So, I'm looking to buy a nice carved-top guitar, single or double cutaway. I was at Guitar Center earlier today to pick up a pair of XLR cables and decided to play a few of the Gibson Pauls and the PRS 22 fretters. So I played through 10 Les Pauls, all above $2200. Nine of them were awful. Just horrible guitars. Clumsy things, super heavy, and they just didn't want to be played by me, period. It's as if they were saying "No! Put me down at once!" The ONE that I did enjoy was a dream to play. It just felt right. Unfortunately it was some fancy-shmancy VOS model and cost $5000. The PRS guitars were another matter. I only tried three of the 22 fret models and all three were wonderful. Great sustain, comfortable necks, sexy finishes and they were a blast to play. Problem is they were all near $4000. Now, I have a custom Carvin Bolt coming my way in a month or so and depending on how much I liked it I was gonna order a few more. Not until now did I start to consider the California Top models, though. I know they look good and all and come with options galore, but does anyone here own one? Any experience with one? Looking for any info comparing the single cuts to the Les Paul and the double cuts to the PRS line.
haven't owned one. Haven't played one. :( Why am I replying? Glad you asked. A) I found the same thing when I played LPs a couple years ago. I have a friend who has one that is awesome, but it was $4500 and weighs a TON. B) I find the same thing every time I play PRS's. Every one of them is GREAT!. I have two and played a bunch about a year ago. ALL were killer. No bad ones in the bunch.
Lastly, I have a Carvin Bolt T that was a kit. I bought it used but not yet assembled. I put it together before I even had the body done. It's a great guitar. Plays and feels fantastic! I've had it for over a year this way because I don't want to take it apart to get the body done because I enjoy it so much. I just played it last night at church at a special 9/11 service we had (about 1000 people). The guy LOST the vibrato arm. I need to contact Carvin to get another one. But after all these years of wondering how good they were, I'm SOLD on Carvin guitars. I'd LOVE to try one of the CCTs. Gorgeous guitars!
p.s. Those PRS guitars should all be under $3,000 if you are looking at regular Custom 22s. And you can get them down from there. $4K is Limited/Anniversary territory. My wife bought me a 25th Anniversary Custom 22 Semi Hollow Limited for my birthday. I don't know what she paid, but the sticker on the box says $5,299 retail. I'm thinking she paid somewhere in the $3ks and it's an Anniversary/Limited.
Just build one! Sooo overpriced. I'm thinking about doing a PRS-style like this...
This kit is $250 at byoguitar.com. I wouldn't normally go for a kit, but my boddy bought one of their JEM kits ($200) and the neck alone was worth the cost... I have never played a guitar, even an Ibanez, with such a low, perfect action... I didn't even have to crown the frets.
That's incredibly tempting, but I don't know the first thing about finishing raw wood. Plus I feel like I'd put it together wrong seeing as it's a set-neck guitar.
I really like the GEM kit. Just the woods are worth way more than the price. I have an Ibanez RG Guitar (Same body Shape) and it is one of my all time favorites.
Hey Charger, that's some pretty cool stuff. I need to not even look there while I'm trying to work! I'll definitely check this out tonight!!!
Yeah, I've got some experience finishing wood now... it does take some tools and some practice. I'm going to do one of these in either a blue-green burst or a honeyburst. But seriously, for $250 it's almost ludicrous.
yeah, almost too good to be true, if the stuff is top notch.
