How often do you fall back in love?

[hemantooth]

Once a week? Once a year?

Or every single time?

I've played a lot of guitars over the years, only owned a few. But every time I play my '03 McCarty at some point I a get this feeling that washes over me. A feeling that this guitar was MADE specifically for me. The scale length, the knob layout, the fit and finish, just perfect. She always feels alive in my hands.

Does anyone else have a special PRS like that? One that has that indescribable IT and you keep falling in love over and over?

[]-[ @ n $ 0 |v| a T ! ©]

I pulled out my ME LTD for a few rounds today. That guitar kills. I dig it when I pull a cool guitar out of the closet, play it, and wonder why I ever put it back in its case.

Of course the answer is... to spend some time playing the new one.

[sergiodeblanc]

Every time I stray.

[Twinfan]

My ME1 is like that for me - it's the special one that got me completely hooked on PRS guitars. As a result, it's been played quite a bit...



Apologies for the awful hair

[LSchefman]

I don't have enough guitars to fall out of love in the first place! So...I'm in a constant state of adoration.

[hemantooth]

I don't have enough guitars to fall out of love in the first place! So...I'm in a constant state of adoration.

Same here. Only have the one, so it's pretty much an every day lovefest.

[MA Pete]

Any time I play a 25" PRS and come back to a DC 245, it is like coming home, for me!

[Mikegarveyblues]

The Bernie got most of the love last year so when I went to the Strat for recording it was like being re-aquainted with an old girlfriend (But without the awkwardness!). Just picked up the Bernie again today (or yesterday now) for the first time since Xmas (C24 being retired until I replace the nut and do a full setup) and it was like "I remember why I bought you". Just felt and sounded great!

[LSchefman]

Any time I play a 25" PRS and come back to a DC 245, it is like coming home, for me!

I know I'm supposed to be able to tell immediately, but I have 25 and 24.5" scale length PRSes with Pattern necks, and honestly don't even notice the difference between scale lengths. At all!

I do notice the difference between my Pattern and Pattern regular, but that lasts for about a second.

Pete, what're the main differences you notice?

[MA Pete]

For me, it is a big difference. First there is just the muscle memory of the feel of the fret spacing. I have talked to different guitarists, lots of guys jump around from Strats to Les Pauls to PRS all the time, so they learn to lock in quickly to whatever scale length they are playing at the time. My brain does not seem to work that way. In the last four years as I have gotten back into guitar, I have played mostly the 25" and 24.5" scale. I can get used to either, but I always seem to come back to preferring the 24.5" scale, both in feel and in tone.

Also for me it is the slinkiness in the bends. I am not a great lead player, but I do like to noodle around quite a bit with classic rock and blues leads. With a 24.5" scale, 10's are perfect for me, nice and slinky. I can even handle 11's, especially when dropped a half step. With 25" guitars, I prefer 9.5's over 10's re bends and vibrato, but I like the thicker feel of 10's better. Also I seem to have the bends more naturally "locked in" to my brain for 24.5" scale, I seem to intuitively know where to bend to for full step, one and a half step and even two step bends, I just seem to know where to go, I can hit it spot on even with a vibrato. But with the 25" scale, it is not as intuitive for me, I have to consciously think about it more and can miss it and have to adjust quickly on the fly.

Thus, 24.5" is home for me!

P.S. Pattern Regular - I do not like. My Swamp Ash Studio, I dig the Stratty tones, only dislike is the Pattern Regular Carve. My favorite is Pattern, followed by Wide Fat.

I know I am really picky and bothered by things that are not exactly as I like them. I am that way with just about everything! I like what I like, and focus in on that. Thus the narrow collection, no Gibson, no Fender, just a bunch of awesome PRS Private 245's, for the most part!

[sergiodeblanc]

Apologies for the awful hair

If you have hair, it can't be awful.

[John Beef]

As much as I've spouted my love for my black CU22, I do yearn to play other things. When I do for a while, then switch back the the black CU22, it's all love and rainbows and sparkles.

[LSchefman]

For me, it is a big difference. First there is just the muscle memory of the feel of the fret spacing. I have talked to different guitarists, lots of guys jump around from Strats to Les Pauls to PRS all the time, so they learn to lock in quickly to whatever scale length they are playing at the time. My brain does not seem to work that way. In the last four years as I have gotten back into guitar, I have played mostly the 25" and 24.5" scale. I can get used to either, but I always seem to come back to preferring the 24.5" scale, both in feel and in tone.

Also for me it is the slinkiness in the bends. I am not a great lead player, but I do like to noodle around quite a bit with classic rock and blues leads. With a 24.5" scale, 10's are perfect for me, nice and slinky. I can even handle 11's, especially when dropped a half step. With 25" guitars, I prefer 9.5's over 10's re bends and vibrato, but I like the thicker feel of 10's better. Also I seem to have the bends more naturally "locked in" to my brain for 24.5" scale, I seem to intuitively know where to bend to for full step, one and a half step and even two step bends, I just seem to know where to go, I can hit it spot on even with a vibrato. But with the 25" scale, it is not as intuitive for me, I have to consciously think about it more and can miss it and have to adjust quickly on the fly.

Thus, 24.5" is home for me!

P.S. Pattern Regular - I do not like. My Swamp Ash Studio, I dig the Stratty tones, only dislike is the Pattern Regular Carve. My favorite is Pattern, followed by Wide Fat.

I know I am really picky and bothered by things that are not exactly as I like them. I am that way with just about everything! I like what I like, and focus in on that. Thus the narrow collection, no Gibson, no Fender, just a bunch of awesome PRS Private 245's, for the most part!

Interesting, actually! I've played mostly PRS for about 22 years, but have had quite a variety of secondary electric and acoustic guitars on hand for my work, though lately I'm all PRS.

So I probably just got used to handling different necks and scale lengths over the years. What happens with me is that my muscle memory accommodates my own guitars after playing them for a while, but I feel uncomfortable playing other peoples' instruments, because everyone's setup is different.

Of course, even though I've been playing guitar a really long time, I still feel more natural on keys. That'll probably never end!

One thing is that I believe the neck contributes to the tone of a guitar; I've mainly had Pattern or W/F in PRSes, but I like the regular necks, too, not only for the feel, but because they probably do something a little different for the tone. I'm one of those guys who likes each guitar to fill a different sonic niche. Otherwise I can't justify having more than one (I seem to always need a specific reason to have a piece of gear!).

Anyway, Pete, I don't see being picky as a bad thing! It's good that you know exactly what you want and go for it.