he makes the finest guitars in the world today ... and I'm talking the Core and above, such as Wood Library and GASP .. Private Stock, which are better than anything from the Gibson and Fender custom shops.
Absolutely love my PRS guitars. The Core DGT for me is my top along with Silver Sky. Both allow a guitarist to be themselves vs the musician those guitars are built for. Thank your Paul!!
This is a cool interview it should have more views. Interesting take from Paul on his outlook on PRS as a company. Don't try to build a brand, just make great instruments. What a moto really. That is how I'd run a company too, it concentrates you on the passion of it. Also could explain some of the odd choices they make, like the tuners on the Silver Sky, or color choices they had (no black on first release). Its indicative of a company putting more resources and thinking into production instead of thinking about growing a brand.
That is exactly why I am paying $12k for a custom built PRS - I want it built while Paul is still in the picture. He is going to make good on his promise to build the best guitar at a given price point. No doubt in my mind. Now, the question becomes, can I play at a $12k guitar level? lol
If Paul is right about the PRS guitars being the best guitar at a given price point I will certainly be looking at PRS if/when I decide to get an electric. So far I only have acoustic guitars. The only other issue for me is that there are very few models available for left-handed players.
I like Paul, but he is TOTALLY glossing over the fact that his SE's are not made by PRS. I think that's why he didn't mention China, Indonesia, Korea, etc. parts, and wood quality matter.
Keep in mind this is one interview, and also edited. Paul has discussed the SE line in MANY other videos, so it's not something that he's attempting to hide. Case in point; notice that "Built by Cor-Tek Musical Instruments Co, Ltd, Indonesia under license for PRS" appears on the back of each SE headstock. Contrast that with Epiphone, which simply reads "Hand-Crafted in China"... Heck, PRS even has official videos of the build process of the SE guitars.
Nice interview. Neil; one thing-- stop using the verbal pause, "Like." I know you hear it used a lot among your peers, but take your public speaking craft to the next level by getting rid of those distracting verbal pauses (i.e. like, you know, umm, uhh, etc.). It's one of those elements that once adopted, will make you stand out from the pack.
I get what you are saying, but the thing is that any guitar company that wants to make an affordable line of guitars that compete at the sub $1000 price point pretty much has to make them overseas (or Mexico). An American made guitar just can't be made cheaply enough to sell at a low enough price to compete against imports. So it is what it is. The S2 and Core guitars are American made and the SE is made in Indonesia. The only other option is to simply not have an SE line at all and only have expensive PRS guitars, but then younger entry level players never get to experience a PRS. Think of it like this: It's like when a kid gets an Epiphone and then as an adult upgrades to a real Gibson, or when a kid gets a Squire and then upgrades to a real Fender as an adult. People can do the same thing with PRS now. I don't think that's a bad thing, personally.
