My eyes have been opened...I have seen the light...

lyconxero · #1 04-15-2006, 01:53 AM

This may be a bit blasphemous coming from a guy who tells anyone and everyone who asks that he's strictly Ibanez, but I think I have have found something better...

Begin rant:

So I'm at my local guitar shop today and the owner points out his newest store arrival: A brand new Paul Reed Smith Standard 24 in a black satin finish. Now, I've never had the opportunity to play anything aside from the SE models and I've gotta say that the difference is pretty staggering. First of all, the guitar was BRAND BRAND NEW straight out of the box and not only was it in tune but it was PERFECTLY SET UP!!! I picked up the thing and noticed how extremely light the body was and how smooth it looked. The guitar wasn't flashy by any means but it still had a very unique presence. I hooked it up to the nearest amp, put my fingers on the fretboard and beautiful music came forth from the instrument. I personally don't think of myself as a very versatile guitarist being that I've only been playing for about 3 years now but the stuff that started coming out of me right then and there was just freakin' awesome. The guys that worked there looked over to see who was playing because they couldn't believe it was me at first (I generally go into a guitar store and start running up and down warm-up pentonics).

The clean tones from that guitar were just phenomenal along with the playability. And the coolest thing that I've never actually seen up close and personal would have to be the locking tuners (I'm pretty sure that's what those were). They just seem like such a cool invention and the trem on that guitar was very smooth and that thing would ALWAYS return back to perfect pitch. The only guitar that I've ever picked up that truly played itself like that guitar would be a JEM but this guitar definitely had better tone (I'm not a big fan of the EVO pickups...they just don't do it for me). That sort of guitar is definitely out of my price range right now BUT if by some random luck of chance I hit the lottery or my band starts making money for some reason, I am definitely going to buy me a Custom 24.

End rant.

ibanezcollector · #2 04-15-2006, 02:03 AM

might not be PRS it might just be THAT PRS LOL.. Buy it now or regret it for the rest of your life.. ahahahaha just kidding..

I have played plenty in my life some are fantastic like you described some I rather play a squire.. There hit and miss in my opinion..

OK im going to run and hide

lyconxero · #3 04-15-2006, 03:19 AM

See, for that kind of money I would figure that they're not so hit and miss. Alas, that guitar is selling for like $1900 which is about $1895 out of my price range. I probably couldn't do the guitar justice anyway because my band plays with heavy distortion most of the time and that guitar really seems to be better suited for clean to lightly distorted playing. Now if it had Dragon 2 pickups then maybe...

Earthrug · #4 04-15-2006, 08:38 AM

Plenty of non-Ibanez "tone machines" out there. Too bad you dont the cash for this partic' one.

markg5150 · #5 04-24-2006, 08:39 AM

PRS's are very nice, I nearly bought a Custom a couple of weeks ago but the thing that stopped it was the body shape. I just couldn't get comfy with it when playing sitting down. So I got a Suhr instead

disassociative1 · #6 04-24-2006, 08:51 AM

I know this feeling all to well lol.

About a year ago now i was an ibanez player pretty much all the time but then i found something that worked sooo much better for me....better build, better playability, better looks, better tones (by a long way) etc etc etc.....all just opinion of course but from that day i sold every ibanez i had.....

Prs make some great guitars but they are far from as consistant as they should be at such prices. I still put them up there in the top group of luithers but to me they are slipping little by little.

I sugest you try Briggs, Suhr, Anderson, Mc naught etc etc and theres some amazing u.k builders like Organic (what i use now) and nathan sheppard. All of those are quite simply as good as guitars get imo.

rty13ibz98 · #7 04-24-2006, 11:11 AM

PRS makes nice axes, but if you've ever played a warrior, suhr, or anderson...you would shelve the prs in a heartbeat. i have played a ton of prs guitars, from the ce22 to high dollar mccarty's. great guitars, but a warrior soldier will lay it to rest, as will an anderson drop top. my opinion, but i have a ton of guitars. quite a few of which are high end ibanez. i would put up my rgt3120 up against an prs. actually...up against any guitar. don't feel that PRS is holy grail, just look out past what is in front of you. seek out more than that which is on your plate now.

BTW, when you get a chance, roll out to LR and i'll show you my collection and you'll get a chance to play some of the best ibanez's ever offered to the US market.

rich

lyconxero · #8 04-24-2006, 02:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rty13ibz98

PRS makes nice axes, but if you've ever played a warrior, suhr, or anderson...you would shelve the prs in a heartbeat. i have played a ton of prs guitars, from the ce22 to high dollar mccarty's. great guitars, but a warrior soldier will lay it to rest, as will an anderson drop top. my opinion, but i have a ton of guitars. quite a few of which are high end ibanez. i would put up my rgt3120 up against an prs. actually...up against any guitar. don't feel that PRS is holy grail, just look out past what is in front of you. seek out more than that which is on your plate now.

BTW, when you get a chance, roll out to LR and i'll show you my collection and you'll get a chance to play some of the best ibanez's ever offered to the US market.

rich

I'd love to some time, man. If my band ever gets a gig around that area then I'll definitely try and look you up. I love playing other people's guitars and touching those things which I just can't afford.

ChrisReedSmith · #9 04-27-2006, 12:50 PM

I've never played a bad PRS. I've never seen one with any
ailments such as sharp fretends,neck problems,mis-aligned
bridges or pickups. Im not saying their not out there, but
not a lot. For the amount of guitars that PRS have had to churn
out in the past 5 years alone, because of their reputation, I would
expect there to be a small degree of mistake. No ones perfect.
But even that small mistake is probably pretty small.

But anyway I hope you find a way to get that guitar. It wont
be around for long. The real magical ones always go in no time.
Check out their layaway policies. Usually with most places, as long
as you make regular payments, their very flexable on how long it
will take. Especially for an instrument like that.

disassociative1 · #10 04-27-2006, 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChrisReedSmith

I've never played a bad PRS. I've never seen one with any
ailments such as sharp fretends,neck problems,mis-aligned
bridges or pickups. Im not saying their not out there, but
not a lot. For the amount of guitars that PRS have had to churn
out in the past 5 years alone, because of their reputation, I would
expect there to be a small degree of mistake. No ones perfect.
But even that small mistake is probably pretty small.

But anyway I hope you find a way to get that guitar. It wont
be around for long. The real magical ones always go in no time.
Check out their layaway policies. Usually with most places, as long
as you make regular payments, their very flexable on how long it
will take. Especially for an instrument like that.

Ive never played a bad prs as such either but ive played plenty that are not what they claim to be which is the pinicle of quality.

Prs make some very very good guitars and some that are what they claim but far to many it seems now are just not quite up there with the other top guitar builders. Just my opinion of course.

**jaxadam** · #11 04-27-2006, 01:10 PM

I have been a PRS guy for a very long time (well, not that long, but for at least the past 15 years or so). I finally got a Custom 22 about 10 years ago and never touched another guitar for a long time.

If you think some of the new ones are good, you wouldn't believe how nice the older ones were.

There's really not too much of a difference, but I have become slightly disenchanted with PRS over the past few years. I would still give them a shot, but I have played a few lately that I wasn't impressed with.

**jaxadam** · #12 04-27-2006, 01:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by disassociative1

Ive never played a bad prs as such either but ive played plenty that are not what they claim to be which is the pinicle of quality.

I just read this response. I guess this really sums up my opinion as well. This is a pretty well put and true statement.

disassociative1 · #13 04-27-2006, 01:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaxadam

I have been a PRS guy for a very long time (well, not that long, but for at least the past 15 years or so). I finally got a Custom 22 about 10 years ago and never touched another guitar for a long time.

If you think some of the new ones are good, you wouldn't believe how nice the older ones were.

There's really not too much of a difference, but I have become slightly disenchanted with PRS over the past few years. I would still give them a shot, but I have played a few lately that I wasn't impressed with.

I couldnt agree more with that. They did indeed used to be be just what the say they are.....of the finest quality but its not a big difference between very good and the best and they are starting to miss the mark of what they claim now.