PRS Lovefest

[soliloquy]

I recently traded for the Mushok SE and it was underwhelming, to say the least. It was surprising considering all the fanfare I'd heard about the import line (this is my first experience with a non-USA PRS). I have an Agile semi-custom AL baritone and it is noticeably better, for $200 less.
That's not to say the PRS sucks; it still plays nicely and is very light (7.2lbs vs my CE22's 7.6lbs) but the stock Agile action, pickups, and sustain are way better. I'm currently working on fixing the PRS, already tossed a D-Sonic in the bridge which made a huge difference and did a setup. Stock pickups were god awful in the worst way, which was my biggest surprise. For a $650 guitar I'd expect pickups that are better than the stocks on my AL, not muddier and flabbier.
The 27.7" scale is a major plus though, I have it tuned to drop F# with D'Addario 14-68s and it sounds thunderous with the D-Sonic.

Since people speak so highly of these I'm assuming the PRS was a fluke (the Agile too, but going the other way) and I'd still like to try the other SEs.

E: it almost sounds like I'm saying Agile's are better; Not the case at all, as my USA PRS can attest to. Just that from a comparable standpoint (Korean imports) I was underwhelmed with the Mushok. My uncle plays an SE custom and loves it, and his main guitar was a 1967 Gibson ES330.

E2: totally neglected to mention the PRS's build quality. That is better than the Agile's, no question about it. Agile has some smudged binding and a few small dents, and some very small paint issues while the Mushok is perfect (minus the typical used swirls). If it had the resonation and feel to go with it I'd be thorougly impressed, but it just doesn't stand out to me .

/\ PRS doesn't do bindings other than on necks though. so its apples to oranges. scraped binding is one thing, faux binding is another.

 

[Rap Hat]

I have to admit I was hasty in my judgement of the Mushok SE. After some more time spent with it with the new pickup and some tweaked tones, I've come to appreciate the sound it's giving me.
I still haven't narrowed down what about the feel that bothers me. Going side by side with my CE22 just showed that the CE22 is significantly better. It might be a combination of the neck profile, radius, and the somewhat dead acoustic response that's throwing me off. Whatever it is I'm working through it, as I really want this to become my main sixer baritone.

Tbh the Mushok kicked up my USA PRS gas, and I'm desperate to replace the Standard 22 Satin I sold a few years ago. I've found tons of good deals on some Standard24 Satins and CE24s, not sure which direction I'll go in.

 

[ExousRulez]

I have to admit I was hasty in my judgement of the Mushok SE. After some more time spent with it with the new pickup and some tweaked tones, I've come to appreciate the sound it's giving me.
I still haven't narrowed down what about the feel that bothers me. Going side by side with my CE22 just showed that the CE22 is significantly better. It might be a combination of the neck profile, radius, and the somewhat dead acoustic response that's throwing me off. Whatever it is I'm working through it, as I really want this to become my main sixer baritone.

Tbh the Mushok kicked up my USA PRS gas, and I'm desperate to replace the Standard 22 Satin I sold a few years ago. I've found tons of good deals on some Standard24 Satins and CE24s, not sure which direction I'll go in.

What tuning do you have it set in?

And I for one think their wide thin is the most natural and comfortable neck profile I have ever used! I'm going to upgrade my paul allender model with new bare knuckle pickups and stainless steel jumbo frets.

I have a question, my paul allender is a little old and it has medium jumbo frets instead of the jumbo its suppose to come with as well as came with some korean passive pickups that seemed fairly low output. Any info on this? I can't find anything.

 

[Rap Hat]

What tuning do you have it set in?

F#-C#-F#-B-D#-G#. It holds it's tension very well at that tuning, and the D-Sonic sounds positively thunderous.

some korean passive pickups that seemed fairly low output. Any info on this? I can't find anything.

I'm pretty sure they're G&B pickups (they're used on just about all the SEs). I guess that company also makes the BC Rich Rockfield and other OEM pickups. I found the ones in the Mushok to be the worst I'd encountered, the cheap Ibanez pickups in my 7321 were better.

 

[ImBCRichBitch]

They are over priced a bit, and sound old and dated with the exception of the torero. Id say a no, unless they make some more modern models (floyd rose, hotter pups)

 

[Guimaj1435]

I have owned a PRS Custom 22 for 5 years and I love it. I always come back to it when I can't get the right tone out of my other guitars and it never fails!

 

[ExousRulez]

F#-C#-F#-B-D#-G#. It holds it's tension very well at that tuning, and the D-Sonic sounds positively thunderous.


I'm pretty sure they're G&B pickups (they're used on just about all the SEs). I guess that company also makes the BC Rich Rockfield and other OEM pickups. I found the ones in the Mushok to be the worst I'd encountered, the cheap Ibanez pickups in my 7321 were better.

Yea they weren't high output at all but they sounded amazing clean. I'm debating for low tunings if this guitar is actually worth getting instead of just swapping the strings on one of my other guitars, I have no problem going down to b standard even with 10-52's on my 25 scale prs but if I go any lower the strings are just done. I love the sound of 8 string artists (meshuggah) but I just can not play one because of the huge necks. I switched the stock pickups once I got it to EMG's and honestly that was the worst guitar related mistake I ever made

Also, the tremolo on the PRS isn't the best for low tuning in my experience .

 

[ExousRulez]

They are over priced a bit, and sound old and dated with the exception of the torero. Id say a no, unless they make some more modern models (floyd rose, hotter pups)

How does a guitar sound "old"??? And I really think floyd roses don't belong on any PRS guitar.

 

[themike]

I really think floyd roses don't belong on any PRS guitar.

I dont really understand why you would think something like that? I mean it's one thing to not "like" floyds for your personal use, but to say they don't belong on a specific guitar companys product is a little strange. Different tools for different jobs

 

[HighGain510]

I dont really understand why you would think something like that? I mean it's one thing to not "like" floyds for your personal use, but to say they don't belong on a specific guitar companys product is a little strange. Different tools for different jobs

I'd hit that!

 

[HighGain510]

Maybe someday I can convince Steve to sell my me dream PRS....

Someday.... the precious....

 

[davidb1986]

I have to say everyone here has some good points on the PRS guitars both in THEIR opinion pros and cons. Some don't like them and have more cons than pros and others love them and have more pros than cons.

I have to say they are and have been my favorite guitars of all time. That being said I have been actively been playing guitar for 12 years, most of which I have been the lead guitar at my church, have filled in for several church music groups, filled in or have been a guest guitarist for some local Christian bands and am now the lead guitarist for one modern Christian praise group and me, the bass player, and drummer will be starting a separate Christian rock band. I have owned a USA 2008 PRS SC250, 2 separate platinum PRS Tremonti SEs all three I have regretted getting rid of but they got me out of debt before I got married. I owned a SE Custom 22 that was a great guitar but I'm a singlecut style guitar person. I know own 2 heavily modified (made as much like the USA PRS guitars as possible) 2011 PRS SE guitars one a Singlecut SE and the other a 2011 PRS Tremonti SE that is more like a Tremonti Tribal SE. I have played most kinds of Christian, Blues, some Country, Gospel, and Praise and Worship all of which my PRS SE guitars do perfectly. I down tune and use several alternate tuning with no issues using the wrap a round PRS designed bridge. PRS pickups are in my opinion the best sounding pickups, and they have ones for more vintage voicing to the SC250 and Tremonti pickups for more modern heavy rock or metal. I like the pickups so much I have several sets stored away for either PRS SE or non PRS guitars I may get in the future. I even have a set of PRS #7 pickups in my Raven West Les Paul Custom style guitar. Not only have I been actively playing for 12 years but have been a guitar tech in one or another for 10 years and have done all the mods on mine and my friends guitars since then as well as all of the setups and intonation. PRS guitars both USA and SE are the easiest guitars ever that I have modded, setup, and intonated.

I use to think Gibson had the best singlecut guitars, but with their QC getting worse and worse I'm starting to think the Epiphones are getting to be better than the USA. I have a 2001 Gibson Les Paul Custom with Burstbuckers than I love picking up and playing when I want that vintage tone only a Les Paul can bring. Since wanting to get a PRS when I first heard of them in 2001 and finally getting one in 2008 the PRS Singlecuts are my new favorite guitars, and I can't see me playing any other guitars until I get out of a luthier school which I am going to try and attend in the next year or so and can make my own. Which will probably still have PRS pickups until I learn to wind my own. I am a PRS fanatic through and through and can't change that though I have tried over the last year or 2 others to make sure the PRS guitars are the ones I love, and they are.

I respect the people's opinions that hate PRS guitars, but will have to disagree with them and say I do love PRS guitars especially the singlecuts.

 

[ImBCRichBitch]

How does a guitar sound "old"??? And I really think floyd roses don't belong on any PRS guitar.

The stock pups sound a bit dated. They need to be upgraded to something hot or some blackouts

 

[themike]

Dont worry guys, I brought some muscle to keep the haters at bay

 

[tommychains]

PRS. Are they nice? Yes, no doubt. I love the craftsmanship, but i feel they're way too overpriced.

 

[CTID]

I've always loved the way the way PRS guitars have looked, and a month or so ago I had the opportunity to play a Custom 24 SE at a music store on the clean channel of an amp and it had a great sound, but how is the distortion on them? And are they worth about $600?


EDIT: I should probably say that it was by far the most comfortable guitar I've ever played. So I'm just wondering how the SE sounds distorted and if it's worth the $600 price tag.

 

[themike]

I've always loved the way the way PRS guitars have looked, and a month or so ago I had the opportunity to play a Custom 24 SE at a music store on the clean channel of an amp and it had a great sound, but how is the distortion on them? And are they worth about $600?


EDIT: I should probably say that it was by far the most comfortable guitar I've ever played. So I'm just wondering how the SE sounds distorted and if it's worth the $600 price tag.

For $600 bucks they are completely above and beyond other guitars in their price point. The pickups I always thought were good, especially for stock overseas guitars. The thing is, you can gradually make small upgrades to the guitar and turn it into a piece of perfection. You dont really dig the pickups? Change em. Want a different nut? Switch it. Make it into something YOU want. If you find it that comfortable, you've already won half the battle.

 

[MaxOfMetal]

I still don't get the "overpriced" sentiment. I mean, most models are $1500 to $2700, and that's for a USA made guitar with high quality hardware, fantastic materials, tons of options, and just about a guaranty that 99% of the time the guitar's fretwork and tonality will be awesome (love or hate, PRS has some of, if not the best, QC/QA in the industry).

Compare that to Schecter or Agile that put out guitars in the $800 to $1000 range that are still pretty hit or miss, use mediocre parts, and might arrive with some issues. The same can be said about Gibson, Fender, and Ibanez guitars in the $1000 to $1500 range.

 

[CTID]

For $600 bucks they are completely above and beyond other guitars in their price point. The pickups I always thought were good, especially for stock overseas guitars. The thing is, you can gradually make small upgrades to the guitar and turn it into a piece of perfection. You dont really dig the pickups? Change em. Want a different nut? Switch it. Make it into something YOU want. If you find it that comfortable, you've already won half the battle.

True enough. Thanks!

I'm actually fortunate in the fact that I already have a guitar that is capable of actually sounding good. It's a BC Rich Bronze Series too, which is odd because I've played other ones and they all have sounded awful, but for some reason mine just has an awesome crunch to it, but it just doesn't feel right. That Custom 24 does, and it had a gorgeous (to me) finish on it and everything. As for tonality, yeah, being able to change the pickups will definitely help, so I'll definitely save up and pick one up one!

 

[ExousRulez]

The thing is, you can gradually make small upgrades to the guitar and turn it into a piece of perfection. You dont really dig the pickups? Change em. Want a different nut? Switch it. Make it into something YOU want. If you find it that comfortable, you've already won half the battle.

This is what I am doing with my SE

I kinda wish I got a model with an ebony fingerboard though.