Anyone heard of these guitars?

Rotti · #1 10-07-2003, 01:28 AM

Wild looking guitars from this company. I wonder if they are any good.

http://www.prestigeguitars.com/diablo.html

darren wilson · #2 10-07-2003, 01:59 AM

They look like typical Korean-built OEM mass-manufactured instruments with yet another logo on the headstock. (Carlo Robelli, Venson, etc.)

pawel · #3 10-07-2003, 02:00 AM

...overkill...

Never heard of the company, but I just found it strange that in a specs sheet for a $2K guitar they would say: "2 single coil and 1 humbucking pickup"...

Hmm, maybe it's $CDN, the company's from Vancouver, still pricey...

Rotti · #4 10-07-2003, 10:26 AM

Yes I was thinking Korean made too when I looked at them. Especially the acoustics. Very overpriced if they are.

nuno · #5 10-07-2003, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by darren wilson

Carlo Robelli...

Carlo Robelli? who's that? sounds italian...

darren wilson · #6 10-07-2003, 10:51 AM

It's a brand that apparently has some history, but was bought by Sam Ash to use as their in-house import brand.

jay ratkowski · #7 10-07-2003, 11:00 AM

Hilarious...

http://www.prestigeguitars.com/classic.html

Besides the "AAA Top" which is just pitaful, look at the pickups. "2 Dual Humbucker covered Duncan pickups"

HAHAHAHA

Rotti · #8 10-07-2003, 01:13 PM

That is some pittiful flame
Close up anyone?

http://www.prestigeguitars.com/produ...c/Classic2.JPG

darren wilson · #9 10-07-2003, 01:21 PM

And for over US$2000, i would expect a bit better than a no-name TRS trem on their "Diablo" model.

You see these things on eBay all the time.

sniperfrommars1 · #10 10-08-2003, 10:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by darren wilson

And for over US$2000, i would expect a bit better than a no-name TRS trem on their "Diablo" model.

You see these things on eBay all the time.

it would be really cool if they were dirt cheap and made to a decent quality standard the guitar has a promising design although the horrible truth is the sum of parts look cheap as hell
Id still like to have one to use on stage but i would never pay more than 500 bones for one

Rotti · #11 10-09-2003, 01:11 AM

Well I got a reply from the company today. It looks like they are not a cheap Korean import afteral.

Quote:

Thank you for your interest in our guitars.

Prestige guitars have been involved in the international market for the past
year. We are a new company, and are trying to establish ourselves in the
community.
All our guitars are hand made here in Vancouver, BC - Canada

Thanks again for your inquiry.
-Victor-
www.prestigeguitars.com

So maybe they are not bad. Still seem pricey though. And a little overdone for my personal tastes.

darren wilson · #12 10-09-2003, 01:15 AM

Right.

Maybe "hand inspected" or "hand set-up", but those are Korean jobbies for sure. I'd have to see their production line with my own eyes before i believed they're built from scratch in Vancouver.

How else do you explain the generic hardware and god-awful "bat-wing" inlays on their 7-string bass? It's the same crap found on all the Galveston and other OEM brand Korean-built instruments.

Rotti · #13 10-09-2003, 01:38 AM

Maybe they are just modeling thier guitars after the Korean imports. Or maybe they just brought a whole bunch of Koreans to Vancouver to work in their factory.

It's a blatant lie if they are imports. He clearly states in his email that they are hand made in Vancouver.

btw: I have nothing against Korean guitars. My main guitar is made in Korea.

darren wilson · #14 10-09-2003, 01:54 AM

I have nothing against Korean guitars, either. A lot of them are really well made these days. But there's no way i'd pay premium prices for one. At first glance, those Prestige guitars look comparable to Dillion or Jay Turser guitars. Not bad for what they are, but they're midrange instruments at best.

For them to command premium prices, the very least they need to be doing is using top-tier hardware and electronics. "2 Single coil + 1 Humbucking pickup" is not the kind of detail i expect to see on the spec sheet of a C$2000+ guitar. And that is a TRS trem. Third-rate at best.

Slapping tons of ugly inlay, gold hardware and abalone purfling on a $500 guitar doesn't make it a premium instrument. It's like putting lipstick on a pig.

I would say caveat emptor. Don't buy one without checking it out first, in detail, in person. How many new "premium" manufacturers start out with that many models in their lineup? None. They just buy from OEM manufacturers with some design/spec tweaks and have their logo slapped on.

**jim777** · #15 10-09-2003, 04:29 PM

They use the term "sharp cutaway" instead of the more upscale "florentine". Every fretboard is rosewood, but there's never a mention of Indian or Brazilian. No Ebony or optional ebony. The pickups, as mentioned beforehand, have only the most generic of descriptions.
Korean or not, the guitars aren't described in a way that makes me think they are anything other than average and ordinary. Workmanlike. Meek and mild. I could go on

PRS also sells 2,000 dollar guitars, but their website makes you think you're getting a steal at that price. This site make you feel stupid to even be considering spending that kind of dough.

jim