Great guitar - a friend has the first version, so I've had some time on one.

As far as I'm concerned, if you can afford it and will enjoy playing it, that's all you need to validate owning it. Your level of playing or where you will play it don't enter into it much, and even if they were a factor, a very good argument can be made that relatively limited use at home and in church are better suited to a valuable guitar than playing pubs and clubs seven days a week would be.

If you must have a more practical reason for owning it - it is probably one of the best investments available in a modern guitar, thanks to the high quality, high desirability factor and extremely limited numbers.

Eh... MJJJ? ?

Theuns, go get it.

Aubs1 wrote: Theuns, go get it.

+1

...and you have many many years of playing ahead of you, you're going to get better anyway ?

Alan Ratcliffe wrote: As far as I'm concerned, if you can afford it and will enjoy playing it, that's all you need to validate owning it.

+1

Get it, a great guitar can be inspiring. ?

All of the above! And of course it helps that it can be seen as an investment. Just look after it properly. ?

Buy it!!!

Even if its just to look at it would be worth it! What a beauty!!!

Aubs1 wrote: Theuns, go get it.

Do you remember the one we checked out a TOMS - 24K

How much is this one?

If you have a guitar you love and love playing your playing can only benefit...

Tokai SA wrote: How much is this one?

List price at the time of the Premier Guitar review was $7K.

Thanks for all the responses guys. Really appreciate it. VERY excited to see/hear that guitar!

Tokai SA wrote:

Aubs1 wrote: Theuns, go get it.

Do you remember the one we checked out a TOMS - 24K

How much is this one?

This one is a bit more than R24K. How long ago was it that you guys checked it out at TOMS?
I'll give them a call and see if they have anything. Although, not a lot of stores having them these days - apparently PRSi are now mostly made to order. (Pay first see/hear it later)

Gearhead wrote: Eh... MJJJ? ?

IINM MJJJ has the ME I (i could be wrong).

Tokai SA wrote:

Aubs1 wrote: Theuns, go get it.

Do you remember the one we checked out a TOMS - 24K

How much is this one?

Yep, but they would'nt sell it to me!!!! Apparently one of the directors bought it......geez, that would have been a steal!! And it was a used one but in pristine condition..... wow

I don't know what this one's going for, I would guess R35+K, in fact I would not be shocked if it was R40+K ....... ?

Theuns van Wyk wrote: How long ago was it that you guys checked it out at TOMS?

Theuns it was roundabout early last year, I know it's gone, because I was tracking it like a hawk..... a director of TOMS took it. They do not stock PRS AFAIK. It was a one-off used one.....

so here's the thing. the purchase of a guitar has practically nothing (to very little) to do with what one (or one's advisors) think. it has a lot more to do with how one feels, or is likely to feel in your case, having made the purchase, especially in the case of a major investment piece, such as a prs. my first prs was a standard 22 - around 11k at andy mcgibbon's a loooong time ago. i asked myself the very same questions you are - but mostly does my ability as a guitarist warrant such a purchase. the answer is sometimes 'probably not', but as someone has already pointed out, you will own this guitar for a long time, and you will improve, so at some point the graph will read true. don't worry about that for now.

ah, what the heck. if you can afford it, and you want it - go get it! if you can't afford it - get a loan!
dh

Arjun Menon wrote:

Gearhead wrote: Eh... MJJJ? ?

IINM MJJJ has the ME I (i could be wrong).

Yup ... I have a ME 1 (the only one of the range with Braz and heartwood Maple). All ME's from 1 through to Quatro (yes that's how they spelled it!) are designed to be best-of-breed instruments. Meaning they are based upon the most frequently requested Private Stock (PRS-speak for their custom shop) options. Paul reviews those and they put together a package which is supposed to be a more price-friendly semi-production version of a Private Stock for the masses. Nothing avoids scrutiny - even the glues. While the rarity of the ME 1's woods ensure its strength as an investment tool because some of the raw materials are simply no longer available, the other ME models are just as desireable as instruments both for the player and collector. The ME 2 saw the instroduction of the 57/08 range of pickups which are very highly regarded in PRS circles, as well as the "lapshade" knobs now used on most if not all models. At the introduction of the ME 2 they were simply known as ME 2 pickups, but later they were renamed 57/08's and have evolved to be wound slightly hotter in their most recent revisions, along with sister models called 59/09's and 53/10's. The ME 2 was introduced after the stocks of Brazilian Rosewood were depleted. PRS now used rosewood sourced from various stocks, and chosen based on tone and colour. They simply listed it as "black dalbergia". The first production outlined bird inlays were also seen on the ME 2. Still my favourite version of all the bird inlays ... soooo classy!

Anything under R40k for a 2nd hand ME 2 sounds like a bargain to me. ME 1's fetch a fair bit more due to the desireability and rarity of the brazilian rosewood used in that model.

I hope this helps. Here's a pic of my current ME 1 (my second such guitar ... the first being a McCarty Amber example which while I have pics of it, I'm not sure it's fair to post since I no longer own it)

[hijack]
ltns Mojo! ?
[/hijack]

Thanks guys. Flying down soon to have a closer look.

Can't wait!!!