringer for a Wandre guitar, a real rare bird.
> 
> If the street price was about $1200 or so, I'd buy a Duesenberg or two, but not as long as they continue to lie to the world and stick us for inflated prices.


It’s funny, the Paloma is the one I was most interested in. Between that and the Supros, do you think maybe we were separated at birth?

Next thing you’ll tell me is you like rock’n’roll, hot women, and barbecued meat...


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## Hammertone (Feb 3, 2006)

DrumBob said:


> A representative from Prestige told me that the guitars are essentially made in Korea by World Music and are then shipped to Vancouver to be finished....


There's a thread on TPG that identifies a few of the brands produced by World Music based on a video of Rob Chapman wandering around the place: B.C. Rich | Chapman | Dean | Gretsch | LTD | Line6 | PRS SE| Schecter and probably more.


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## Okay Player (May 24, 2020)

Double A said:


> I'm itching to try one. Always have had really good luck with Korean built guitars.


I don't think it will be many more year before MIK is the new MIJ.


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## Double A (Jan 31, 2017)

I get the dislike for Duesy's but my Starplayer is as good or better quality than my AVRI Fender, EBMM's, RnR Relic etc.


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## 2manyGuitars (Jul 6, 2009)

Okay Player said:


> I don't think it will be many more year before MIK is the new MIJ.


Probably. But in the meantime, every other Korean guitar sells in the $600 to $1200 range. Duesenberg wants 4 grand because they slap on a couple of parts in Germany? Eff that.


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## Grab n Go (May 1, 2013)

This article
gives some good insight into World Musical Instruments.

The biggest takeaway for me is that a manufacturer like World Music can build any guitar at any price point. Quality really depends on how much money a company is willing to throw at them.

Tour of the World Musical Instruments factory in Korea:






PRS SE Cor-Tek factory in Indonesia:






I used to think that there was a hierarchy of quality in off-shore guitars, with Japan and South Korea being at the top. Now, I'm not so sure. I think it takes far less time for factories in other countries to ramp up to a high level of quality. Knowledge and expertise is more easily shared now.

You can have great and cheap guitars coming from the same country, often same factory, both on hangers at L&M.

A small example: my Ibanez AZ made in Indonesia. The only thing differentiating it from the one made in Japan is that they deliberately removed certain features to meet a certain price point. But if they were to add those features back in, it would be identical in quality to the one made in Japan. The expertise is there, but the budget isn't.


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## Okay Player (May 24, 2020)

2manyGuitars said:


> Probably. But in the meantime, every other Korean guitar sells in the $600 to $1200 range. Duesenberg wants 4 grand because they slap on a couple of parts in Germany? Eff that.


I wasn't suggesting it was justified to see a huge premium on them. The same can be said for MIJ guitars.


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## 2manyGuitars (Jul 6, 2009)

Okay Player said:


> I wasn't suggesting it was justified to see a huge premium on them. The same can be said for MIJ guitars.


Don’t worry, I didn’t think you were.
And the difference with MIJ is that the prices are higher across the board. The actual/perceived value is higher and maybe even the labour, materials, etc., so there is a price range for Japanese guitars that’s fairly consistent.

If a company like Prestige (to get this thread back on topic) can source all of the parts and have them shipped and assembled here and sell them for hundreds while still making a profit, then Duesenberg is nothing but a scam.

Buy a Prestige.


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## laristotle (Aug 29, 2019)

Okay Player said:


> I don't think it will be many more year before MIK is the new MIJ.


It already is. ie; 90's Samick plant built.


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## DrumBob (Aug 17, 2014)

2manyGuitars said:


> It’s funny, the Paloma is the one I was most interested in. Between that and the Supros, do you think maybe we were separated at birth?
> 
> Next thing you’ll tell me is you like rock’n’roll, hot women, and barbecued meat...


That's weird. Were you born in Newark, NJ in 1951? 

And yes, I like rock 'n roll, hot women and barbecued meat.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

2manyGuitars said:


> Probably. But in the meantime, every other Korean guitar sells in the $600 to $1200 range. Duesenberg wants 4 grand because they slap on a couple of parts in Germany? Eff that.


Chinese guitars are $600. Korean guitars are $1400 (price out new prs SE's).

I agree about the deusenburg pricing. Eastman seems to have the right idea - high quality oversees guitars with high end specs at a reasonable price for what you get.

Anyway, back to Prestige.


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## Okay Player (May 24, 2020)

2manyGuitars said:


> Don’t worry, I didn’t think you were.
> And the difference with MIJ is that the prices are higher across the board. The actual/perceived value is higher and maybe even the labour, materials, etc., so there is a price range for Japanese guitars that’s fairly consistent.
> 
> If a company like Prestige (to get this thread back on topic) can source all of the parts and have them shipped and assembled here and sell them for hundreds while still making a profit, then Duesenberg is nothing but a scam.
> ...


I openly admit to having been out of the game for a while, but not that long ago no one thought people would be asking the same or more money for a MIJ Fender in the used market than an American built one.

Regarding Korean guitars there are a couple manufacturers like that where I look at the price tag and just go "No, thanks." Personally, a well speced MIK should top out around $1300. Beyond that, they're getting to be too much money. However I'm always willing to have my mind changed. Some of the earlier Chapman Guitars really were flatly good guitars without even adding "for the money".


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## 2manyGuitars (Jul 6, 2009)

DrumBob said:


> That's weird. Were you born in Newark, NJ in 1951?
> 
> And yes, I like rock 'n roll, hot women and barbecued meat.


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## BlueRocker (Jan 5, 2020)

Everyone who's been waiting, here's your chance. Get it quick before Gibson picks it up to reverse engineer the poor devil.
Prestige Les paul | Guitars | Kitchener / Waterloo | Kijiji


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## Oho (Jan 12, 2021)

I want to try out one of their one pickup Troubadours, or one of their elite models. But, I don’t see them pop up used often or in my area when they do.


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