The cool thing about playing is how different we all play. I started on a fender strat, became a GAS junkie, decided I need all of these other guitars, built a large collection, and now realize the Fender strat is all I need for my electric needs. I guess its no different than everyday life - you spend a lifetime acquiring things and then reach an age where you want to get rid of what you dont use.
Yeah me too. Well, I have a Warmoth Strat. But yeah full cir from strat to SG, to Ibanez to ES style to strat. Even with a single coil in the bridge it’s home.
A strat type is what I started on. I went through the grunge thing in the 90', got a bunch of guitars like Mustangs and Jaguars, and Jazzmasters, but I also had an American strat. Well, over the years, the strat is the only one that comes to every gig, the others just kind of rotate in depending on whats on the set.
Played Hss superstars for 25 years. Then I got a Prs dgt (that I love) and then got the 513 a week ago. Fantastic guitar with every option you’ll ever need. I like to just use one guitar live (did we ever play gigs?) and the 513 can do it all..
I LOVE this vid, the concept, your explanations, your knowledge, and awesome playing. More vids and contenders for "the most versatile guitar" games! Thank you as always!
For many years I shrugged off "PRS-mania". Then, I thought - why not give them a try - which led to experimenting and dabbling with a few SE's over the years, my 'ho-hum' experiences with those SEs became 'further proof' of my claims - I sold them and moved on. But the praise kept on and on and on from many of those I admired. Not being in the budget for a core model, I was at a local shop one day a few years ago and picked up an S2...the 'PRS thing' started to click. I bought it. Then I sold it only to buy another model and then I bought a Vela semi-hollow. Now, I am angling to get a CE24. The fit, finish, the rolled edges, the lack of fret sprouting, the playability, stay-in-tuneness, intonation, all always - always - always SPOT ON with every model I've played or owned above the SEs. My small collection of 'others' is being over-taken solely by PRS guitars. This once avid denier, is now a believer.
Stop being a cheap ass and by multiple lower budget guitars and just get a used core over the ce.. I have a se,ce, and 2 cores.. the cores are the best so stop playing around!
It’s true, I have fenders and Gibson’s and they’re lovely, but sometimes you just want something that plays flawlessly and stays in tune for days. I wanted an HH guitar with a set neck (I don’t have a les paul currently) but I wanted a guitar that didn’t suggest a style. S2 Thinline was a good move
Your demo videos have the dual result of making me want whichever guitar you are promoting while simultaneously inspiring me to pick up one of my current guitars and re connecting with the joy of playing in the first place.Best review series on RU-vid!
Man this Suhr sounds gorgeous 😶 !!! I have a PRS and could definitely recognize the tones I am familiar with 😊 but this Suhr really blew mit mind... I loved the clean and breakup tones.
That Suhr really does the "Eddie" toanz with the bolt neck and high gain. Very good cleans as well. The PRS has a slight tonal color difference. Love them both. Bag em both imho.
I’m rocking a DGT as my number 1 right now and I concur...the tapped PRS’s are unreal in their versatility. I kind of wished the DGT had that 35th switching...the switches look super convenient.
Love my DGT! One of the best guitars I've ever played, but the pull knob to split the coils is not practical when playing live. I wish there was as push knob or mini toggle switch.
They are VERY convenient. I have a PRS CE-24 and a CU-2408 which has the same switching as the PRS in the video. I wish the CE had same type of switching.
PRS Custom 24 is a nice guitar, but I bought a used PRS CE24 and a Silver sky for about 3300.00 total. I get all of the tones and playability that both of these guitars have. The custom 24 is about 3800.00 new. They're great guitars but I think you can find options that are less expensive but still give you the versatility.
Another superb demo from Jack. If you want the typical Strat tones in single coil, the Suhr with ML pickups will do the trick. The PRS, although the enhanced number of selections, is more PRS-signature like: very clean, pristine tones that some might call sterile (that you can compensate with the tone pot and EQ on the amp). Personally, I prefer the DGT in that respect. Both great guitars, my preference going to the Suhr configuration.
Awesome demo and playing as always!! I think they are both equally gorgeous and versatile guitars, and each has its own take on classic tones. I cant split them. So let's just face it....we totally NEED BOTH!! ;-)
The most versatile set up, would be a Superstrat guitar with a H-S-H configuration, that also has a coil split mode for the humbuckers.Basically, Kikio Loureiro´s Ibanez sig. model. Or you get a Superstrat with a H-S-Mini Humbucker (Twin-Rails) set up and add a coil-split for the bridge humbucker. The Twin-Rails is basically like a singlecoil, minus the hum and with more output for high gain leads.
I have quite a few guitars as I started buying in the 70s, including both PRS and Suhr’s . I have 2 Suhr’s I gravitate to, a CustomT and the modern. Occasionally I’ll pull out an old Tele because of the soap bar. Custom PRS and Suhr’s - you are not going to go wrong with either. It’s an investment , but you’ll find yourself gravitating to them. If this is your first guitar, or in your first 10 guitars, I’d hold off - just so when you do buy one, you can appreciate how good these are compared to your other guitars 🎸 enjoy !!
Smokin’! After watching I think I can tell which guitar was his favorite during this demo. Great playing and a great common sense method of deciding which is best for you. Riddle: What’s better than a great guitar?....Two great guitars 👍🏼! Sorry, that seems to be the yank way here in the USA! Lol! Probably everywhere. I was amp shopping and had not considered Dr. Z in quite some time....will be trying a Maz 18 soon, thanks again, nicely done. Cheers, Joe
Jack makes some of the best demos on RU-vid IMHO. Shows off the full range of a guitars capabilities without defaulting to pentatonic noodling or inane chatter the whole time. I gig an hss strat as my main guitar live, but the amazing splits on PRS guitars make them so versatile! A CE24 is next on my list and even though I swore I'd never pay $2000 for a strat, this video got me thinking about buying a Suhr. PS it should be noted that the Dr Z Maz18 makes just about any guitar sound good. A $400 Squier would sound phenomenal with Jack playing it through that amp lol
PRS do make great looking guitars. For me though the Custom 22 and the Paul's guitar just look slightly better proportioned than the custom 24. Only small differences, that make a big difference.
Excellent demonstration. I play both, PRS's and Suhr guitars. One can't go wrong with either. Perhaps do a demo of the Suhr Modern Pro with a PRS 24. I truly enjoyed hearing you play and discerning subtle nuance. Kudos!
Church player here, rocking a similar Suhr as my number one. I have Tele, a Jazzmaster, a Collings ES style, and a Duesenberg...but the Suhr does it all -- great cleans and killer punch plus a familiar layout. And wow does it stay in tune! I'd still like a PRS, but the Classic S is my forever friend. YMMV.
Totally agree. I'm a Strat guy and loved the Suhr bridge humbucker on high gain, but the PRS high gain tone really surprised me. It blew me away me too!
It´s funny that many people associate the PRS Cu with blues or "Dad-Rock", when 20 years ago it was extremely popular among alt-rock, prog and metal players. The guys from Opeth use PRS for decades, same with the guys from Alter Bridge, Mark Holcomb from Periphery, the guitarplayer from Linkin Park (sorry can recall his name) and many pop-punk players. A PRS Cu 24, plugged into a Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier, was essentially the tone of the late 90´s-early 00´s.
Personally i preferred all the tones from the HSS “Strat”. Just sounded more “rounded” to me where the PRS sounded a bit thin by comparison. No doubting the PRS is a great guitar too though.
Listening to these guitars through a computer and at best a home hi-fi, is nothing like hearing the guitars in person through dedicated amps. Just saying...
Exactly my two weapons of choice. Love em both :) for the cover guys both are excellent choices. Despite its flashier looks, however, I need to say that the PRS seems a bit more „stable“ to me. That is, the neck doesn’t move unless you want it to, intonation stays spot on, nothing gets in the way of the right hand... however, some fragility is predisposed by a strat‘s construction and the Suhr reduces it to a minimum. Just my 2 cents :)
Mine is a PRS S2 Custom 24. No fancy switches for pickups, just a 3 way switch and a push pull coil split. Totals 6 alternatives to start from. Used in very good condition my version/year are going for about $1,100 on Reverb (sold listings only). There are 35th editions of the S2 Custom 24 available for a little more, but this one does the job. I'm not afraid to take it out and use it for that. Lots of value for the money.
I love both guitar's and have several. I would've thought the Suhr Modern would've been a better comparison with PRS. Love your engagement and playing. Thank you.
I'm on team PRS. I put PAF style pickups in mine and I can go from hard rock down to spanky cleans easily. The treble bleed in the volume rolls down to a bright and clear tone really nicely too.
Good on ya! It continues to amuse me how many people I come across that say “PRS really builds a great guitar, but I just don’t care for the sound/pickups.” They then wax eloquent about how they put this boutique set of pickups in their Les Paul to get it where they want it.
@@bluesrock4696 I did both actually! I have Friedman Classic PAF's in my PRS which are a little hotter and more aggressive, and Wolfetone Dr Vintage PAF's in my Les Paul, which are more low output vintage. Also Suhr SSV's in my Charvel for a modern take. I love those vintage style humbuckers for versatility!
they are both very similar regarding versatility and yet completely different in terms of tone signature. I love the Suhr for its refinement of the classic S style guitar with its playability (necks are like butter to me), and the tone is more subdued on the top end (the pups are useable at all volume levels which I can't with any fender)... its Stratty but with added fullness. Then there is the PRS that has this bigger sound from those hum buckers that really speaks to me (EQ'd better than a LES PAUL IMO) as they are clear and yet not overdone with any particular frequency, there is a special vibe with these that sets them apart from anyone else... I wish people would stop saying they are in between a Gibson and a Fender... they are not in between the big two... they are 1 of the big 3... for others to say we sit between a Gibson and a PRS or between a PRS and a Fender... add the versatility to these and they are great... however I own a Suhr Ian Thornley S Roughneck and I am super happy with that, however I could easily own both and be very happy.
My forever guitar is my Pacifica. It has a humbucker in the bridge and P90 in the neck. When I roll the volume back on the P90 it starts to sound like a Strat. I want one with a tremolo and two P90’s. Doesn’t sound versatile but P90’s cover a lot of sounds from humbucker to Fender single coils. The two guitars you picked are the industry gold standard.
The only thing I have ever heard, in my entire life, ever, sound like a single coil in the neck, strangely enough, was a single coil in the neck. I love me some humbuckers in the neck, some glorious tones to be had . Never hear a single coil in the neck sound like a humbucker. had lot few suhr's and a few PRS's really nice guitars. But for me they are very very different guitars
Very true, both guitars would have sounded fantastic through the Soldano, but I wanted to make this a bit more ‘real-world’ by using the clean amp with pedals approach 🙂 - Jack
We have used the Soldano a few times before... :) The Return of a Legend! A Closer Look at... Soldano SLO-100 - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-rmfIPELd70g.html An Introduction To...The BRAND NEW Soldano SLO-30! - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-M_346gInYrE.html Steve Lukather: A Tale of Two Tones - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-d0Kx3HgLA2I.html Eric Clapton: A Tale Of Two Tones - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-l8sdlJJmP4Q.html
Get one! PRS custom 24 was my main guitar for 13 years before I got a Suhr HSS Antique last year. I wouldn’t say it replaced it, but I absolutely love it and have to split my time equally between them
Every guitarist should own guitars with 2 humbuckers,2 P 90s, 3 single coils, single single humbucker , 2 humbuckers single coil.Last three Filterton .Guys show your wife's if she has any questions get back with me and I'll do everything I can. Hope this helps.
First of all, you play really nicely! Both guitars sound excellent! I kinda prefer the PRS. I own a pile of guitars. And my favorite is my PRS CE24. There’s just something about those guitars to my ear.
I have the SE version of that PRS, but I also have the PRS S2 Studio, which is HSS. So I guess my response to "which approach works best for you" was "yes" 😆
Agree on the HSS strat and the PRS tremolo model as the 2 most versatile designs. Personally I would pick a Fender or Grosh over Suhr. For the PRS I would take a McCarty (or a DGT if you must have a tremolo) over a Custom 22/24; they sound and play much better.
For me the difference in preference between high gain and low gain, both come down to attack. I thought I might prefer the attack of the suhr for cleans and the prs for gain, and I was right. Maybe it's my bias going in, but I just think stratty attack is good for sweet cleans, and biting attack of a set neck, mahogany body is better for high gain. I could just be talking shite, idk.*edit: oh look, you just said exactly the same thing at the end.
The PRS looks spectacular and sounds very good - but, sorry, i can't live without that "u"-sounding tone of a neck SingleCoil PU (7:26). For me the Suhr has more "character".
I own Suhr classic S hss TB+/ML, Les Paul standard with jb/jazz and fender strat deluxe with Seymour Duncan everything axe....I'm in a cover band performing every night only my fender deluxe can do it all ..but I use my Les Paul the most because it makes me look cooler 😅
Great video! Excellent playing as always Jack! I’m a PRS guy and I agree the darker meatier tones suit that Custom 24 well. The single coil splits are not bad either. Can’t go wrong with either one! 🤘🏼
Great video. In passing - if we all had just one guitar that did everything we wouldn't buy so many guitars, and we LOVE buying guitars. Also, sometimes more is less. I love my PRS Custom 24, deliberately avoiding the 35th anniversary edition, and it is too versatile. I don't think I use all 5 switch positions, and I am not sure I have ever played anything in the middle position. Adding two switches would be too much for an old guy like me. There are tone and volume knobs to play with too.
I have a Pauls Guitar which is same as that C24 except the floating bridge. Love the split coils! PRS also made SE HSS and HSH guitars in or around 2008 for anyone who wants both.
Picking up on the comment below - I added a push/pull tone pot to my 513, so I can also get neck and bridge (or all pickups together) tones in addition to the rest. This makes it a 519 and a true 'Swiss army knife' of a guitar. The only thing I'd like to improve is to introduce noiseless single coil pickups but as they are proprietary, it's impossible to achieve. Never been a fan of Suhr guitars as (as far as I'm aware) the nut width is limited to 1 5/8" (ditto Tom Anderson guitars). Too narrow for me.
Of course I would prefer an HH with coil splits if the splits were up to scratch - and by that I mean equal to single coils , not "kinda stratty" tone. Being that technology isn't there yet, HSS is king. And that's exactly what I've just bought : a Charvel DK24 HSS. I thought, if the middle coil gets in the way, can just lower it, but you can't move it n this particular model. And that brings to mind something you don't see enough of : and that's just an H/S Strat. So you lose a funny sound that's never gonna be your main tone anyway... But you gain all that real estate, clear thru the strum zone! One good tone is all you need! And and two, is enough for every contingency! Add the middle where it's a bit of both and you're spoilt for options!
Great videos, watching your channel for a while now. Can you do the same video but a lower spec guitars compared please? Also what do you think about the new Ibanez AZ?
Great video. The playing is always outstanding! Jack is my favourite demo guy on RU-vid. I think I’d take the suhr out of the 2 on show. Although prs guitars are stunningly built, every one of them I’ve played has always left me feeling cold. I find them a bit sterile. But on the plus side for the prs. They have their own shape and style. Where the suhr is too much like a fender. If I was buying any guitar other than a fender or Gibson. My preference is Patrick James Eggle guitars.
Wow, this almost exactly my thought process too. My main is a PRS Piezo 22 modded with push/pull coil splits. Piezo adds acoustic sounds on top of that. Same colour as the video too! The only sound I miss is Strat position 4, so I'm looking into getting a Strat.
I’ve owned a couple of each. I would hands down take a Suhr guitar over a PRS any day. The Suhr have character. You hear it as soon as you pick it up. Every prs I’ve bought had no character. Great looking, nice playing, but not moving at all. Own two Suhr’s and love them both.
It might seem obvious to say but if a guitar is going to be a ‘keeper’ and we want to save time and money it’s helpful to answer the question of ‘why before which’ when we buy. Looks and sound are probably the biggest factors for most of us because it’s hard to live with an ‘ugly’ guitar no matter how great it sounds. I really want to love PRS guitars but they leave me ‘cold’, so predominantly being a Strat player I’ve tried a few Suhr’s hoping they would give me the best of both worlds single coil / humbucker but they don’t give me what I get from my Strat’s or LP sound wise. If you play in a band or record in the studio finding something that sits well in the mix is vital. I’ve owned guitars that sound great in a demo or played unaccompanied but just can’t be placed in a mix.
@@maximumguitarage Hi, yes my friend has one and it’s a beautifully made guitar but it just doesn’t do it for me. I went on to try some more Suhr models last year and bought an HSS Classic S special edition Pauwlonia, which is an amazing guitar in every respect.
Prs hands down. It is darker sounding but not at all muddy. And it’s not a strat copy. Suhr is also outstanding though. But I think players sometimes think if they want a fender they will buy a fender not a suhr. But with prs it has its own thing. Closer to Gibson of course but really it’s sitting neatly between the fender and Gibson which makes it more unique.
@@liveconcerts7550 Absolutely, and I also dig the AZ series, and the original Talmans of the 90's where unbelievable. All of them, played them relentlessly as a kid in the mom and pop stores.