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PRS Soapbar

 

PRS Soapbar Electric Guitar reviewed by The Man in the Jar  

So much has been said and written about this particular plank that I feel like I've been asked to review Marilyn Monroe's chest. Oh, well. Someone's gotta' do it. Wheel 'em on.

 

Features of the PRS Soapbar

Tuners - PRS branded sealed mini-tuners. Good smooth and accurate.

Headstock - Extremely compact three-a-side configuration, a very attractive design.

Nut - Black plastic, smoothly finished.

Neck - The fixed mahogany neck may feel a bit chunky in the hand, but this objection is soon overcome by ten minutes acclimatisation.

Fretboard - Rosewood with "two-tone" circular markers that give a rather attractive crescent-moon effect.

Frets - Medium rounded profile frets make for easy string bending. 

Action - Slightly high from the box, but this was easily adjusted.

Body - The original is the Les Paul look-a-like that caused all the legal fuss. Nowadays this guitar is served as a double cutaway. With or without the upper cut, the mahogany body serves up a satisfying weight with slight contouring around the front edge and deep contouring on the lower cutaway. The back has an access panel for the electronics.

Bridge - This is a wrap-over bridge with fixed (albeit staggered) saddles. Action is adjustable via a large screw at each end of the bridge assembly. This is quite basic stuff, but the intonation on the model I tried checked out perfectly.

Pickups - P-90's. You've gotta' like 'em to like this guitar. Familiar vintage soapbar shape with individual pole pieces. The pickup height is adjusted by two small screws set in the pickup cover's face.

Controls - One volume and one tone sporting classic Gibson style knobs together with a three-way pickup selector.  

Pickguard - Nonesuch

Strap-buttons - Quite large and safe.

Output Jack - Situated on lower edge of body in an oval plate.

Finish - Excellent throughout the instrument.

 

Sound of the PRS Soapbar

The P-90 pickups are as sweet as honey. Select both pickups and enjoy great vintage rock tones that won't overcook on an overdriven valve amp. The neck pickup has a deeper growl when used alone and the bridge pickup on its own has an aggressive treble snarl that has as much cut as the best Tele. 

 

Overall Impressions of the PRS Soapbar

This guitar has a lot of publicity to live up to, but when you meet it face to face you realise it's a simple, well crafted instrument with an excellent vintage voice. In a world full of Death-Metal-Uber-Axes the PRS Soapbar offers the serious musician a pared-down musical instrument on which to express their craft.

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