Are the birds consistant in shape and quality on all PRS models?

[broadcasterguy]

Dear Forum,

Are the birds consistent from guitar to guitar over the last two decades are there small changes? Are there subtle differences from guitar to guitar, or are they all pretty much identical? I know there are hollowed out birds and solid birds. I am just concerned with the solid standard ones. I figure they are mother of pearl correct? Are the mother of pearl shapes manually hand cut out, or are they machine cut in a more automated process?

Are there quality differences with the inlays between the core guitars from the 90's, and the SE's that I think are made overseas?

It could be the photo, but It seems like there is some dark filler or something around the bird at the 21st , 17th, and 12th frets on the SE model below, but maybe I can see that on both of them. I think they mix fret board dust with superglue to fill in the edges, correct?
Thanks for your help.

Photo of 93 inlays:

Photo of more modern SE model:

 

[veinbuster]

There are several different bird shapes and a gadzillion materials for the birds.
The shape of the ones you have shown is consistent even with material changes. Sometimes they have a second material outline.

Brush stroke birds and Americana birds are completely different.

 

[Deleted member 2284]

I'm pretty sure the SE birds are synthetic.

I don't think wood dust is used, just super glue. And I'm pretty sure everything is machine cut - otherwise it'd be crazy labour intensive to make just one guitar

 

[ReptilianNosewood]

My SC from 2016 has the pearloid lookig inlay with the white ivoroidish(no idea what it is) outline, looks killer. Of all the birds i orefer the hollow ones, when the light hits it it they look like mean litle birds.

 

[broadcasterguy]

Were the inlays on the standard core guitars in the mid 90's mother of pearl or perloid or something else?
Thanks

 

[JMintzer]

The birds today are much more precise than in years past. Back in the 90's, they were still using a duplicarver, which was basically a dremel, and a metal jig. With time, the jig would wear, getting progressively larger (my microns), leaving more space around the birds. And yes, they did use fretboard dust and epoxy mixed together to fill in the gaps. It would sometimes leave darker lines around the birds. I had an old "Limited Edition" that had this. It had a lighter fretboard and the birds looke like they had black surrounds...

Years ago, I showed it to Paul and he commented, "Wow, sometimes the birds looked like crap on the old guitars!"

Today, they are much cleaner...

They use several different materials, based on the models. The SE use a corian like material, while the core guitars use "ablam", which is a composite abalone material. They've used it forever...

 

[broadcasterguy]

Abalam looks more colorful like abalone. (see below) Do you think they used mother of pearl on the core ones that are whiter?

 

[JMintzer]

Pretty sure they also have a laminated version of MoP, as well...

 

[garrettb]

There have been tons of variations of the birds over time.

On USA guitars, they started with abalone, but then moved to "abalam" (made of thin laminated sheets of abalone) somewhere in the 90's. I think they used mother of pearl for a year or two in the early 90's? Paua was used some on special guitars and Artist Package.

There has been a series of different designs and materials since '05. Too many for me to easily chronicle.

The SE models use pearlescent plastic materials.

 

[broadcasterguy]

You are right, To me the birds on that 93 standard neck (early 90's) look more like the light colored, washed out mother of pearl, and I looked up later guitars from the mid 90s to late 90's and they look like Abalone.
Thank you for the help.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

Here's some pics of some abalam cutouts (leftovers) that were sent to me after winning forum member of the month. They show a side view of the lamination process... kinda cool.

 

[vchizzle]

You are right, To me the birds on that 93 standard neck (early 90's) look more like the light colored, washed out mother of pearl, and I looked up later guitars from the mid 90s to late 90's and they look like Abalone.
Thank you for the help.

My '96 has abalone that's pretty colorful. I've seen abalone and MOP in those mid 90's years. Not sure if there was a break off year between one or the other or if it was more random.

 

[László]

There have been lots of natural inlay materials - color variations in abalone, variations on mother of pearl, plus Corian inlays, stone inlays, gold inlays, silver inlays, precious stones...you name it. I have mammoth ivory inlays on one of my PS guitars (which, by the way, stained Corian would probably resemble).

It's wise not to become too obsessed over these little details. They're somewhat trivial in comparison to all the guitar's other qualities.

 

[broadcasterguy]

Do you think this is Mother of Pearl or Abalone in this photo /video?

 

[JMintzer]

The more colorful inlay is made from Paua shells... The whiter inlay is Abalone...

 

[broadcasterguy]

So just to confirm,
This is abalone? It must be some abalone that doesn't have any very dark spots, right?

 

[shinksma]

honestly, from that screenshot of a video, the birds could be painted on with automotive paint. In general, one would expect them to be a variation of abalone or paua if it is an older core model, or plastic/corian if an SE, and something else if a newer core.