Best lockdown purchase

littlebadboy said:
Not a PRS, but... I was scanning through Facebook Marketplace and I found this interesting guitar. It is not much of a looker, but I found out that it was a one-piece guitar made of resin. So, it's kind of a poor man's Aristides! I don't really need an extra guitar, but it was being sold for an irresistible $100! It was just in my neighborhood, so I just had to snatch it!

About "Switch", from Wikipedia...

Switch was a brand of electric guitars and electric basses that featured a one-piece body-and-neck construction, made by injection moulding of a patented polyurethane resin-based synthetic material called Vibracell, very similar to Cort's Luthite. The brand belonged to the short-lived Switch Music company in the mid-2000s. The primary designer of the various Switch models was Trev Wilkinson, later of Fret-King.

The company first presented their guitars at the 2004 NAMM show. The instruments weighed roughly the same as comparable wooden instruments. The sustain was described as excellent.

Fretboards are of either rosewood or synthetic Ebonol. The front and back of the guitar body were sculpted.

The body is made of a resin that they call "Vibracell Technology. I know that "Tonewood" is a pretty much-argued topic here. But, here is what a description from the net says...

Traditional wooden guitars and basses can be produced from a number of different types of woods or combinations of wood. It is the selection of the type of wood that will give the instrument its character. Not all woods are created equal nor are two pieces of wood exactly alike. Another factor to consider when selecting the wood is the cost. Good quality woods simply cost more and are no longer in abundant supply. The wood for guitar bodies is not the only consideration, woods for the necks and fingerboards are equally as important. Different types of wood used for fingerboards and necks will transfer energy at different speeds and intensity.

Now, imagine for a moment that you could give the guitar designer a piece of wood with the exact density to deliver ultimate vibration and frequency. Imagine a piece of wood that can be styled and shaped and also have a perfect balanced weight. Imagine a finger board that could deliver energy to the guitar body faster than traditional wood. And consider the cost for a guitar or bass guitar with a neck and body made as one piece. Wouldn't this be the ultimate neck-thru body? Are these ideas too far out in the future?

Vibracell Technology delivers all of this and more...

Vibracell is a patented process of completely molding both electric and bass guitars including the neck and headstock, from the patented Switch Vibracell material creating an instrument with precise harmonic resonance and sound frequency. Vibracell allows the entire instrument to be created as a whole with complete control of neck, body weight and density by controlling the internal cells. With the ability to control the cells we can effectively tune the body and neck to exceed the characteristics and response of those instruments made from the best available woods in the world. Additionally, Vibracell has the pure strength to withstand extreme temperature changes that affect traditional wooden bodies and necks.

The ability to control the cells density allows the neck to be formed with the body as one piece. Vibracell allows a true one piece neck-through design that eliminates the gluing of two half bodies to the neck. The one piece neck-thru body approach allows for energy to be transmitted through the entire body not only with extreme efficiency, but at a higher rate of speed ultimately delivering pure sustain and clarity.

Vibracell technology allows the instrument to be created equally, time and time again without variances in sound due to the variances in wood.

Vibracell models are offered with traditional Rosewood fingerboard and our proprietary Ebonite fingerboard. Ebonite provides the bold rich smooth warm sound of ebony along with the punch of hard rock maple. Ebonite transfers the energy from the neck to the body at an extreme high rate of speed and intensity resulting in superior crystal clear harmonics and extraordinary sustain.

Vibracell is considered one of the few, if not the only, major breakthrough in the creation of musical instruments today. Since the beginning of time change has been inevitable. However, change would never be a consideration if there were never a question of need or improvement.

Based on a catalogue I found, I believe I have a "Stein III" model...



Specs (If I got the right model):
SPECIFICATIONS:
Specifications:
• Vibracell® One Piece Body & Neck
• 2 Switch Designed Single Coil Pickups
• 1 Red HotHumbucking Bridge Position
• Roller-Saddle Tremolo Bridge
• Black Hardware
• Grover Tuners
• Rosewood Fingerboard w/ Pearl Dot Inlays
• Pickguard (Black)
• 5-way Lever Switch
• Single Volume control
• Dual Tone Controls
• Scale: 25 1/2"
• Neck Width @ Nut 1 21/32"
• 22 Frets
• Weight: 8.2 lbs.

The guitar has not been used for 15 years says the owner. It needs a lot cleaning but it looks like structurally intact!

More pictures:







Oh... did I mention that for $100, it included a nice gig bag, Alesis Spitfire 15 Guitar Amp, stand, and a cable?






It is currently undergoing transformations to the dark side. It will be having an electronics overhaul with Firebird pickups.
Click to expand...
After reading the description, you need a PRS Harmonic Generator amp to go with it! :)
 
MC58-In-SC said:
1) 2020 Custom 24-08 in Charcoal
2) 2019 594 in Tri Burst
3) 2016 Custom 22 in Purple Smokeburst
4) Friedman Wildwood 20 head
5) Marshall JCM900 MKIII Dual Master
6) Marshall JVM 205H (took in on trade)
7) Mesa 5:50+ head w/Lonestar 1x12 cab
8) Two Notes Captor X
Click to expand...
All in lockdown? CHAMPION!
 
As many here have already heard, ad nauseum, I finally got my HX/DA! It’s a 50 watt head, and it absolutely did not disappoint. For all the amps in the world claiming the early Marshall tones, this one delivers. I am quite pleased with this addition to the family. See the ongoing saga here:

https://forums.prsguitars.com/threa...-share-your-hxda-settings-and-cab-info.44624/

RHEnIkJ.jpg
 
bodia said:
All in lockdown? CHAMPION!
Click to expand...

The Mesa head & Cab I traded for a Mesa Fillmore 25 1x12 combo. Fillmore was kind of boxy sounding... The Express+ is more to my liking.
The JVM head came as part of a trade for a USA EVH Signature Wolfgang (the one with the kill switch). Head is in mint shape + $2500, so I think I got the better end of the deal because I paid $2800 for the EVH before they raised the price to $3700...which is ridiculous. They're not worth that kind of dough... Dark sounding guitar too.
The rest were pure lockdown insanity :-)
Oh, I also sold a Marshall SV20H "Mini Plexi" 20w head... Decent amp... Not very versatile. I replaced it with the Friedman Wildwood 20 head... My normal gigging head is a Friedman Wildwood Smallbox 50 which all my beloved PRS guitars LOVE
 
RickP said:
As many here have already heard, ad nauseum, I finally got my HX/DA! It’s a 50 watt head, and it absolutely did not disappoint. For all the amps in the world claiming the early Marshall tones, this one delivers. I am quite pleased with this addition to the family. See the ongoing saga here:

https://forums.prsguitars.com/threa...-share-your-hxda-settings-and-cab-info.44624/

RHEnIkJ.jpg
Click to expand...
Gorgeous... Man. I'd love one of those amps! Does it have a master volume, or must it be cranked to get to the sweet spot?
 
MC58-In-SC said:
Gorgeous... Man. I'd love one of those amps! Does it have a master volume, or must it be cranked to get to the sweet spot?
Click to expand...
It has a master, and two "channel" gains although it isn't a channel switching amp. It's like a jumpered 59, but you don't have to jumper it. You can adjust between the treble and bass channels to get where you need to be. Take a peek at Paul's video in the linked thread. He covers it really well. It's almost like he has inside information. :rolleyes:
 
RickP said:
It has a master, and two "channel" gains although it isn't a channel switching amp. It's like a jumpered 59, but you don't have to jumper it. You can adjust between the treble and bass channels to get where you need to be. Take a peek at Paul's video in the linked thread. He covers it really well. It's almost like he has inside information. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
Where is that video... Is it within this thread? (I didn't see a link.... And I'm a Dummy)
 
After telling my wife there would be no guitar purchases during covid lockdown...
  1. McCarty SC594 (Tci tuned)
  2. CE24 semi hollow (tci tuned)
  3. SilverSky in midnight rose w/ maple fingerboard
  4. Spark 40 amp
So, yeeeeaaaaahhhh

oh and then there’s the most recent decision to get a WL MEV. But I’ll be waiting until this time next year for that one
 
goat-n-gitter said:
Me too! This is my only lockdown gear purchase, and as I am back to the office 5 days a week now, I guess that will be all.
Click to expand...
I wish I was back to the office. 6 months of working from my spare bedroom on a dining room chair and tiny desk. No end in sight for us, our company just doesn't seem interested in getting any of the office staff back. Only thing I've heard is rumors it will be sometime in the new year, but nothing official. The trouble is spending all day at home, in a room where I keep all of my guitars, there's not a lot of work getting done. After 6 months, it doesn't feel like I'm going to work anymore.

Back to the lockdown purchases, I've bought a whole bunch of pedals. I'm in a Boss mood at the moment and have bought a bunch cheap. Most surprising is how much I like the 40th anniversary model of the humble DS1.
 
disco13 said:
After telling my wife there would be no guitar purchases during covid lockdown...
  1. McCarty SC594 (Tci tuned)
  2. CE24 semi hollow (tci tuned)
  3. SilverSky in midnight rose w/ maple fingerboard
  4. Spark 40 amp
So, yeeeeaaaaahhhh

oh and then there’s the most recent decision to get a WL MEV. But I’ll be waiting until this time next year for that one
Click to expand...
Hell yeah! That’s how you do it!
 
I was blessed with the delivery of a SS Nebula. I’m thankful to the hard working magicians at the PRS factory for producing another fantastic instrument with the extra burden of covid, and for the folks at Guitar Center who honored the MSRP and got it to my house in factory fresh condition. Additional thanks to the shipping folks who got it here quickly and safely. I salute you all!
 
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