Brent Mason Question

[Jayemes]

Hello All. New here. I got the Brent Mason pictured here about a year ago. Bought it used from a reputable local music shop. Something that has bothered me since I got it is the body. There appears to be a distinct difference in the wood grain along the top third of the body. Any idea what that is?

I always thought the body was a single piece of Korina, but this looks like two pieces.

Being paranoid, I keep entertaining the idea of whether I got a counterfeit PRS or something. But, there is a lot of evidence against that. It came with a form fitting case just like my DGT that I know is legit. All the hardware matches exactly the hardware on Brent Mason's I have seen on You Tube. The fit and finish are right on par with my DGT. The serial number seems to be valid. And last, I cannot imagine someone creating a fake one of these, given the unique pick ups, electronic configuration, and the fact that it is one of the more obscure models.

In any event, thoughts on this?

 

[Fro]

It actually looks like a three piece body to my eyes. I think it’s legit.

 

[Deleted member 2284]

What a lovely guitar! I have one as well, although it's in black.

All pictures I've seen of the translucent versions have three piece bodies - yours does too, I think, although it is not as evident as the top piece.

It's legit

 

[11top]

3 piece. No worries.

 

[bodia]

Yep. I believe most Korina bodies are multi piece. You've got a legit one.

 

[veinbuster]

Yup. 3 piece and the real deal.
Nice Guitar.
And welcome to the forum.

 

[dogrocketp]

3 piece, and a slammin guitar! Welcome!

 

[Casi1]

This might be a dumb question but how can you tell its a 3 piece vs a 2 piece? I definitely see the 'line' in the top 3rd...

I have a cherry red korina mccarty and the PRS folks couldnt confirm how many pieces were joined. Is there a specific way that I could tell by looking?

 

[Deleted member 2284]

This might be a dumb question but how can you tell its a 3 piece vs a 2 piece? I definitely see the 'line' in the top 3rd...

I have a cherry red korina mccarty and the PRS folks couldnt confirm how many pieces were joined. Is there a specific way that I could tell by looking?

It can be very hard to spot

In the guitar above, I see what I believe is a joining line between the dark streak on the left and the pickguard screw directly under the bridge. It would seem to fit with the expected placement. But it's HARD to see You kind of have to look at the pattern of the grain rather than any line or colour difference

 

[11top]

^ this. While it can be tricky to spot, it’s usually not that difficult. It depends how uniform, tight, and consistent the grain patterns are. Grain pattern changes reveal a straight line where the wood has been glued together. From your photo, it appears the “bottom” two boards have a closer pattern match than the top two.

 

[Jayemes]

Thanks all for your input. I didn't realize that was the design and there was a third piece. I actually now can see the third piece, barely. It is most clear looking down the neck from the headstock, and with a bright light hitting the body from above. Then you can see a perceptible line right by the pickguard screw under the bridge (the place mentioned in the above post). But even knowing where it is now, it is hard to see (I would not notice it if I wasn't looking for that one). Not nearly as clear as the one up top.

 

[dogrocketp]

Clearly, you need to look at as many PRS guitars as close as humanly possible to see the variations. Just lock up your wallet before you do, they're all good.

 

[László]

Korina boards are mostly narrower than mahogany boards. That’s why they use several pieces on most Korina guitars.