Conference napalm::guitar

    Go for the Paul!  You won't get the same sustain out of any guitar
    with a bolt on neck,  besides IMO pauls just plain sound better.
    
    Good luck!

    Hey Joe, you may want to look at the other PRSs.  I saw one recently
    for about $900.  Really a sweet guitar.  It was the round dot marker,
    solid color body model, not the little bird inlays or fancy see through
    sunburst w/exotic wood underneath. 
    
    Greg 

    PRS guitars are very beautiful instruments and I personally find
    them a lot easier to get on with because of the double cutaway and
    the lighter body.
    
    The fact that the PRS has a bolt on neck doesn't necessarily mean
    that the sustain is decreased...if you've got a bad jointed neck
    it will give you poor results. 
    
    The PRS guitar I tried had superb sustain when not amplified which
    is a good way of testing the guitars' natural qualities.
    
    As someone who once had a Les Paul Custom and loved the sound I
    would say "what do you want to get out of the guitar?"
    
    ..if you want to sound like Peter Green then go for the Les
    Paul,otherwise go for the PRS.
                                  
    
    Regards
    
    Jeff Jansen

    I must be one of the only people who tried, and hated the PRS!
    I didn't like the neck on it.  SOunded ok, but I couldn't really
    rip on it.
    
    BUck

    make that two in a million...I wasn't even slightly impressed
    
    dbii

    What scale length does PRS use?  That's another thing that can affect
    how a guitar feels to you.  If you're used to a Strat (25 3/4 scale
    length), a guitar with a shorter scale will feel 'funny'.
    
    Me?  Since I can't 'really rip' on anything, the fact that I couldn't
    on the PRS didn't disturb me. 8^)  (It did, however have a very
    nice feel to it...)
    
    Greg

    PRS uses a 25" scale; this was a conscious effort on their part
    to compromise between the Strat (25.5") and the Les Paul (24.75")
    scales.
    
    /rick

    Could be why it feels odd, it's non-standard.
    
    gh

    I think the PRS is the best compromise between the philosophies
    behind the Strat and the LP.
    
    Like all such compromises, it doesn't do either very well, but if
    you want something of each in one guitar, it's okay.
    
    I'd rather use a Strat for Strat sounds and Les Paul for LP sounds.
    Why buy one guitar when you can buy two?
    
    But, if I was going to get a PRS, I'd spend more and get the set-in
    neck. Much better sustain, and more stable too.
    
    Danny W

    Shall we try for three in a million . . . 
    
    Unless you're unlucky enough to get hold of a really trashy LP,
    they scream!!   Every PRS I've heard only whines . . .
    
    I will concede, it all depends on what you're looking for in a
    guitar, and what you want to sound like.  I also agree that given
    a choice, the set in neck is preferable to the bolt-on.
    
    Steve

    Well, Carlos Santana has been using a PRS for a couple of years
    now.  I can think of a few words to describe Carlos' sound, and
    "whine" isn't one of them.
    
    /rick

    We needn't generate a roster of great players who've used Les Pauls...
    (which includes Carlos)
    
    Steve

    agreed.  Just pointing out at least one PRS that screams
    
    /rick

    
    I don't see why a bolt-on neck would cause any problems as long as it's
    well done.  Many Fender players do just fine with them.  My Hagstrom
    Swede is a bolt-on and I can't say it's ever slowed me down.
    
    Is the PRS fitted neck really that much better?
    
    Kevin
     

    The more guitar i play the less i'm impressed with brand x or y.
    If you find an axe that has something different about it, something
    that blows you out, then there, go to it. but i never seen a RPS
    that even stroked mine. actually, i thought they were junk. and ugly.
    but i shouldn't say that, i might find one i can't afford. try not
    to buy any more guitars. you have enough if you have to ask.

I believe I have found a bargain, a big bargain. 

Tell me, what is a Paul Reed Smith worth?

	Red stained, translusent finish, solid body,
	Beautiful sound
	Beautiful condition

	Throw in the added value of a deluxe looking, hard shell case.


Is it worth, say, the $125.00 I paid?  

I really am not familiar with the price range for this line of guitars and
I would like some approximate value.  I suspect that it is well over the
price I paid.  Does anyone have an estimate?  

Regardless of the dollar value, I am very pleased with the instrument.


JSD

    you're kidding, right? $125 for a PRS? That's the deal of the
    year! THose things usually sell used for anywhere between $800 
    and $1200. And there ain't too many of them around! So, where
    did you find this baby?
    
    - Dave

    DAMN...
    
    what, did you buy it out of the back of a van or something?!?
    
    Buck, who NEVER gets deals like that!!!
    ;^(

    This beauty of a deal was fully legit,  Receipts, from a store with
    over 20 years in the business.  But their business is not music...
    The instrument was bought from a "used furniture and antiques' shop
    (ie. very old junk store) in Lawrence MA.
    
    Judging by the look of it, I expected the price would be around $1000.
    
    What a deal!!!! 

    
    If someone hears a loud scream from around Worcester, that will be
    Larry V when he reads this note.
    
    Not sure what Larry paid for his PRS, but it wasn't $125...
    
    $900-$1000 off.  Not a bad deal. 8-}
    
    Kevin
    

    Yeah, around here (Colorado), PRS's are going for about $900-$1100 for
    a bolt on neck version and about $1200-$1700 for a neck through model
    (depending on finish, inlays, and bargaining).
    
    Greg

	I'd offer $80.00 for it and see what kind of deal you can get (this
	works well at garage sales, you never know.....). I only paid
	$50.00 for my 800 watt RMS Peavey 9 channel mixer (they wanted 
	$200.00 originally) because that was my first offer.

							Jens

<thud!>

(I just tipped my chair over :)

My wife was gonna buy me one a while back (I had my heart set on a LesPaul 
though).  The one I was looking at was around $1350.  It had a bolt on neck.
Transluscent blue finish over absolutely BEAUTIFUL wood; she was pretty 
thats for sure.  I played it for an hour at least, but being the bone head
that I can be (sometimes ;), I gave it back to him with a "I gotta have a 
Gibson" look on my face.  I regret it now - my wife isn't as generous as
she was then.  :(

PRS guitars are hand made and are sleek feeling and HOT sounding. Everything
about them is top shelf in my estimation.   The only thing I didn't like about
it was the rotary switch that this particular model had - but thats personal. :)

I agree - you got the deal of the year.  If you ever wanna trade it for a 
76 Gibson LP, just send mail.  :)

jc (Jealous... Jealous a-GaIN !)

    Does this furniture and antique store have any more guitars for sale.
    Don't answer here in notes, send me EMAIL [;^{)> 
    
    Fat chance, right !!
    Mark

    
    This is interesting because the first time I saw a PRS (my guitar
    teacher had one) I'd never heard of PRS (who has outside KEEN guitar
    circles). I thought his guitar was home-made. It had that sort of look
    about it. I can quite easily see how a second-hand shop could get the
    price of such a beast drastically wrong.
    
    Richard

>that I can be (sometimes ;), I gave it back to him with a "I gotta have a 
>Gibson" look on my face.  I regret it now 
    
    WHy, Gibson's aren't too shabby.  In fact, I saw KIX last night, and
    they have a PRS endorsement, and they used em only on one song.  Their
    Les Pauls had the spolight the rest of the night!
    

>PRS guitars are hand made and are sleek feeling and HOT sounding. Everything
>about them is top shelf in my estimation.   The only thing I didn't like about
>it was the rotary switch that this particular model had - but thats personal. :)
    
    I think the neck on em is tres weird!!  I didn't like the feel at all.
    And, agreed the rotary switch is odd.
    
    Nice axe, not 4 me tho

    AN IF THE INITIAL DEAL WASN'T QUITE GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU...

    consider the fact that many in the business consider PRS guitars to be
    one of the most collectable guitars down the road.

    A friend of mine,here in Scotland,has been waiting for his for 4 months 
    now,it's a straight-through and he's paying near on two grand for it -
    there's no way I'm telling him about this!
    
    
    
    						stuart.

...and I thought I stold my ESP at $400....geesh! whatta deal!

dbii

    Regarding the rotary switch, yeah it's a little more inconvenient, but
    I can see a definate advantage; You'll never bump it and change it's
    setting while playing!  I love the slide switches because you can
    change them quickly (often without looking) and they give a quick
    visual indication of where you have them set, but I often bump them and
    change pickups when playing hard.  
    
    I think in the long run I'd probably prefer the slider since I really
    like to be able to look at the thing to tell where it's at, but I could
    probably get used to the rotary.  It certainly cleans up the cosmetics
    of the guitars.  I think that PRS makes some of the most beautiful
    guitars on the market today!
    
    I have a friend that plays PRS's a lot and I've played one of his. 
    They have absolutely a killer tone.  He also uses .013s on 'em...
    
    Greg                        

        The Guitar Warehouse in Portsmouth, NH currently has 3 Paul Reed
        Smith guitars in stock. I tried them out last weekend while Mark
        Bishop fixed a cable for me. Incredible guitars. Compared to the
        BC Rich I'm playing now, the necks seemed thinner and faster and
        there is lots of versatility in sounds. FYI, the prices were

                PRS Custom                        - $1695
                PRS Flame Maple                   - $1295
                PRS Custom with special bird inlays
                        on the frets              - $1795

        I got to try them out through a Soldano 60 Watt Head ($949). A
        really quiet amp with incredible gain and tone. The Soldano cab
        had 4 Celestion Vintage 12's. I forget the price.
    
        Nice store BTW. I'll put their number in somewhere here.
	

Article 30842 of rec.music.makers:
From: wem@controls.ccd.harris.com (Walt Marchand)
Subject: PRS guitar clinic
Date: Mon, 28 Sep 1992 15:08:12 GMT


FYI:

On Saturday (9/26) I drove over to Tampa, FL.
to buy an amplifier from Thoroughbred Music.
BTW, it's a huge knock-your-eyes-out music store,
and I got a new Fender Princeton Chorus for $330.

The reason for the post is that while I was there,
Paul Reed Smith put on a mini-concert and guitar
clinic. For those of you unfamiliar with the name,
he sells a line (PRS) of very well-made and very
expensive guitars. He said that this was the first
of a number of promos to be put on in the major
music stores. He had a 5 man band, GGGBD, and they
played for about an hour to a crowd of about 100
in the store. Very professional, indeed. The locals
went away impressed, as did I. Paul played on a
guitar with a dragon inlay - absolutely beautiful!
Sorry I don't remember the names of all the guys,
but a fella named Mike on guitar was incredible,
and was introduced as one of DC's best. The drummer
used to be with Mahogany Rush.

The numbers they played were chosen to showcase
the variety os sounds available from PRS guitars.
Each member played a different model PRS through
Marshall and Mesa/Boogie stacks. After the concert,
they spent about an hour talking about how they
build their guitars and answering questions. They
even let people handle that dragon axe.

If the clinic comes to a store in your area, IMHO
it's well worth your time.

=========================================================================
The opinions I express belong to me.  While they are often unfocused,
sometimes contradictory, and seldom well thought out, my conviction of
their correctness has never wavered.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Walt Marchand                          INTERNET:    wem@ccd.harris.com
Harris Corporation Controls Division      
Mail Stop: 201       	                    FAX:    407-242-4268
P.O. Box 430                              TELEX:    56-6554 
Melbourne, Florida 32902-0430             Voice:    407-242-4353
=========================================================================

    
    Hello from Valbonne, France!! (Heh, heh Doncha just love business
    trips?? ;^) ).
    
    Anyway, I saw a guy on the Paris subway on saturday that was 
    busking with a PRS guitar and some sort of portable amp. I mean
    he was actually *in* our subway car playing blues tunes and singing
    (in english, no less) for whatever change people would give. 
    
    Seems like a PRS would be mighty expensive here in europe and it
    seemed strange to see one being played on the train..
    
    -Tom
    

I stopped in the Guitar Warehouse yesterday.  They are going out of the PRS
business because they are too expensive and not enough people buy them.  They
are blowing out the last Custom for $1500 ($2500 list).  They would take by
Les Paul and $900.  I would like to have a PRS one day, but I think I will look
for one used that is not one of the upper models.  Nice guitar.  My 7 year old
song cried this morning because we didn't buy that guitar.  Can GTS start at
such a young age?  Is this something that can be caught from a father?

Jim

    
    $1500 on a list price of $2500 doesn't sound too good.  But $600 for
    your Les Paul (sight unseen, no offense meant, OK?) is in the right
    ball park.  Maybe you could put the LP in the want-ads and get a little
    more and then go back and wave some C-notes in front of them to get the
    price down a little more.
    
    Sounds to me like your boy is ready for one of those half-sized guitars
    and some lessons!  (How did you train him to do that?)
    

    From my long ago days in the music retailing business: most companies
    set suggested retail (list) at 2x dealer cost (called an "A" discount I
    think). I suspect that PRS does this, too. So $1500 is a 40% discount.
    Not bad in my opinion, especially for a guitar that collectors say is
    the future collectors guitar. But if they really are motivated to sell,
    there's another $250 (minus freight) that you can bargain over.

    --Ron

While, not in the class of the $125 PRS that was bought in 1070.19, I bought
an Electric Red PRS Custom with bird inlays for $600.  It is in very good to
excellent condition and was made in 1986 (second year of production).  It pays 
to read those Want Ads closely and get out there with your cash when you see
a good deal.  I am pretty sure that this guy didn't know what he had since 
I haven't seen a Custom with birds go for under $1K.  He said it paid $600
for it used in '86 and just wanted to get his money back.  Now if I can only
find somebody who bought a strat new in the '50s and just wants to get their
money back.

Jim

    >>>	Now if I can only find somebody who bought a strat new in the 
    >>> '50s and just wants to get their money back.
    
    I'd rather find someone who bought a '38 D-28 who wants to get their
    money back...
    
    Jim

    re .43
    
    Jim, does it have any flame in the top?

Nope, no flame in the top - just fire engine red paint on the front, back, neck
and headstock.  However, the fretboard does look like it is Brazilian rosewood 
and the birds are abalone.  I think the current PRS Custom uses Indian rosewood 
and mother of pearl.  When I first saw the ad, I had flashes of a flamed curly 
maple top, but I'll take it as is.  I've now had a good look at it and it looks 
like there is virtually no fret wear.  I suspect that this guitar has not been 
played much.

Jim

    Anyone have an address for Paul Reed Smith???
     
    Steve C.

PRS is in Anapolis, MD.  You could call directory assistance to get their 
phone number.

Jim

    
    	Hey Steve, I got a catalog in the mail from East Coast
    	Music in Connecticut and they claim to be big (the biggest)
    	PRS dealer.  50+ guitars in stock.  
    
    	Give 'em a call and let us know.
    
    	Anyone have experience with ECM?
    
    	Tom
    

ECM has a deal with PRS that you can pick your piece of wood at ECM and have
PRS make it into your desired PRS model.  So if you want a PRS with a Koa/
Quilted Maple/What-Have-You top with Brazilian rosewood fingerboard with
gold hardware and tinted some specific color; you should talk to ECM 
(be ready to pay for what you get).

I have been to ECM and they have lots of PRS's to choose from.  Prices are
generally good.  I would know what a good price is before going there.  My
experience is that they record every price quotation they make and try to
hold to that quote.  You should expect to be directed to Ed Roman, one of
the owners.

Jim

    A little off the topic, but ECM's new catalog has an amazing listing
    of woods they can supposedly get in their custom shop.  Literally every
    wood you've ever heard of used in guitar making (and many you probably
    never heard of) are listed and described.  It's worth calling them for
    a catalog just to get a copy of this wood list for future reference.
    I find it hard to believe they can really get all the stuff listed in
    there, as a lot of it is rare/endangered, but supposedly they can.
    
    /ewell_gibbons

    >The feature that I least liked was the rotary pickup selector	
    >switch... not sure I could get used to it.  Toggle switches seem much
    >more convenient,  maybe because that's what I'm used to.   It also
    >would have been nicer if the coil-tapping	and phase switching was
    >independent from the pickup selector to offer more flexibility
    >and a wider range of tones.
    
    I disagree here.  I have a bass that has over 100 possible switch
    combinations...coil tap or not, in or out of phase, varitone, etc.
    Super versatile but I ended up finding one setting I like and never
    touch the switches again.  Of course, all those switches look cool 8^) 
    8^)
    
    A single control that gets you quickly to a few usable tones seems a
    real big win to me.  Especially when it seems that everything else
    about the guitar is so nice.
    
    I tried a PRS bass once and it too had a "mystery switch".  While I
    was certainly curious about *how* the switch worked, all I *really*
    needed to know was that the bass had four distinct sounds available at
    the turn of that knob.  Compared to my multi-switch bass, it was far
    simpler to use.
    
    							Brian
    
    P.S. As a comparison, do you prefer a Strat with a 3-way switch, a
    5-way, or three micro toggles?  The latter gives the most flexibility.

The 5 position switch is pretty easy to get used to.  If you remember what
position you are in, it is easy to move to where you want to be (no different
than a toggle switch).  

Jim

    Personally I like the 5pos switch because you can immediately see what
    position it's in at a glance.
    
    Greg

    If you want most of the good features of a PRS with a lower price,
    check out the models with the bolt-on neck.  Not as fancy, but I
    believe you can get 'em for under $1k.  I'd call it an excellent
    working man's "player" instrument.
    
    Greg

    the bolt on neck version got a really good write up in Guitarist
    magazine and it was definately under $1k.
    
    
    						ian

    I've played 'em, they feel great!  I seem to remember the price being
    around $750, but it was a couple of years ago and my memory may be
    failing on me.
    
    Greg

    As I alluded to back a ways, of all the guitars being produced today,
    when asked George Gruhn singled out PRS guitars as destined to become
    collectables. I would think that this would also apply to the bolt-on
    neck types, too, as Fenders were nothing more than work-horse guitars in
    the 50s and 60s.

    --Ron

    I was just saying that they probably wouldn't have the future appeal of
    a killer cherry-burst flametop glue-in neck model with those beautiful
    bird inlays...
    
    gh

    
    	What about the one's in the ads?  They look kinda like
    	Strats - pickguard, etc...  3 on a side headstock tho.
    
    	Is that what you're talking about?  If not, any impression
    	of those?  They look nice to me.
    
    	Tom
    

    I don't know what ads you mean, but I don't get guitar magazines
    anymore...
    
    The ones I've seen have had pickguards, but kept the humbucking pickups
    and basic body and headstock shape of the other PRS's.  Great feeling
    guitar!
    
    gReg

    RE: wouldn't have the future appeal of a killer cherry-burst flametop
    glue-in neck model with those beautiful bird inlays...

    Yeah, them are mighty appealing. I saw David Grissom playing a simpler
    gold-top model on Austin City Limits last year. That left a sweet
    impression on my mind.

    No kidding.  Vintage, colletor's value, or not, it's a *beautiful*
    guitar.
    

I got my quilted-maple top PRS back yesterday.  I have it with me at ZKO
if anybody wants to arrange to take a look.

Jim

    
    Does Paul Reed Smith make a thin neck model?  
    
    Kev --
    

| Does Paul Reed Smith make a thin neck model?  

   Yes.  Most PRS models are available with Wide/Thin, Regular and Wide/Thick
necks; no extra charge for requesting a different neck that whatever comes
standard on any particular model.

   I have a Wide/Thick neck on my Custom-22, and although I have smallish hands,
it's remarkably comfortable.

I think that a large majority of the PRS come with one neck style (wide/thin?),
but there is a range of options.  I never played a PRS that I didn't like 
which is not a universally shared opinion in this string.

Jim

    <-- Thanks.
    

    
    Well I'm in the market for a new geeter.  Check this out:  I
    stop into Wurlitzer last week and talk with a salesperson for
    what seemed to be days as I ran through custom specs I'd want
    on a PRS Custom 22 curly, Royal Blue.
    
    I get a call from the same person a couple days later who informed
    me that PRS could put this thing together but it would take up
    to a year for a ship. 
         ----
    
    Now, when I said custom specs I'm not talking about drastic axe
    modifications, just items listed on their frontpages.  PRS and
    co. are some busy players these days eh?
    
    Kev --
    

    
    what was the cost?
    
    
    					Ian

    My guess is that with a little phone work you could probably find what
    you're looking for in stock somewhere.  Have you tried Eastcoast Music
    Mall in Conn? (203-748-2799)  Last time I looked they had a HUGE
    selection of PRS's in-stock.  There are other similarly equipped high
    end dealers around the country.  An added bonus is that mail-order
    prices are typically better than what you'll find locally, and you'll
    save sales tax as well.
    
    /rick
    

You might also try a Guitar Center.  They buy tons of PRS and you can sometimes
get them to ship a particular guitar from one store to another.  It also seems
that the time required to get a custom instrument varies with how much 
business the store does with PRS.

Jim

Please excuse the length of this post, and also I hope none of my comments
offend any current PRS owners out there.  It's all just opinion of course,
and I do like to rattle on when I come across something I really like.
You've been warned...

To me, Paul Reed Smiths have always been a great idea that was never fully
realized.  I have been consistently disappointed in my experiences with these
guitars.  Of course plenty of great players love and use these instruments, and
would disagree.  And believe me, I've *TRIED* to love em.  But after playing
literally dozens of production PRS's over several years, and even owning one,
I've never met a PRS I could truly say turned me on.  Until now. 

I've recently had the pleasure of spending time with a couple of CE-22s.  This
involved several sessions over a couple of month's time.  The CE-22 is a fairly
new model: bolt-on design, 22 fret neck in "wide-flat" or "wide-fat" profiles,
and traditional PRS carved top body in either solid alder or maple topped
mahogany.  Previous versions of the CE series included 24 fret and 21 fret
models, all slightly different in construction and features.  But these
latest CE's seem to be something special; to me, they consistently deliver
the kind of sound and performance I always expected from PRS's but never
quite got. 

The guitars I tested were a black alder with wide-fat neck and a cherry-burst
maple top with a wide-flat, both with rosewood boards.  First off, PRS's idea
of "wide" really isn't; it's more like medium Strat width.  But I always found
the original PRS necks too narrow, and these feel just right.  The wide-fat is
a nice chunk, but not over-the-top (like say, a Beck Strat) with a subtle V on
the spine.  The best neck I've ever seen on a PRS (for me anyway).  I normally
have trouble with flat'ish necks because my hands are big and seem to cramp up
when I chord, but the PRS wide-flat neck worked suprisingly well too.  It had
a nice substantial shoulder near the fretboard that seemed to make it easier to
get leverage; I liked it almost as much as the wide-fat.  If you've never
liked PRS necks before, check these out.

One reason I think the CE-22s sound and play so good is the bolt-on design.
Set neck PRS's have a "twangy Les Paul" vibe while the bolt-ons are more of a
"fat-Strat".  A relatively lightweight design like the PRS is never going to
achieve the power and depth of a Les Paul.  But as a beefed up Strat, PRS's
concept seems to make more sense.  Soundwise, the bolt-on construction actually
works better than the set-neck on these guitars imo.  What you give up in
sustain, I think you gain in TONE.

But I think the biggest factor in why I like these guitars so much is in the
electronics.  The CE-22 comes stock with Dragon pickups and to my ears these
pickups are head and shoulders above any other pickup PRS has offered.  The
Dragon bass (neck) is an Alnico design intended to mimic a slightly hot Gibson
PAF style.  They use a pair of these on the McCarty model.  They sound great. 
The Dragon treble (bridge) is a ceramic design, but unlike most other ceramics
I've heard it's not harsh.  The sound in the bridge is very reminiscent of the
fat P-90 tone you get on an old 50's LP Junior.  The CE-22 has the traditional
PRS 5-way selector.  In the past, I was lucky if I could find one setting that
I liked (usually the neck-only or bridge only humbucker) but on these axes
every setting shined.  The in-between Strat settings sparkled, the full on
humbucker sounds were big and meaty.  They just seemed to work right. 

Re the two different types of body, I noticed something interesting during one
of my sessions with these.  There was an obnoxiously loud bass player in the
store (I know, hard to believe :-) checking out an SVT at wall-shaking volume. 
I was playing the PRS's through a small Crate VC combo.  With the bass player
banging away, the solid alder CE would get mostly lost in the wash of noise.
But switching to the maple top, same settings and volume, it cut right
through.  Both guitars sounded good alone, but the maple top seemed to have
an added punch that would be valuable in a real band setting.

As I said, these are just my own opinions.  But I would encourage anyone who's
been underwhelmed by PRS's in the past and especially anyone contemplating
buying a new PRS in the future to give the CE-22 a close look.  These are the
first PRS models I would actually want to own for more than their good looks
(especially a maple top with a wide-fat).  Btw, both of these instruments were
very well put together, with superior workmanship and materials.  Although not
cheap ($1500 alder, $1800 maple-top, list) these models are still significantly
cheaper than their fancier, more expensive brothers.  And in my humble opinion,
significantly better players.

/rick

    More news on the CE-22.  According to the factory, they're switching
    from alder to mahogany on all CE models.  Partially due to difficulty
    finding good alder in quantity, partially due to they think mahogany
    just sounds better.  I wouldn't mind trying a CE-22 in solid mahogany.
    Mr Smith himself has always claimed that his straight mahogany guitars
    cut through better than the maple topped ones.
    
    /rick
    

    
    Well it's done.  I slapped the cash on the table and placed an 
    order for a Royal Blue Custom-22; flamed (the wait was *much*
    shorter [4-6 months]) at Wurlitzer's yesterday.  I played an
    orange unit which (fitting all my ordered 'specs') sounded 
    absolutely great...AND, played real nice in my hands.  I went
    with the Wide/Thin neck, fixed bridge, and the gold hardware.
    
    Kev --
    
    
    

    Kev, do you know what kind of pickups it has?  From specs I've seen, it
    looks like all 22-fret models get the Dragons.
    
    /rick
    

    Cool Kev - we'll expect a review soon.  :-)

    
    RE: -2
    
    Yup, Dragons.  And I'll agree...these pickups are very, very nice
    sounding pickups indeed!!  At first I really wasn't into the 5-way
    rotary switcher, but after noodling around for an hour with it, I
    began to digest the nuances of each combination.  This is one
    versatile instrument.  I played it through an ADA MP-1 'Classic'
    with a small wedge of reverb (a la an "Intellifex") through a 
    Marshall 4x12.  I also played it through several combos in the
    showroom as well, and this axe simply sounded awesome.
    
    I CANNOT WAIT until this guitar meets my Mesa Boogie stuff.
    
    Kev --
    

    congratulations on the new axe!
    
    Dave
    

    Yeah, congratulations.  Sounds like it's going to be a great axe.
    I also tried a Custom 22 recently and was pleased; the Dragon pickups
    definitely make a difference for me on these guitars.
    

    
    It's now a 1-2 month wait for my PRS...I only owe like $95 on it.
    
    I'M GOING CRAZY waiting for this thing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    
    
    (I think the only cure is to slap some more cash on another geeter..)
    
    Kev --
    

    Did you custom order it or is it just back ordered?
    
    Just Curious,
    
    -kev

    
    Custom ordered.
    
    

Kev,

This is going to have the inlaid birds, right?  

BTW, what is "flamed"? 

They do a great job on the Royal Blue finish.

Jim

    After reading through this topic yesterday, I found  myself driving
    over to Wurlitzer to try out a few PRS's.  These are NICE guitars.
    I tried out five different ones (this is at Wurlis in Brighton),
    each one was just perfect.  I didn't have any trouble with the 
    skinny neck (it's skinny at the top end and gets wider at the guitar
    body).
    
    The only problem I noticed was that the tremelo models would go out 
    of tune completely if a string broke.
    
    Price tags ranged from $1350 to $2500.
    
    -Paul
    

    
    RE: .89
    
    Yes, the birds are flying up the neck.  "Flamed" and "curly" refer
    to wood grains; flamed being more or less straight-grained, and the
    curly [very slick!] looking almost like the wood grain were rubbed on.  
    (I know this is a lame description, maybe one of the experts can 
    elaborate more..)
    
    The wait for a curly PRS goes up to 1 year, whereas we're talking up 
    to 6 months for a flamed PRS.
    
    All the custom blue PRS axes I've ever seen were the "Whale Blue"...a bit
    lighter and seemingly closer to the surface than the "Royal Blue" which
    in my opinion is borderline 3-dimensional...I swear.
    
    I opted for the stop tailpiece because 99.999% of the time my tremolo
    sits disengaged in my guitar case...and then there's the grand rumor of
    sustain with a stop tailpiece...
    
    Kev --
    

    
    re:.90
    
     My experience has been that any tremolo equipped guitar will go out
     if you break a string.  I had a Paul Reed Smith custom which did it,
     and my G&L S-500 does the same thing. Once that additional tension is
     gone, so ain't your tuning.
    
      Lv

and this is why we need spares!!!

:)

If I break a string, I stop playing.

Jim (who knows that this is not true for everybody)

.. until I put on a new string.

Jim

;-)

with whammies, you almost have little other choice...

I can usually get through the tune, unless I have real 
prominent parts after,, So, I always bring two guitars to 
gigs, and this is why.. (plus it *is* a handy excuse
to have a few decent pieces in my posession,, like I need
a good excuse right?)

it only takes about 20 seconds (once yer good at it) to
swap axes mid tune...

by the by,, side note.. last band I was in, we tuned to
E-flat to preseve the singers pipes,,,  I never broke 
a string while I was working with them....

    re: whammy bars and going out of tune
    
    Reminds me of a gig with my first band.  Our second guitarist had an
    SG copy with a vibrato bar.   Our bassist's girl friend was at the gig
    and he wanted to dance a slow song with her.  I said, "no problem, I'll
    play bass" and we headed into "Peaceful Easy Feeling"-- drop the solo and
    who needed a lead, anyway?   Well, half way through the 2nd verse, our
    (remaining) guitarist breaks a string, and his guitar goes *WAY* out of
    tune.  I'll never forget that look of total panic on his face.  Things
    sounded kind of empty with just bass, drums, and vocal.  Any other
    time, I could have covered for him...
    
    I think the experience left him emotionally scarred--  he became a bass
    player after that.   ;^)

    
    Thats what happens when you play "Peaceful Sleazy-Feelin'" on a 
    guitar with a whammy...  It's like whammy-geist or something.
    
    :-)

    I have a different whammy on my Yamaha SE-700 HE. This one only whammys
    down. When not whammying (which takes a good deal of pressure on the
    bar), the bridge is 'stop' against the body, and provides excellent
    sustain. If a string breaks, or there's less tension on the bridge, 
    no problem, no outta tune.
    
    This kind of design is a great compromise for those who want 'dive bomb'
    whammy ability, but like the sustain and tuning benefits of a fixed
    tailpiece.
    
    Larry

    After I bought my Fender Amer Std Strat I hated the way the tremelo
    worked. It only had 3 springs and it floated in the middle position.
    Every time I bent one string, the rest would flatten. This caused
    some weird harmonic noise and drove me nuts. Added 2 additional
    springs which stiffened up the trem and made it sit flat against
    the bridge. No more problem. If I break a string, the remaining
    strings stay in tune.
    
    Mark

    
    I was the opposite,I removed two springs from my guitar.Ah-nold
    Shwarztenegger(sp)couldn't have worked the whammy otherwise
    
    
    
    							ian

    
    I picked up my Paul Reed Smith today before coming into work.  
    This thing looks INCREDIBLE; the gold hardware was the ticket
    with the bold Royal Blue background.  
    
    It sounds great.  Anyone want to jam?
    
    Kev --
    

    
    
    good deal...you waited long enough.
    
    
    						ian

    
    Well after a long weekend of getting to know my PRS, I'll now say
    that I am completely blown away with this instrument.  The Dragon
    pickups have a real unique sound IMO.  Lots of tight, tight low
    bass with some sparkling highs, nice rounded mids.  Interesting.
    The sustain I'm getting is incredible (I guess there is some truth
    in that rumor regarding the stop tailpiece..).
    
    The 5-way selector switch is slick; no problems at all moving to
    different configurations in a snap due to the fine location of this
    knob.  
    
    Through the TriAxis, on Lead 1-Red, with the gain cranking in at
    about 8, treble 6, mid 6, bass 5.5, post gain 7, presence 2, dynamic
    voice 2, and the PRS running a mix of both humbuckers, I am getting
    a really nice "Paul Gilbert-ish" shred tone.  Real nice.  Suits that
    aspect of my style perfectly.
    
    With the cleaner tones (a la Rhythm 1-yellow / Rhythm 1-green), the
    results are absolutely insane.  This guitar sounds awesome.  Chords
    sound SO precise..so harmonically rich and perfect...
    
    I could go on and on...
    Kev --