JP6 (also Family Reserve) vs. PRS

[TonyS]

Hi guys,

I'm at a crossroads here in my guitar playing life.... There are two guitars that I LOVE: The JP6 (have not played the Family Reserve yet but love the new alder bodies) and PRS guitars. I have played quite a few PRS's and really like how they feel and sound but when I played the JP6; it was like butter. The action was AWESOME, the sound (both electric and acoustic) was tight and the fact that it has 24 frets, and everything is right there for tonal changes and the tremolo is beautiful.

I know this is the Ernie Ball forum....lol; but I'm looking to purchase two guitars very soon. Either 2 JP6 FR's (I'm leaning more towards those) or a PRS custom and PRS 513.

What are your takes on both guitars?

Thanks guys,
TonyS

 

[Phrat]

If you played the JP6 and loved it, i can only imagine that when you play and hear the BFR you will forget all about the PRS.

Don't follow the crowd!

 

[robelinda2]

I played the PRS 513 recently and thought it was really nice, i actually preferred it to the JP, in terms of versatility, but the JP felt better certainly.

 

[lovedaebmm]

Well the PRS is over priced, especially the 513, sure they have 5 pickups and 13 sounds. But for a guitar which is made with similar materials to the bfr.. I would rather the BFR, as both guitars sound good but the bfr is cheaper and has the tone block

 

[Big Poppa]

As most know please dont say "VS" it isnt war or a football game. Paul Smith makes fabulous guitars and I am happy to be mentioned in the same company. Having said thaqt it isi apples OR oranges..our approach is very different and you should see which one floats your boat.

 

[fogman]

Forget what forum this is so a second or two!
My personal experience is this.
I've tried both guitars. The PRS' look really nice and they're really popular and all, but when I tried a handful of them I was confused. I didn't see what all the hype was. Initially I really wanted to like them too. They felt kind of plastic in my hands. It didn't feel solid to me at all. I do understant this is just me opinion. Different strokes for different folks.
Well, my first hands on exposure to Music Man happened to be the Petrucci. I didn't know much about them at the time either. Though I'm not a shredder and prefer other neck profiles, I just could not put this guitar down. I kep walking around the store looking at other things then coming back. I could not believe how in tune this thing stayed as I kept whaling in the trem. I was simply amazed.

End of story.

 

[steve21]

If you're buying 2 JP's or 2 PRS's... why not 1 JP and 1 PRS?



Either way, in terms of feel I generally prefer EBMM. From the PRS's I've played, they're not quite as fluid.

 

[phatduckk]

ya - get one of each dude

i sold a jp6 a little while ago and now i miss it. I sold a PRS a couple years ago and dont miss it at all. so id vote jp if i could pick only 1

 

[JohnnyD19]

or 1 BFR JP and a BFR LUKE!!!!

 

[lonewolf74]

One of each is not a bad idea

Before I was able to get my hands on a JP6, I purchased a used 1992 PRS CE24. At the time, it was my favorite guitar and to me, had a very professional and solidly-built feel.

Now that I have the JP6, I play the JP6 about 90% of the time. It's more comfortable to wear, and has the piezo option, so to me it's more sonically versatile (even though the PRS has a 5-way selector switch compared to the 3-way of the JP6). I also prefer the finish on the JP6 neck compared with the one on the PRS.

The one thing that I have noticed about the PRS is that the two 'buckers in the PRS seem to have a louder output than those in the JP6 - at least that's what my ears tell me when I unplug one and plug in the other to the same rig. That's not a slam on the JP6 by any means... just an observation.

As BP said, both companies build guitars that are well-made. It just depends on what you're looking for in a guitar. For me, I keep coming back to the JP6 when I pick up one to play. It's nice to know, though, that I've got another decent guitar for a backup.

Try them both. If you don't like one, or find that it's sitting idle, you can always re-sell it to another guitar player.

 

[mesadualrec]

ball family on the bay right now that looks great

 

[musicman10_1]

+1 on what BP said. Both are fantastic guitars - I have one of each. I don't think you can go wrong either way and so good luck with your decision.

John