Just a quick post for Utsav, as he has been coveting his neighbour's axe …
Click on it for a bigger picture, Utsav.
Photos taken this lunchtime in the studio. Please excuse the dust and grime; it's a working guitar.
Right, Here's the boring stuff:
PRS 44115; Custom built for Dive:
Brazilian mahogany body, Michigan "big leaf" maple top in vintage cherry sunburst; Brazilian rosewood neck.
On stage, it goes through a Mesa Heartbreaker (Boogie's 25th anniversary special).
It sounds so beautiful it tears lumps out of my soul whenever I play it.
That's the signed access plate from the back. They gave me a plain one to replace it as the guitar was ordered "to be played". PRS have 250 Brazilian rosewood neck blanks; mine is the 67th they've used. It's old, pre C.I.T.E.S. wood. When it's gone, there'll be no more.Ordered in June, 1999 after much discussion about materials and finishes, it's dated 11/23/99, was delivered in December, 1999 and has had extremely heavy stage and studio use ever since.
I went for a mellow, wide flame-top to give the same feel as my old Les Paul, rather than the extreme and - in my opinion - tacky, over the top figuring the collectors go for.
Talking of whom, I cannot understand collectors who order a musical instrument then keep it locked in a bank vault. I hope they run screaming at the sight of all the wear and tear on this one (notice how I've knackered the gold plating).
This is the most responsive and frankly astonishing guitar I've ever played; and that includes lots of vintage Gibson's and Fenders - including my own - and a fair few Private Stock PRSs (which are never usually played and so don't develop the character that this one has).
I still love my old Les Paul more, but whenever I strap this one on; boy what a feeling.
Now wash your hands …
20 comments:
well being utsav's roomie, i'm quite certain that he is goin to love this post. i don't think he has seen it yet.
that is indeed a beautiful thing...truly, some porn for the boys!
Thanks, Sohil.
Not quite up to your white tiger photo, but stripey,anyhow.
I don't know one single thing about guitars, but I can appreciate your love for your instrument. My horn is nothing to write about really--a Conn 8D with a big grip and a big bell, so it takes a lot of air. When I first got it, switching from a slightly smaller Yamaha, my range suddenly tanked, but I've worked it back up to fair. I'd picture it, but it's nothing special, and it's dirty.
That's a great guitar. I'm with Robyn on the not knowing much about them, but you really love this thing, don't you? I mean, you really luuuuvv it.
I've seen it in your workstation photo, Robyn, and it's lovely.
Messr's. Knudsen and Frued are currently falling over one another to get to your comment, but I'm sure neither of us know what they mean ……
Sassy, I love my old Les Paul (the one in my profile pic).
The PRS is utterly awesome, but it has not been with me since 1969 like the Les, so only gets love with a lower case 'l'.
Pretty, though, isn't it?
*swoon* *recover* *swoon again* *recover* *man gotta go get a drink!*
A post dedicated to me on Dive's Blog- yipee!! I'm made!!
But that is beautiful- even more so for the wear. I totally agree with you about the showcase cowboys- guitars are only beautiful when they're played (look at Neil Young's Old Black).
I love the golden pot knobs- nice touch. She must sound like a monster- through a Mesa, oh yes!
You've done nothing to improve my chances of getting through the Golden Gates- now along with Envy I feel Lust too! It's a sweet sweet sin- thank you Dive. This was killer.
Still reeling..
I was trying to be so careful with my wording, but I guess there isn't much I could have done except just not saying anything at all. I wrote things and then backspaced and then wrote and then backspaced.
So glad you like it, Utsav.
I totally agree. Guitars, like violins and other timber, stringed instruments, sound much better the more they are played and the more the wood matures.
My old Martin is now pushing thirty years old and sounds more wonderful every year.
And the PRS through the Boogie is SOOO AWESOME! WOAH!
I think this is definitley a 'boy' thing. Guitars are sexy.
And Robyn, you're right; you simply play a very Freudian instrument.
"Horn", "Big Bell", "Big Grip", "Blow" …
and "It's Dirty".
Don't worry about us sniggering boys. You know how good it feels when you hit that sweet spot and your playing just flows.
Never mind Dr. Freud; be proud you're a horn-playing girl.
Oh yes, guitars are very, very sexy indeed. A beautiful guitar tone can...[ok let's not take the porn analogy any further now, shall we? I think we both know what I mean].
But it can.
If we're going to follow this analogy, then you can't beat a good horn tone. rich and smooth and powerful. Nope, nothing beats it.
It really is a Freudian instrument I guess. In horn circles, there is a bit of snickering when trying to come up with adjectives--hornistic is a common alternative to the obvious.
The horn is definitely horny, Robyn.
Played well, it can be hornier than a roomful of rhinos.
And a good guitar responds to touch in a way that has to be experienced to be believed … at the same time resonating against your body so that the player gets an experience the listener can never achieve.
It's worth a lifetime of playing to achieve that feeling.
Suddenly, I feel as if I should learn to play the guitar.
You have to have played it for a lot of decades to get that feeling, Robyn.
And the horn, too, must resonate wonderfully for the player?
Quick story …
Sharon (the singer recently wed to our sound man a few posts back) once got into trouble with him at a soundcheck. She had left her travelling radio mic switched on and was wandering round the auditorium listening to me soundcheck.
When I stopped playing, all anyone could hear over the PA was Sharon saying to herself, "God, if his fingers could do to a woman what they do to that guitar …"
… followed by much embarassment and hilarity all round.
True story; we were laughing about it at the wedding party the otehr day.
Currently womanless, these fingers play guitar instead … damn …
Hehe.. That must have been something.
Robyn, I've never played the horn but we had a few horn players back in school- they played both the classic kind as well as the digital variety (I'm not too sure about the technical terms) and they sounded lovely. I did try playing a sax once, and my chest didn't forgive me that little stunt for a whole day.
you lot are so ghey, you should see the knockers I posted. I was full of the horn until I saw your idea of porn,ever get yer plectrum caught in yer g-string ?
All too often, Old K.
And Utsav; I can get some deeply unattractive sounds from a sax, but I did the same thing at school with the oboe and nearly ruptured my lungs and cheeks getting even the faintest squeak from the damned thing.
Woodwind and brass players have my undying respect.
goodness it's all gone rather raunchy hasn't it. Well i know that guitars are shaped like a woman and traditionally have names after a woman, so, Utsav and Dive, which woman's name have you given to your guitar's names? Mine was a present from an ex boyfriend and he named it lynn of course, as his own guitar was. All together now - ahhhh.
Ahh, that's sweet.
I'm afraid I don't have names for any of mine, other than things like the Old Les Paul (for the old Les Paul), the PRS, the Pearl Strat, The Brown Fender, The Martin …
Prosaic, but should I ever get another girlfriend at least she won't be upset by them …
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