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PAUL REED SMITH (PRS) GUITARS

  1. 1988 PRS Studio, (front-color inset), (back), (headstock), (trem), (fretboard), (case).   Another one for the collectors - one of the cleanest vintage PRS's I've had, with no buckle/button scratches, no pick scratches, and the only real flaw being small chip smaller than a rice gain on the back (shown here).  Other than that there is no wear and only some normal "finish suck" which is normal on these thin Nitro finishes, and if you look very closely, a few very minor finish impressions in the clear coat which were too slight to photograph.  I'm researching the color.  Although it has metal flake, it's darker than Electric Blue but appears slightly lighter than Pearl Black.  We'll look in the pickup cavities where the finish is frequently written.  If you're not familiar with the Studio, it was only offered from '88 to '91 and the main feature is the HSS pickup configuration with a Hot Vintage Treble in the bridge and a pair of PRS single coils (click here for details).  Other features that distinguish it are a tone control instead of a Sweet Switch.  Tremolo routing that allowed "up pull" was also standard on the Studio but this one was ordered with the standard tremolo routing.  The early Studios (and Standards) from this era are the closest thing to the original 1985 "PRS Guitar", distinguished by its all-mahogany construction - rather than the maple cap model that followed the PRS Guitar.  To my ears there is a warmth and singing quality to the mahogany bodies that you can't find on a maple top.  Like all PRS during this era it's truly a hand-made guitar, built 7 years before they brought CNC machines into the shop.  Other features include Brazilian rosewood fretboard with 24 fret mahogany neck, short heel neck joint, 1-piece Mil-Com bridge, small logo, Standard neck profile, and the early version PRS locking tuners.  The fretboard on this guitar is so dark it looks like Ebony, some of the finest Brazilian I've seen on these.  Players and collectors alike are seeking out old-factory models and these pre-CNC models have risen steadily over the past 5 years.   I would easily rate this guitar a 9.5 condition, which is extremely rare for a guitar that's 24 years old.  At $2799 it's a very affordable investment piece and still within the range of working guitarists looking for a stage guitar that's universally accepted to be better than any new one.  Original PRS case and trem arm are included.
  2. 2001 PRS Santana II with Gold Hardware, (front), (front/sides), (back), (headstock), (tag), (case).   Discontinued in '07, after a run of almost 9 years, this was PRS's finest production guitar (and the most expensive) that stays true to the original models that Paul built for Carlos in the late 70's.  Don't confuse this with the recent and affordable "Santana MD" and "Santana 25th Anniversary", both of which list for around 1/2 the price the II listed for, or the stripped down Santana III, again, a much more cost-conscious model.  Because of the high price tag, very few of these were sold and only a fraction of those ever hit the used market.  As many PRS's as I've had over the years, this is only the 6th Santana II I've had.  As is usual for these guitars, it was collector owned and, thus, nearly as clean as the day it left the factory.  It has spent nearly all of its 10 years in the leather case in a perfect environment.  The Santana II is based on the original instrument Paul built for Carlos and every aspect meets Carlos' specs, from the shape of the neck to the sound of the pickups - features a unique, pre-production body shape and headstock shape, 11.5” radius, an un-PRS scale of 24.5”, Mahogany body with East Coast Maple top, Santana Treble/Bass Zebra pickups, Paua shell purfling strips on top, rippled Abalone bird inlays, PRS Eagle inlay on headstock, PRS tremolo, Santana fret wire, Phase II locking tuners with ebony buttons, OM symbol truss rod cover, and gold hardware by special order.  The Amber figuring on this guitar is remarkable, a true 3D top that looks different from every direction.  From certain angles it's perfectly flamed from top to bottom, from other angles it appears quilted.  It was impossible to capture its unique beauty in a picture so I just shot one from a random angle, rather than posting one that looked like a conventional flamed top   If you're wondering what it sounds like, just think of Carlos' tone...it sounds just like that, with a sweet singing sustain.  This guitar is really made for collectors - with  II.  If you're looking for the centerpiece of your PRS collection - or just somebody who can afford to play the finest guitars available - this one is a great buy.   It's as clean as most new guitars hanging in your local super store.  No scratches, dings or other cosmetic issues, with low set up that seems to almost play itself.   The Santana II listed for $8600 with gold hardware, discounted to just over $6000.  Includes PRS leather case in likewise mint condition, with hang tag and paperwork.  I see these not selling on Ebay, usually priced around $6K.  This one is sure to please and is the nice price, $3950.  
  3. 1993 PRS Custom 22 - Black Cherry, (front1 front2),  (back1 back2), (headstock), (case).   I'm always on the lookout for older PRS's and always excited to find another one.  Sure, I'd love to get a lot of 1st and 2nd year models, but any of the pre-'95 models will do.  Specifically, old-factory models when they were actually hand made, easily identifiable with the original small logo along with more substantial differences.  A lot of people incorrectly refer to these as "pre-factory" which would indicate that Paul built over 30,000 guitars in his garage before he opened his Stevensville factory in '96, ignoring the fact that he had a factory in Annapolis from '85 to '95.  These guitars are widely thought to be superior to guitars built at the new factory, where PRS eliminated most of the hand-crafting in favor of CNC machines.  A look inside the neck pickup cavity (shown here, with pickups) shows that early in production it was suspected that this would be graded a 10 top thus the marking, "22 Fret Custom "10"".  After staining and finishing, this one apparently didn't quite make the grade, although it's still a very attractive bookmatched maple.  Other features of this guitar include Dragon Bass and Treble pickups with 5-way rotary selector, wide-fat neck taper, mahogany neck, mahogany body with a maple cap.  The Custom 22, especially with the fixed bridge, has a stiffer feel than a Custom 24.  The 22 has a "shorter" neck, i.e. with the bridge and bridge pickup are set further back in the body which means the scale is the same as a 24, but the neck doesn't extend as far from the body.  It's very much a Les Paul feel, although with much easier playability in the upper range, not to mention a wider selection of tones.  Martin did a great job of cleaning up this guitar, going as far as removing the tuners to buff out the string scratches on the headstock (pic here), hand polishing all the frets (pic here), and buffing out the entire body, removing nearly all of the small scratches.  The result is a guitar that looks as great as it plays.  Whenever you play one of these you can almost sense the meticulous human attention to detail as you're holding a guitar that will likely never be hand-crafted again.  Prices on Annapolis-era Customs continue to rise but they're still a good value when they're cheaper than a new one and with a new base model CU22 at $2600-$3050, depending on where you shop, this lovely old factory model is just $2099.  These are excellent investment pieces in my opinion but for a player, it's cheaper than a new one and a better guitar.  
  4. 1992 PRS EG-3, (front/back), (back), (headstock), (short heel).   Fairly rare model from the old Annapolis factory where PRS were largely hand-mad with early features including short neck heel, early Schaller/PRS locking tuners, and small logo.  Among the EG series, the EG-3 is the prize model, with its trio of Lindy Fralin zero-hum "Domino" pickups, highly prized for their expressive single-coil tone without the noise associated with single coils.  In addition, the EG-3 has loads of tonal options (shown here) including a 5-way selector for the usual combinations, but also a push-pull tone control that acts as (1) normal tone control; (2) presence boost; (3) mid-range control.  PRS had an ingenious neck-joint which was basically a long neck tenon that goes under the neck pickup for a perfect neck angle which allows a super setup, as well as superb sustain.  On the downside, the wood was very thin in this area and this model is very prone to wood cracks which this guitar has. A short one on the treble side and a long one on the bass side (shown here).  We have glued these cracks and they don't pose a problem.  If it ever cracks again, it will be in a different area.  The only other noteworthy flaw are the top tuner hooks are missing a little piece of pedal but since they also screw in from the shaft, they stay in place just fine.  Tremolo has been swapped out from a '95 PRS, strap pins are Schaller locking, otherwise all original.  Other than the issues mentioned, this guitar is in nice shape and hasn't seen much actual playing time.  It plays beautifully and with these Domino pickups, has the great playability of a PRS with something not too far from a Strat, but without the noise.  For an old factory (what a lot of guys call "Pre-Factory" for some reason), this is an excellent value for the player and a top quality working guitar.   At $975, you can't go wrong for an EG-3.  Includes non-original hardshell case.  
  5. 2007 PRS McCarty Korina Soapbar with Birds - Brazilian Fretboard - Harmonic Design P90's,  (front/back), (headstock), (fretboard), (case).  One of the lightest McCarty's on the planet at just 6.6 lbs., offered with your choice of stock Duncan Soapbars, or Harmonic Design VP-90, considered by many to be the cream of the crop.  This is one of the "new" McCarty models, using all Korina wood instead of the solid Mahogany or Mahogany/Maple cap of the earlier McCarty's.  Korina is a top shelf tone wood, both lovely looking and a wonderful tone wood.  This guitar also features the optional Soapbar pickups and Bird inlay option.  This one, finished in Vintage Cherry, has some mild flame which isn't all that common with Korina.  With a solid carved Korina body and Korina neck with wide-fat carve, this model ventures even more into the Ted McCarty era as he was at Gibson's helm during production of the original Flying V and Explorer models, both made of Korina.  The first 500 of this model were built with a Brazilian fretboard, making it even closer to McCarty's original classics.  Other features include PRS stoptail bridge, vintage tuners, 25" scale, Full (not outlined) Abalone bird inlays, Seymour Duncan Soapbar pickups, master volume and tone, and a standard 3-way selector.  This guitar plays exceptionally well, is extremely lightweight (6.6 lbs.!), and has excellent acoustic tones.  This is a one-owner guitar, collector owned, and offered in immaculate condition.  For full specs and more info, click here for PRS.  This model as outfitted sells new for $2719 ($4177 List) with the standard Indian rosewood but why not get one of the original run Brazilian board models for way less - just $1850(HOLD-Kevin K 10/18) - with your choice of the Duncans or Harmonic Designs.  
  6. 2006 PRS Singlecut SE with upgrades, (front/back), (headstock), (maple bound body).  This is *not* a USA model, just a pro logo job, looks factory original, (before/after pic) should appeal to players who want a killer Singlecut, except with more cache' than an standard SE model.  It's not just looks though, nor a fantastic setup that plays as good as a USA model, but the tone is definitely first rate thanks to a pickup upgrade (pickups) with a pair of Seymour Duncans ( Custom Alnico 5 bridge and a '59 neck).  We also went with McCarty style switching with a push/pull tone pot for 6 great tone choices.  This guitar is exceptionally clean all over.  The logo was painstakingly applied with multiple coats of lacquer, wet sanding in between, and buffed out to a high gloss.  Sufficient coats of lacquer were applied that the finish was thicker than the logo and, thus, no visible edge around the logo - looks totally factory.  Other specs include mahogany body with a maple cap and maple binding, wide-fat neck carve, PRS tuners, PRS Stoptail bridge, set-neck with comfortable rounded heel, 25" scale.  With a stock Singlecut SE at $599, this one is guaranteed to be an exceptional player with a fantastic electronics upgrade - plus the looks of a USA - all for just a little more than a stock one at $675 with gigbag.  We're also offering it with a quality hardshell case (shown here) that closely resembles a PRS Hollowbody case - for $729.  Trust me, this is one fine PRS. 
  7. 2009 PRS SE Paul Allender, (front), (headstock), (back), (inlays), (gold hardware), (gigbag).  PRS's Korean factory produces as fine an import as any on the market.  Their quality control is higher than many USA companies and they're built with quality hardware, electronics, and woods.  Paul Allender hasn't quite achieved legend status as a guitarist, but his unique un-schooled style defines the tone of his band, Cradle of Filth.  Paul originally had a CE-24 and after developing a relationship with PRS, had them build him a private stock model, which eventually became this SE regular production model.  It's a blend of beauty and darkness, with a highly figured quilted maple top  - and in place of PRS's traditional "birds in flight" inlays, he chose bats in flight.  Although figured maple on this guitar is of course a veneer, it does have a real maple cap, complete with maple "binding", which is attached to a mahogany body.  This marriage of maple and mahogany is a tried and true tone, providing a warm fat tone of mahogany, plus the snap of maple.  Other features include Maple neck with Ebony fretboard, 24 jumbo frets, 25" scale, Wide thin neck shape, Paul Allender bat inlays, PRS tremolo bridge, gold hardware, PRS-designed Paul Allender treble and bass humbucking pickups, volume and tone control with 3-way toggle pickup selector.  This guitar has a unique neck profile (shown here) that's thinner than any PRS I've played and should appeal to players who like Ibanez style necks.  One modification to this guitar are a set of Grover tuners which are an upgrade from the stock SE tuners and stay in tune perfectly.  They're gold, as is the bridge, pickup poles, strap pins, and output jack.  Some of these feature EMG pickups with chrome hardware, but these are excellent sounding pickups and the gold looks great with the purple quilted top.  New price on these is $795. This one's in beautiful shape, with a killer setup, and an excellent value at $550.  Includes PRS gigbag, one of the best on the market.  

PRS NECK CARVE (width at nut, depth at nut)

PRS Radius: 10” on all guitars and basses except 11 1/2” on the Santana II and Custom 22/12