Which one to keep?

[joelhunn]

I’m mainly a fingerstyle acoustic player but play some blues progressions on the electric from time to time. I aspire to play jazz but am nowhere near that goal. I have two electrics that I like and think that I should reduce to one. I have a G&L legacy USA from 2013. Comfortable and great tone. I also have a prs se semi hollow. Great neck pu tone and so easy to play. Which would you keep and why?

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by joelhunn

I’m mainly a fingerstyle acoustic player but play some blues progressions on the electric from time to time. I aspire to play jazz but am nowhere near that goal...Which would you keep and why?

Keep the USA G&L - if you're serious about electric you need a solidbody - and sell/trade the PRS in favor of a hollowbody/semi-hollow; since you're mainly a fingerstyle acoustic player, one of these might fill the bill:



https://godinguitars.com/product/5th...i-cognac-burst

Same size/weight as an acoustic Seagull mini-jumbo (mine weighs just a tick over five pounds) with the familiar Godin family neck feel - close your eyes and you might not realize you're playing an electric - simple tone/volume/3-way controls, those twin P-90 dogears will give you all the blues and jazz tones you need (FYI Tony Bennett's guitarist was using one on tour for several years), and of course the usual Godin playability and attention to detail. FWIW my wife dislikes archtop guitars of any kind, but every so often when we've been working out an arrangement she'll say "This song really needs an archtop" and reach for the Godin - no small praise FYI, and for one who understands and appreciates these instruments there's a lot going on for under $1K...

My other suggestion - albeit coming from a different sonic/cosmetic direction - would be one of the Korean-made Gretsch 5400-Series Electromatics which, although Gretsch shifted production to China at the end of 2021, are still available as new-old-stock from a number of dealers if you look around; speaking as a Gretsch guy since 1964 and the owner of a MIK E-Matic, these are fully-gigworthy, professional-quality instruments that just happen to sell at a step-up/intermediate-player price (similar to the Godin), and stand head-shoulders-&-navel above their competition (with the exception of the aforementioned Godin CW II) in terms of QC/tone/playability. That said, I'll hasten to add that unlike your G&L/PRS (as well as other, similar instruments), a Gretsch is not a plug-&-play guitar - and was never intended to be: "That Great Gretsch Sound" is not everyone's cuppa tea, very much sui generis - nothing else sounds like a Gretsch but a Gretsch - and that clear, crisp upper-midrange twang and chime can be very unforgiving of poor technique and right/left-hand coordination; good news is that it's an incentive to practice (the 24.5 - 24.6" scale - depending on model - is also very easy on the fingers) and if you're the kind of guitarist who thinks a bit "outside the box" (pun intended) and wants to create his own signature tone in a sea of cookie-cutter Fender/Gibson derivatives, this is the sound of Messrs. Atkins, Cochran, Eddy, Salvador, Harrison, Van Eps, Stills, Young (Neil and Malcolm), Setzer, as well as countless other professional and semi-pro players who have used them at one time or another. IME once you get familiar with their idiosyncrasies they're arguably the most versatile hollowbodies on the market, credibly covering every genre short of death metal without losing their unique sonic identity, while also offering a visual vibe all their own - and in this price range you could do far worse than either the Gretsch or Godin...

[rmp]

Personally,, if it was my decision, I would keep the PRS, but having said that, as an observation, the G&L guitars don't have a very high resale value despite the fact that they are very good instruments.

Good call from Steve on the 5th Ave. those appear to be very capable guitars for where you're heading.

[The Old Gaffer]

The PRS and the G&L are two different guitars. That makes the choice very difficult. It likely will come down to personal preference. They are so different that I would try to keep them both if I could.
If you plan on acquiring the Godin as suggested above, you might want to keep the humbucker-equipped PRS.

[GoPappy]

I would keep whichever one of them was more comfortable for me to play. In my case, that would probably be the PRS because of the 1-11/16" nut vs. the 1-5/8" nut on the G&L. Also, the slightly shorter scale of the PRS (25") versus the G&L (25.5") makes string bending slightly easier.

Frankly, I think the PRS SE semi-hollow is a lot of guitar for the money. And I've seen plenty of YouTube videos of that guitar to convince me that it offers a ton of tonal options, especially with an overdrive pedal of your choice.

[Chickee]

Take both guitars, clean them up with new strings and a good scrub then lean them against the wall and take a good hard look. Which one makes you happier? That’s the one you keep.

And by the way, no where in the opening post does it say anything about getting another guitar. The guy wants to scale back.
frank d.

[TiffanyGuitar]

If your G&L was a Tele style, I would tell you to keep that one. You can play jazz on anything. I would still lean toward keeping the G&L due to resale being lower and a strat style can do just about anything.

[Bob from Brooklyn]

I'm trying to connect the dots between learning jazz and unloading a guitar.

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by The Old Gaffer

The PRS and the G&L are two different guitars. That makes the choice very difficult. It likely will come down to personal preference. They are so different that I would try to keep them both if I could.
If you plan on acquiring the Godin as suggested above, you might want to keep the humbucker-equipped PRS.

My thoughts too. Both great guitars, both very different. You can get rid of one but a year down the road you may want it back for tonal reasons.

That said, if you need to get rid of one, I would get rid of the one you play the least.

[rmp]

Originally Posted by Bob from Brooklyn

I'm trying to connect the dots between learning jazz and unloading a guitar.

"I have two electrics that I like and think that I should reduce to one"

this sounds like an inner conflict that I can't even being to unravel.

Reduce? nope does not compute..

[joelhunn]

Originally Posted by rmp

"I have two electrics that I like and think that I should reduce to one"

this sounds like an inner conflict that I can't even being to unravel.

Reduce? nope does not compute..

I probably play the prs a bit more but when I play the G&L I wonder why I don’t play it more. You are right about resale on the G&L. It’s dead mint from 2011 and I got it for $700 off reverb. I’m not pushed for cash. More to uncluttered and simplify. I’m down to one acoustic (plus a gs mini for travel). I want to concentrate on getting better on the equipment that I have

[rmp]

Originally Posted by joelhunn

I probably play the prs a bit more but when I play the G&L I wonder why I don’t play it more. You are right about resale on the G&L. It’s dead mint from 2011 and I got it for $700 off reverb. I’m not pushed for cash. More to uncluttered and simplify. I’m down to one acoustic (plus a gs mini for travel). I want to concentrate on getting better on the equipment that I have

I've never understood the resale on the G&L guitars. Everyone I've ever played was just a great guitar.

One my of old work buds had a T Style G&L with those "Z-coil" Pickups. Amazing sounding and playing guitar.

I wasn't a fan of the snot green sparkle finish it had, but man that thing was a beast.