Why do so few 'big name' bands/artists use PRS?

Musicwolf

  impmann said:

Hans to mouth

I think that I've seen that movie

Philly_Q

Boromedic said:
They just don't appeal, and the icing on the cake is that Paul himself is a Doyle an all. 

Eh...? 

Boromedic

Hahahaha, it's a Boro word which is kind of equivalent to see you next Tuesday or dick or something.

crunchman

guitarfishbay said:

PRS into a Mesa Dual Rec was pretty much the sound of Nu Metal.

PRS do have a sound, play a bunch of them and they've got a generally balanced if slightly midrange forward tone.  It's more polite than a typical Les Paul but fatter than a Fender with humbuckers.

I put EMGs in my PRS anyway.

I think that traditional pushed mid-range tone that is associated with PRS is to do with the thick maple cap.  The top carve on the traditional PRS shape is very deep, so the maple is very thick where the bridge anchors into the body - much thicker than on a Les Paul.  If you can find an all mahogany PRS Standard, they do have a more open sound.  I've bought and sold several PRS guitars and the only one I have left is an all mahogany S2 Singlecut.  To me, it's the best sounding one I've had, although I think it could do with better pickups.

The older PRS pickups were very mid-heavy.  Some of the newer ones are better, starting with the DGT pickups (2008?).

I'd agree with @monquixote that a PRS is a great option if you need versatility and only want to take one guitar to a gig.  That S2 Singlecut I've got is very versatile, but while it's a useful tool, I much prefer the sounds from my Strat or my Les Paul.  They have something that no PRS I've had has had.  Like I said above, that may be down to the #7 pickups, which I don't rate.  The neck on that is absolutely lovely though - especially with the Satin finish.  It may well be the best neck on any guitar I own.

Philly_Q

Boromedic said:

Hahahaha, it's a Boro word which is kind of equivalent to see you next Tuesday or dick or something.

Thanks.   And he is a bit, although I like his enthusiasm and belief in what he does.

crunchman

Philly_Q said:

Boromedic said:

Hahahaha, it's a Boro word which is kind of equivalent to see you next Tuesday or dick or something.

Thanks.   And he is a bit, although I like his enthusiasm and belief in what he does.

I suspect he might have something like Asperger's.  Can't be certain of that but I'm sure I've talked to people who have met him who think along those lines.

skullfunkerry

If we're talking about blingy guitars, this was my main gigging axe for years:

Tenebrous

skullfunkerry said:

If we're talking about blingy guitars, this was my main gigging axe for years:

Is there much work for a tribute act to "The Darkness"?

Paul7926

skullfunkerry said:

If we're talking about blingy guitars, this was my main gigging axe for years:

I do have a weakness for purple guitars.  Not so keen on the symbol tho.

gearaddict

crunchman said:
 If you can find an all mahogany PRS Standard, they do have a more open sound.  I've bought and sold several PRS guitars and the only one I have left is an all mahogany S2 Singlecut.  To me, it's the best sounding one I've had, although I think it could do with better pickups.

I didn't know that - interesting. Maybe that's why I prefer my all-mahogany CE24 to the maple cap CEs that I have tried. I did actually buy a maple cap set neck PRS (can't remember the model) at one point but just had to admit I preferred the CE and moved it on.

skullfunkerry

Paul7926 said:

I do have a weakness for purple guitars.  Not so keen on the symbol tho.

That was from a bottle of whisky, for sentimental reasons. I took it off in the end though  

thegummy

impmann said:

So much hatred.

So much jealousy.

So much bollocks.

I own two PRS guitars. I’m not a dentist, I live very much Hans to mouth as I’m back working in the MI.

Is Hans your butler?

Simon_M

axisus said:

Some cool bands play them ....

Nickelback have released some really good music. I think the criticisms of 'formulaic' and 'derivative' can be applied to so much music from just about every genre for many decades that it's kind of moot. They still shift albums too. Maybe I don't know enough about them to know why they are so often described as uncool...

randella

With the proviso that I'm a 42 year old computer programmer and, as such, wouldn't know 'cool' from my own arse...

It's probably hard to nail down the PRS thing because choosing a guitar isn't an objective exercise like deciding which laptop to buy might be.  They have to appeal to you in a way that's unquantifiable.  I couldn't tell you why I've walked past hundreds of PRS with no desire to pull one off the peg and play it, any more than I could tell you why I'd love an ES-175 despite knowing more about quantum physics than I do about playing jazz.

mburekenge

I was brainwashed by guitarist mag in the 90s so have a distasteful lust for posh furniture like glossy finish and guitars the devalue like sterling after brexit. Did I mention the characterless pickups?

Voxman

stickyfiddle said:

Sporky said:

You seem to be suggesting that there aren't any photos of losers playing Fendsons or Gibners... 

I made no such statement!

But I maintain that no-one has ever looked cool playing a PRS. And - like it or not - that is a part of the rock music "thing" for a lot of people. Not saying it's rational, but I'm confident it part of why you don't see so many "famous types" playing PRSi

Maybe not cool...but I can think of some PRS players that are damned hot! 

https://goo.gl/images/TQ3GgY

thegummy

Simon_M said:

axisus said:

Some cool bands play them ....

Nickelback have released some really good music. I think the criticisms of 'formulaic' and 'derivative' can be applied to so much music from just about every genre for many decades that it's kind of moot. They still shift albums too. Maybe I don't know enough about them to know why they are so often described as uncool...

What about the criticisms of 'cringey' and 'the rock band your auntie likes'? :P 

There's no extra information that makes them uncool, just that their music appeals to the kind of people whose music taste comes from songs they've heard in adverts

thegummy

mburekenge said:

I was brainwashed by guitarist mag in the 90s so have a distasteful lust for posh furniture like glossy finish and guitars the devalue like sterling after brexit. Did I mention the characterless pickups?

I bought the stripped down version of a Les Paul purely cause 1 grand was more comfortably affordable than 2 grand. Then I bought a PRS SE LP clone that has all the fancy decorations like flame maple cap, glossy finish and body and neck binding.

After having both for a short time I realised I actually much prefer the matte finish/plain maple/no binding look of the LP Tribute. 

thegummy

Voxman said:

stickyfiddle said:

Sporky said:

You seem to be suggesting that there aren't any photos of losers playing Fendsons or Gibners... 

I made no such statement!

But I maintain that no-one has ever looked cool playing a PRS. And - like it or not - that is a part of the rock music "thing" for a lot of people. Not saying it's rational, but I'm confident it part of why you don't see so many "famous types" playing PRSi

Maybe not cool...but I can think of some PRS players that are damned hot! 

Come on, even as a heterosexual man I can say that the hottest PRS player is their big name poster boy endorsee...

...

...

Carlos Santana

guitarfishbay

Simon_M said:

axisus said:

Some cool bands play them ....

Nickelback have released some really good music. I think the criticisms of 'formulaic' and 'derivative' can be applied to so much music from just about every genre for many decades that it's kind of moot. They still shift albums too. Maybe I don't know enough about them to know why they are so often described as uncool...

They released a successful ballad, and a song that was on a sofa advert, in the era when elitism was at its height.

Anyway Chad cut his hair and often plays a Gibson these days.