PRS trem system

[dave robinson]

This weekend I took delivery of the PRS guitar I had promised myself for months and I'm not disappointed. I owned a USA built one years ago (1999) and foolishly sold it when I got back into the Shadows stuff, but I always knew I'd want another. It's only the SE model which is made in Korea but what a fantastic piece, it's the Custom 24 Quilt Top in Sapphire LTD edition and looks stunning.It is more versitile than my old one as it has the coil tap pickups to give a similar sound to a Strat when needed. What I loved about my old USA PRS was the trem unit and this one is just as smooth, it has to be the best I've ever had for returning to pitch and ease of use. I wondered how they could take the original idea from Fender and keep it looking almost the same, but better. It has a nicer, smoother feel than the Fender or G&L ones.
Do any of you have a similar experience with these guitars ?

[Hank2k]

Hi dave

I always wanted a PRs custom 24 just something about them, I couldn't afford one so Brought a PRs se spalted custom, fantastic guitar with nice feel and as you said a range of tones. About a year after buying a friend offered me his PRs custom 24 for a steal so I sold the se and brought it. I love my PRs but sadly don't use it as much as id like as I mainly play shadows however I've just been asked to join a rock and pop covers band so it may get used there.

[dave robinson]

That's the problem for those of us who grew up with The Shadows, some of us became 'blinkered', me included and it's only late on in life that I am appreciating all these other wonderful guitars and owning them. I love playing my Strats and Burns, but the Gibson, Guild, G & L , Gretsch and countless others are just as rewarding and the PRS is absolutely stunning and so comfortable to play, which has become important of late.
Since I went through all of that stuff with Roberto and that sound, I realised that we had the sound already but wasn't setting it up correctly for whatever reason, but my enjoyment of playing all these wonderful instruments has increased and I just get on with playing nowadays. Fortunately our band plays a large variety of music, so all my guitars are useful to me and there's still at least one I need to save up for, the Gibson ES5 Switchmaster. They are expensive, but I'm having one !

[stephen]

That's the problem for those of us who grew up with The Shadows, some of us became 'blinkered', me included and it's only late on in life that I am appreciating all these other wonderful guitars and owning them. I love playing my Strats and Burns, but the Gibson, Guild, G & L , Gretsch and countless others are just as rewarding and the PRS is absolutely stunning and so comfortable to play, which has become important of late.
Since I went through all of that stuff with Roberto and that sound, I realised that we had the sound already but wasn't setting it up correctly for whatever reason, but my enjoyment of playing all these wonderful instruments has increased and I just get on with playing nowadays. Fortunately our band plays a large variety of music, so all my guitars are useful to me and there's still at least one I need to save up for, the Gibson ES5 Switchmaster. They are expensive, but I'm having one !

Back in the 1990's, in a rather blinkered way, I was initially put off the PRS brand by the way Neville Marten ("Guitarist" mag.) used to brag them up at the time. During the years that I read the magazine (don't anymore) I never really trusted his opinion as his 'flavour-of-the-month' regarding kit, changed drastically & worryingly often. One month he was advocating ditching your combo/stack & replacing it with a rack system and a few months later would be banging on about the merits of abandoning the rack in favour of the more purist approach of a simple (but often, uber expensive!) valve amp. Similarly, the 'best' guitar would vacillate wildly between many makes. However, his affection for PRS seemed to remain longer than most, hence my reluctance to go and even try one out.
It wasn't until 2000 whilst wandering around The Guitar Shop in Ipswich (sadly no longer there) that I spotted a used 1994 (old factory) Custom 22 on the wall. This was the first opportunity I'd had to see one up close & despite my pre-conceptions, I took it down and had a play on it. Needless to say, I was immediately smitten with both the quality of construction, superb 'feel' and the great sounds it made, even in the hands of this plodder!
I became a PRS convert there & then, the next day returning with my Squier Marvin as a p/ex as my wife would only allow the purchase of another guitar ( there were only 3 others!) if one went to make way for it. No contest! Bye, bye Hank.
It's my one really 'posh' guitar and 14 years on, I still love it to bits. Every now and then, when the subject of my eventual demise crops up, my two sons argue about who will get possession of it. Very touching & sensitive, seeming as I'm always around when this kicks off!
I'm a great fan & admirer of Leo and the early days of Fender and to my mind Paul Reed Smith is his worthy successor, albeit at a different end of the scale........and I don't say that lightly. I firmly believe that he cares about his products. I've said before that the ONLY brand that I would buy sight-unseen, with absolute confidence is PRS, whether USA or Korean SE. Their QC is faultless in that respect.
You can buy a more expensive guitar than a PRS, but I very much doubt if you could buy a better one.........
Stephen.

[dave robinson]

Agreed about Neville Martin. He's paid to push certain products and having seen him perform with The Wildcats I can do without his advice. Less said about that the better.
I research all my purchases thoroughly myself, that way if it goes tits up, there's only me to blame.

[RUSSET]

I have owned a PRS SE Soapbar for the last 8 years or so. It cost me about £260, then, & although it is a rather basic model with just Volume, Tone , 2 x P90s & a 3-way switch, it is a great guitar. Comes with a rather good quality PRS gig-bag, too.

[bor64]

Dave , I played quiet a few PRS guitars and set up more then a dozen of those beauties.....
About the tremolo, it's in the screws and the baseplate they match just enough on the spot where they get together.....
Also a fine gimmick is the sidewalls surrounding the saddles it prevent sideway shifts.

Cheers Rob

[Didier]

There is a little known but high quality guitar built in France by Vigier which features a non locking tremolo, pivoting on needles bearings. But I don't know any Shadows' music player who tested it although it looks like it could be suitable for this job.
http://www.iguitarmag.com/magazine-edit ... -retro-54/

Didier

[Tone]

Hi Dave

I bought a used PRS 513 last summer and I love its looks, feel and sound - pure class! The available 13 combinations of pickups makes it a very versatile guitar and in single coil mode it's fine for Shads tunes although it doesn't quite have the 'quack' of a decent Strat. I agree entirely with your comments about the smoothness of the trem system and Rob's comments help to explain why it should be better than the Strat's. I haven't needed to adjust it since I bought the guitar but I did notice that the gap between the baseplate and the body is somewhat less than Fender recommend for the Strat.

Cheers.

Tony

[dave robinson]

Thank you all for your input. Between you, there's ample evidence that my choice was justified, I have owned the Soap Bar model like you Russet and agree it' a great piece, although I parted with mine to fund a Gibson. That Vigier looks a great guitar too Didier, very similar to the G&L in looks. Thanks Rob for explaining the mechanics of the trem, it's by far the best of it's kind in that design. Thanks all for your input, I hope there is more to come.