Stepping up to the best of both worlds

spinland
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Mon Apr 17, 2017 4:28 am

neverfoundthetime wrote:
Nice addition to your guitar family Mark, G.A.S. comes with the territory here! :laugh:
Heh. Yeah, I gotta be careful about how hard I step on the GAS. :silly:

This action has been some months in the making. The Grand Dame has many wonderful qualities but I've reluctantly come to the conclusion she's not the instrument I need right now. After spending so much time with Angel I'm realizing I want a smaller body size and a different neck profile, both of which PRS models provide. The Angelus is designed to offer a playing experience very similar to their flagship electric guitar feel, the instant good feeling I get when I pick up Angel, and that's the feel I've come to love and want for my acoustic playing as well.

I expect there are many other brands and models that would provide a similar playing experience for me but, between hands on with Angel and my experiences with the global PRS community over the past few months, I've come to trust their instruments enough to buy another one sight unseen (and hands untouched). The closest guitar store to me (still an hour away) caters to the local market, which is kind of "Bud Lite versus craft beer" mentality. I'm a craft beer guy, I just suffer from a Bud Lite budget. :dry:

The PRS SE line is their effort to bring their stuff within reach of guys like me without skimping on quality and thus far it's working a treat. :side:

Mark


familyman4
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Mon Apr 17, 2017 10:30 am

Hello Mark,
You will like the sound of the Mahogany guitar. Good luck with your new tool.
Bart


spinland
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Mon Apr 17, 2017 11:16 am

Thanks, Bart!

I'm quite excited—in fact I just contacted the shipper to upgrade to overnight so I can get my grubby paws on it tomorrow instead of Wednesday.

Besides the large size of my A&L I've been struggling to find ways to "un-brighten" its natural tone some. I'm using phosphor bronze strings right now and they help a little, and next I think I'm going to experiment with a set of silk & steel. From the numerous reviews and demos I've been listening to over the past few days the Angelus sounds so much warmer and more mellow to me (in addition to the size and neck layout aspects that had initially drawn me in) and that's the tone I want.

When I bought the A&L I knew zero-zip-nada about guitars and, though it is a really nice instrument it's just not what I'm looking for right now both in sound and feel. I'll keep it, for nostalgia as well as because that booming, bright tone has a place, but it's definitely going to play, well, second fiddle. :side:

And thus began my guitar empire.... :silly:

Mark


familyman4
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Mon Apr 17, 2017 11:53 am

You are so correct about the dread being a big, booming sound. And, you will use it a lot more than you think in time. For strumming and bluegrass type songs, you will want that volume and deeper tone. Now that you will be exploring with different sizes and going to a mahogany solid top. Next steps will be exploring with different wood variations for other tonal qualities. Solid back, sides and tops will also give you different tone. Cedar tops are nice for the softer tone. KOA is oh so beautiful for finger picking and light strumming. You can't beat Rosewood and Spruce for a strong and consistent sound. BTW, Tasmanian Blackwood is wonderful on back and sides with a spruce top. And it goes w/o saying that Madagascar Rosewood makes a tone to die for. Walnut is a bit stiffer wood so when used on backs and sides it compliments a cedar top very well. Don't forget about 12 string guitars either, every player needs a few....Oh my the list goes on and on.

Then of coarse you will start judging tone by the interior bracing as well, cross bracing, A Frame bracing scalloped bracing, etc. Oh yes, then there are baritone guitars with different wood parings and 6 string or 8 string. Travel guitars and some guitars that you will want to leave in special tunings so you can just pick them up and not have to re-tune every time. Then of course, you will want special tools for adjusting them and working on them from time to time.

It might take you a few years but you seem to jump in with both feet so be prepared, it never ends B)

Welcome to G.A.S. and have fun on your journey!

Signed:
The Voice Of Experience....


spinland
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Mon Apr 17, 2017 12:04 pm

My beloved is so going to kill me.... :blink:


wrsomers
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Mon Apr 17, 2017 1:29 pm

Mark,
Congratulations on your new guitar. I know you are going to love it! And if there is anyone to listen to and emulate when it comes to GAS, it's Bart. So save your pennies and dive in.Just don't forget to play them

As far as strings for your Grande Dame, may I suggest Martin's Retro strings in either light or medium gauge. I use them on my D28 and love them for their warm, woody, mellow tone. They don't work on all guitars but at 7 bucks they're worth a try.

Bill


spinland
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Mon Apr 17, 2017 1:49 pm

Thanks, Bill, I'll be sure to try those out!

Got my new guitar's serial number, the Sweetwater photo shoot pix, and my FedEx tracking number via email. Now to wait. B)

Mark


spinland
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Mon Apr 17, 2017 8:00 pm

Speaking of bracing, Bart, you might find the unique layout inside the Angelus interesting. It's a hybrid including both X and scallop. Paul Reed Smith is quite proud of the design and the resulting tone.

Image


familyman4
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Joined: Wed Apr 25, 2012 9:29 pm
Location: Arizona
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Mon Apr 17, 2017 9:03 pm

Yep, and I had listened to the demo of your new guitar on the link that you posted. It sounded nice and warm. Not a bright tone but a warm tone. Can't wait to hear yours at IGC camp or before.

BTW, on the sound board, the hole is the weakest section of the guitar top. It looks like PRS has figured out how to surround that area from all sides. The large X brace and the large brace across the upper waist would be the strongest. The smaller bracing appears to be thin enough to let the top vibrate for good sound but still help to support the top. I am assuming that the electronics will be positioned under the bridge saddle?

Bart


michelew
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Mon Apr 17, 2017 10:06 pm

Mark congratulations and enjoy.

Bart - Why do I suddenly have an image of you with horns popping into my head? It's a good thing I'm poor at the moment. Any GAS cravings have no where to go except dreams about spending lottery winnings. :)


familyman4 wrote:
You are so correct about the dread being a big, booming sound. And, you will use it a lot more than you think in time. For strumming and bluegrass type songs, you will want that volume and deeper tone. Now that you will be exploring with different sizes and going to a mahogany solid top. Next steps will be exploring with different wood variations for other tonal qualities. Solid back, sides and tops will also give you different tone. Cedar tops are nice for the softer tone. KOA is oh so beautiful for finger picking and light strumming. You can't beat Rosewood and Spruce for a strong and consistent sound. BTW, Tasmanian Blackwood is wonderful on back and sides with a spruce top. And it goes w/o saying that Madagascar Rosewood makes a tone to die for. Walnut is a bit stiffer wood so when used on backs and sides it compliments a cedar top very well. Don't forget about 12 string guitars either, every player needs a few....Oh my the list goes on and on.

Then of coarse you will start judging tone by the interior bracing as well, cross bracing, A Frame bracing scalloped bracing, etc. Oh yes, then there are baritone guitars with different wood parings and 6 string or 8 string. Travel guitars and some guitars that you will want to leave in special tunings so you can just pick them up and not have to re-tune every time. Then of course, you will want special tools for adjusting them and working on them from time to time.

It might take you a few years but you seem to jump in with both feet so be prepared, it never ends B)

Welcome to G.A.S. and have fun on your journey!

Signed:
The Voice Of Experience....


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