Forum Truss Rod Cover

[]-[ @ n $ 0 |v| a T ! ©]

This is an easy one, gents. The "Poll" feature allows for 10 designs. Each person gets one slot. Submit your best design!

Between now and then, let's keep posting new ideas. There is no pride of ownership if your labor is a genuine gift to this community.

I love the recent set of ideas.

[Blackbird]

If it doesn't say "Forum" on it or have some element unique to the forum, what's the point?

The fact that it will only be acquired through the forum already makes it pretty unique.

I don't want to offend anyone by this, it's only an opinion offered on a discussion board. And hey, this is supposed to be fun afterall.

But a PRS is, to me, a very high-end, pristine instrument. I liken it to owning a high-end vehicle. I don't want to add something to it that diminishes those qualities that make it special. In this day and age, there is just something slightly hokey about a piece of plastic that says "________ forum" on it. To me it would be like putting a "My kid is an honor roll student at such and such" bumper sticker on a nice Bugatti.

A really awesome and completely unique TRC can be made without "forum" on it. And after people see yours, they will vigorously search the internet looking for them, only to come up empty. Then they will be forced to ask you where you got that amazing TRC, and you will respond, "at the Official PRS Forum of course."

Was it VR that has a TRC that is just a finger?

And everyone's designs are super impressive, some talented people here. Again, no offense meant, just opinion.

[Goldtop]

I really like JustRob's idea, but I'm not getting enough 'f' from the shape of the bird, so I messed with it a little and added Albrecht Smuten's f-hole:

I admire the creativity in these, but to me, they don't really work for what we're after. JUST MY OPINION and no knock, but these bring back the guitar shape that was previously deemed by some to be too repetitive. Also, there's no taking into account the left-handed players. Why not avoid that all too common slight to the lefties while we can? Plus, it's a busy design, which doesn't make it bad, but there is a lot going on there. And I can just imagine people asking "What's 'ORUM' mean?" Some might get it, some might not. Adding the f-hole to make the word forum a bit clearer just adds to a package that's already too busy IMO.

Lastly, I think it harkens back too much to another forum that's no longer around. No offense to BAM, but this is exclusively for The Official PRS Forum , not Birds and Moons.

Again, no criticism intended. I like some aspects of the design(s). I just don't think they work that well for our needs here and now. Similar situation as the version with just the outline and f-hole being a great idea for semi-hollows and hollowbodies, but repeating the body shape could be overkill for the forum TRC.

One thing I'm sure of: With all of these cool ideas floating around, the final choice is bound to be on a par with PRS guitars themselves!

Lloyd

[Shawn@PRS]

/ thread

[Michael B]

That in metal...no plastic!!

[Goldtop]

/ thread

Or maybe that "Velvet Elvis" version?

Lloyd

[JustRob]

/ thread

remembering Paul's reaction to this at the Experience will probably ensure that it never appears on any factory guitars. It would be FORUM exclusive...

[rugerpc]

OK, I'll try a summation:

A guitar design on a truss rod cover seems a redundancy to some. I can't say I disagree.

The birds and moon theme are cool - but they kinda point away from the official PRS forum and towards the old BaM forum which this is not. I can't say I disagree.

The design needs to be ambidextrous. I definitely agree.

The design needs to be simple and elegant. Again I agree.

Blackbird makes the case that using the word 'forum' cheapens both the TRC and whatever guitar you put it on. I don't agree. After all the idea is for a 'forum truss rod cover.' He suggests we can accomplish that by making something unique and unavailable elsewhere. Perhaps. But I thought the idea was to make the TRC instantly recognizable and linkable to this forum, not to start a fan guessing game when someone sees it. That is my take, I could be wrong.

So, back to square one.

What elements or combination of elements convey the official PRS forum in a simple, elegant design?

are we back to this?

[Goldtop]

This may not show up (again, I don't have an acct. to store images remotely), but I did some fine tuning this afternoon and ended up with this. So far. (See avatar) I added an 'Est.' date, centered it all. I still see some merit in the outline thing, but like you, I can't say I disagree that it's redundant.

Lloyd

[rugerpc]

This may not show up (again, I don't have an acct. to store images remotely), but I did some fine tuning this afternoon and ended up with this. So far. (See avatar) I added an 'Est.' date, centered it all. I still see some merit in the outline thing, but like you, I can't say I disagree that it's redundant.

Lloyd

Tell me what it says under forum (too small to read) and I'll draw it out using the one just above.

[Goldtop]

Tell me what it says under forum (too small to read) and I'll draw it out using the one just above.

It says Est. 2012

Lloyd

[rugerpc]

on it...

[JustRob]

I admire the creativity in these, but to me, they don't really work for what we're after. JUST MY OPINION and no knock, but these bring back the guitar shape that was previously deemed by some to be too repetitive. Also, there's no taking into account the left-handed players. Why not avoid that all too common slight to the lefties while we can? Plus, it's a busy design, which doesn't make it bad, but there is a lot going on there. And I can just imagine people asking "What's 'ORUM' mean?" Some might get it, some might not. Adding the f-hole to make the word forum a bit clearer just adds to a package that's already too busy IMO.

Lastly, I think it harkens back too much to another forum that's no longer around. No offense to BAM, but this is exclusively for The Official PRS Forum , not Birds and Moons.

Again, no criticism intended. I like some aspects of the design(s). I just don't think they work that well for our needs here and now. Similar situation as the version with just the outline and f-hole being a great idea for semi-hollows and hollowbodies, but repeating the body shape could be overkill for the forum TRC.

One thing I'm sure of: With all of these cool ideas floating around, the final choice is bound to be on a par with PRS guitars themselves!

Lloyd

I understand. My motivation was from a different perspective though. I only peeked in on BAM once in my life before it was gone, and as all of my guitars are more recent, none of them have moons. All birds. This seemed a way to tie in many classic PRSi icons, that seemed to fit like a puzzle right inside the guitar itself. The right vs. left issue can be etched in either fashion, but I don't know what Shawn's intention was; i.e. taking orders, or just pre ordering a bunch.
That being said, I like a lot of the designs here, and so far the "Paul Bucks" one is the only one I would order, but keep in the case, and not on the guitar.

[Goldtop]

I understand. My motivation was from a different perspective though. I only peeked in on BAM once in my life before it was gone, and as all of my guitars are more recent, none of them have moons. All birds. This seemed a way to tie in many classic PRSi icons, that seemed to fit like a puzzle right inside the guitar itself. The right vs. left issue can be etched in either fashion, but I don't know what Shawn's intention was; i.e. taking orders, or just pre ordering a bunch.
That being said, I like a lot of the designs here, and so far the "Paul Bucks" one is the only one I would order, but keep in the case, and not on the guitar.

Hahaha. That 'Paul Buck' might sell like hotcakes if it were to see the light of day.

I'd be curious to know if he's aware of us trying to come up with a design for a TRC and what his own suggestion might be. He might be inclined to just leave it up to us to work out?

LPC

[rugerpc]

[Goldtop]

Thank you Bill. I'm sorry to be a bother for you. I think it looks good, but I think most of them do, so there you go...

Lloyd

[docbennett]

+1,000,000 !!

I LOVE this one. I know I am fickle, and I have attention deficit disorder and change my opinions frequently...that being said...I LOVE this one!


And conversely,

-1,000,000 to either a "Paul Bucks or a "PRS signature" TRC. Just my taste, or lack-thereof.

As far as a TRC that does not identify us as the forum? Many of you are familiar with another popular forum's own unique TRC. Anyone can order a group of TRC's that any custom inlay person would produce in any quantity you desire. But, IMO, this project is dedicated to developing a TRC that identifies us as part of the Forum Community.

Just my opinion. Carry on guys...you've all put so much work into this project...wow!

[JustRob]

Hahaha. That 'Paul Buck' might sell like hotcakes if it were to see the light of day.

I'd be curious to know if he's aware of us trying to come up with a design for a TRC and what his own suggestion might be. He might be inclined to just leave it up to us to work out?

LPC

LOL. The few times I've spoken to Paul, he strikes me as more pragmatic. I imagine his response might be "They really devote this kind of time to this? Don't these guys have anything better to do?"

[11top]

I think this would be cool in flamed maple with abalone inlays. I'm guessing there may be a few small bits of figured maple lying around the shop.

[Shawn@PRS]

/ thread

Just think, if this was on your guitar, you could gaze into Paul's eyes the entire time you're playing