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PRS's "budget" line over $2k.
PRS CE 24-08 Swamp Ash Satin Electric Guitar Vintage Natural | Musician's Friend
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03-31-2025 08:42 PM
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Technically that would be the SE line, this one is a USA model
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In the past, the CE line was the bolt on line of the USA guitars. Did that change?
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I purchased an SE24 two years ago - cost me £400, I thought that the SE was the budget range from PRS?
Originally Posted by Woody Sound
PRS's "budget" line over $2k.
PRS CE 24-08 Swamp Ash Satin Electric Guitar Vintage Natural | Musician's Friend
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Sorry, I read "CE" as "SE." But STILL...
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$2,100 for a really, really good instrument made from swamp ash isn't that bad when you consider an alder fender american professional II strat or tele is $1,900 (fret sprout is free on all fenders tho). Originally Posted by Woody Sound
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PRS to me has the most consistent quality among American builders.In today's market i don't think that 2K is out of line for that guitar.
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Don’t forget about Collings. Granted they don’t build on the scale of PRS and there is nothing close to $2k from them. Originally Posted by nyc chaz
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there's almost nothing close to $5k either. collings guitars are legit phenomenal, but if any brand represents a "new cost paradigm" it's them. $5,500 for a single pickup misshapen LP jr? $8k for a 335 that doesn't look quite right? $6,500 for a gretsch jet with julian lage's name on it? Originally Posted by ThatRhythmMan
as much as i love playing their instruments, what they charge is insanity.
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And yet they apparently sell, so the market will bear that price. Would be silly for them to sell below it, I guess, if I'm remembering my economics classes well enough.
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Originally Posted by nyc chaz
Check out a Heritage.
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PRS makes a beautiful Les Paul Double Cut.
Collings are the most overpriced, overrated bullshit I've ever laid eyes and hands on. The factory isn't far down the road. I've never seen a single Austin player using Colllings, not one. What's that say besides overpriced?
I used to get strings from Hill Country Guitars when they had a store in Wimberley. They had a large selection of Collings acoustics. They were beautiful but imagine my disappointment when every single guitar I tried were duds, at least, when new. I expect better from a 5k-10k new acoustic. A lot better.
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I’ve never played or even seen a Heritage that didn’t have some noticeable flaws, except one or two of them. Originally Posted by 58flame
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Already own two.Heritage makes fine archtops but when it comes to solid bodies i'll take PRS. Originally Posted by 58flame
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I’ll have to take exception with the Collings statement. I’ve never played a bad one. The QC has also been superb on every one that I’ve handled. Styling or sound are things I could see not being to the taste of some, but there’s a reason they are able to charge what they do. Originally Posted by DawgBone
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Was that with recent production models? The store where I bought mine 4 months ago had quite a few options to choose from (150s, 530s, 535s Standard and Custom Shop models) mostly made from '22-'23 onwards judging by the serial numbers, and all were flawless. From my experience browsing music stores and trying out things, I've only seen this consistency with Fenders (USA&MIM) and Yamahas (Indo&Jp) Originally Posted by ThatRhythmMan
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Apparently it seems to matter that if someone happens to play brand x then somehow brand y needs to be crap. To make it even more interesting, many guitarists have convinced themselves that their guitar is special somehow, i.e. that their Strat or LP or whatever is somehow better than others. “I found a really good one.” Yeah, we all did.
Regarding prices surging, that kind of hurts. At the same time, if I’m being honest about myself, there’s some snobbery involved. As an example, I prefer PRS instruments because they inspire me. The price surge might force me someday to go down the tiers: bye bye Core, hello S2 and so good to see my friends in the SE range again. Part me me doesn’t want to but that’s not the best part of me.
(Once the EU slaps on the 25% tariff on US products and vice versa, that’s really going to hurt brands like PRS and Collings and Nik Huber and Framus, etc. I doubt that it’s a coincidence that a large EU shop such as TFOA currently has more Collings guitars in stock than ever before. Usually they have one or two, now they have about fifteen.)
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I must be super lucky! Originally Posted by ThatRhythmMan
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Personally, I could never pay $2K for a plank guitar. Perhaps that’s because I assembled an excellent Telecaster for $1,000. Now vintage amps… that’s another story.
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yea it’s impossible to argue this aspect, because they do sell…plus they treat their staff right, the instruments are incredible to play… Originally Posted by Cunamara
still tho…Yeesh.
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I got my first guitar in 1968 (I was 10) and over the last 57 years, I have bought and sold a lot of guitars (I own 23 at present and have owned just under 120 in my lifetime). Like many things, I have seen the price of guitars having fallen due to technology and outsourced cheap labor at the low end, but I have also seen prices having risen at the high end due to the increased cost for materials and skilled labor.
I recently bought a Mexican made Telecaster that plays and sounds (and looks) great. I paid $425 for the guitar in mint condition and another $100 for a used Fender hardshell wooden case. I expect that with the current global trade war, guitars are going to become a bit more expensive over the next few years. We in the USA have had a good run with globalization with guitars. That party is over it seems.
I have seen quality issues on Gibson and Heritage guitars. I am old enough to remember quality issues on Fender guitars in the late 70's. PRS guitars seem to have great quality control. Collings? Like Benedetto guitars, the quality control is superb, but you pay a premium for the brand.
Time changes things and people ignore inflation when looking at prices. If you buy a guitar (or a few guitars) that inspire your playing and are well made, you are set for life. The price you pay today will probably seem like a bargain in 10 years time. What is the problem?
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Collings charges what they do because they can. Whether or not some people think they're overpriced doesn't matter as long as they're able to sustain their business.
I can't say I'm a fan but they have a rep for doing good work and quality control is high, and as a result they're a respected name. There's always a market for those characteristics in a business.
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Collings setup and playability are great. But, objectively, Gibson has all the mojo.
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agreed completely, and have no issues with how they want to conduct their business. while ive singled them out, i find what fender's custom shop to be doing to be worse...but again, people are buying FCS in droves still. it matters because look at the prices for FCS peers...anderson, suhr, tyler, all their prices have risen astronomically over the past decade. a bone stock suhr strat is $3,500. for a bolt on neck and nothing fancy. an anderson icon classic new is $4k. these are parts guitars that really dont require much workmanship at all. in comparison, collings' prices are a bargain. Originally Posted by wintermoon
obviously all these markets are responding well...but the past four guitars i bought were all in collings' price range, and the opposite dynamic on the buyers' side is still equally valid...whether or not theyre able to sustain their business doesn't matter if i think their product isn't worth what they're charging relative to their peers (and the increasingly flooded used market).
and this is all fine. there are more options than ever to find your dollars' best match.
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I fully respect your experience and expertise but mine (admittedly much less than yours) is the opposite. Ive played and owned many, Ive only purchased their best guitars, As a cabinetmaker of 50yrs I profess no knowledge of guitar building at all but could see a flaw from a mile away. I have yet to see a Heritage (pre new owners) with any flaw. I play my '97 golden eagle (acoustic) right next to my buddys '60s gibson JS and fit finish playability and sound absolutely just as fine in every way acoustically or with floater according to him! Same thing with my 575 and S16. Ive heard the same thing from many Heritage owners, several right here. I still drool over the great old gibs epis etc, many that you have but I wouldnt trade my heritages for any...of course theirs always room for 1 more like mabey a '30s deluxe or picture frame L7, just sayin Originally Posted by ThatRhythmMan
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