PRS SC 250

Tony Smith guitars have built some of the most beautiful guitars in existence. Many other guitars have a great beautiful flames or quilted maple top or some sort of exotic wood on top of any body would. These guitar's usually use the exact same one combinations however they do use different paint jobs and pick up selections two very different models as well. A lot of times they'll very their models with the neck size which gives their company a little bit more variety. This guitar features two humbucker pick ups with it to tone control knobs and two volume control knobs as well as a pickup selector.

UTILIZATION

This guitar is basically a knock off of a Gibson Les Paul guitar. It's overall body in shape and features really come from and inspired by the Gibson Les Paul instrument. This is a six string guitar and has a nice fixed bridge which most and all Les Paul's seem to have except for the newer modernized Gibson Les Paul is that feature the access or Floyd Rose features. This is a very cool guitar and has a beautiful top and the tone of it is quite good.

SOUNDS


If you've ever played type of Gibson Les Paul guitar that you know exactly the type of tone your to get with this instrument. I really like the bird inlays within the frets and it gives the guitar a cool looking vibe. The tone of it is a nice warm rich tone that is inviting and very conducive to medium to high gain amps. So if you uses for the high gain amplifier such as a Bogner, Marshall, Mesa boogie then you will get a get warm steak juicy tone.

OVERALL OPINION


These guitars have been discontinued for a while but Paul Reed Smith does have some newer models available that basically are exactly the same body style as this instrument. I suggest going with one of those or if you're really looking for something used and you might be off on one of these on the classified sections of forms or auction sites.

The PRS Singlecut model has had quite a history many different changes. They were discontinued at one point due to a lawsuit and once PRS won that suit they were issued again and with vigor. This is one of the models from a few years ago and it has a few things that I like over the current models like the 245 or the SC 58. Lets start with the basics. This guitar is basically your classic single cut. The body is made out of mahogany with a maple top. The model I tested out had a flame maple top with a blue stain on it. The neck is mahogany as well and it is set into the body. The neck had the old wide fat profile which they call pattern regular now. The neck had a 25 inch scale with a rosewood fretboard. The fretboard had the old bird inlays on it. Up top on the headstock were the 2nd generation PRS locking tuners. It has two uncovered PRS pickups with a volume and tone for each with the pickup selector on the upper bout. The bridge is the wraparound fine tuner bridge that they hardly use anymore. The 245 didnt have an adjustable bridge and the SC 58 has a new two piece tune-o-matic style bridge.

UTILIZATION

The playability on these is typical PRS. The setup is great and playable. The locking tuners hold on to the strings quite well. I do not know what they changed from the Phase 2 to the Phase 3 tuners but they both work well and they could have kept the phase 2 tuners but PRS is always looking to improve their stuff. I like the wraparound bridge with the fine tuners on this mode. They dont make many PRS models with this bridge on it now. One of the Opeth guys has it on his signature guitar. If you plan on down tuning a PRS I would recommend this bridge because it is much more adjustable than their normal wrapround bridge. The wide fat neck is very comfortable and fills your hand in a good way. It is very playable even though it is pretty big. The fretboard width and flatness adds to the playability. The newer single cuts the 245 and the SC 58 have a 24.5 inch scale which is a bit cramped for me. The newer single cuts have necks shorter than Gibson necks. These older ones had standard 25 inch PRS neck.s

SOUNDS

Being an older model the pickups seemed slightly different from what I have been playing recently on the newer models. The pickups reminded me of kinda what you get in the PRS SE models now. I guess the import models have pickups based on their older US models or something. The bridge pickup in this guitar seems hotter and brighter than what they use now. The pickup is hot albiet clear which sometimes does not go hand and hand. The neck pickup has a more traditional tone to it. It has a lot lower output it is kind of a mis match with the volume and ouput differences between the pickups. The neck position is very smooth and is great for cleans and leads. It can get a nice bluesy or jazzy tone or with some overdrive give you a classic rock lead tone.

OVERALL OPINION

The great thing about PRS guitars is that they are always evolving and improving and changing their models. This is also a bad thing because a model might have something you like and they may get rid of that individual part you like. With this guitar I like the fine tuner wrap around bridge that came on this model. The current single cut model the SC 58 has a two piece tune-o-matic style bridge that allows for some adjustment. Even though they may look very similar the PRS singlecut has gone through many changes throughout its history. You should look though the models and see if there is one in particular that you like the best and try and look out for that model.

This is a mid 2000's USA made set neck guitar. Specs as follows:

•Body: Mahogany
•Neck: Mahogany
•Fretboard: Rosewood w/ birds 22 frets
•Neck Shape: wide/thin carve
•Radius: 12" Compound Radius
•Frets: Regular PRS
•Bridge: PRS wrap around
•Hardware: Chrome
•Gears: PRS locking
•Electronics: Volume, Tone, 3-Way
•Knobs: Plastic
•Neck /Bridge Pickups: PRS #7's
•Finish Colors: Dark Mahogany Satin


UTILIZATION

Access to the upper frets is very good and not limited by the neck heel and shallow lower horn cutaway.

There is a nice variety of sounds available from the two humbuckers and 3-way rotary pick up switch and it is easy to get a nice array of tones.
The guitar has perfect balance and a great medium neck. Very comfortable standing or sitting.

I've got the action set at 3/64" all the way across the neck - it is a great and easy player!
My particular guitar is light but packs huge tone!
The PRS #7 pickups were a little too much on the vintage side, so I changed the bridge out for a DiMarzio tone zone I had laying around.

SOUNDS

I use this guitar with custom built Peters amplifiers, which are kind of a cross between a Peavey 5150 and high gain Marshall/VHT with a little Boogie thrown in, a VHT Sig-X and an Egnater MOD 50. The amps were paired with an Avatar 4x12 that had Celestion G12h -30's and a Splawn 4x12 with Governor/ManOWar speaker combo, a Earcandy Buzzbomb 2x12 w/ Scholz speakers and a Mojotone 3x12 w/ Celestion CL-80's.

I usually go for a nice thick Jerry Cantrell AIC tone, to use with my modern rock/metal band. This particular guitar and pickup combo is very nice across the whole sound spectrum. It gives an even heavy tone and good cleans. Suits my style of music very well. The pickups/sounds stay defined even under high gain.

I also use this guitar in a few cover bands that I've played in which includes songs from The Rolling Stones, Kings of Leon to RHCP, Poison and System of a Down. It does well with all styles.

This guitar has very nice lead tones and nice tight rhythm tones that cut through well. Acoustically it sounds a little bass heavy but very even when plugged in.
I have gotten compliments on the tone from other musicians when I've played live with it.


OVERALL OPINION

If this guitar would have had stainless steel frets (which I use exclusively now) I would have kept it longer than the three years I did. I did think about having ss frets installed on it but I thought it might ruin the fabulous tone it had as it was.

Overall this was a great workhorse of a guitar of a guitar (in a good way). Had nice weight, sounded great and the neck carve was a dream to play on.
A good thing about the satin finishes of PRS - they are tough and take wear and tear without showing much damage.

Value for the used price was a great deal! Knowing what I know now I would have made the same choice every time with this guitar. It was my second PRS (of many) and it was the second longest one I held onto before getting spoiled by SS frets.
I have owned many guitars and had a number of years where I would buy, try and flip, which enabled me to have many guitars around to try out.
This PRS standard SC is ranked right up there with the best of them in overall satisfaction. This guitar has beat out Ibanez RG's, Charvel/Jackson's, Gibsons, TA's and PRS's that have been in my collection - and I was able to sell them off.

Only a lack of ss frets lower the overall score from 10 to 9.

Original guitar amricaine with fixed bridge.

Locking Tuners very very practical and very specific on. It is better than on my old guitar Floyd Rose!

22 frets, pickups PRS SC250 (I do not know The characteristics accurate)

2 volume, 2 tone, 3 position slecteur between Jack (fixed with 4 screws so do not move like on most guitars)

Regrettably a small push-pull to give more versatility to the sound ... I put 8 for a

UTILIZATION

The handle is wide enough (get used), but very comfortable (much better than Gibon).

The ergonomics are better than Gibson: the highs are more accessible

It's amazing what this guitar has under the hood! It is really versatile and will fit any amp but the ideal is to plug it into a Mesa Boogie of course. I play on a Marshall TSL100 head (in BPS) and a roland microcube (for apartment): its good on both amps while keeping the grain caractristique PRS.


SOUNDS

Sound really suits my style of music. I'm pretty versatile blues, old rock and modern rock and even a few riffs of metal, she follows me everywhere!

In clean:

- In bridge pickup: OK, nothing transcendent.
- In the intermediate-position, we will add easily a small chorus pedal for rhythm but it sounds kind reconnatl Nickelback, Hoobastank, Alter Bridge, etc.. If you go up the gain of the amplifier can be easily cruncher sound and give warmth to the blues solos typs.
- In the neck pickup: lots of heat, very good for blues and jazz!

Basically, not looking for a Fender clean sound. It is not for a while but still compelling despite (less slobbery Gibson Fender but less specific on that).

In distortion:

It is that the beast we turned the stomach! Since I play, I've never had so much fun on an instrument (a PRS Modern Eagle may be ...). Yet I've tried Fender Gibson through Music Man and Jackson, ... We have a unique grain: it's warm, honeyed but remains specific on with any type of game
Harmonics out of themselves, the volume buttons are highly specific on (be careful, we are quickly surprised), she sought not proportionally attack mdiator ... This is not a guitar made for beginners: a guitar which responds both sound very bad if we do not mastery.

For the receiver:

Prcdemment as nuncio, I play on a Marshall TSL 100 head with 4x12 Vintage 30 speaker. It sounds very good but it would be better on a Mesa Rectifier. I DLIR then on the simulation of roland microcube in Mesa apartment lol. Despite everything, makes it much better than my old Gibson Les Paul.


OVERALL OPINION

I use it for 3 months now and discovers every day. I think she still surprises me!

What I love most: the sound distortion, the quality of manufacture (to the owners of Gibson cry lol), the locking tuners, versatility

What I like least: the clean lacks a bit of "charm", the new price weight