The Burpster

You may have picked up a common theme here....? As an avid 'tinkerer' but a remote pupil of dan Erlewine I have to agree and add my support to those comments above. Any warping caused by moisture change in he wood would be very minor in an instrument of this age and stability. Warping is a lateral twist (across the strings rather than inline with them) that is normally a fatal condition, however is almost exclusively found in really heap budget instruments that source wood from the likes of European beef suppliers..... As much I'm not a fan of Fender QC they would not use a piece of maple that had not got a correct grain pattern for a neck. I like others agree that it is a pretty neck. Again as others have stated his neck needs a proper fret dress from someone who does know his arse from his elbow........

[quote name='Spoombung' timestamp='1362336140' post='1998575'] Well it's all subjective, but a 'baseball bat' neck, a top horn that doesn't reach to the 12th fret and a bottom horn that curls in like a fender are all things I don't like but I concede there are some people, like yourself, who like that. If you've got 7 of them that means you must like them... so I bow to your greater experience. I'm not trying to start a war or anything. [/quote] No probs bud, I cant be arsed with confrontation anymore and hence I hung up my Mod hat. I'll grant u that the neck looks thick but in use its nowhere near as deep as say a Warwick or Ovation Magnum. Its not as fast a neck as a J bass but then its not like big Fender neck - kinda a compromise. The top bout doesnt need to extend to the 12fret if the Neck is light -,and it is so it balances perfectly where it is. The bottom bout leaves plenty of room even for a hamifisted tw4t like me to play at the dusty end ot the neck without restriction or uncomfortable stretching. I conceed that at 6'1" and 110kg I am a big unit but in my hands they feel as close to perfect that you can get with the traditional layout bass....

[quote name='Spoombung' timestamp='1362038963' post='1994722'] That's a very poor ergonomic design from nearly every angle. [/quote] ...... and you have played how many? You don't state why you believe so, or indeed how many PRS basses you have actually had contact with ? They are remarkably easy to play (especially if your prefereance is P or Stingray size necks), and balance fantastically. In fact the only bass that I have played that was easier and left me wanting one was not even a tradional design - The Status Streamline. I think its fair to say that your comment is merely unnecasarily confrontational...?

My guess is that, that is the retails price of world guitars. They are pretty competitive with other franchised PRS dealers so that I doubt very much that it will the best budget price, that being said the reply to my 2nd email hinted that they will be sent a few for stock and other than that if you want a particular combination you will have to order it......

For those interested (or looking for the justification of their " too costly and others can do better" opinion) I have checked with World Guitars and the GG basses will be over here from April. Cost is £2579 for 4 string & £2679 for the 5 string. I have already out my request in for a 5 string ....... :-)

[quote name='mingsta' timestamp='1361492271' post='1986675'] The problem is, it just looks like a bass version of their guitars. Not my bag. But it does bring back fond memories of my first school band. Our guitarist was a virtuoso with rich parents and had a PRS, we used to wet our pants every time he took it out of the case. [/quote] I dont see that as a problem, its the exact reason I own them. My best mate and geetard sumed it up perfectly about his guitars, each one feels like it was made exactly for you. If you like them or not is immaterial, no one can dispute the quality of them. Having owned CS Fenders and other supposed 'custom shop' basses, I'm afraid none of them stack up in QC or feel of quality to a Stevensville made instrument. Taste is of course subjective, and some will not agree that they are worth every penny.

Really impressed, although I think we should have a contest for the best name.... I'll start with 1. Pringray 2. Stincision.

[quote name='Stealth' timestamp='1360021958' post='1963826'] Why the "oh you dont wanna do that" comments from all in sundry when i suggest hacking holes (not literally) in a 77 P bass. The bass has a great sound maybe one and a half if you count rolling a bit of top off. But i want more so a J pickup or maybe MM in the bride position is what i want. So where do i take it to get a yop job done. Oh yeah and have the neck refinished too. [/quote] I'm not getting into the 'Oh you shouldnt do that to a vintage Fender' argument...... I have my own thoughts and I like you would doing this to an intsrument that I wanted to keep. As to where to get it done, I have one word for you SIMS. Martin and Rob will do a job for you that will surpass easily the QC of the original item. They may not be the cheapest but as you say a top job. Bob.

[quote name='shizznit' timestamp='1360023620' post='1963846'] Hmmm...I am not convinced the resale value of these basses will follow the same suit as the guitars. I have sold two high end PRS Custom 24's recently and didn't lose much money on either despite being in 9/10 condition. They will always be revered as a great electric guitar company, but when they dipped their fingers into amps and acoustics their wheels fell off. Their acoustics are pretty good, so are their amps, but there are other brands out there for less money that can do as good or better job. Hence the book depreciation on 2nd hand market for the acoustics and amps are not as good as the electrics. The guy I sold my 20th Anniversary CU24 to last year didn't even know that they make acoustics and amps and he has been playing PRS guitars for years! When I showed him the products on the PRS website he was chuffed...then I showed him the price list! Strange how he would spend thousands of his cash on their eclectic guitars, but not on anything else that they produce. I dunno if they entered those markets too late or simply just too expensive, but the only thing that still interests their customers are their electric guitars. Their new basses might make waves at first, but I fear that they won't be able to build a profile big enough to tempt customers to buy their brand over 100's of luthiers and common popular brands already out there with a strong and loyal customer base that could build a better bass for the same price or lower. At their retail price range, bassists will commonly turn to a private build. Guitar players don't do that. They will fork out £2500 for a Gibson Black Beauty Custom just because it's a Gibson, even though there are thousands out there like it and even conscience that there are better guitars out there for less money. PRS fall into that category too, but the effect hasn't happened for their acoustics and amps yet and probably never will. Maybe I am being pessimistic and I do hope that PRS will do a good job returning back to bass production because I am a fan of theirs, but they have been out that game for a while and didn't really give basses their full attention first time round. I hope they commit themselves to this in the long term. [/quote] Some good points here Shizz, Firstly resale values, I see mine as £1k notes. Some of them I paid more than that for and some less but as to loosing any more value that's unlikely. As to the wheels falling off? not sure I can agree with you there. Your points about the accoustics and amps are (IMO) being made way too soon to be that sure about the market. They simply dont produce the same numbers of these products as they do thier primary product range (guitars). The guitars when they first came out where seen as very expensive and exotic and only for 'boutique' players.... It took nearly a decade for the guitar range to really establish itself as a viable alternative to others out there. Both the accoustics and amps are up against really established market leaders that have their own established, and often devoted followers. I believe they are selling well just not in huge numbers. The 2ndhand value will settle down to what the guitar playing public are willing to pay. As with the basses they were about £2.4k retail and now change hands for about £1k and they have for the last 5 years so an established value irrespective of what the 'guide' says. Guitars outsell basses 10-1, and a geetard not wanting to spend more than 3s6d on an amp is historic. As to custom luthiers making as good, you are probably right, but speccing an instrument for a luthier to make is almost as difficult as making it in fact I would argue harder, because the luthier will make EXACTLY what you spec. Most players dont know what it is they want until they hear or feel it. That simply isnt possible when you are making a 'one off', besides you only have to look at the for sale section to see how many of these are for sale and mostly at a fraction of what was paid for them. I hope as do lots of others that PRS will bring out an SE bass (maybe based upon the GG or EB IV), and I'm sure that they will sell hand over fist as do thier SE guitars. The GG bass isnt really a cheap option, they have just opened up the client bass by offering ready made instruments to those that dont want to pay the premium for a Private Stock, which was the only way you could get your hands on one of these instruments before. I will seriously look at buying one os these GG basses but only after I have played one. Would I consider a PRS Amp..? yes I would but he doesnt do bass amps. As to accoustics my guitarist has tried one and it was by far the best he has ever played. His problem was the £6.5k price tag, simply more than he wanted to pay. He bought a Martin but hates how hard it is to play compared to the PRS....... He is now looking at the ne SE PRS accoustic..... Writng on the wall..? I think so.

Oh and the bit I forgot to add was that Paul's design brief for the 2nd incarnation of basses ( the EB IV on which this new one is heavily based) was that it should be an amalgamation of a Stingray and a Jazz but with PRS build quality and woods. Certainly the EB IV hits those tags and, the new GG is pretty much the same instrument but with new electrics and for some reason a new bridge.

As I own 7 PRS basses I feel probably the best qualified to assassinate the new basses....? I have picked up and payed a GG 5 and it was truly a fantastic instrument as with any Private Stock I have had the privilege to be near. To address some of your queries/points. Set necks in a deep pocket is a firm belief that Paul has that, this area of a guitar is critical to its tone. I would struggle to argue that point, however I also prefer bolt on necks and have avoided some of the earlier PRS basses because of that design characteristic. Why not paint the neck...? Purely choice I guess however, there is a point to his finish, in some players like a high gloss finish others prefer a matted finish, with his finish you can (light gauge) wire wool the finish and get that non shiny feel without fooking up a paint finish. Price...? Your guess is as good as mine but I have recently seen PS GG4s going for £3.5 in the US so who knows. The last bass that was available (the EB IV and my fave) was retail US$2600 and UK £2400 so if any come over here I guess that would be about right. Are they any good? This one is an undoubted yes, but they won't float everyone's boat for sure. Paul learned a lot from making basses in at they do not sell in large numbers and that bass players are fussy buggers......(indeed I include myself in hat comment). His first commercially available basses beamed renowned as a 'one trick pony' and he smarted a bit at that. His second attempt (the EBIV) was by far his best and these are superb instruments and why I love them. Tonally they can be quite different depending on wood combinations but all are fantastically made. I will make some enquiries with World Guitars as to the details of this new animal as I am very tempted, but I also agree that an SE model is way overdue and have emailed them to that effect several times. My guess is that unless the GG basses sell well hey won't justify tooling up for an SE version.