PRS Guitars - Hard to sell?

tekbow · September 2023

Boromedic said:

chris78 said:

I think the answer to “what’s wrong with the strat” goes back to why PRS got popular in the first place.
Paul’s trem is vastly superior as it allows a guitar to actually stay in tune when using it (no a strat doesn’t).
Paul’s guitars have useable pickups - at best a strat’s bridge pickup is bare able with the tone down a bit and let’s be honest, virtually nobody uses the middle. The neck heel makes access more difficult that it should be at the top end. Of course, when Paul was making his early designs, virtually all fenders came with 7.25 radius at a time when people were playing faster, bending more.

That said, the silver sky didn’t do it for me. If I want a strat, I want it to sound overly trebly, I accept the design flaws, same as on a tele when I accept it won’t intonate at all and that’s the deal.

Lol, what a load of old tosh, only PRS made a Strat playable. There's a whole host of pros made a career on them with non of the PRS bollox. The SS is the same flipping radius for one, if the 7.25 is so terrible why copy it? Why copy the six screw trem if it's shite? The bridge pickup is perfectly usable on numerous Strats I've played, and the SS ones are just a copy of the dipper pickups, there's no fancy 'lectrics and certainly nothing that differs in that regard to a JM Fender Sig. The beauty of the middle pickup is the in-between tones, and Clapton made a career out of the middle pickup sound.

PRS pickups have notoriously been a weak point until recent years as well, lots of folk switch em out.

Your point about why PRS have become popular has naff all to do with Strats themselves, more like players wanted a humbucker guitar with an easier to use trem than a Floyd. The majority of PRS output is focused on a Gibson style guitar with Fender nods in such things as the DGT etc.. A Strat is 3 single coils, not the usual PRS guitar really, hence why the EG3 was much maligned.

Was the 54 Strat perfect out of the gate? No, it needed some work, which Fender did to it, the heel access is absolutely fine unless you're playing some shred or something. PRS haven't made anything any different, they just copied the features that worked already.

Your fanboy PRS eyes can't see the (10 top figured) wood for the trees.

Point of order, most of the greats who played strats had their techs profile the frets to flatten the radius. I can even cite one from Ralph Denyer's guitar handbook with SRVs tech.

I know I've read about Dave Gilmour doing similar.

I've never looked for instanxes of Hendrix doing it, but wouldn't surprise me.

The 7.25" radius is constricting.

Boromedic · September 2023

tekbow said:

Boromedic said:

chris78 said:

I think the answer to “what’s wrong with the strat” goes back to why PRS got popular in the first place.
Paul’s trem is vastly superior as it allows a guitar to actually stay in tune when using it (no a strat doesn’t).
Paul’s guitars have useable pickups - at best a strat’s bridge pickup is bare able with the tone down a bit and let’s be honest, virtually nobody uses the middle. The neck heel makes access more difficult that it should be at the top end. Of course, when Paul was making his early designs, virtually all fenders came with 7.25 radius at a time when people were playing faster, bending more.

That said, the silver sky didn’t do it for me. If I want a strat, I want it to sound overly trebly, I accept the design flaws, same as on a tele when I accept it won’t intonate at all and that’s the deal.

Lol, what a load of old tosh, only PRS made a Strat playable. There's a whole host of pros made a career on them with non of the PRS bollox. The SS is the same flipping radius for one, if the 7.25 is so terrible why copy it? Why copy the six screw trem if it's shite? The bridge pickup is perfectly usable on numerous Strats I've played, and the SS ones are just a copy of the dipper pickups, there's no fancy 'lectrics and certainly nothing that differs in that regard to a JM Fender Sig. The beauty of the middle pickup is the in-between tones, and Clapton made a career out of the middle pickup sound.

PRS pickups have notoriously been a weak point until recent years as well, lots of folk switch em out.

Your point about why PRS have become popular has naff all to do with Strats themselves, more like players wanted a humbucker guitar with an easier to use trem than a Floyd. The majority of PRS output is focused on a Gibson style guitar with Fender nods in such things as the DGT etc.. A Strat is 3 single coils, not the usual PRS guitar really, hence why the EG3 was much maligned.

Was the 54 Strat perfect out of the gate? No, it needed some work, which Fender did to it, the heel access is absolutely fine unless you're playing some shred or something. PRS haven't made anything any different, they just copied the features that worked already.

Your fanboy PRS eyes can't see the (10 top figured) wood for the trees.

Point of order, most of the greats who played strats had their techs profile the frets to flatten the radius. I can even cite one from Ralph Denyer's guitar handbook with SRVs tech.

I know I've read about Dave Gilmour doing similar.

I've never looked for instanxes of Hendrix doing it, but wouldn't surprise me.

The 7.25" radius is constricting.

Again we're derailing the point of the thread, I wasn't arguing against the fact that neck radiuses were flattened for playability purposes. However it certainly wasn't something only PRS did, or even came up with for that matter. Gibson radiuses of 12" existed for decades, hot rod Strat guys like Charvel, were doing that long before Paul did.

Tom Anderson and John Suhr among others were working on similar things around the time Paul started being noticed. In JS's case mixing Gibson and Fender together too. Someone mentioned the SS is an improvement on a Strat which I disagree whole heartedly with, and it even has the maligned radius!! It's JMs desired spec and it's great, but it's nothing different to a standard USA Strat in any way meaningful.

My argument was that PRS aren't in anyway revolutionary or reinventing the wheel, yet some hold up Paul as some kind of deity who changed the guitar world immeasurably. Yet somehow pretty much every classic album we all hark towards, was recorded on these inferior instruments with no PRS guitars in sight. Strange that?

rlw · September 2023

My argument was that PRS aren't in anyway revolutionary or reinventing the wheel, yet some hold up Paul as some kind of deity who changed the guitar world immeasurably. Yet somehow pretty much every classic album we all hark towards, was recorded on these inferior instruments with no PRS guitars in sight. Strange that?

But had it been an option, they might have been......................

OilCityPickups · September 2023

steveh said:

OilCityPickups said:

steveh said:

Boromedic said:

Out of curiosity what issues are there with the original Fender Strat?

Have you ever tried to use the trem for anything more than a dainty flutter?!

We know some men who did:

and last but not least

1. Hendrix was never in tune.
2. Beck moved to the two post design for his "Where were you" antics onwards.
3. Hank DEFINES "dainty flutter".

OK...I'll give you SRV!

Um ... the two point design was Fender's

OilCityPickups · September 2023

OilCityPickups said:

steveh said:

OilCityPickups said:

steveh said:

Boromedic said:

Out of curiosity what issues are there with the original Fender Strat?

Have you ever tried to use the trem for anything more than a dainty flutter?!

We know some men who did:

and last but not least

1. Hendrix was never in tune.
2. Beck moved to the two post design for his "Where were you" antics onwards.
3. Hank DEFINES "dainty flutter".

OK...I'll give you SRV!

Um ... the two point design was Fender's ... mounted on a fender ... fail to see your point ... he used a Fender Strat for extreme trem work full stop

kin · September 2023

I'd also rather listen to an out of tune Hendrix than a perfectly intonated john Mayer, bet he would too if you asked him.

Norlin4life · September 2023

kin said:

I'd also rather listen to an out of tune Hendrix than a perfectly intonated john Mayer, bet he would too if you asked him.

Or you know, why not just listen to both and enjoy a wide variety of music and genres. Fml this forum has become so toxic

Tat2dstesh · September 2023

Sassafras said:

Bedroom dealers aren't known for their realistic pricing policy.
i've seen actual shops selling brand new stuff for less than most bedroom dealers selling used items.
And they wonder why they're not selling?

This.

Price em right and they will sell.

Saw A bedroom dealer on market place trying to sell a mexican telecaster for £700 in wine red stating rare and original mexican series not like the new rubbish player series. Collectors Item...

Bellycaster · September 2023

Everything is hard to sell at the moment, especially Fender Telecasters.

WindmillGuitars · September 2023

chris78 said:

PRS are no harder at all to shift than a Fender or Gibson.
They depreciate like a Fender or Gibson, possibly a touch more but not that much.

^^ This is very true.

That said .. we've had a vintage 1987 PRS for a while with no sale as yet.
Fender and Gibsons don't hang about as long for sure

PAL · September 2023

Guitarists like the classic thing Fender and Gibson etc. I can understand that and I have some of those guitars but my
mind was changed when I tried something different, I now have PRS DGT Standard Mahogany. Suhr Standard and
a USA Hamer Studio Standard Archtop and the build and quality is second to none and they out play my classic guitars.
It's odd some guitarist can't get past the headstock shape of a guitar and it's a shame because they just miss out on
some good instruments.
I did a recording for a covers band I was with many years ago and someone on hearing a couple of the tracks said
he liked my guitar sound and he asked me what was the Gibson Les Paul I was using ! I explained it wasn't a Gibson
Les Paul it was a PRS CU22 Mahogany body with a bolt on neck with Dragon pickups it just sounded great !
PRS got a lot of bad rap and I think it's because his standards are very high so other companies realized they had to raise
their game but as guitarist wanted the classic thing it was difficult for them. I also worked in a music shop and I remember
the profit margin on Fender and Gibson were much more than on a PRS so it speaks for it self.
They do say the residuals are not so good on a PRS and are harder to sell and I think this is because there is so much choice
in colours & and type of flame. After all a Gibson Les Paul in a nice sunburst finish would sell easier than the same guitar in
blue or green ! I try to play safe with colours with guitars and nothing to far removed from classic type colours.
If you are thinking of buying a PRS give yourself a chance and try one out properly and as someone has already said
it's up to you to make it sound the way you want it to sound . This is the same with many other high end guitars out there
you need to give them a chance because they just might change your view and a deliver what you want.

guyinlyon · September 2023

imalrightjack said:

guyinlyon said:

Jay100 said:

Said dealer then mentioned that although beautiful, play great etc etc - they were having a hard time shifting them, particularly the more expensive ones and they weren’t keen on taking any more into stock at the moment. Apparently there isn’t much appetite for PRS (or higher-end PRS) in the UK - at least right now.

The problem is that your "dealer" hasn't found enough doctors, lawyers and City bankers, as they are the natural market for PRS guitars.

I don't think there's a more tedious loads of bollocks rolled out on here that fucking 'dentist' comments. Admins should start banning people for a failure of imagination.

So, you're a dentist with a PRS...

bgmartinsbridge · September 2023

The top three brands worldwide are Fender (30%), Gibson (18%), PRS Guitars (9%).

So, putting my boring work head on, and I've tried to explain this to junior employees a fair few times.

Prs has a smaller market share, so for every prs buyer there are three times more fender buyers and twice as many Gibson buyers.

That's why a prs appears harder to sell.

If you're asking why is the prs market share lower than Fender / Gibson, well that's a deeper conversation.

prlgmnr · September 2023

bgmartinsbridge said:

The top four brands worldwide are Fender (30%), Gibson (18%), PRS Guitars (9%).

So, putting my boring work head on, and I've tried to explain this to junior employees a fair few times...

Did they have to explain how to count to four?

bgmartinsbridge · September 2023

No, I had to explain to them - generally using fingers!

Three or four :-)

hollywoodrox · September 2023

PRS seem to be held in high esteem even though we joke about them and they do play well & are built to a good standard . I would imagine they are not too bad to re sell its most probably the higher prices asked by bedroom dealers that is responsible for his reticence to take them and ability to sell

imalrightjack · September 2023

guyinlyon said:

imalrightjack said:

guyinlyon said:

Jay100 said:

Said dealer then mentioned that although beautiful, play great etc etc - they were having a hard time shifting them, particularly the more expensive ones and they weren’t keen on taking any more into stock at the moment. Apparently there isn’t much appetite for PRS (or higher-end PRS) in the UK - at least right now.

The problem is that your "dealer" hasn't found enough doctors, lawyers and City bankers, as they are the natural market for PRS guitars.

I don't think there's a more tedious loads of bollocks rolled out on here that fucking 'dentist' comments. Admins should start banning people for a failure of imagination.

So, you're a dentist with a PRS...

dazzajl · September 2023

Given that selling anything right now is like pulling teeth, I’d have thought PRS would be the easiest to sell.

Strat54 · September 2023

WindmillGuitars said:

chris78 said:

PRS are no harder at all to shift than a Fender or Gibson.
They depreciate like a Fender or Gibson, possibly a touch more but not that much.

^^ This is very true.

That said .. we've had a vintage 1987 PRS for a while with no sale as yet.
Fender and Gibsons don't hang about as long for sure

Even in a slow market the ' right' spec guitars still sell in an instant. So if @WindmillGuitars PRS was Vintage Yellow with birds then it would have sold in a heartbeat.....alas Scarlet red with moons will always be a slow mover sadly,

Boromedic · September 2023

Why do dentists prefer feathered birds to moons?

WindmillGuitars · September 2023

@strat54 Gary disagrees LOL (But you are right .. sadly)

bluecat · September 2023

I think PRS guitars are hard to buy when you are on a state pension.

Mike58 · September 2023

I am a dentist , now retired, I have never owned or played a PRS. My dentist pal has two.
I’ll stick with my Les Paul, Strat , Tele and 335.
all lovely and great and saleable . Non of them have 10 tops or birdlife, and they stay in tune without a massive deep cut black nut that looks weird. And their pots aren’t super floppy .
I’ll give PRS their due on the pot taper and treble bleed tho.
keep flossing
M

StefB · September 2023

Mike58 said:

I am a dentist , now retired, I have never owned or played a PRS. My dentist pal has two.
I’ll stick with my Les Paul, Strat , Tele and 335.
all lovely and great and saleable . Non of them have 10 tops or birdlife, and they stay in tune without a massive deep cut black nut that looks weird. And their pots aren’t super floppy .
I’ll give PRS their due on the pot taper and treble bleed tho.
keep flossing
M

Give that man a wisdom, tooth.

fretfinder · September 2023

OilCityPickups said:

The original question was 'are PRS guitars hard to sell', and I would have said they are not quite as easy to sell as similarly priced Gibsons or Fenders.

Several reasons for this, none relating to oral health professionals you'll be glad to note. Also I'm not talking about Far Eastern PRS guitars here.

Firstly PRS were late to the party. Gibson gave a company name and history going back well over a hundred years, and Fender pushing eighty ... PRS simply haven't had the time or the mileage to seep into a guitar players consciousness like the 'big two'.
Secondly they mix features between Gibson and Fender, and while that's a big plus for many players, to others it produces an instrument that's neither 'fish nor fowl'.
Lastly the models that seem to get all the coverage in the guitar media (and forums) are ones that, if one is generous, one would call extravagant and extrovert, with tops that would make certain big cats blanch with jealousy. Or if one prefers more sedate six stringers and was less diplomatic, one might liken to an explosion in a tarts handbag.

One of my favourite guitars ever that I've tried was a PRS SE1 ... a stripped back rock machine that I should have bought while they were going fairly cheaply a few years ago.

Good points but another key one is that most classic albums beloved by middle aged and older guitarists feature their heroes playing Fender and Gibson guitars, so they are simply more desirable.

Rob1742 · September 2023

I had a procedure recently, and after surgery I was discussing the outcome with my doctor when he spotted my guitar in the corner.

He wanted to take a look, and I opened the case where he saw a PRS Silver sky.

He said “ looks nice, I play a Fender”

mrkb · September 2023

Rob1742 said:

I had a procedure recently, and after surgery I was discussing the outcome with my doctor when he spotted my guitar in the corner.

He wanted to take a look, and I opened the case where he saw a PRS Silver sky.

He said “ looks nice, I play a Real one”

FTFY

Boromedic · September 2023

Rob1742 said:

I had a procedure recently, and after surgery I was discussing the outcome with my doctor when he spotted my guitar in the corner.

He wanted to take a look, and I opened the case where he saw a PRS Silver sky.

He said “ looks nice, I play a Fender”

That's cos it was a Dr and not a member of the BDA...

richardhomer · September 2023

I recently sold a DGT via a dealer on a commission sale. The shop carries pretty extensive PRS stock, so was definitely the right place to attract PRS customers. It sold in less than a week…

ICBM · September 2023

richardhomer said:

I recently sold a DGT via a dealer on a commission sale. The shop carries pretty extensive PRS stock, so was definitely the right place to attract PRS customers. It sold in less than a week…

I suspect you/they also priced it realistically.

I only wish I'd priced my Standard 22 a bit more unrealistically - it might have given me a chance to change my mind, since I regretted it almost as soon as it had sold.

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PRS Guitars - Hard to sell?

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