1988 Custom 24.

[trisd]

I promise this will be the very last pst regarding this guitar. I am feeling pretty down about it but taking the neck pocket off I have found blobs of glue on top of the finish inside the neck pickup route but they are on top of the finish. Looks to me like the neck has been re-glued. Along with the issue about the vendor setting the trem flat against the body and the treble string saddle lowered as far as possible can only lead me to conclude that not only has the neck been broken and repaired at the headstock it looks like it has been reglued. There is not enough neck angle to be able to get the action correct when the bridge is set up correctly. This is the nail in the coffin. On the plus side I have learnt a thing or two!

 

[markie]

There will be other PRS to come along. File a claim, get your money or you are most likely going to end up disgusted with yourself. Another will come along, as there are plenty out ther

 

[trisd]

Thanks to all who have taken the time and the effort to offer their best advice. I will be demanding a refund. I fell in love with the top and the heart was ruling my head and I told myself I could live with a repaired neck if botch was made good and a fair partial refund was made. But this botched neck re-glue is BS. I am happy that I was able to trouble shoot and diagnose the problem myself having reda the great comments you guys have left me so I thank you all, with a special thanks to RickP.

The penny dropped about the neck repair when I was looking at the way the trem was set flush and the saddle height was at it lowest possible level. I know about shimming necks setting from up my James Tyler, it was like a light buulb turned on!

 

[trisd]

I’m always leary of any damage to the neck/headstock/fretboard area. In my experience, anything that interrupt the solid contact of any of the components of that assembly greatly adversely affects the quality of the notes, often in unexpected ways (such as the note choking off when bent). Other issues I’ve seen include wolf tones, odd undertones/overtones, difficulty with intonation, etc. If it were my decision, I wouldn’t let the fact that it is a rare bird lure me into keeping a compromised instrument that would sadden me every time I played it. And even if it can be cosmetically repaired, I’d be surprised if one or more the above issues wouldn’t still remain. Also, the fact that the seller hid the damage is just dishonest, as previously stated.

Exactly.

 

[TLVA]

Never throw good money after bad.

While it will not (hopefully) be your money, what if you are unhappy with the end result?

 

[Alnus Rubra]

This was listed on eBay for quite sometime, so this may not be the first time the guitar has sold. Just saying (I have no knowledge of any previous sale).

I watched it for a bit and got a discounted offer one time, so the guy was prepared to take less coin for it. Can’t remember the discount.

Refund all the way. Dishonesty appears to be at play here.

As soon as I saw your avatar the other day, I recognised the guitar and wondered if you were the seller.

 

[trisd]

This was listed on eBay for quite sometime, so this may not be the first time the guitar has sold. Just saying (I have no knowledge of any previous sale).

I watched it for a bit and got a discounted offer one time, so the guy was prepared to take less coin for it. Can’t remember the discount.

Refund all the way. Dishonesty appears to be at play here.

As soon as I saw your avatar the other day, I recognised the guitar and wondered if you were the seller.

Interesting! T

Can you remember if the vendor had several early 90s PRS as well as a load of Gibson Les Pauls? I did a bit of looking around and the guys name is V i n c e t O 'R e g e n. He plays in a band called Pulse here in the UK and in terms of being a recording musician a quick but of Googling reveals he has been a very prolific. Obviously been pro/semi pro for some time. Clearly he is dealing in gear on the side as his name pops up quite a few places directing people Facebook etc to his eBay listings.

The vendor claimed (which may or may not be true)that he had had it for 3 years and I did my best to try and track down the sale to him to try and see what condition it might have been in when he acquired it. I was not successful. I may keep an eye out to see if resurfaces and if so, how it is described. He has is mobile number in every listing. It is my opinion that he is inviting people to contact him so he can do the deals outside of eBay, to save on fee at best.

As far as me being the vendor... LOL There is no way on earth I would list anything without a hyper detailed description and plenty of photos. It protects both myself and the buyer.

 

[Permanent Waves]

Ouch - the neck pocket thing is scary. Good decision, that guitar will give you problems forever, don't throw good money after bad. I have a 73 LP Deluxe with repaired neck that I adore but I got it cheap. I threw a lot of money into it and the neck broke again and was repaired. I still love playing it, but I can't use it live and I won't have it repaired again if it breaks a third time.

There will be others. I have noticed lately the 80's PRS are skyrocketing in sale prices, but not so much the 90's (yet). I don't think there's a whole lot of difference till the specs changed in 95 (and even not much after that). I have 90 and 92 CE24's and a 93 CU24 which I got for more-or-less reasonable prices (say between 2-3K CDN) and honestly, I'm glad I didn't pay for the "80's premium".

 

[trisd]

Ouch - the neck pocket thing is scary. Good decision, that guitar will give you problems forever, don't throw good money after bad. I have a 73 LP Deluxe with repaired neck that I adore but I got it cheap. I threw a lot of money into it and the neck broke again and was repaired. I still love playing it, but I can't use it live and I won't have it repaired again if it breaks a third time.

There will be others. I have noticed lately the 80's PRS are skyrocketing in sale prices, but not so much the 90's (yet). I don't think there's a whole lot of difference till the specs changed in 95 (and even not much after that). I have 90 and 92 CE24's and a 93 CU24 which I got for more-or-less reasonable prices (say between 2-3K CDN) and honestly, I'm glad I didn't pay for the "80's premium".

Resetting the neck would require that it is drilled so that it can be steamed to break the glue joint. Given all the other issue that need at-tension it is beyond economic repair. Its a scary repair!

I first had a PRS in my hands in 1988 when I was 14 and I fell in love. (Thus I have a sentimentality over the early instruments.) I worked hard and saved and I was able to buy my first a 2nd hand 1992 Custom 24, wide thin bird ten top vintage sunburt in 1996. My main guitar is a 2000 Custom 22 Artist pack, it is a bit of a unicorn as it weights over 9.5lbs but with the wide fat the tone is killer. I had wanted another Cu24 something a bit lighter with the old small heel. I have never played a modern pattern neck, juts the old wide fats, thins and regulars. I had it in my mind that I wanted another Virginia Avenue era guitar but this experience has made me wonder if I should expand my horizons and look the the more modern ones as well.

 

[trisd]

Seller is disputing the return... sigh

 

[11top]

How does that seller have a 100% feedback rating with over 2600 transactions? Time for that to change.

 

[trisd]

How does that seller have a 100% feedback rating with over 2600 transactions? Time for that to change.

I stupidly left positive feedback when he delivered the guitar and I am kicking myself. I have admitted that in our exchanges through eBay messages. The guitar was not set up well and filthy and at first glanced looked OK, nothing that a set up and good clean would fix. But it was when I was cleaning when the how the overspay on started coming off.

 

[Alnus Rubra]

Interesting! T

Can you remember if the vendor had several early 90s PRS as well as a load of Gibson Les Pauls? I did a bit of looking around and the guys name is V i n c e t O 'R e g e n. He plays in a band called Pulse here in the UK and in terms of being a recording musician a quick but of Googling reveals he has been a very prolific. Obviously been pro/semi pro for some time. Clearly he is dealing in gear on the side as his name pops up quite a few places directing people Facebook etc to his eBay listings.

The vendor claimed (which may or may not be true)that he had had it for 3 years and I did my best to try and track down the sale to him to try and see what condition it might have been in when he acquired it. I was not successful. I may keep an eye out to see if resurfaces and if so, how it is described. He has is mobile number in every listing. It is my opinion that he is inviting people to contact him so he can do the deals outside of eBay, to save on fee at best.

As far as me being the vendor... LOL There is no way on earth I would list anything without a hyper detailed description and plenty of photos. It protects both myself and the buyer.

I’m sorry I don’t remember when I watched it, but it was some time ago.

The one piece quilt top just stuck with me and I recognised it straight away.

He did have other gear for sale, I believe.

@11top the feedback looks mostly to be purchases. I recognise some of the UK sellers, so he may be restoring guitars for sale.