PRS Dragon II - Do these ever really sell?

[jim777]

Just to continue the slight thread tangent, everyone I have ever met that has hated the Jem (including me), has ultimately accepted they’re flipping brilliant to play after actually sitting down with one. Obviously the trem is a deal-breaker if you’re used to fixed bridges, but the monkey grip is quickly forgotten, in my experience. I’ve played a lot of Jems (even briefly held Steve’s “no. 1” Evo!) and there is no doubt in my mind they’re probably the best playing factory pop/rock guitars out there. If I was in, say a covers band or whatever, I’d probably just get a Jem and forget about everything else. And looks-wise, they are about as far removed from my taste as anything.

On topic - PRS are not for me. I don’t personally like the way they look, feel or sound but I’m not overly familiar. Would be happy to have my opinion changed if I had the coin and was looking for an LP type though.

I have had at least one Jem in the arsenal since they came out in '87, and they are truly the easiest guitars to play I've ever had. I tend to love Ibanez guitars overall, but the Jem is just fantastic. I currently play a '10 Jem 505, which is Japanese and toned down a bit (plain white finish, no vine inlay, just dots in the maple board) with a pair of Bartolini humbuckers in it. It is a 'different' looking guitar certainly, but it is not the kind of guitar that gets in the way of what you want to do.
As for PRSes, I love the way they look, and have owned a couple of very nice playing Cu24s, but they never stay too long. For me, they are kind of "jack of all trades/master of none" guitars. Pretty good for almost anything, not particularly great at anything. If I was getting one for free with the proviso I could never get rid of it, I would much prefer a Mexican Baja Telecaster instead. Those guitars are a ridiculous steal for the price.

[lawson-stone]

This.

The dragon inlay isn't really my thing, but why crap on something that someone else might like?

It is traditional for humor to focus on extremes. If the inlay featured dragons in a form that did not scream DRAGONS!!! folks might just say "oh, interesting..." But extremes border on being tacky, and any extreme, any verging on stereotype, is open season for humorists. Satire, humor, directed at extreme behavior, is an important force in a social group to help regulate the tendency toward extremes without using coercion or physical force.

I teach archaeology. I sometimes wear a fedora. People smile, but nobody mocks. BUT... add to the fedora a leather jacket and a whip, and my students and colleagues will have good reason to poke fun at me. I deserve it. When we live out a stereotype or extreme, we need to be prepared for folks to name it and even have some fun at our expense. It goes with the territory. Sensitive souls should stick to the center of the bell curve.

That dragon inlay was extreme, and a fine target for a little good natured ribbing.

[rmpmcdermott]

I guess we'll disagree. I don't agree that there should be absolute strict rules to follow with no reasonable discretion on the parts of the members.
It's not ok to insult or disrespect people individually or as a group in the forum. But if people lightly joke about a couple of demonstrably unusual features of a piece of gear (not people) in the gear part of the forum, there is no real reason for other members to jump to police them.

No one said anything about rules. I was offering my opinion and perspective. I agree that there shouldn't be "absolute strict rules to follow with no reasonable discretion on the parts of the members." But that's not what I said and it's not what Jim said.

[rmpmcdermott]

It is traditional for humor to focus on extremes. If the inlay featured dragons in a form that did not scream DRAGONS!!! folks might just say "oh, interesting..." But extremes border on being tacky, and any extreme, any verging on stereotype, is open season for humorists. Satire, humor, directed at extreme behavior, is an important force in a social group to help regulate the tendency toward extremes without using coercion or physical force.

I teach archaeology. I sometimes wear a fedora. People smile, but nobody mocks. BUT... add to the fedora a leather jacket and a whip, and my students and colleagues will have good reason to poke fun at me. I deserve it. When we live out a stereotype or extreme, we need to be prepared for folks to name it and even have some fun at our expense. It goes with the territory. Sensitive souls should stick to the center of the bell curve.

That dragon inlay was extreme, and a fine target for a little good natured ribbing.

Your opinion has been noted.

[Tal_175]

No one said anything about rules. I was offering my opinion and perspective. I agree that there shouldn't be "absolute strict rules to follow with no reasonable discretion on the parts of the members." But that's not what I said and it's not what Jim said.

Just for clarification, I was responding to this:

In this environment I think things work better when we are guided by a simple thought: "Is it true? Is it necessary? Is it kind?" Others are free to disagree but I try (not always successfully) to follow that basic guideline here.

I was disagreeing with the necessity to adhere to such "filter guidelines" strictly for this forum to be a good environment for members. The word "rule" was loosely referring to that.
PS. Not that I disagree with being kind, information-ally efficient and accurate ( "Is it true? Is it necessary? Is it kind?").
It's just that posts do not have to be absolutely necessary or provably correct or free of any possibility of irritating someone else in the world to be healthy contributions in a forum like this. There is some wiggle room. That's what I was trying to say there.

[christianm77]

I have had at least one Jem in the arsenal since they came out in '87, and they are truly the easiest guitars to play I've ever had. I tend to love Ibanez guitars overall, but the Jem is just fantastic. I currently play a '10 Jem 505, which is Japanese and toned down a bit (plain white finish, no vine inlay, just dots in the maple board) with a pair of Bartolini humbuckers in it. It is a 'different' looking guitar certainly, but it is not the kind of guitar that gets in the way of what you want to do.
As for PRSes, I love the way they look, and have owned a couple of very nice playing Cu24s, but they never stay too long. For me, they are kind of "jack of all trades/master of none" guitars. Pretty good for almost anything, not particularly great at anything. If I was getting one for free with the proviso I could never get rid of it, I would much prefer a Mexican Baja Telecaster instead. Those guitars are a ridiculous steal for the price.

Aren’t they tho?

[christianm77]

I don't speak for society, I speak for myself. And, personally, I don't think it's cool to make fun of things that other people enjoy. How about, instead, we post threads about things we DO enjoy. Like Tal Farlow and ES-175s?

Again, I'm just expressing a personal opinion. People are, of course, free to post about whatever they like (or don't like).

Oh blimey. Just having a bit of fun. I don’t know anyone well enough on this forum to actually disrespect them.

Some people here are more earnest than others. I hope it’s reasonably manifest that I am a deeply silly man.

[rmpmcdermott]

Oh blimey. Just having a bit of fun. I don’t know anyone well enough on this forum to actually disrespect them.

Some people here are more earnest than others. I hope it’s reasonably manifest that I am a deeply silly man.

I've been here a few years, but don't post regularly enough to know everyone's personalities. I should certainly take that into account, so I appreciate the perspective here!

[christianm77]

Also there are plenty of threads about how great x guitar is and they are all incredibly boring to me.

[christianm77]

I even started one by accident.

[Woody Sound]

Ok I ran across this Paul Reed Smith at archtop.com. I just don’t believe it
1993 PRS Dragon II

I actually kinda like this one. Beautiful neck inlay on a relatively understated yet functional guitar.

[Robertkoa]

Not all guitars were built to be played, and not all guitar owners play them. Guitar collecting is a big driver of the market.

That could have saved me from all that annoying practice time......

[DRS]

Below are some real doozies from PRS. 2000, 2002 and 20th anniversary are really something. Not for me, but:

PRS In Musical Instrument Museum’s “Dragons & Vines” Exhibit!


FINAL DAYS CHRISTMAS SALE : Paul Reed Smith 2002 Dragon | Reverb

PRS Dragon guitar - Google Search

PRS Dragon guitar - Google Search

PRS Dragon guitar - Google Search

I really like the single cut with the big dragon head. But I could buy a good used Acura for the price.

[JGinNJ]

This thread is hilarious! Though some comments are a little too serious and a buzzkill.
There are certainly some wacky solid body designs- great if you're putting on a show playing heavy metal, I suppose.

I've only briefly tried a couple of PRS, they seemed like really nice playing, quality guitars- great intonation, easy to play.
I find fancy inlays on the fretboard to be very distracting to play on. I tried an expensive Taylor acoustic that had a lot of color and grain variation in the fretboard that was confusing, too.

I just don't like solidbody guitars enough to spend much money on one. I didn't even own one for many years, until last spring I bought a cheap Tele copy for fun.

[Robertkoa]

'Monkey Grip' - shouldn't this be in the Technique section of the Forum ?

I think I tried unsuccessfully to use that to get a Claptonesque vibrato long ago....

Oh yeah - the Thread Topic - I still need fret markers so a Guitar that has none is not as good for me .

And a Guitar that has inlays on EVERY fret showing the life of Nefertiri or whatever is even worse ...plus ...I like to feel the nice wood on the fingerboard .....
I prefer smaller inlays to large blocks - but not a dealbreaker - don't need a marker on the first fret - I can find that one ( impressive eh ?) easily .



If I want ' Vine of Life ' / Nefertiri / evolution of Man / - I prefer to watch BBC or Discovery Channel rather than have it all spelled out on the fingerboard in inlays.

Having Inlays with different arrows pointing different ways - then ignoring them might be funny ...people would think it's 'fingering guidelines'.GPS Directions-' Turn right at fret 7 string 5 for Harmonic Minor '

And having the fingerboard look like piano keys white and black would be funny also.

I don't think I would mind the little 'birds inlays ' that PRS uses - I tried out a PRS 25.25 inch scale 513 years ago - did not even notice the inlays .....

He used proprietary pickups [ odd sizes ] so you can never change them = sucks .


Rambling Post ? Sure but I edited it down from 48 pages already ...lol

[Jazzstdnt]

I tried an expensive Taylor acoustic that had a lot of color and grain variation in the fretboard that was confusing, too.

As I recall, they were/are making a green statement, in this case about how many trees are felled and subsequently left to rot on the jungle floor because the ebony is not fully black. Taylor's point is that the quality is just as good it just doesn't look as uniform.

They started doing this (using black and brown hued ebony fret boards) during the Obama administrations case against Gibson Guitars, and the much expanded focus and awareness of the Amended/Expanded Lacey Act.

[Robertkoa]

Yeah - especially with the ease of dying or
other means to make the Ebony black- it's a shame to let it go to waste.


Another oddity is that many of the African and South American Hardwoods can grow right here in Florida !

There's a Park with many Fruit and Spice trees and rare varieties of Hardwoods including African Ebony in several varieties, Jacaranda , Lignum Vitae , Rosewood , etc etc.

'Redlands fruit and spice Park'.
Redlands Florida near Miami.

But apparently no one is growing woods specifically for the Guitar Industry here.

Don't make political statements on my Guitar ...please..

Save the trees - sure.

How about grow MORE trees also ?

There was this really nice dark brown wood on the Bonamassa Studio Les Paul - looked a little like Brazilian Rosewood on the one I played .

It's called 'Granadillo'. Nice fingerboard.