Gibson Sue PRS

feylya

NASHVILLE, March 12 (UPI) -- Gibson Guitar has won a U.S. trademark infringement case against manufacturer Paul Reed Smith for copying Gibson's Les Paul single cutaway model guitar. A federal court judge in Nashville Thursday agreed with Gibson's complaint that Paul Reed Smith had violated U.S. patent and trademark laws by making the copycat guitars without permission from or compensation to Gibson. Gibson, which trademarked the Les Paul distinct body style in 1987, claimed in its lawsuit that Paul Reed Smith had been making guitars, called the "PRS Singlecut" with the same Les Paul design since 2000 to capitalize on the original Les Paul's popularity. The century-old instrument manufacturer began making the Les Paul electric guitar, named for the veteran guitar player, in 1952. The style remains one of Gibson's most popular instruments. Monetary restitution to Gibson will be decided at a hearing in 90 days.

Once again, Gibson sue people who make better guitars than them.

Giblet

To be honest, if you've ever seen that guitar, It's exactly the same as the Les Paul, except it just has a stop tail and no tune-o-matic bridge, and eagle inlays.

the fnj

That's a pity the PRS single cut was on my wanted list, a really beautiful instrument.

Far better looking that the Gibson Les Paul and the standard of guitars Gibson has been making is sliding.

Zoton

They'll become collectors items so, and unaffordable in the process.

mirv

Personally I think the Singlecut's bass side non-cutaway looks lumpy and silly. And the lack of tune-o-matic does make quite a difference as the string tension applied on the ridges and the intonation both suffer.

dabhoys

My PRS has the rap around bride and to be quite honest. At first it feels weird playin with it over the tune o matic. But Its not as hard to intonise as people say. I don't have ne problems. And it holds it very well. The rap around is great to help the resonation of the guitar I know the thing rings for ever...

Doctor J

I thought the PRS wrap around bridge was designed specifically to increase sustain and give a better tone?

dabhoys

It twas indeed doc. Thats wat I said Thats the way it was designed...

mirv

Increase sustain from what? Think about it from a tension point of view. With a wrap around you dont have as much tension downwards towards the face of the guitar as you do with a tune-o-matic tailpiece. A string-through design has even more tension and is more likely to resonate better than a tune-o-matic.

dabhoys

More surface area of the string is on the bridge. So more vibrations are transfered down through the studs. I'm not saying which is better. But I can telly u first hand this guitar is very loud not plugged in. The sound jumps off the guitar. And it rings for days. I would say that due to the string covering a largers area of the bridge there is alot more vibrations travelling down. The rap around bridge is about doulbe the size of the bridge on a tune o matic.

mirv

I'd say the volume and sustain come from the quality woods and craftsmachineship as opposed to the bridge. I think the stoptail is perdy, but I'm a nut about intonation so if I could get one of those bridges with intonatable saddles I'd be happiest.

Sustain also comes from the mass of the guitar - ie Groove Tubes have a sustain enhancer which is basically a copper clamp which goes on your headstock to improve sustain, but it might not help balance, and I'd say the combination of a tune-o-matic tailpiece and the bridge would outweigh the prs stoptail. Anyhow we're both not very technical on the details so there's little point in throwing unproven arguments at each other.

dabhoys

People seem to fear the intonisation of this thing. I can tell you first hand mine is easily set and holds it perfect. The bridge plays some part in the resonation alright but not to the point where if you swapped it with a tune o-matic you hear a massive difference or that. I think I would take a tune-o-matic bridge ne day. But I must say there is little wrong with the PRS wrap around