1988 Custom 24.

trisd

Grumpy old man in training
Joined
Aug 11, 2022
Messages
300
Location
UK
Today I received the PRS I have been on the lookout for a very long time, A 88 custom 24, sweet switch. I have owned a number of PRS over the years pre factory, Artist III, Artist package Cu22, etc. But the old PRS have always been by thing and when this one piece quilt top tuned up on eBay with a buy it now I snapped it up knowing I was going to have to shift some stuff to claw the money back.

The guitar was grimy and sticky but felt amazing but I know it needed some work to get it back to its best. I was busy earlier and now having had some time there have been some alarming discoveries.

The head stock has been broken off and glued at some point, the break extends down to half way between the 2nd and third frets and I can't tell i current light conditions (its 3am here) if the fretboard was partially detached. that The repair is visible when you know it is there and look under strong light. it seems the whole of the back of the neck was resprayed with a crappy clear coat after the repair. It is really soft and was sprayed over the original poly with it being sanded, it can be scraped off with my thumbnail.

It's late at night and dark so it is difficult to asses the quality of the repair (I'll get it photographed tomorrow) but I wonder if this may be the issue that is causing the high e string to choke just before it reaches a full tone when bending. I can't tell at the moment as the whole setup of this guitar is so off, I have adjusted the neck to factory specs and left it to settle overnight. The trem needs to be completely set up it is flush to the body on the bass side but about 1.2mm off the body on the treble side. The saddles look like they are pretty worn so that could be causing the high e issue but there is no detectable fret sprout or high frets, but that nay change after a good cleaning?

I paid £2750 buy it now on eBay but the listing did not mention the repair and it does not really show in the photos. Its a used 34 year old guitar so I expected a few niggles but not this many, espcailly not the disclosed headstock break.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/265853902822

I need to get the pickups out and see if they are the original stock. They look good from the top but you never know.

I am trying to get my thoughts together before contacting the vendor, who is an experienced pro musician and really should know better. Any opinions or advice? I really like the guitar but it has had some real amateur work performed on it. I know it can be sorted out, worst case is a partial; refinish on the neck and refret if the board needs levelled but it is an expense I did not budget for and will struggle to afford in the near future.
 
Bud, that’s simply dishonest. I’d be looking for a return/refund, or file a case with EBay to get my money back. The worst it could be, actually, is impossible to set up with a improperly performed/aligned neck repair. The more you do to it, the more you’re making it hard to have a clear claim.

Just my 2 cents, of course.
 
Bud, that’s simply dishonest. I’d be looking for a return/refund, or file a case with EBay to get my money back. The worst it could be, actually, is impossible to set up with a improperly performed/aligned neck repair. The more you do to it, the more you’re making it hard to have a clear claim.

Just my 2 cents, of course.
Thanks for taking the time to reply Rick. I really love this guitar, if it was right I would be as happy as a pig in muck and I really want it to work out but I have a sinking feeling. Given the amateur work with the finish I am frightened the neck repair is not good. The issue with the high e in particular very worrying. In my 30+ years of playing I have never owned a guitar that has suffered this type of damage so I do not have any first hand experience of what to look for to see if the repair is bad or good.
 
Thanks for taking the time to reply Rick. I really love this guitar, if it was right I would be as happy as a pig in muck and I really want it to work out but I have a sinking feeling. Given the amateur work with the finish I am frightened the neck repair is not good. The issue with the high e in particular very worrying. In my 30+ years of playing I have never owned a guitar that has suffered this type of damage so I do not have any first hand experience of what to look for to see if the repair is bad or good.
I’ve got a 1972 SG that had a neck repair decades ago. You’d really have to look to tell it’s there, and doesn’t affect the playing at all. Professionally done, a neck repair isn’t a deal breaker at all, though it should lower the price a fair bit. But if they didn’t know how to finish the exterior, you might assume they’ve made a right dog’s dinner of the interior work too.

You could let a pro look at it and see what a skilled, hands on opinion might be. It’s likely going to end up needing that sort of TLC anyway. I’m not here to say it’s not worth it, that’s not my place. I’m just saying that, to me, it wouldn’t be. Maybe the seller will give you a substantial adjustment to cover repairs and that dodgy description. I’m just sorry for you, as I know what it’s like to be really pumped up about a purchase, only to be let down when it arrives. It just sucks the fun out of it!
 
I would agree with Rick on having a pro look at it and give you an idea of both what it will cost to make it right as well as whether it can be made whole! That is a KILLER one piece top, and that alone would make me try to move mountains to make it right, but I believe the seller should give you some money back for not mentioning something as major as a neck break. Best of luck and I hope you are able to resolve quickly and without a lot of out of pocket!!!
 
I mean ... less than 3000 for a one piece top PRS of that era in these days is a deal too good to be true, so I suppose the real question is, would you have made the deal knowing the issues?

It's too bad you are on that side of the pond, as sending it back to the factory would be the ideal solution to getting it fixed up. But given it's got a braz fretboard, shipping it out of country is likely out of the question.

You might hit up a master luthier like Ben Crowe over there at Crimson Guitars to see if it'd be something he's interested in taking on.
 
Update. I have sent a message to the seller detailing my discovery but I have not indicated how I want to proceed. I am going to get some photos sorted in day light and send them to him and I'll post them here. I kinda want to get it sorted but there is a question of cost. I know Matt Ryan from years back. He was the repair guy at Sounds Great which in near Manchester in England. They were for many years the "other" PRS main deal in the UK other than Chandlers in London. Matt left to work freelance but I know he knows his PRS and I have seen his work first hand. I do not have a car so getting him to inspect it will be a bit of a head ache but I'll give him a bell and see it he can give me an idea of likely cost from photographs.
 
I mean ... less than 3000 for a one piece top PRS of that era in these days is a deal too good to be true, so I suppose the real question is, would you have made the deal knowing the issues?

It's too bad you are on that side of the pond, as sending it back to the factory would be the ideal solution to getting it fixed up. But given it's got a braz fretboard, shipping it out of country is likely out of the question.

You might hit up a master luthier like Ben Crowe over there at Crimson Guitars to see if it'd be something he's interested in taking on.
In all honesty I am not sure if I would have made the deal, especially given that a botched headstock / neck repair is a very different thing to a pro job. . The potential of the guitar is massive but money is vey tight ATM and I was not budgeting for a significant repair. The damage just did not show up in the photos on the listing, I knew it had dings a some cracked plastics but nothing like this. It plays great other than the hi E choking but I do not want to try and sort that out / diagnose the issue until I work out a way forward


I am yet to see if the PUs are correct it is obvious that they have been renistalled at some point as the soldering is a real sh1t show. I need to get the strings off and see if they are right.

Here are some pics of the guitar but I need to get outside to photograph the neck repair in daylight.

 
Sorry to hear about this - fwiw I'd just send it back and demand a refund. It's not as if you've any emotional attachment to the instrument or that it's especially rare and irreplaceable. So it seems like a lot of work and hasstle (and expense) to try and repair it. I love the older guitars, but as above if it were me I'd not event think about repairing it.
 
Quick update. I have been in contact with the vendor and have spoken to my tech. My tech thinks the guitar is worth saving but as it stands in its current condition £2,000 is max price as the top is so nice but can be made good for reasonable cost. My thinking is that a repair would take about 30% of the ultimate value if done well. Now the question is what do you guys think is reasonable for a 1988 Cu24 with 1 piece no-10 quilt top with a neck repair? Been looking at Reverb etc and I think if the neck was not damaged the top limit is range of about £3000 for a player grade guitar which fully repaired would put mine at £2100 resale.

The vendor is getting slippery regarding a £750 partial refund but has currently got £20K worth of gear listed on buy it now. He is moaning about loosing £352 quid in fees and says he can't afford to loose £1K. He wants me to get a full repair quote before he will commit to anything. My point was if that the value is only going to be around £2100 when sorted and the repairs are could be as little a £100 if the only thing that needs doing is a clean up of the existing repair and a neck refinish but it could go as high as £450 if the board needs skimmed and then refretted. a refund of 750 from the 2750 I paid was every generous from my side.
 
It's a tough call when you still really like the guitar and want to keep it. You paid top dollar for an item that was not as described, you should be entitled to a full refund if you wanted it. Now the seller can't claim ignorance anymore and may prefer to settle rather than return and re-list. I've been in similar situations but found that sellers still want to gouge, often feigning ignorance of the damage (the way pictures were taken seems to show that he was avoiding that particular area). I don't know how the market is in the UK, but doing simple currency exchange I'd say £2,000 is pretty generous for a catastrophic neck break, even for a gorgeous 88. Around here, I got a mint 93 for a similar price (local realities may differ, PRS is probably more rare in the UK?). Hold your ground despite falling in love with it, you may have to re-sell one day.

Edit - I think on a LP, a similar repair would eat closer to 40% of the value even if done well...
 
It's a tough call when you still really like the guitar and want to keep it. You paid top dollar for an item that was not as described, you should be entitled to a full refund if you wanted it.

Edit - I think on a LP, a similar repair would eat closer to 40% of the value even if done well...
Seller is giving me the run around. I have lurked here for a bit but never posted so the links that I have posted are not showing up and still awaiting moderation.

If you search "tris neck damage" on Youtube you will find the video of me showing the neck damage and on my channel the are two other videos of me showing the over spray on the neck and the issue with the trem that top of it was filed down. Both things were NOT mentioned in the listing.

I am getting very angry with his assertion that due to the fact that I made the payment through eBay rather than by a bank transfer or with cash is that if have effectively"picked his pocket" of £352. This is bull, the figure he is quoting is the 12.8% commission that eBay take. He has offered to send me a replacement trem off another one of the several PRS he has listed but he wants me to send him the damaged unit back. He says he "can't" afford" a £750 partial refund as in total he will be out of pocket by a total of £1K and will be loosing money on the guitar. I am rapidly loosing my patience.
 
Bud, that’s simply dishonest. I’d be looking for a return/refund, or file a case with EBay to get my money back. The worst it could be, actually, is impossible to set up with a improperly performed/aligned neck repair. The more you do to it, the more you’re making it hard to have a clear claim.

Just my 2 cents, of course.
This.
 
Sorry to hear about this - fwiw I'd just send it back and demand a refund. It's not as if you've any emotional attachment to the instrument or that it's especially rare and irreplaceable. So it seems like a lot of work and hasstle (and expense) to try and repair it. I love the older guitars, but as above if it were me I'd not event think about repairing it.
And this.
 
Quick update. I have been in contact with the vendor and have spoken to my tech. My tech thinks the guitar is worth saving but as it stands in its current condition £2,000 is max price as the top is so nice but can be made good for reasonable cost. My thinking is that a repair would take about 30% of the ultimate value if done well. Now the question is what do you guys think is reasonable for a 1988 Cu24 with 1 piece no-10 quilt top with a neck repair? Been looking at Reverb etc and I think if the neck was not damaged the top limit is range of about £3000 for a player grade guitar which fully repaired would put mine at £2100 resale.

The vendor is getting slippery regarding a £750 partial refund but has currently got £20K worth of gear listed on buy it now. He is moaning about loosing £352 quid in fees and says he can't afford to loose £1K. He wants me to get a full repair quote before he will commit to anything. My point was if that the value is only going to be around £2100 when sorted and the repairs are could be as little a £100 if the only thing that needs doing is a clean up of the existing repair and a neck refinish but it could go as high as £450 if the board needs skimmed and then refretted. a refund of 750 from the 2750 I paid was every generous from my side.
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.
 
Seller is giving me the run around. I have lurked here for a bit but never posted so the links that I have posted are not showing up and still awaiting moderation.

If you search "tris neck damage" on Youtube you will find the video of me showing the neck damage and on my channel the are two other videos of me showing the over spray on the neck and the issue with the trem that top of it was filed down. Both things were NOT mentioned in the listing.

I am getting very angry with his assertion that due to the fact that I made the payment through eBay rather than by a bank transfer or with cash is that if have effectively"picked his pocket" of £352. This is bull, the figure he is quoting is the 12.8% commission that eBay take. He has offered to send me a replacement trem off another one of the several PRS he has listed but he wants me to send him the damaged unit back. He says he "can't" afford" a £750 partial refund as in total he will be out of pocket by a total of £1K and will be loosing money on the guitar. I am rapidly loosing my patience.
Report him and get Ebay to help get your money back. (Umm, do they help with that?)
 
I am getting very angry with his assertion that due to the fact that I made the payment through eBay rather than by a bank transfer or with cash is that if have effectively"picked his pocket" of £352. This is bull, the figure he is quoting is the 12.8% commission that eBay take. He has offered to send me a replacement trem off another one of the several PRS he has listed but he wants me to send him the damaged unit back. He says he "can't" afford" a £750 partial refund as in total he will be out of pocket by a total of £1K and will be loosing money on the guitar. I am rapidly loosing my patience.
If he refunds the purchase, ebay refunds the fees (or at least they do here in the US, as I’m sure they do elsewhere). Make sure he knows that. Shipping is all you lose in a refund. If he still drags his feet, start a case through eBay. Keep all correspondence, you’ll need it.
 
Seller is giving me the run around.

If you search "tris neck damage" on Youtube you will find the video of me showing the neck damage and on my channel the are two other videos of me showing the over spray on the neck and the issue with the trem that top of it was filed down. Both things were NOT mentioned in the listing.

I am getting very angry with his assertion that due to the fact that I made the payment through eBay rather than by a bank transfer or with cash is that if have effectively"picked his pocket" of £352. This is bull, the figure he is quoting is the 12.8% commission that eBay take. He has offered to send me a replacement trem off another one of the several PRS he has listed but he wants me to send him the damaged unit back. He says he "can't" afford" a £750 partial refund as in total he will be out of pocket by a total of £1K and will be loosing money on the guitar. I am rapidly loosing my patience.
IMO, demand a full refund - including that he pay for the return shipping. He sold you a guitar that has been significantly damaged - whether he knew it and hid it (probably!) is irrelevant. I understand what a great top it is, but you *will* find another like it eventually. And it will be better because it won't have a broken neck
 
Back
Top