If You Can't Afford A PRS Check This Out
Why Buy Your PRS From Ed Roman
If You Like PRS Guitars Check This Link Out
Quicksilver Guitar VS PRS Guitar
Ed Roman Has The Best Deals On New & Used PRS GuitarsEven though Ed Roman is no longer personally a fan of what PRS is doing these days. Ed still sells quite a few of them. The simple reason being, on the new models Ed has the best price. Message From Ed Buying a PRS today is no easy thing to do. There are way too many models, and not all options are available on all of them. I can give you a either a quickie thumbnail overview, of all the models, or I can give you an extremely detailed synopsis on every early model ever offered by PRS. I have been selling PRS guitars since 1978, Long before anyone knew who Paul Reed Smith was. I am unique in that I recommended Paul as the best guitar made years before he achieved his reputation. True I no longer feel that the PRS product is as good a value as it used to be, and it is also true that I no longer feel that the PRS product is the best I have to offer. But PRS guitars are still a well made guitar. However if you want to buy a PRS, and you are interested in the pros and cons. I can be of immense help to you. I am an expert on his original models, I can tell you which years models were made with certain components and woods. I can be of value to you because I know all the original real PRS models intimately. I can advise you on the differences between a McCarty & a Custom, I can tell you which ones are keepers and which ones to stay away from. I have been called a walking encyclopedia on PRS guitars. I can tell you the year he switched from Brazilian Rosewood to Indian Rosewood, I can tell you the reasons behind the Heel from Hell, I can advise you on what pickups to choose, and I can tell you all the different bridge configurations over the years and advise you on the ones that work the best etc etc. Very Very Very Very Important !!!! 22 Fret Versus 24 Fret RARE MODELS I have in stock many signatures and early first year PRS guitars. I also have pre-productions and prototypes. PRICE I also have the absolute lowest prices on all the 2009 PRS guitars. If another dealer beats my price on the same PRS guitar I will pay you double the difference. SELECTION At one time I had probably one of the best selections of pre 1995 PRS guitars in the world. Today all the old ones are in the hands of wise collectors who know the new ones can't compare. SERVICE I am also unique in the fact that I can offer custom retops, Inlays, and colors that are available no where else in the world. I guarantee there is not a PRS in the world that I can't fix if something goes wrong with it. PARTS I am the only guitar merchant in the world that carries PRS original parts. I have original necks, bodies, tremolos, tuners, and over 250 PRS pickups in stock. I even have those hard to get original sweet switches, 5 way biscuit rotary knobs, Mil Com Tremolos, and more. My shop is the only shop in the world to my knowledge that has upgrade aftermarket replacement necks and upgraded custom made bodies. SETUP Every guitar I sell gets a complete and thorough setup and check out before it is shipped. This is signed off by My Shop Manager. OBSERVATION Every guitar player in the world knows that Gibson quality has
faded tremendously over the years. Unless he has been hiding under a rock for
the past 15 to 20 years. The workmanship coming from the Gibson factory is
downright shameful. HERE'S THE RUB Gibson has maintained their original designs and gone to great lengths to ignore progress but they have remained true to the old style guitars that your grandfather played in the 50's. In the case of PRS they hired some ex Gibson people who took them off course completely. They changed their designs for the worse. They made huge engineering blunders and simply horrible design changes. Their workmanship fit & finish quality remains great but their old excellent designs are a thing of the past & frankly I hate all of the new models. Ed Roman |
COMPARE IF YOU DARE
PRS Vs Baker B1 Product Comparison | PRS VS Quicksilver Product Comparison |
PRS New Models Compared To Old Models | PRS 24 Fret Guitars Versus 22 Fret Models |
BEST PRICES BEST
SELECTION BEST SERVICE |
More PRS Information Links
PRS Bridges & Tremolos | Dating Your PRS |
PRS Commentary The McCarty Model | PRS Guitars Frequently Asked Questions |
PRS MAJOR BLUNDERS |
Hey Ed,
Your web site is without a doubt the best guitar site on the www. There is lots of great factual info. As the owner of a 1986 PRS custom I found your comparisons very interesting. It's very hard to disagree with any of it.
Several months ago I read your comments on Tom Anderson guitars (they are very overpriced) and was instantly won over to your way of thinking.
As someone who occasionally attempts to build guitars (in my garage) I agree that 'hand built' means something different today.
Keep up the good work and fight the good fight.
Ken
I will be taking seminars in Las Vegas soon. I'll stop by and pickup a Quicksilver for my collection
The McCarty Hollow body 1 model is the least expensive of the models. It comes with a Maple top and Mahogany back and sides. This model sports a manufacturers list price of $3,600.00. (Street price will probably be under $2,700.00) , I measured the thickness at the rim at 1 3/4" and at the top of the peak of the arch 3". There are no birds, gold or fancy quilted maple (of course these items as on most PRS guitars are optional for an extra cost of about $2,000.00 additional. Personally I like the thicker version much much better than the thinner version. The Thinner version is by far overpriced. The Thicker full Archtop version is only about $100.00 more but it offers a host of reasons why it is better. (More on that later).
The McCarty Hollow body II differs slightly from the basic model by the use of Maple on the back instead of Mahogany. I found it a little strange that PRS opted to use Mahogany on the sides instead of Maple. I don't think it was a design mistake, but maybe a marketing mistake because it might alienate some cosmetic conscious buyers away from the model. It is much cheaper for PRS to build the sides from Mahogany simply because the sides are hogged out on a machine the way a canoe is built. Personally I feel that Maple or Rosewood would be a much better choice.
The McCarty Archtop
This is the larger body version of the "Hollow body" it is exactly one inch thicker at the edge and one inch thicker at the peak of the arch and only $200.00 more. Although In real life it will cost you about $100.00.
This is my favorite guitar that PRS makes today. It has absolutely no competition. (The thinner one is ridiculously overpriced because there are numerous other better and cheaper products.) The Archtop is a guitar unto itself. No other manufacturer makes a guitar quite like this one. I like the way it plays and I like the way it sounds. The Archtop also tends to have nicer looking top wood than the thinner Hollow Body model.
The Archtop guitar is also a lot louder than the Hollow Body and therefore the guitar is a wonderful bedroom or parlor guitar also.
I absolutely do not recommend the LR Baggs Piezo system that is available for these guitars. There is a much newer technology now.
Now for Something Completely Different
As I previously stated I dislike the PRS Hollow body because there are numerous competitors who do versions of that model better and much cheaper and without the PRS feedback problems.
As I previously stated I like the Archtop (Thicker Version) much better because it has no competitors and does things that no other guitars are capable of. Yes it is overpriced but that's just PRS.
But, the Artist version of this guitar is probably the most stupidly overpriced thing I have ever seen.
McCarty Archtop II Artist Model
1998
List Price $10,000.00 Smackers, Puhleease!!!!!!!
This price is $4,660.00 more than a loaded
McCarty Archtop II !!!
I took this from PRS's 1998 Specification Sheet
If I missed something so did they
Here's What the 5 Differences Are:
Brazilian Rosewood Fingerboard
Artist Grade Figured Maple
Gold Outline on the Bird inlays
Rosewood Veneer on Headstock
Double Stain Finish
Here's My Assessment of the 5 Differences - 02/27/98:
Brazilian Rosewood Fingerboard
I am selling solid Brazilian Rosewood complete neck blanks for 125.00
just like PRS used on the $9,000.00 Rosewood Ltd. I am buying these blanks
from Craft Supplies in England which I understand is the same supplier that
sells PRS. That's the whole neck!!! How much
could just the fingerboard cost??? My highest guess is about
$15.00 cost
Artist Grade Figured Maple
How could that be better than a 10 top. I thought that a 10 top was
measured on a scale of 10.
I quote one of the greatest guitarists alive, Nigel Tufnel of Spinal Tap:
" ...But these amps go to eleven."
Just for the heck of it lets say it's an 11 top. OK add
$75.00 at the absolute absolute most.
Gold Outline on Bird Inlays
OK here we have a slightly noticeable
difference, I honestly have no clue what it costs to do this. I would guess
about $25.00 to $40.00 but because I simply don't know I'm gonna allow
$100.00 for the
purpose of this comparison.
Rosewood Veneer on Headstock
This is something I do on most of the guitars I build, I use scrap
rosewood, ebony or quilted maple and I generally don't even charge for it
unless I have quoted too low on another component and I need to make it up.
The most I ever charged for this was $50.00 and as I mentioned it really
costs nothing to do. Many companies do it Standard and off-hand I can't
think of anyone who charges for it. But for the sake of this commentary I
have to assign a value so I'm gonna give 'em $15.00.
Double Stain Finish
The People at PRS are true geniuses at guitar
finishing. Not only do their finishes look fantastic but in my opinion most
of the other people in the industry including myself have learned a lot of
our techniques directly from Paul Reed Smith's finishing. Some people
learned it from working there and some people like myself learned it
by trial and error until it looked as good as theirs, but the bottom line is PRS was the first company to popularize the double stain finish. Basically a
double stained finish is where the first stain usually a darker stain is
applied. This serves to raise the grain and enhance the 3D effect of the
final product. The darker stain is sanded down so that it highlights the
edges of the flame or quilt. Then the color stain or dye is applied. The end
result is truly spectacular. I think that in the early days PRS used this
technique on many of their regular models. The retail cost of doing this
from my paint shop is $100.00. Again for the purpose of this article I am
going to allow a $50.00
cost which is worth it. However many of PRS's stock colors employ the same
method for no extra cost. You just have to know which colors to order. (The
ones on this page prove it)
OK were gonna' take that $255.00 and make
it $1,020.00
Alrighty, lets get down to business here.
OK, the difference was $4,660.00 between
the Artist, and the loaded Archtop.
Were Gonna Subtract $1,020.00 for the Artist
special appointments
Shit that still leaves an unexplained $3,640.00
$3,640.00 ?????
Hello???? (knock knock) McFly???
Helloooooo???
Could this guitar be for that uninformed consumer,
that I talked about above????
You remember the one who thinks that it has to be expensive
to be good!!!
Final commentary and opinion
Seriously, The PRS Archtop models are
excellent instruments. They are
absolutely the best thing I have seen come out of PRS for 5 years. I am
giving them my highest rating for quality, I just can't endorse the Artist
model as a fair value.
(I like the full body model
much more than the thin body model)
Ed Roman Guitars founded in 1995 with only one original objective
Company Trivia
In 1995 I became totally disillusioned with the PRS guitars. For years I had felt that PRS guitars were the best guitars on the market. So I decided to start a company that specialized entirely in Pre 1995 Paul Reed Smith Guitars. (I only wanted to deal in Pre 1995 PRS guitars)
After owning "Eastcoast Music Mall" & being in business for 23 years, selling crappy corporate guitars, keyboards, PA, lighting, drums, DJ gear & other assorted hogwash, I was tired of selling Gibson & other corporate guitars. I felt that the guitar industry was ready for someone who only sold top shelf high end guitars. The main problem at the time was there were only a few builders who actually were building really great guitars. (Today that's all been changed)
Of course Ed Roman Guitars has since blossomed to specialize in carrying over 25 brands of high end boutique guitars and 100 plus brands of regular brand name Guitars and Basses. Ed Roman Guitars also builds some of the finest guitars on the market today.
But the original concept was to carry only pre 1995 hand made PRS guitars. I also sell the newer machine made ones but that of course is for economic reasons. Today I am glad to say the high end guitar market is growing extremely well and there are no shortages of better than PRS brands that can be bought at a reasonable price.
Ed Roman
If You Can't Afford A PRS Check This Out
Here's a totally unforgivable job done on a PRS
The guitar appeared to have the original finish on it
The customer wanted us to change the color.
When we sanded the body down we found that a huge chunk of the body was solid bondo.
It's a little hard to see but if you look closely you will see the buildup of 1 1/2 " of solid body filler on this guitar.
I find it hard to believe that any company, much less PRS
would ever allow this to happen.
But that's what it looked like.
When we contacted the customer he told us he had bought the guitar on Ebay.
EBay Strikes Again !!!