Custom builder that will build a PRS Hollowbody knockoff?

[JacobShredder]

Anyone know of a custom builder that will make a PRS knockoff? I'm looking to graduate college soon to bring in some actual money and would like to get a nice guitar for myself since I had to sell most of mine off during college. I basically want a PRS Hollowbody, but pretty specifically I want one that has a maple neck and fretboard, for which I could only find pricetags upwards of 5000. If I'm paying that much I'd rather get a custom made and I believe a custom would be cheaper anyways.

I contacted the most probable custom shop I could think of (Ran Guitars) and they aren't taking custom orders for the time being. And I live in Arkansas with no decent luthiers that I know of. (I did look)

So yeah. Basically looking for a ripoff PRS, since I don't want to hit the 5k range for the real deal.

Suggestions? I'm open to any luthiers that can produce decent work, for decent cost.

 

[Pikka Bird]

Do you want it to be a carbon copy shape-wise, or just inspired by?

 

[technomancer]

Good luck finding a luthier in the US that will risk the lawsuit.... and if they will you should probably ask yourself if you want to deal with someone that shady to begin with

 

[jafurman]

Please don't support the practice of ripping off intellectual property. Not cool.

 

[Watty]

For 5k, you're going to have a hard time finding any reputable luthier to do a hollow body like that, let alone a carbon copy. You may as well just do an Artist package guitar from PRS, pretty sure you could get a dealer to order you one for less than $5,000.

 

[Shimme]

Trying to save money by going to a luthier that is willing to steal is a very, very good way to get stolen from.

 

[Pikka Bird]

You're coming down pretty hard on this before even knowing exactly how much of a straight rip it's going to be, I think. Sure, a 1:1 copy is in bad taste since PRS have a pretty good track record with being original themselves (unlike Vik), but seeing as so may builders are making pretty spot on copies of Strats, Teles and Les Pauls without anyone calling them out, is this really that much worse? Or worse than ESP doing Strats and Teles with only the headstock changed?

 

[Watty]

You're coming down pretty hard on this before even knowing exactly how much of a straight rip it's going to be, I think. Sure, a 1:1 copy is in bad taste since PRS have a pretty good track record with being original themselves (unlike Vik), but seeing as so may builders are making pretty spot on copies of Strats, Teles and Les Pauls without anyone calling them out, is this really that much worse? Or worse than ESP doing Strats and Teles with only the headstock changed?

I was just going to add that to my comment. There's HEAPS of builders that have cult followings due to their making LP/Strat/Tele copies with little to no modifications and I don't know that I've ever seen anyone on here complain about this in the context of "ripping off" builders conversation.

 

[JacobShredder]

I said ripoff because it got the point across. Realistically, is the CT6 via carvin all that different from a prs besides minute dimension differences? No. And If carvin would do me a hollowbody (or semi hollow) in the CT style I would totally go on it. But they wont.

Surprised i'm getting any flak considering how many people are giving thousands for an almost straight up blackmachine copy(margin of error differences:hypemachine, siggery).

Ran guitars made the first part of their custom business all about ripping off other guitar brands for the most part, and yes how many people do I see flaunting their crushers on these forums?

I asked a simple question, for a recommendation on a luthier who will actually build me exactly what I want, with at least a somewhat decent track record. I do want a carbon copy of the body, but slight changes to everything else.

 

[Andromalia]

I love it with the all high and mighty moral position in a forum fawning over Blackmachine copies all over the place.

 

[mwcarl]

I love it with the all high and mighty moral position in a forum fawning over Blackmachine copies all over the place.

Yup, somehow it's fine to rip of the small guys, but copy a big builder and people get all up in arms. And it's not just about being afraid of litigation. Strange. For the record, I think all of the copies are in bad taste.

It shouldn't be too hard to find a luthier to build you a semi-hollow. If you're looking for a full-on carved top hollowbody it might be more difficult.

 

[Demiurge]

Double-cut, archtop, hollowbody... I always thought that Abyss Guitars (now Pederson, apparently) were gorgeous.

 

[mcsalty]

I love it with the all high and mighty moral position in a forum fawning over Blackmachine copies all over the place.

Especially considering that, purely aesthetically speaking, Blackmachines themselves are essentially RGs with a Parker-style headstock