You are playing some very nice licks again. In reference to the level bridge. All standard trem bridges that are on Fender Strats or the companies making copies can be locked down, set level or made to float so that you can get an upward pitch. It's just a matter of how you set them up. With a little practice plus the many YT tutorials most anyone can learn to set the bridge level if that is a preference. The fretting out is the major problem of 7-1/4" radius necks. It became a player evolution situation. When Leo Fender created his early model guitars they all had 7-1/4" radius necks and that was ok because there was very little finger string bending going on in the early years. Players began to find Gibson guitars were easier to bend strings on. Why? Gibson had a 12" radius which equaled a much flatter neck so that the resistance of the curvature was less yielding in easier bends. That 7-1/4" Fender radius remained for over 30 years. Fender's American Standard models came out with a 9-1/2" radius to accommodate string bending. This was very much the primary reason for the success of the boutique builders. They had offered more neck and fret options and that sold them. A good reason for Mark Hopkins to like the Suhr options..9-12" and Suhr offers a 16" radius. Think of this. The neck on the 594 that you play! How nice would the combination of that neck be on the SKY? All PRS guitar models before the SKY have a flatter radius because Paul understood all this. I also think if Paul offered a 10" radius neck on a SKY that would boost sales. I don't think the SKY radius was Paul's idea at all. It's what JM wanted and Paul had to go with it. I think Paul was happy for the time JM was playing the EAGLE with a 10" radius. Once the endorsement was made JM needed to have a guitar that was as close to the vintage Fender JM Artist models he had been playing for years. That feel was what he was used to. In one of the videos John said that he felt like he needed the guitar to look like the guitar people were used to seeing him play....yeah I don't get it either.
JM doesn't have a paid endorsement deal with PRS. He has stated that and I believe him because I have also heard JM state the exact same thing with Martin. I have confirmed that with Dick Boak (who just retired from Martin last year) who handled all the artists. Yes....he gets free guitars but he's not getting cash to say he plays PRS or Martin. Believe it or not, JM is just a world class guitar geek and does it cause he loves it.
Bret Schwartz apparently John likes to just get good service in return. Fix his guitars, make him customs and stuff like that. But I reckon he gets a couple of brown envelopes if he does a showcase or a exhibition :)
You clearly demonstrated the guitar frets out! To my knowledge, no other review demonstrated that. BTW, for a few hundred dollars that guitar can have a new radius and any fret wire :)
I actually spoke with the lead engineer for this guitar at PRS and he said that it can be fixed with an adjustment, and that the radius is sensitive to the player...that's not verbatim but that's my understanding.
You gave the best bottom line explanation of what that guitar does best. It’s exactly what John Mayer does with it if you watch his instagram videos. He drives a clean sound. He’s in search of a perfect tone. It’s probably the best signature guitar as far as actually representing that persons actual style and personality.
Thanks for the honest review. Great playing and good summary of the pros and cons. Oh - and leave the kids in - they're great and t's just part of life!
I'm not sure I could be more sold. I just want to pick it up and play it so bad... and for me, thats what I want out of a guitar. Even tone is secondary to that, for me. However this thing just so happens to have my ultimate tone. Thanks for all the vids with this white one. I've watched each one many times and drooled a lot.
GREAT video. Really unique review of this guitar. I particularly appreciate your attention to what kind of amp you’re plugging into and where this guitar excels relative to that. I think that’s a really important consideration.
Good video, liked the straight up likes and dont likes. Im getting a feeling lately that too many review channels won't be honest about gear. Subscribed !
Thanks! Yeah I had a bunch of people accuse me of the same thing, so now I'm going to make a point to mention the negatives.... even if they only apply to me and my taste!
thats perfect even if they only apply to you. Make a point (i believe you did) of mentioning what you do use and do like. If by chance my tastes run close to yours I'll get a better feeling if the gear you're trying fits me. In general I don't watch anymore reviews where there are no opinions... you know?.
i think ,you my friend,would be very pleased with a strat(or strat type) with a 12 inch radius fingerboard, jumbo or superjumbo stainless steel fretwire(jescar is the best) and a set of kinman noiseless pickups....perfect in all gain stages or clean....you simply cant beat it.....in fact if you wire the second tone knob as blender(volume,master tone,blender)...you can have endless pickup combinations too.....
I like that this is a NEW guitar i.e. it's not exactly a Fender Strat nor is it exactly a PRS (well, at least not a typical PRS). So I think it's cool that there's a new choice out there. Love it or hate it, I don't care. But I do love having choices.
People need to remember that guitar was custom made for JM and not John Q. Public. I guarantee there will be updated versions in the very near future without JM's name on it with more modern appointments like a compound radius fingerboard and larger frets to accommodate a larger audience. Because this is a bolt on, I can see a "build your own" custom shop version(s) (just like the "other" company). There is clearly a market for custom "S" style guitars. Its good business sense. JM went to fender first before he started sleeping with Paul. Fender wasn't as flexible as Paul :)
The stainless steel frets are the thing holding me back from choosing this over an S2 semi hollow or a CE, or even a pro fender. They aren't as warm as nickel frets but they do make it cut through the mix better and they last longer. decisions decisions......
Rod Burlingame FYI the headstock looks lopped on. The stainless steel frets wear out your strings and you do need to raise your action if you don’t want to fret out and that can be a pain. Just saw this so yes I’m 5 months late.
@@CorBor69 well I pulled the trigger a few months ago & ordered one.... I got lucky & ordered that nebula paint job! Only 300 released in the states....I finally got it last week and I love it! If this "limited edition" goes way up in value I'll probably have to sell it & get a new JM with a maple neck....but for now I'm enjoying this one
Great video. I got mine in Horizon last week, and I concur completely on the knobs and switch feeling kind of clunky and plastic (and the knobs on mine are relatively loose). Overall the tones and feeling of playing it is crazy fun.
Very cute boy. He wants to be a star lol. Ya it's a shame about the fret out. Really I don't know why they make such low radius necks on guitars now a days. You'd have to have your action to high to avoid it. They should have put the new compound radius neck on it like the new fenders.i believe it goes from 7.5 -14. On the higher frets.That's what you should try and do a review I'd love to see it
Agree totally about the compound radius neck...they apparently overlooked that one issue....probably because Mayer doesn't bend too crazily but still....should've thought about it for other types of players and can not see any reason whatsoever for putting anything smaller than medium jumbo frets on the guitar. Huge mistake!!!!
Do you like the sound of this better than your 594? It sounds like your band does. I have a 594 that I love, but I'm stoked to get this bad boy. I have one on order from fowlers in the white.
Hi Michael great video. I got a couple of question: Does the bridge touch the body or is there some space between the body and the bridge? And when you bend does it raise or does it stay still?
Hey Michael, late to the party here but could you tell me how it stacks up to a Custom Shop Strat? Comparable? I’m trying to decide on either two and haven’t own a CustomShop. Thank you
For me a guitar has to justify itself for me when it’s over $2000. I honestly think it sounds great and I’m not harping on the headstock like so many people are. At $2000 and you’re not a touring musician unless you are that or the biggest John Mayer fan EVER then for someone like me then it had better cure certain forms of cancer. I love my Baja Telecaster and it sounds and plays stupid great. It only cost me $720 because it had a scratch on the back neck plate that requires a flashlight to even see otherwise it’s mint. I play at a very high level but never in my life ever wanted to be a touring musician and the studio guitarist options locally are nil. So I enjoy playing as a hobby even though I practice and play like I’m gonna play Wembley stadium tomorrow and I teach youngsters to play. A $2000 guitar is just not practical. I enjoy 6 guitars including my 92’ peavey predator that was my first real guitar. I want companies like Gibson and PRS to stop being so inaccessible in the custom shop or private stock style guitars. No guitar should ever go over $2000 brand new unless it’s plated in pure gold. What fender does with their MIM plant is awesome for players like me and I think that particular factory deserves its own custom shop. The larger point here is Gibson and PRS are not affordable with private stock, custom shop, or artist guitars and they should be. Unless you’re a doctor, a dentist, or a lawyer the average electrician can’t afford or justify that kind of expense. PRS make amazing guitars and they know it which is half the problem. Make me a guitar built either in the US, Canada, or Mexico for $800-$1000 that looks and plays like a private stock or custom shop guitar and people will go nuts buying them.
Hope you enjoy me missing a LOT of notes and including the fam... we post anyway!! Here's the first notes vid: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-6UJPRASgBPw.html
Hi, thanks for the great video review... We play the same pretty much. I also have the need for 2 step bends depending on the lead and can have a heavy attack at times and like the sounds of rippin SRV & KWS licks, all the way down to clean warm driven wet sounds like SRVs version of little wing or Lenny... So, I'm looking for a new "strat" sounding guitar for those types of sounds plus for classic rock, progressive rock through grunge in the 90s. Those are all my styles and influences for tones I like and how I play... But I also like jimmy page style licks bending the 5th up 2+ to almost the 1, so Mayer's axe just fell off the list for me to buy it seems? I like it tone wise and how the tone knobs are designed. I'm a lead guitar player and improvisor and really enjoy free flow jam sessions passing leads around, so to be getting crazy with a comfy strat like this but then have it buzz out would just RUIN the free flowing improv, having to play around the first string... Q's: What neck radius eliminates the buzz out, if you know? Could my guitar guy shape the neck and refret with fat frets? I also am a fat fret fan. Thanks for any ideas... 🍺🍺
Yeah I don't really understand why john mayer is into the whole fretting out thing. You hear it happen in his live playing all the time, so it's either intentional or he's not aware of it.
How frequently are you going to do really big bends that far up the neck? That seems pretty petty. I have a few 7.25" G&L ASATs and they don't fret out.
I love how you act like a decked trem is a new thing lol! It’s a lot of strat players preference and not a new thing. You can also set it to float so it’s not a hardtail bro
@@Guitargate Sweet I got super lucky and managed to get my name down on one of only 10 nebular limited editions to come to Australia, should be here by May, can't wait, love single coil pickups.
