Rules of Tone Introduction (1 of 3) with Paul Reed Smith
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- Опубліковано 14 жов 2024
- Paul wrote the Rules of Tone over many years after a conversation he had with his father about physics. Essentially, it is a list of 21 rules of instrument making that are particular to PRS and the way we build guitars. The document is now locked away, and serves as a private record of PRS trade secrets written down to ensure that Paul's philosophies and discoveries are never lost or forgotten. Though its title may sound restrictive, the Rules support our quest for tone by encouraging us to constantly refine our craft as builders so that we can make better and better instruments as we learn.
For the complete conversation, visit www.prsguitars....
Paul is so enthusiastic about his trade and his company. It's really refreshing to see someone this passionate about something. It really inspires me. I would love to just follow him around and hear what he has to say all day long.
After watching several videos with Paul and his team, I am convinced that PRS deserves my money!!!!
Paul Reed Smith is a genius. Not only does he make the most amazing instruments, but he is a marketing guru. He could sell me a bar of soap he's so good. Props to you sir!
I guess that’s why the P90 McCarty was called the McCarty Soapbar lol
Paul is a true salesman. He actually believes what he is saying. You can see that guitars are his passion. He loves what he does.
This man is a genius and has re-defined high standards in guitar making...I had to lay out 2X 7,000$ on Collector's Choices Les Paul to get proper necks and low action...that is crazy....my 5 PRS all have perfect necks and action not to mention the stunning esthetics which are sensational...PRS deserves every cent they earn and all you have to do is pick up ANY PRS to realize this...I have never played a PRS that wasn't perfect...Carlos Santana says it best in his interviews on the subject. I prefer the 'old school' birds however but then you can have your won specifications. Maybe people complain about prices...if you smoke and drink you probably spend over 7,000$ per year with these habbits. It's all a question of priorities.
No electric solid body guitar should cost more than 1500 dollars...dont care the hardware...dont care the finish....or how perfect you think it is.....its only so much you can do to solid body electrics to play great..after a certain price point is literally money down the drain (you simply cant make them any better) that you can invest in a kick ass amp of your choice that ll actually give you the sound that you want.....
the attitude of "can't make it better" is what holds people back. most everything can be made better if you try that much harder to do so and be innovative. where would the world be with a can't make it better attitude? whether you like prs or paul at least he is trying rather than saying it can't be better. no disrespect but it simply isn't a true statement.
The nature of the solid body electric instrument makes it a true statement(i would say the exact opposite for an acoustic guitar though).....There is NOTHING a solid body electric guitar costing thousands of dollars has that any guitar given a quality setup and some key parts swapped cant acquire literally at a fraction of the price.If you really think otherwise please list specifically what sets them apart that it is so superior........
What most people doesn't recognise is the actual raw wood and treatment before the lumber actually get cut into bodies and necks. Companies like PRS, Suhr or Music Man go thru truckloads of lumber in order to get the best quality wood. Specific cutting of the blanks decimates also the stock and finally crazy drying processes. This costs a lot of money and is the foundation of a high quality guitar whose wood is not moving later on. The quality of that kind of wood has nothing to do with your of the shelf ebay or even Warmoth blank. People don't get that. For example count the times you have to set the truss rod on a Les Paul compared to a PRS. Both are made out of the same wood. PRS mahogany necks are nearly as stable as roasted maple ones...Or warping necks. I've never heard of a warped Suhr, MM or PRS necks. At least it happens very very very seldom.
I would never buy a Les Paul for that price tho but if you are a working musician who needs a reliable and stable guitar which doesn't need a flatrate from the guitar tech you have to lay down the money. Simple as that. The times are over where even middle class bands had their own tech on tour. Today you're on your own and for that I want to have guitar which works over a long time in every climate I take it.
Scot Felton. You are using good philosophy in the right and wrong way with your answered and statements. You are right. Saying "you can't make it better" is not a positive outlook and won't bring on new innovations or improvements. However, it appears that you're just falling on that philosophy as a safety net.
Dreamdancer, is also right and wrong. He is completely right when he says "no electric solid body guitar should cost more than 1500 dollars...don't care the hardware...don't care the finish....or how perfect you think it is"... He is wrong when saying you can't approve on the guitar. Let's just say in the past 100-50-20-10-5 years there has been no innovation to guitars that justify the hefty price tags. Yes, with the right minds hard work and a lot of talent you can come up with ideas to make improvements to the pitch and tones admitted from the guitar.
Yes, there's been a couple innovation to the solid body guitar over the past 50 years that do just this. They are minimal improvements, yet they are improvements none the less. However, they don't come close to justifying a price tag of $1600 - 20,000 dollars. It is all branding and personal prestige you are paying for at that time. And that is wrong. The companies in America should not be taking advantage of the faults we have as humans. Pride and prestige are some of those faults that they are taking advantage of.
If you have two cars that are built 100% identical. One has a Ford brand 10k the other has Porsche brand 50k, there are tons of people that will buy the Porsche just for the pride and prestige of the fact they own a Porsche. this Porsche is identical to the Ford model. There are no improvements to it. What are you paying the extra 40k for then? It can only be one thing Pride and prestige. Yes, we have a choice not to buy the Porsche however with the proper motivation and big companies doing everything to push us to make the wrong choice it is a very hard choice to make.
Here is a perfect example. One Solid body PRS SE Custom 22, the price tag is $800.00 The other Solid body PRS Private Stock #7454 Custom 24, the price tag is $12,000.00.
Yes, the more expensive one has some upgraded parts. However, the value in upgrades is a couple hundred dollars NOT 10,000.00 worth of upgrades, more like 300.00 - 400.00 if that.
Now we know the upgrades of the PRS Private Stock guitar, are only worth a few hundred then what are you paying for Scot Felton. Are you paying for the philosophy behind it? because I can guaranty 100% that the differences and/or improvements between them in tone, sound., quality, feel & playability between them is minimal at best.
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This video is so awkwardly brilliant! I'm hanging on Paul's every word but cringing at the awkward dynamic between them! My PRS McCarty 594 is an incredible instrument.
PRS makes the finest electric guitars ever produced. I believed this the first time I played one in 1987 at West LA Music and I feel that way even more so today. They are great because they are made with great purpose. They are not burgers for the masses. They are meant to do exactly what they do. They play like a dream and sound like paradise. They are also the most well balanced guitars I have ever played. They just make sense.
After watching several videos with Paul and his team, I am convinced that all who work for him are TERRIFIED of him.
I get this sense too...
@@lwwells He didn't even acknowledge him when he said Hello...douche move Mr. Reed
@@johnnycanosoda I get this really strange "disconnected" egotistical Steve Jobs wanna-be vibe from him.
He’s the Steve Jobs of the electric guitar.
Not sure it’s terrifying as much as it is respect.
Luke Wells Jobs had every right to come off that way.
I think the real question is which of the subtractions may make a guitar’s sound more desirable. Maybe getting closer to 100% free of subtractions doesn’t always make a guitar’s sound better.
It's addition as well as subtracting. The shape, type of wood, paint, hardware and of course the strings is all adding tonal aspects as well as subtracting.
Just got my first PRS, a '18 SE, just love it !!
Paul, that is the most awesome shade of green you have come up with. I love the look of that guitar.
Paul is a genius in his field! I hated so much A about PRS guitars but by 'subtraction' mine had become my main playing choice over my 50 others.
You can just tell that before they recorded Paul was on that guy making him make sure that he knew the questions and remembered what they were and the order they were in and that he was to stick to the script....
But then when they started recording...Paul started trying to make it less like an interview and more like a organic conversation. The beginning of this was uncomfortable to watch actually.
All that being said....I liked the interview and I always love hearing Paul talk shop when it comes to guitar building.
Instead of trying to reissue a guitar from 20 years ago, PRS is innovating and improving on the past. The 2011 PRS Custom 24 is amazing.
IMHO Paul is a fine businessman who has managed to put on the market a great number of instrument innovations. PRS, the firm, has shown an incredible consistency along all these years -- I know of no owner who is dissatisfaied with his PRS guitar for any engineering/building quality reason. Yes, Paul is also a marketeer and has a tendency to speak as he has discovered the wheel. But who can blame him? Marketing goes along with steady sales ONLY if the product is good.
I'm watching this while restringing my brand new Core Custom 24. I've never played guitars this good. Ever...
First and last rule of tone:
"Tone is in your fingers!"
Somewhat true, but it's fairly minuscule. If three people are playing the same guitar, at a similar intensity, it's going to sound pretty similar. The difference will be pretty small.
Some is, some isn't..... rules are generally stupid
@@azabuvsobelo5687 rules are just there to let you know when you're breaking them..
I don't always agree with Paul Reed Smith,but when I do, you can bet your bottom dollar it's because he's Right. Stay innovative my friends.
Paul, a long way into the future different people will still be heading all the major and minor guitar companies including yours. Bob Taylor, Jean Larrivee, Bill Collings,and all the rest - including you - will be gone, but the new luthiers will still need those rules of tone to continue to manufacture great sounding guitars with minimum tonal subtraction. So I would urge you release the 21 rules of tone to all interested luthiers could use to produce better sound guitars.
I'm a seven decades old novice but it appears to me, at least, that by listening and paying very close attention we are being tutored in the 21 +/- rules of tone.
Patience is a virgin (or something like that, lol).
I wish I never had to sell my Custom 24-- It was a beautiful 20th anniversary, 10 top flame, gold hardware in violin amberburst... I miss it so much...
That's my guitar there!!! Or one that's looks just the same (not popular color)....Cool!
Love my PRS guitars!!!!!
Who not? They are the G-R-E-A-T-E-S-T guitars on the planet.
Is it true, that the 21 Rules of tone was buried with Ed Roman ?
(Clarification) I was speaking of electric guitars only. Those aspects do play a part in the tone of an acoustic guitar by a larger degree.
actually a luthier is is someone who makes or repairs lutes and other string instruments but yes your correct
Shit, I want a PRS now! Paul is the Steve Jobs of electric guitars.
I’ve been saying this for a long time. Imagine putting the two in a room when Steve was around to see what they’d talk about. These men don’t come around very often.
@Janesch Steve Jobs is the Paul Reed Smith of electronics!
here's a fact for your meagre collection.
the final sanding is done by hand as the videos clearly show.
dude.
hi Paul lol he stays quite 😂
Anyone know what color of green finish that is, and is it available on any guitar besides the prototype?
BPStorm Eriza Verde
As someone who does marketing....I feel offended by that comment, we just finde the things missing in the customer life and make it appealing presenting benefits for that specific target. Never lying, people aren't dumb, and they will crucify you if they ever realise you lied to them.
I am a firm beliver that no matter how minute the changes, the guitar is a system of various elements that WILL change the tone if you alter them.
...and yet there are thing like old Teles with 3 piece bodies, ill fitted bolt on necks, thin warped sheetmetal bridges, scatterwound pickups, plastic nuts, low quality tuners (probably all clear violations of the "rules of tone") ...but they sound freakin' amazing.
Go figure.
;)
Is that magic book of tone locked up with the magic pickup wire making machine! Lol
To robstafarian, i do not believe that paul is that similar to steve jobs at all. Steve jobs was the marketer of apple. On the other hand, you could say he is like steve wosniak, who is the one who comes up with most of the ideas for hardware for apple.
Great, 3 of my PRS's dont qualify for all the tweaks :(
Paul did not say "Hi" back.
tried about 20 "AAA" grade guitars in 93 none were even close to my blue custom 24 the shred guitars were way better than I hate to say it fenders and gibsons , but nothing was close to my PRS not in any way at all.
not fender custom shops are not handmade
Tool should play PRS
thats the definition but my violin making friends rarely call themselves luthiers.....mostly its come to mean guitar builder just because of the ubiquity of the instrument. the person I was responding to had nothing to do but sneer and whine and post falsehoods hence the response.
steve jobs had nothing to do with the invention of the smartphone sorry. yes the pos iphone is popular but a small margin compared to palm,blackberrys, androids,bada, windows phones out there.
haha i have all the documents. yea prs dnt want that out
Why is Paul wearing blood pressure cuffs? Are Sphygmomanometers the secret to tone? ;-D
First rule of tone is don’t talk about the rules of Tone lol
I have lost a lot a respect for PRS by watching this video. this is a load a crap. I know physics very well, and the effect of finish, wood, and materials on tone is so minute compared to construction dimensions and pickup/ electronics used that i negates any effect caused by the former. Marketing 101 "find an accepted misconception and exploit said misconception."
deathofzanith I think that may be why he don't want that list out their. I'm willing to bet number 1 says tonewood is bullshit
Pickups don't react to soundwaves, don't they?
I am glad that finally, they can admit that WOOD has nothing to do with the tone of an electric guitar, LOL
Does this mean my CE24 and Santana 3, both of which are more than 10 years old are rubbish compared to a new PRS, Ha Ha.
"he doesnt even builds any more"- yes he does
"he is not even a qualified luthier"- what is a qualified luthier? a luthier is someone who makes guitars. he's a luthier.
so what is a qualified luthier? what makes a stringed instrument crafstmen qualified? sorry but luthiers have been around for over 600 years not 100. so your telling me stradivarius with no formal training or degree isn't a qualified luthier? weird because i hear his violins sell for millions? he reinvented the violin and made it a better instrument but by your logic he was unqualified. do you know paul personally? seems to me a guy with passion like him its more than a job its probably a hobby
thats weird cause iphones still cant run the internet like any android device. or do half of the things android does you cant even mount your phone as a mass storage device no removable storage. Real innovative huh? yet did steve jobs make the first smartphone or touch screen or anything no. he took ideas from other companies, parts and components too, and slapped them together and called it his own. you know that mostly all iphone components are made by samsung and htcor one of its subsidiaries
He is such an unappealing guy.
Nick paflas So is your mom.
He kinda looks like Steve Jobs too.. If he could've lived another 10-20 years...
1st rule of tone: MARKETING!
get the galaxynote 2 even better
No
you mean steals ideas for the hardware of apple
What a bunch of hooka. It's a wonder Gibson and Fender made the best guitars ever made without PRSs' help isn't it? He thinks he is a guitar god and prices his guitars accordingly, his thoughts should be titled "rules of profit" and it would be more appropriate. Jeez o' pete, this guy has an ego.
quasar thecat F and G built some great guitars and many many pieces of shit. PRS may or may not be your perfect guitar but I have never seen a POS PRS. He has the consistency thing down.
Thats bullshit. Most noone can remember the exact sound o an instrument passed a couple of min you're going to come back half hour later and it sounded better. How would you really know.
That is an opinion.
you obviously know nothing about woodworking, an orbital sander is a tool to make a craftsman's job easier but achieve the same exact effect as hand sanding your just using a power source that is not your body. the affect is the same. there finish sanded by hand. go play your cs shop fenders which may be made by hand.who cares? i guarantee prs has way better quality control a computer is much more efficient than humans. all the designs prs makes are handmade and digitized for cnc production
Fuck, it's the KFC secret recipe .GTFO of the water Paul, you jumped the shark
I understand these words perfectly well. you don't understand when to stop. the word- and the thing you lack is a clue not a "clew".
the people who work at PRS are highly trained crastsmen and women and lack nothing they could get from these mythical "qualifications" youve been dribbling about for months.
I have a number of PRSs not one of which had its finishing touches done by an orbital sander. I've seen my instruments in various stages of production and know that you are just plain wrong.
This video is awesome to hear Paul talk but he kind of says nothing and everything.
carvin is better
difficult to know where to start with that nasty little screed. let's start here- you're wrong. I own several instruments on which he has worked personally- hands on. google paul's 28. even if he didnt would he stop being a luthier? he built guitars one at a time for many years and is involved now in every detail of production. your hangup over qualifiactions is bizzare. greenfield has no qualifications in luthiery but is a trained chef. does that mean my $20k greenfield was built by an amateur?
"I never did insult you in any personal way"- other than saying I dont own the instruments I do, I dont have access the knowledge I clearly do. I'm not a "real" musician since I'm a guitarist
you are entitled to your opinion- and given the nastiness, stupidity and ignorance with which you express your opinion you are entitled to try and find someone who gives a shit
you posted falsehoods about the people who build these guitars and having those corrected you turn on the abuse. seriously- go away