PRSs--Are they worth the High Prices?

[Guest JackButler]

I have a PRS CU24 20th Ann.. wonderful guitar.. I remember when the PRS 24 was the ONLY model they made and to ME.. it STILL IS.

Most these days ship with the wide thin or wide fat.. but the radius are all the same and they run about a 10"..Gibby's usually run 12s..to some its a minute difference and to others its huge. The original spec neck is really only slightly narrower.

No comparing Hamer to PRS though really.. other than they both make nice guitars with nice tops. Definitely worth the price though.

Ask others.. hell, even ask Nik Huber and I have.. Nik will tell you straight up that even as the numbers of production have gone up, the quality is still impressive.

[DavidE]

"He said the rest of the stuff has been downgraded - nice looking generic guitars with no mojo."

I don't have to work there to know that this statement, mainly the second part, is pure unadulterated bullshit. I've played old ones that I thought sucked. I've played new ones that I thought were magic. The only thing downgraded has been the quality of the 10 tops. You can still get a killer one, but not all of them would have been 10 tops years ago. And the top on my Hamer Standard Custom that gets delivered to Camstone today as good as a private stock top and it's not upgraded.

[SteveB]

In fact here is the exact thread........

"As a previous PRS employee, I can tell you first-hand that the "Private Stock" guitars are what the "old skool, every day" PRS guitars USED to be. Now, they're totally hit-and-miss, and when a few good ones come out of the batch of gunk, they're immediately pegged as "Private Stock" and marked up accordingly.

That said, if you get a good PRS, be it an old nice one, or a "Private Stock", you'll love it forever."

That guy has some kind of agenda, being that I've never seen a Private Stock that looked just like some "line" guitar, they all have custom appointments of one kind or other, private stock reserved colors, etc. I think the Private Stock program got diluted a bit when dealers started ordering them for "store stock" rather than just customer custom orders.

PRS guitars are also pretty damn consistent.... if his defintion of "gunk" is what most of the guitars off the PRS line are coming out as, than I'm fine with the gunk.

Its fine to love Hamers... but you don't need to resort to denigrating other companies or taking as gospel the words of obviously disgruntled ex employees to make that point. I've never gotten the concept that because someone thinks that one brand is best for them, that other brands therefore have to be crap because it's apparently illegal for there to be more than one decent brand out there.

Hey SB - That was a well written post.

Hell musta froze over....

"He said the rest of the stuff has been downgraded - nice looking generic guitars with no mojo."

I don't have to work there to know that this statement, mainly the second part, is pure unadulterated bullshit. I've played old ones that I thought sucked. I've played new ones that I thought were magic. The only thing downgraded has been the quality of the 10 tops. You can still get a killer one, but not all of them would have been 10 tops years ago. And the top on my Hamer Standard Custom that gets delivered to Camstone today as good as a private stock top and it's not upgraded.

The funny part is that its a Jackson fan talking about Mojo...

[cmatthes]

That guy has some kind of agenda, being that I've never seen a Private Stock that looked just like some "line" guitar, they all have custom appointments of one kind or other, private stock reserved colors, etc. I think the Private Stock program got diluted a bit when dealers started ordering them for "store stock" rather than just customer custom orders.

PRS guitars are also pretty damn consistent.... if his defintion of "gunk" is what most of the guitars off the PRS line are coming out as, than I'm fine with the gunk.

Its fine to love Hamers... but you don't need to resort to denigrating other companies or taking as gospel the words of obviously disgruntled ex employees to make that point. I've never gotten the concept that because someone thinks that one brand is best for them, that other brands therefore have to be crap because it's apparently illegal for there to be more than one decent brand out there.

Couldn't agree more - the agenda angle was my first impression in reading that as well. I'm familiar enough with the factory and what goes on up there to know that this is just not the case. I WILL say that the top grading has definitely slipped significantly in the last 10 years or so. Everybody wants a "10" top, but with an operation of that size, there's going to be times when that's just tough to accomplish the way it used to be back in Annapolis.

Still, that being said, the standards have definitely remained high, but keep in mind just how many guitars they move out of there a week/month/year compared to a shop like Hamer. This pic I snapped recently might give you an idea:

Given that, I think they've maintained pretty high standards for production. I've seen dozens of guitars that went all the way through the finishing process, only to be sent back to the start for either a redo or a date with the bandsaw. Every one of those would be another manufacturer's pride and joy "as-is"...

I agree though - there's people with agendas everywhere, whether it's anti-PRS, anti-Hamer, anti-Gibson...doesn't matter. People need to get a life, play what they like and shut the hell up!

[SteveB]

I agree though - there's people with agendas everywhere, whether it's anti-PRS, anti-Hamer, anti-Gibson...doesn't matter. People need to get a life, play what they like and shut the hell up!

+1.

PRS is making enough guitars that some lemons are gonna get through,but to claim that basically every guitar made has no "mojo", whateverthehellthatmeans, is just showing ignorance. I would expect Hamer guitars to be consistently excellent, given that they really are made one at a time and Hamer isn't shooting for over 1000 guitars to be made in a month. Hamer really should be charging more for what they do now. PRS and Hamer are two different types of operations... Hamer is closer to the PRS Private Stock department. Hamer tried the mass manufacturing thing and decided they didn't like it.. kudos to them!

What I find interesting in that pic is that rework percentage of 3.07%.... thats pretty damn low for the volume.

[Jeff R]

The last I checked with some symphony players I know, a "so-what" 18th century Italian cello was in the vicinity of $30,000

And that's just the tip of the investment iceberg, because I'd suspect symphony players surely gig with a backup.

[tombo]

I agree though - there's people with agendas everywhere, whether it's anti-PRS, anti-Hamer, anti-Gibson...doesn't matter. People need to get a life, play what they like and shut the hell up!

Another +1 to Chris's post. I love Hamers, but I prefer bolt-ons. Tom Anderson's are at the top of my list. YMMV

[sonic1974]

I agree though - there's people with agendas everywhere, whether it's anti-PRS, anti-Hamer, anti-Gibson...doesn't matter. People need to get a life, play what they like and shut the hell up!

+1.

PRS is making enough guitars that some lemons are gonna get through,but to claim that basically every guitar made has no "mojo", whateverthehellthatmeans, is just showing ignorance. I would expect Hamer guitars to be consistently excellent, given that they really are made one at a time and Hamer isn't shooting for over 1000 guitars to be made in a month. Hamer really should be charging more for what they do now. PRS and Hamer are two different types of operations... Hamer is closer to the PRS Private Stock department. Hamer tried the mass manufacturing thing and decided they didn't like it.. kudos to them!

What I find interesting in that pic is that rework percentage of 3.07%.... thats pretty damn low for the volume.

"mojo", whateverthehellthatmeans"

That comment made me laugh. I totally agree. I see it all the time when people are selling guitars. Mojo? WTF? Does it mean a guitar has to be old and beat up to be good?

Forget mojo, if it sounds and feels good to play, it's a good guitar.

[polara]

My brother has a pair of '37 Buescher altos... I think they are "Ambassador" models that I'll bet are worth some scratch now. But back to PRSs... All the ones I've played have just been a bit too wide-n-flat in the neck for me. They look great and balance well and I applaud Smith for actually thinking about electric guitars creatively, but are they ALL that much like a classical neck? I prefer a more Gibsony feel.

Nearly every PRS neck has a 10" radius... I wouldn't call that exactly flat. I like the width of the wide/thin wide/fat though. Hamers are generally 14" radius, so they are actually flatter.

I meant the overall shape of the neck... More D than C or whatever... More like a ruler than a broomstick I like a rounder back of the neck I guess.

[MCChris]

"mojo", whateverthehellthatmeans"

That comment made me laugh. I totally agree. I see it all the time when people are selling guitars. Mojo? WTF? Does it mean a guitar has to be old and beat up to be good?

It's meaningless marketing speak, perpetuated by private sellers. I think if an actual guitar company used that term to pimp its wares, it'd be laughed out of the industry. At the very least, it should fire its copywriter.

That said, my guess is that a lot of people who make the claim that PRSs have no "mojo" do so because they're less than thrilled with the sound of the proprietary pickups PRS insists on using. Doubt it has a whole lot to do with the resonance of the wood and whatnot.

[MTM105]

I know I'm digressing.....

but you don't see any acts anymore with people smashing guitars. The 60' made an anti-materialist statement doing so.

but this/our generation is too materialistic to smash a PRS or Hamer on stage.

GOD HELP ME!

[Guest pirateflynn]

..... my guess is that a lot of people who make the claim that PRSs have no "mojo" do so because they're less than thrilled with the sound of the proprietary pickups PRS insists on using. Doubt it has a whole lot to do with the resonance of the wood and whatnot.

I've also heard some people claim that Tom Anderson Guitar's have no "mojo", which I never understood. It's possible that a great deal of consumers scoff at the concept that builders are out fendering Fender or out gibsoning Gibson and their reaction is that the precision and beauty accomplished by the newer builders has taken the soul out of the instrument. Nonsense.

That said, I had trouble getting my PRS Signature that sound the way I wanted. I think it was a combo of the 25" scale length, 24 frets and the relatively thin mahogany with thicker maple top and thick finish. The guitar seemed to reflect the vibration of the strings directly to the pickups rather than resonate throughout it's parts. But no doubt, that guitar was a testament to fine art guitar building and is worth a lot of money today.

[MTM105]

Is anyone able to support the arguement that an 81 Special has as much mojo as a 59 Burst or 52 Tele??

[JGale]

I dunno. 82 specials have a lot of mojo. Can one year make that much of a difference?

[DavidE]

..... my guess is that a lot of people who make the claim that PRSs have no "mojo" do so because they're less than thrilled with the sound of the proprietary pickups PRS insists on using. Doubt it has a whole lot to do with the resonance of the wood and whatnot.

I've also heard some people claim that Tom Anderson Guitar's have no "mojo", which I never understood. It's possible that a great deal of consumers scoff at the concept that builders are out fendering Fender or out gibsoning Gibson and their reaction is that the precision and beauty accomplished by the newer builders has taken the soul out of the instrument. Nonsense.

That said, I had trouble getting my PRS Signature that sound the way I wanted. I think it was a combo of the 25" scale length, 24 frets and the relatively thin mahogany with thicker maple top and thick finish. The guitar seemed to reflect the vibration of the strings directly to the pickups rather than resonate throughout it's parts. But no doubt, that guitar was a testament to fine art guitar building and is worth a lot of money today.

I only play 22 fret PRSs, though I might entertain a 24 some day. I'm thrilled with my CU22s and CE22, but I like McCarty's even better with the slightly thicker body different neck angle, but still 22 frets.

I skipped the PRSs last night and played my Les Paul and strat. The Les Paul sounded great. Just freakin' great. But it's just not as comfortable for me to play. Never has been. When I pulled out the strat, my bass player says ("I don't like lace sensors." I told him that I tried some "nicer" pickups in the guitar, but went back to the lace sensors. When I plugged it in and played it second set, his head whipped around when he heard it. He was shocked at how good it sounded. I ended up playing the strat two sets to the Les Paul's one. That probably gives you an idea of what I like.

[MTM105]

I dunno. 82 specials have a lot of mojo. Can one year make that much of a difference?

I dunno 79-82 Special. Or 79 Standard?

Or Paul Stanley's Iceman?

[santellavision]

Twas a good day for Ernie yesterday. I picked up a David Grissom Model. If you don't own a PRS, this is one to check out. It's everything you might have heard and more. Clean, simple and tone-to-the-bone.

[atquinn]

Twas a good day for Ernie yesterday. I picked up a David Grissom Model. If you don't own a PRS, this is one to check out. It's everything you might have heard and more. Clean, simple and tone-to-the-bone.

I'll be waiting when these really start hitting the used market a few years down the road. A Hamer-lovers PRS if there ever was one!

-Austin

[cmatthes]

I'll be waiting when these really start hitting the used market a few years down the road. A Hamer-lovers PRS if there ever was one!

-Austin

Austin - oddly enough, that's EXACTLY what I thought about that one. That's the one PRS 6 string out there that I would buy.

[jginsj]

I've been through everything and that includes all the different Hamers. I've settled on short scale, skinny necks, and sustain blocks. So please all you PRS converts, if you're not gonna play your skinny neck sustain blocked 24.75" Hamers don't let them go to waste, PM me cuz I got GAS!

[Guest nitropaul]

Some of you sound old enough to remember when there was 2 brands and Charvel came on the scene. I have an '85 San Dimas that just shook me when I picked it up. Still does. One of the best electric guitars ever made (to me).

I gotta say, I picked up a CE22 in a store; holy smokes! this thing was tight, concise, felt and sounded great. I could've put it in a case and played it out, It was that good.

The PRS gave me the same feeling that the Charvel did for me 25 yrs. ago; fresh, well made, different at the time, etc.

Lookin' for a used one (CE22) not hung up on color, if you got one!

Mojo? a hippie term. Good luck w/it!

[cmatthes]

Speaking of "Mojo", I dug up this old chestnut from a reply to a BadgerDave post about that evil, BS word a few years back:

"I don't know what "Mojo" (or "Vibe") means - those terms seem to be understood only by those guys who can afford them over on other forums.

I think it means "that thing you can't describe, but all the groovy vintage dealers who see you coming with your wallet and checkbook tell you it's there and you don't want to look like a doofus for not "getting" it when you slap down 5 figures on a vintage (or handcrafted reissue!) guitar that is gonna KILL hanging in your hermetically-sealed, humidity and temperature controlled basement along with that 5 figure hand-wired, PTP, boutique amp with limited edition tubes hand made by craftsmen who made the originals 50 years ago using NOS components from the original suppliers on the old equipment, ESPECIALLY if you can plug it all in with an $8k cable with ends plated in gold melted down from uncirculated 1851 Gold $20 coins".

That's the kind of thing "mojo" means, at least that's how you have to describe it to the all other guys on your Internet Forum of choice, because your wife sure as hell doesn't want to hear you prattle on about it.

I think it's also known as "the Emperor's New Clothes" or something like that."

[veatch]

That's about the best description i've read.

To paraphrase the M&M commercial: "Mojo" is in your hands, not in your mouth.

[SteveB]

ya want Mojo? Plenty of it here:

[cmatthes]

Is that an ancient PRS Forum TRC on there, Steve?