heymisterk Posted November 19, 2010 Share Posted November 19, 2010 So I am in the teachers' lounge grabbing a bagel when I ran into the guidance counselor who is a very good guitar player. He has had a Les Paul Standard DC for about a decade now, and about two months ago bought a Paul Reed Smith McCarty. The kooky part: He told me that his PRS will never need to be set up. He said that PRSs are built "so exact and to such tight specifications" that it will never need to be set up, unlike his LP. I didn't have time to debate this with him, but this is crap, right? I mean, I know Paul Reed Smiths are terrific guitars and the fit and finish is stellar, but they will still need a set-up, correct? Wood expands, contracts; weather and humidity cause this...the basics of why guitars need a set up. Right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobinTheHood Posted November 19, 2010 Share Posted November 19, 2010 Maybe he keeps it hermetically sealed in an environmentally controlled room and never takes it out....ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShredAstaire Posted November 19, 2010 Share Posted November 19, 2010 Sounds pretty kooky to me. Hopefully he will change his tune (hardy har har) when he hears a difference.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Posted November 19, 2010 Share Posted November 19, 2010 I brought my 3 year old SE Single cut in for a set up and the tech said all he really had to do is change the strings. I think I paid $500 for that guitar and it is always in tune and I never put it in its case/bag, and yes the fit and finish is perfect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heymisterk Posted November 19, 2010 Author Share Posted November 19, 2010 I brought my 3 year old SE Single cut in for a set up and the tech said all he really had to do is change the strings. I think I paid $500 for that guitar and it is always in tune and I never put it in its case/bag, and yes the fit and finish is perfect. Lol! I am selling my PRS-SE. It is a GREAT guitar, but I just don't need another guitar with humbuckers. When I got it, it had been under the bed for a couple of years and needed a pretty major set-up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobinTheHood Posted November 19, 2010 Share Posted November 19, 2010 I brought my 3 year old SE Single cut in for a set up and the tech said all he really had to do is change the strings. I think I paid $500 for that guitar and it is always in tune and I never put it in its case/bag, and yes the fit and finish is perfect. My Epiphone EBM bass has only needed to be set up 4 or 5 times over the past 18 years. And like your SE, it never goes out of tune (except for the low B ) from playing, transporting, weather change, etc. Its very rare that I have to tune E-G...to the point that I rarely even check it. I just know its on. And it always is. I think some guitars are just like that. My newer bass, which out-classes my EBM for miles, is ALWAYS a half-step low when I pull it out to play...without fail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeoConMan Posted November 19, 2010 Share Posted November 19, 2010 So . . . many . . . opportunities . . . ... . . . must . . . restrain . . . myself . . . So I am in the teachers' lounge ... guidance counselor Sorry K, but I have to do this; My Dad told me decades ago - "Two people, if they are worth a sh!t, why are they talking to YOU? Guidance counselor and a stock broker." His point was that they SHOULD would be wealthy as hell, on an island, and not returning phone calls. If their advice (that they are being PAID to dispense as a professional) is so worthy... :unsure: He said that PRSs are built "so exact and to such tight specifications" that it will never need to be set up (See above.) unlike his LP. Some difference among different guitars. Structurally, some are just more resistant to change over time. My Les Pauls (Every single one I've ever owned) were pretty stable once the truss rod was dialed in. The two I have now (2000, 2006) have never had the rod tweaked at all since I bought them new and did the initial set-up. But when the temperature changes in the house, they are the most susceptible to dramatic tuning changes. My PRS Custom 24? Slightly less so. I think it's a matter of total mass - just a guess. I didn't have time to debate this with him, but this is crap, right? Right. I mean, I know Paul Reed Smiths are terrific guitars and the fit and finish is stellar, but they will still need a set-up, correct? Wood expands, contracts; weather and humidity cause this...the basics of why guitars need a set up. Right? Right. Your counselor may need a little guidance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyK Posted November 19, 2010 Share Posted November 19, 2010 ...He told me that his PRS will never need to be set up. He said that PRSs are built "so exact and to such tight specifications" that it will never need to be set up, unlike his LP. ... He's a know nothing blow-hard. Ain't no guit tar neck strong enough to not move with the seasons or age. If it were you'd have to play it while it sat in it's own holder as it would be too heavy for normal human beings to lift it. But.. maybe your co-worker could. Wonder what kind of uninformed nonsense he dispenses from his Guidance Counselor's office. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff-7 Posted November 19, 2010 Share Posted November 19, 2010 He must only play it in his Hyperbaric chamber. Complete rubbish. They are excellent quality instruments and as such won't need to be dialed in all that often but never? Uh huh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retrosurfer1959 Posted November 20, 2010 Share Posted November 20, 2010 Maybe he was confused and just mean they didn't need to be set-up when he got them, that I would believe the two PRS I bought new didn't need to be touched when I got them they were spot on. Actually now that I'm thinking about it I have not had to do anything to my PRS guitars since I got them, but never is a very long time... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfpup Posted November 20, 2010 Share Posted November 20, 2010 If it never needs settin' up, you ain't playing it hard enough! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Posted November 20, 2010 Share Posted November 20, 2010 If it never needs settin' up, you ain't playing it hard enough! It probably is my least played guitar Good Point I have to tune my 335 everyday but I play it everyday Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
damian Posted November 20, 2010 Share Posted November 20, 2010 I'll bet he drives a Nissan because it never needs a tune up.....I'll bet he's divorced because he discovered his wife did need a tune up... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeoConMan Posted November 20, 2010 Share Posted November 20, 2010 Hey Mark, Your avatar sez Carol Stream, Illinoiz. You don't happen to work for eBay, do ya? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparky scott 29 Posted November 20, 2010 Share Posted November 20, 2010 Boy, you sure are asking though... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeoConMan Posted November 20, 2010 Share Posted November 20, 2010 Um, yes... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heymisterk Posted November 20, 2010 Author Share Posted November 20, 2010 No, you guys are all right on. I said it was - okay, a bit corny to say it again - but kooky. Still, based on a couple of responses here, it seems that some feel some guitars are LESS likely to need a set up, or at least some feel that way. The key word is some, god bless 'em. For the record, I had my Alvarez Yairi for ten years before I had it set up, and even after I did I didn't notice a tremendous difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeoConMan Posted November 20, 2010 Share Posted November 20, 2010 Yeah, good quality guitars are pretty stable once they are set up correctly. Like RS1959, my PRS came outta the box needing NOTHING. Of course, so did my EDS-1275 double neck. It was even in tune - all 18 strings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
46 and 2 Posted November 20, 2010 Share Posted November 20, 2010 Sorry K, but I have to do this; My Dad told me decades ago - "Two people, if they are worth a sh!t, why are they talking to YOU? Guidance counselor and a stock broker." Right on. I have never met a "guidance counseler" who wasn't full of s**t, and very few teachers for that matter so this whole story kinda smells. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Posted November 20, 2010 Share Posted November 20, 2010 Hey Mark, Your avatar sez Carol Stream, Illinoiz. You don't happen to work for eBay, do ya? eBay??? What am I missing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heymisterk Posted November 20, 2010 Author Share Posted November 20, 2010 Right on. I have never met a "guidance counseler" who wasn't full of s**t, and very few teachers for that matter so this whole story kinda smells. This guy is cool; I think he's just a little overly-optimistic...like many guidance counselors are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeoConMan Posted November 20, 2010 Share Posted November 20, 2010 eBay??? What am I missing? They have a corporate office there. I take it your answer is no. I'm in a small disagreement with them after holding an account for eight years. Three bucks. The only customer service people I can speak with are overseas and they are not allowed to do anything. With all the offices they have in California and Illinois, why can't I speak to any of them? Evidently, managers do not manage anything. So far, the three bucks has cost them over fifty directly, and my account has been inactive now for months. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andre S Posted November 20, 2010 Share Posted November 20, 2010 My 08 Les Paul Studio never needed a setup or truss rod tweaking....Any little string buzz was fixed by new strings Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Posted November 20, 2010 Share Posted November 20, 2010 They have a corporate office there. I take it your answer is no. I'm in a small disagreement with them after holding an account for eight years. Three bucks. The only customer service people I can speak with are overseas and they are not allowed to do anything. With all the offices they have in California and Illinois, why can't I speak to any of them? Evidently, managers do not manage anything. So far, the three bucks has cost them over fifty directly, and my account has been inactive now for months. Really? I had no idea they were here. Sorry about your account. I do have a good arm and an ample supply of eggs...and nothing to do tonight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeoConMan Posted November 20, 2010 Share Posted November 20, 2010 There's 3 bucks in it for ya... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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