Pauleo1214
Well-known member
I am sure it's a fine product and is high quality but there's no way I can get over that middle pickup placement.
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PRS out to cause OCD for all.
- Thread starter Pauleo1214
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Harry Klippton
Not Interested
Or, the color, the flame top, the shape, the knob placement, the inlays...
Feral Feline
Well-known member
I'm sure Mr PR Smith will say that after having exhaustively tested all points between the bridge and the neck, the middle pup is in the "sweet spot".
I first learned of PRS in the '80s, IRC, Howard Leese had Smith make a guitar out of his family home's mantle or something like that, and the bird-inlays made me think Flock of Seagulls.
I first learned of PRS in the '80s, IRC, Howard Leese had Smith make a guitar out of his family home's mantle or something like that, and the bird-inlays made me think Flock of Seagulls.
Pauleo1214
Well-known member
I'm sure Mr PR Smith will say that after having exhaustively tested all points between the bridge and the neck, the middle pup is in the "sweet spot".
I first learned of PRS in the '80s, IRC, Howard Leese had Smith make a guitar out of his family home's mantle or something like that, and the bird-inlays made me think Flock of Seagulls.
@ 1:50; "The intention if the placement of the middle pickup is so it is is equidistant to the slug coils of either pickup."
This could have been achieved by putting the middle pickup dead center and reversing the orientation of the bridge or neck pickup.
That doesn't bother me, surprisingly. But the colour? Yuck. I think if you're going to show flame - and I don't mind a bit of flame from time to time - it should be finished in a reasonable natural colour. That means blue, green, grey, purple, etc are out. Natural or amber - sure. It does get tedious to see the same kind of flame top on every bloody PRS though.
I've never liked PRS pickups. Too closed and nasal sounding. I don't like the shallow neck angle because it doesn't leave enough space between the strings and the body. On a Strat or Tele that's fine because there's a pickguard there. On a PRS you end up with a finish covered in fine scratches from playing. Kinda distracting when your attention is drawn to that finish all the time. On a Gibson there's enough space so that generally you don't leave marks on the finish. Or there's a pickguard there.
The headstock is hideous. I like straight string pull, dislike how they did the headstock. I also don't like the "dipped in glass" finish.
In general they play ok but I have always found guitars I much prefer for my styles of music.
And I don't mind where they put their pickups - although I do have some suggestions...
I've never liked PRS pickups. Too closed and nasal sounding. I don't like the shallow neck angle because it doesn't leave enough space between the strings and the body. On a Strat or Tele that's fine because there's a pickguard there. On a PRS you end up with a finish covered in fine scratches from playing. Kinda distracting when your attention is drawn to that finish all the time. On a Gibson there's enough space so that generally you don't leave marks on the finish. Or there's a pickguard there.
The headstock is hideous. I like straight string pull, dislike how they did the headstock. I also don't like the "dipped in glass" finish.
In general they play ok but I have always found guitars I much prefer for my styles of music.
And I don't mind where they put their pickups - although I do have some suggestions...
Pauleo1214
Well-known member
I forgot about the late 80's early 90's PRS Studios. I can give them a pass on it because HSS layouts are inherently asymmetrical. Furthermore, the spacing gets wonky when compressed due to the 24th fret.
PRS has a history of getting pretty freestyle with the pickup placement.
I am more amazed that the neck held up on these given how far the tenon has to go in a Fender single coil style cavity from where the neck meets the body.
Laundryroom David
Keyboard Cowboy 🤠
I don’t know what to say about that guitar. It’s a lot. Of things. All at the same time.
Colour is cool. That selector switch would be a PITA for me. I’d like to say the pickup placement doesn’t bug me, but that would be lyin’. I’d pick at it like an old scab.
chip
Active member
I don't get why guitar makers obsess about pickup placement. Like there's all this talk about putting it on a "node," which (ignoring the fact that a node would be a dead spot if the wave wasn't complex) I'm pretty sure could only matter if you never fretted, which moves all the nodes.
Aesthetically, it looks like a mistake to me, but that's probably based mostly on convention. I bet it does sound different, but whether it's better or not would be a matter of taste, and it's entirely possible that it made one position better and one worse.
Aesthetically, it looks like a mistake to me, but that's probably based mostly on convention. I bet it does sound different, but whether it's better or not would be a matter of taste, and it's entirely possible that it made one position better and one worse.
Pauleo1214
Well-known member
Pickup placement does have a big affect on sound. Strings get looser the further they are from the bridge or nut, hence having two pickups to select different sounds.
The middle pickup is moved only slightly and aesthetically, I can't get over it. Maybe there is a difference but in a blind test I bet I would.not be able to tell the difference in sound.
The reasoning for the placement in the youtube demo from PRS makes no damn sense.
RetiredUnit1
Well-known member
I think PRS makes some damn fine looking guitars, but I'm waiting for my next guitar to be MADE.... crum, talk about anticipation....
chip
Active member
Obviously. Otherwise all the pickups on a guitar would sound the same. But the idea that there is an ideal placement based on nodes is dumb.
Coda
Well-known member
When I made my Junior-ish guitar, I didn't put the pickup all the way up the bridge's ass, and several people have told me that it wouldn't work because it's not under a node. But it pretty consistently makes noise.
Nope. It’s all about the nodes. Nice firewood…
Bricksnbeatles
Member known well
Especially since the nodes shifts the second you fret or bend a string. Picking/strumming relative to nodes does make a huge difference though
Pauleo1214
Well-known member
I didn't say that it sounds bad, only that I find the asymmetry really bothersome to the eye. Factor in that it sells for $5,000 USD...
Fantastic junior! Nothing wrong with a pickup towards the middle. Plenty of those old Harmony's had them and sounded great.When I made my Junior-ish guitar, I didn't put the pickup all the way up the bridge's ass, and several people have told me that it wouldn't work because it's not under a node. But it pretty consistently makes noise.
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MichaelW
Well-known member
If I recall correctly, the Modern Eagle was designed to recreate the tones from Jerry Garcia's Alembic for John Mayer's gigs with "Dead and Co". (Note: I have zero interest in this guitar and have not watched the video)
As much as I dig Jerry and spent some time as a "wannabe-Deadhead" I've never liked his tone. Hard pass for me.
As much as I dig Jerry and spent some time as a "wannabe-Deadhead" I've never liked his tone. Hard pass for me.
