# PRS Guitars The Verdict on Price



## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

I have followed these guitars for several years. Have never owned one but have played a few and must admit they are a nicely made guitar, build quility and hardware. Balance was fantastic. But the price? Especially for the so-called "10" top, which in the early days really meant something, but today seems to be applied much to frequently and without justification.

Some of their private stock guitars are magnificent, to look at but you would never dare play it. I have noticed though that the pricing on all of them have been dropping. Forget the SE models, I am speaking of the US made guitars. So the question is, would you now put down $2200 on a PRS that 3 years ago would maybe have set you back $3500 ? I have seen "10" tops with birds for as low as $1700 

Clearly they were overpriced for some time compared to other guitars with similar build quality and hardware. Granted, the design and balance on the PRS is great IMO.


----------



## imbackagain2 (Feb 6, 2006)

Where have you seen 10 tops for 1700$ Thats asteal man. Long and mcquade sell them for 3995+tax. I bought one two years ago from the states for 3100cdn after brokerage fees and everything. I got a custom 24 10 top with tremelo and bird inlays


----------



## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

imbackagain2 said:


> Where have you seen 10 tops for 1700$ Thats asteal man. Long and mcquade sell them for 3995+tax. I bought one two years ago from the states for 3100cdn after brokerage fees and everything. I got a custom 24 10 top with tremelo and bird inlays


They are all over eBay now. You can find plenty of deals. Same as anything else, someone will need the cash. Again, some of these guitars that are rated as a "10" are no better than some guitars half the price. You have to be careful today. The first few years they were in production a "10" top was something special.


----------



## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

In my opinion paying a premium for ANY brand to get an aesthetically superior top which will have little to no impact on sound and certainly no impact on function is a waste of money.

That doesn't mean this is so for others, but I buy or assemble guitars to sound and play a certain way. 

To me they are tools, not pieces of fine furnature.

If you can save $1000. to get the same guitar with a less ornate flame or quilt.....why the hell would you spend the money?


Maybe I'm a bit over the top on this, but do you buy a painting because of how it sounds?


----------



## Accept2 (Jan 1, 2006)

I think they are very good guitars for sure, but I dont think they are really above everyother guitar. I think they are very durable guitars. The one I have withstood many years of touring by Clint dude in Sevendust, and he plays his guitars hard. I dont think a budget guitar would take that kind of punishment, but I do believe that anytime you get a good guitar it will. I'll be the first to say you get what you pay for, but I think PRS do have a bit of inflation on their prices due to them being the guitar of the moment. Back in the 80s when Kramer was the brand of the moment, they too were overpriced a bit, but then they quickly became worthless for a number of years. I dont see the same thing happening with PRS, as they are in fact well made guitars, and they arent really associated with anything that might take them down with them. The biggest debate on PRS value is the whole 70s era versus 80s era, versus pre95 era. Alot of people believe that the guitars made before 1995 are the ones to get. So, you might find that prices on later oners are where the good deals are..............


----------



## Jeff Flowerday (Jan 23, 2006)

I have to agree about the 10 top thing. What they consider a 10 top is ridiculous. My CU24 is a so called 10 top and IMO it isn't. The retailer I bought it from talked to the supplier at the time and got him to knock off the 10 top value from the guitar. They took a picture and sent it to PRS indicating what took place. Now I doubt PRS does anything with that information.

I guess what it all boils down to is good wood is getting harder and harder to find these days. Which explains those comercials on Spike TV.


----------



## Emohawk (Feb 3, 2006)

I've had the pleasure to play a few, and I was impressed. But the price tag was insane. I did have a chance at a whale blue Custom 24 a couple of years ago for an insane (at the time) deal, but I just couldn't justify it (ir was still more than an LP custom at the time).

In my opinion a PRS was a pretty serious status symbol up to 4 or 5 years ago. It was one of those guitars that only real players owned, and not a lot of "laymen" knew a whole lot about them. Lately though every young guitarist in pretty much any new pop/rock/neo-metal band is playing them. I think PRS has lost some of it's charm as a result. It's great that a small boutique type maker has done so well, but the mystique is gone now.

Just my opinion of course.


----------



## ajcoholic (Feb 5, 2006)

I bought a gold top Singlecut from the 12th Fret (in Toronto) last summer. I have always loved the PRS's since seeing them hanging in Steve's in TO when Iw as at university in the late 80's/early 90's... and finally was in the position to get one last year. I paid about $2600 with tax & shipping. A fair price at the time vs what they were selling for on ebay.

It is cetainly one of, if not my favourite guitar. I love the wide fat neck, it feels like nothing else. The other guitarist in our band has a nice early 2000's LEs Paul he paid about $3500 for, and he thinks my PRS is a nicer guitar (I think so too  ) although I love the LP as well.

I wouldnt part with mine - and dont regret the $$ I paid. Its a player, and I dont baby it. But man, it sounds great and stays in tune - always!

AJC


----------



## hoser (Feb 2, 2006)

I had a standard 22 for awhile (traded sg classic for it). I just couldn't get into it at all. from the tone to the feel it didn't work for me.


----------



## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

Emohawk said:


> I've had the pleasure to play a few, and I was impressed. But the price tag was insane. I did have a chance at a whale blue Custom 24 a couple of years ago for an insane (at the time) deal, but I just couldn't justify it (ir was still more than an LP custom at the time).
> 
> In my opinion a PRS was a pretty serious status symbol up to 4 or 5 years ago. It was one of those guitars that only real players owned, and not a lot of "laymen" knew a whole lot about them. Lately though every young guitarist in pretty much any new pop/rock/neo-metal band is playing them. I think PRS has lost some of it's charm as a result. It's great that a small boutique type maker has done so well, but the mystique is gone now.
> 
> Just my opinion of course.


Yes indeed, the mystique has faded and like I said, if you sniff around you can get down into the $1700 to $2000 range on a post 1995 non "10" top... which IMO is not losing too much


----------



## Accept2 (Jan 1, 2006)

The real wacko ones are the ones you see for $20,000+. Its like the buyers are paying up front for vintage appreciation..............


----------



## imbackagain2 (Feb 6, 2006)

Yeah those are rediculously priced but the detail on the fret inlays is crazy. Obviously tons of time spent on creating them. However I would never pay that for an axe that im gonna beat the shit out of and play


----------



## Accept2 (Jan 1, 2006)

I'm not talking about Dragons. I'm talking about customs from the 80s, like this one. They are asking $26,500. Add in your PST and GST, and youre over $30,000.................
http://www.12fret.com/used/prs1985n50160.jpg


----------



## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

Accept2 said:


> I'm not talking about Dragons. I'm talking about customs from the 80s, like this one. They are asking $26,500. Add in your PST and GST, and youre over $30,000.................
> http://www.12fret.com/used/prs1985n50160.jpg


Total madness.........


----------



## cohenj (Feb 7, 2006)

*Prs*

What I find interesting about PRS guitars is the common usage. These are beautiful, well made instruments to be sure. People swear by them. Yet, the overwhelming application for these instruments are in genres that as heavily processed and distorted as guitar gets. While I'm sure that there are more than a few jazz, country and blues playes using these instruments, whenever you see one on TV, it's being blasted through a stack of amps, a tube streamer and any number of affects.

Given that I can make a $500.00 Ibanez sound as good as a $3000.00 PRS under the circumstances described above, what is there to entice me into forking out for the PRS? Collectability? Maybe. Sound and playability? No sir!

That said, I have played PRS's, in particular the hollow bodied ones, through clean amps and they sound lovely. But, not more lovely that a dozen other guitars at a third of the price. 

I guess I just don't see what the fuss is about.

Jeff


----------



## imbackagain2 (Feb 6, 2006)

thats why your a computer consultant


----------



## Accept2 (Jan 1, 2006)

I wouldnt have any faith in a $500 guitar lasting that long if you toured with it..............


----------



## hoser (Feb 2, 2006)

I've used my 500 dollar mij tele regularly (touring and all) for 17 years now...only thing different than the day I bought it is the lil 59er in the bridge and strap locks.


----------



## asatattack (Jan 7, 2006)

*Prs*

I was in the market for a guitar last year and was dabbling with the idea of getting a PRS. First up a McCarty Hollow Body, really like them. Later I was day dreaming wondering how it might sound with a set of 57 Classics in place. Give your head a shake! You want to spend $3000+ on a guitar and them flip the pups! Axe that idea. A month or so later I was really keen on getting a McCarty Soapbar- $1800 used and it needed a fret job.  Then I came across a Les Paul Special with a slightly beat up finish for $825. Soapbar what Soapbar?
Have you seen the price tag on a PRS 513?   
We're talking $5000+. I was born, but it was not yesterday.


----------



## cohenj (Feb 7, 2006)

*Lets keep it civil*

"That's why you're a computer consultant"?

ImBackAgain2, lets keep it civil, shall we? If you don't have something constructive to add to the discussion, perhaps you should keep your comments to yourself.

Jeff


----------



## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

asatattack said:


> I was in the market for a guitar last year and was dabbling with the idea of getting a PRS. First up a McCarty Hollow Body, really like them. Later I was day dreaming wondering how it might sound with a set of 57 Classics in place. Give your head a shake! You want to spend $3000+ on a guitar and them flip the pups! Axe that idea. A month or so later I was really keen on getting a McCarty Soapbar- $1800 used and it needed a fret job.  Then I came across a Les Paul Special with a slightly beat up finish for $825. Soapbar what Soapbar?
> Have you seen the price tag on a PRS 513?
> We're talking $5000+. I was born, but it was not yesterday.


I agree it is very tough to part with that kind of cash. When I had my heart set on getting a Gibson LP I shopped and shopped.... but I could not allow myself to drop down $2200 or more on one. I ended up going with the Heritage and am happy I did.


----------



## silverkw (Feb 2, 2006)

it was ebay... I sold my CE 24 not too long ago for less than $900... well, that was about the same price as i got it... did like the sound, didn't like the wide-thin neck. But i'm pretty sure a wide-fat neck would be perfect for me.


----------



## SCREEM (Feb 2, 2006)

I love my CU22, It's a real beauty and plays awesome, but I'm a strat guy and I don't play the PRS much...Lately I have been playing it more and I am bonding to it, after putting my personal touches to it like polishing the fretboard and the smoothing the fret ends. At twice the price of my strat, I have no regrets, it's worth it to me. I also don't baby it, I got it mint and it's getting dings and scratches all over, wich only make me love it more. :rockon:


----------



## mario (Feb 18, 2006)

SCREEM said:


> I love my CU22, It's a real beauty and plays awesome, but I'm a strat guy and I don't play the PRS much...Lately I have been playing it more and I am bonding to it, after putting my personal touches to it like polishing the fretboard and the smoothing the fret ends. At twice the price of my strat, I have no regrets, it's worth it to me. I also don't baby it, I got it mint and it's getting dings and scratches all over, wich only make me love it more. :rockon:


 I like my Cu 22 a lot too! Well worth the $.( I bought mine used)


----------



## SCREEM (Feb 2, 2006)

mario said:


> I like my Cu 22 a lot too! Well worth the $.( I bought mine used)


bought mine used too, I would not have bought it at the full price of almost $5200 tax in, I may be insane bot not THAT insane hehehe.


----------



## Tarbender (Apr 7, 2006)

I bought a Custom24 about 10 months ago (sold my '57 Gold Top to finance it), and paid $CAD 1700.00 for it. It was a nice guitar and I thought it was a super deal because I had been watching eBay over the years and saw these instruments going for $US 2500.00 and up, and, on the BirdsandMoon Forum Classified the price was up there also. Anyway, it was a nice guitar, great to play, and a nice sound, BUT, there was just no way I could get use to the PRS 5 way rotary switch and installing a push/pull 3 way just didn't seem like the answer. And the placement of the neck pickup(because of the extra long fretboard) just didn't capture the sound. I was also disappointed with the finish. I was expecting a high end nitro lacquer finish, not a half inch bullet proof plastic coating. So I sold it with no regrets after only six months for $US1750.00 on eBay and was lucky to get that for it. So how someone can pay 3500.00 and up for one of these is a matter of thier personal choice. I'm glad I bought one for the price I did and had a chance to put it throught it's paces over a few months I had it. But the day after I sold it I bought my current Les Paul and never looked back.


----------



## SCREEM (Feb 2, 2006)

Tarbender said:


> I bought a Custom24 about 10 months ago (sold my '57 Gold Top to finance it), and paid $CAD 1700.00 for it. It was a nice guitar and I thought it was a super deal because I had been watching eBay over the years and saw these instruments going for $US 2500.00 and up, and, on the BirdsandMoon Forum Classified the price was up there also. Anyway, it was a nice guitar, great to play, and a nice sound, BUT, there was just no way I could get use to the PRS 5 way rotary switch and installing a push/pull 3 way just didn't seem like the answer. And the placement of the neck pickup(because of the extra long fretboard) just didn't capture the sound. I was also disappointed with the finish. I was expecting a high end nitro lacquer finish, not a half inch bullet proof plastic coating. So I sold it with no regrets after only six months for $US1750.00 on eBay and was lucky to get that for it. So how someone can pay 3500.00 and up for one of these is a matter of thier personal choice. I'm glad I bought one for the price I did and had a chance to put it throught it's paces over a few months I had it. But the day after I sold it I bought my current Les Paul and never looked back.



I think you would have liked the CU22 better. I can get some convincing LP tones with mine, CU24's don't interest me much or any PRS with a trem, I prefer Strat's for trem guitars. My only gripe with PRS guitars is that they seem small to me, but hey like I said I'm a Strat player. evilGuitar:


----------



## chimo (Mar 29, 2006)

PRS is wayyy to expensive, for that kind a money I'm going to buy a proper handmade guitar, not a soulless drone for MTV. 

I had a CE-24 and it was nice, but it was trying o make tones it simply couldn't. I found it overly trebley and with poor bass responce. 

If you can, try and compare a McNaught with a PRS, you'll find the McNaught kicks the hell out of it on every side of the story


----------



## SCREEM (Feb 2, 2006)

chimo said:


> PRS is wayyy to expensive, for that kind a money I'm going to buy a proper handmade guitar, not a soulless drone for MTV.
> 
> I had a CE-24 and it was nice, but it was trying o make tones it simply couldn't. I found it overly trebley and with poor bass responce.
> 
> If you can, try and compare a McNaught with a PRS, you'll find the McNaught kicks the hell out of it on every side of the story


I've noticed many McNaught owners also have PRS's and love them both, I would love to have a McNaught, but I can only see it equaling PRS in quality, not surpassing it. I never heard any complaints of quality on PRS's. Once you see that huge one piece slab of premium mahogany for the body, and attention to small details, it just cant get worlds better than that 

Are McNaught's cheaper or something? the way you describe them, it sound like they make the PRS's seem like cheap $150 plywood knockoffs and cost a third of the price? also do McNaught make a cheaper 24 fret bolt on model thats comparable to the CE24 you had, at better value for the money?


----------



## chimo (Mar 29, 2006)

No McNaughts are not at all cheap, they come in around the same price (or more) as new PRS Customs. The difference being they have wood that PRS would keep as private stock only. McNaughts are made by two guys, one the sprays them and one guy that does everything else. 

I almost bought a McNaught, then It was to be given to me (!). Long story short, she was supposed to get it for me (wedding gift), we broke up and it tainted the guitar for me. 

But I described the guitar as: "the best feeling, looking, sounding, playing guitar I've ever touched"

There's a point that pisses me off about PRS and Musicman and a few other 'premium' guitars. Why can't I have an ebony fingerboard? It kept me from buying a Musicman and it will likely keep me from another PRS. The finish on (primarily) the neck is another thing for me. McNaught uses Nitro, PRS uses some sort of nuclear-proof poly. McNaughts guitars are also Buzz Feiten'd, prs doesn't offer it unless it's a private stock... I think all of these are strikes agains PRS.. In that price range the variety of axes and what you can get is astonishing.


----------



## Seaners (Jan 1, 2006)

Whats the skinny on these McNaughts? I have not heard of them. They have a website?

Thanks


----------



## rollingdam (May 11, 2006)

http://www.mcnaughtguitars.com/


----------



## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

rollingdam said:


> http://www.mcnaughtguitars.com/


Nice stuff. Made me think of Heatley Guitars. This guy is out in B.C.

http://www.heatleyguitars.com/


----------

