Back in 2021 I made a pretty controversial video about PRS, and honestly… it’s time we talked about PRS guitars again. In this one, I revisit why I still don’t think newer, American-built Core PRS guitars justify their current retail price. When I was touring and playing 60–100 shows a year, I watched the newer nitro finish crack, chip, and dent way faster than I think is acceptable for a $3k–$5k instrument. I also had frets get chewed up and hardware tarnish quickly, and yes—PRS still using nickel frets is a big sticking point for me because stainless just lasts longer and saves you time and money. But here’s the twist: I bought another PRS Custom 24 anyway—because I bought it used, and I knew exactly what I was getting into. This particular Custom 24 is a verified one-off with a Private Stock eagle inlay, an awesome finish, and the 85/15 TCI pickups, which are genuinely some of the best I’ve heard. With my band Rumble City Records doing a ton of ’90s/2000s rock (think Creed, Linkin Park, Staind), this guitar nails that PRS-into-a-Mesa vibe and inspires me to play. The main takeaway: new PRS at $4.5k–$5k isn’t for me, but used around ~$3k or less can be an absolute life upgrade if it fits your use case.