Swapping fretboards

[broadcasterguy]

Dear Forum,
You are probably going to think I am nuts.
I want to get a guitar with particular specs, and I am finding it very hard to locate.
I want to get:
All mahogany standard core body
24 fret with birds
Stoptail bridge

I can find a lot of guitars with some of some of the specs I need, but not all of them.
I know if I wait long enough, one or several will eventually come up. And for probably a pretty reasonable price, because of the standard body. But that could take a year or two. I need it by August.
I could do a custom order, but it will probably cost me $5,000 to $8,000. Even with the non 10 top. That is three to five times the value of a used guitar. I would have to be nuts.

I don't like to tamper with the originality of guitars, but I am considering buying two 24's.
One with dot inlays that has all the specs I need except the birds.
The second with none of the specs I need, but with a birds fret board.
Then paying a Luthier to heat up the fret boards re-glue them down and do a fret job on them if necessary.

I would then end up with the exact guitar I want and a second PRS guitar, for a fraction of the cost of a custom guitar.

Am I crazy?

Does anybody know a luthier that could do this?

 

[gush]

Yes you are!!!

 

[toothace]

 

[László]

You're definitely nuts, but why should that matter?

 

[Rider1260]

I have had a new fretboard put on a guitar before and it can be done BUT I do not believe you will be able to get the fret board off intact and usable.
The ibanez I had done the fretboard came up in pieces
I believe you would be better off first asking all the fine dealer here to look for your dream guitar !! and asking on the other PRS forums ( Vintage Rocker and PRS Forums and Facebook )
Second would be a buying the guitar with the close spec and sending to PTC for custom inlays, awhile back someone had a cool one done with birds and moons as inlays

Here is the finished ibanez we got the fretboard from Stew Mac ( Ebony ) I went with the no inlay look for this guitar

 

[AP515]

This ^^^

Just pay to have the new board put on. Cheaper than paying for the sacrifice guitar and much better in the long run. I'm fairly sure the PTC will add a new board with birds to your existing PRS. They used to be an option on CE's so why not put them on now if you want them?

 

[broadcasterguy]

This page says that PRS will not replace or modify the fretboard on existing guitar. Is there another company that can do that?

https://www.prsguitars.com/csc/faq.html

Maybe I will try emailing PRS to see if they will do it.

I called all the resellers on the Dealers and Distributors page and none of them have a Core 24 Standard with stoptail and birds.


I put a WTB ad on VintageRocker.com
I will try Facebook tomorrow.
Is there another PRS forum besides this site?

Thanks for your help

 

[AP515]

Is there another PRS forum besides this site?

http://www.prsforums.com/forums/index.php?

 

[Kabukiman]

It's a very invasive piece of work, I have only seen it done where a structural repair requires it.

Is there a way you can order a guitar with the "right" board?

 

[Korina Jack]

Dear Forum,
You are probably going to think I am nuts.
I want to get a guitar with particular specs, and I am finding it very hard to locate.
I want to get:
All mahogany standard core body
24 fret with birds
Stoptail bridge

I can find a lot of guitars with some of some of the specs I need, but not all of them.
I know if I wait long enough, one or several will eventually come up. And for probably a pretty reasonable price, because of the standard body. But that could take a year or two. I need it by August.
I could do a custom order, but it will probably cost me $5,000 to $8,000. Even with the non 10 top. That is three to five times the value of a used guitar. I would have to be nuts.

I don't like to tamper with the originality of guitars, but I am considering buying two 24's.
One with dot inlays that has all the specs I need except the birds.
The second with none of the specs I need, but with a birds fret board.
Then paying a Luthier to heat up the fret boards re-glue them down and do a fret job on them if necessary.

I would then end up with the exact guitar I want and a second PRS guitar, for a fraction of the cost of a custom guitar.

Am I crazy?

Does anybody know a luthier that could do this?

Uh Yes!