Buying advice for a well played PRS guitar?

[Jbyrd78]

I thought I'd be smart and seek some buying advice before I make my next PRS purchase. I found a 2006 Singlecut Goldtop w/ pearloid dot inlays not to far from me, and this guitar has been on my mind for the past week. The seller is asking $1,500, is firm on the price and has been trying to sell the guitar for about a month. I am interested in this guitar b/c rarely do dot goldtop singlecuts come up forsale. However, what raises buying concerns on this guitar is:
- The guitar has bumps and bruises on it from being gigged
- The finish has become milky around the neck pocket and on the back of the guitar.
- The finish has also started flaking & peeling in areas on the neck from where it was played heavily throughout the years
- The guitar doesn't have the original case, or any original paperwork
- The original pickups were removed, and from the looks of the control cavity, the original pots are going to need replaced as well.
-Seller states a few of the tuners are loose, but the guitar stays in tune quite well.

-Seller also states the guitar is in good to fair condition, and he considers the guitar a fantastic players grade guitar and that this is a great guitar for a PRS owner who is doesn't want something in great shape, but is looking for a well played PRS guitar.

How would some of you guys who are religous PRS owners & players go about this situation from the description that I provided on the guitar? I would post pictures, but I still can't figure out how to do that ‍

 

[Jimi D]

Sounds like you’ve played the guitar yourself. I know that if I get my hands on a guitar and it speaks to me when I play it, I’ll generally only check a couple things: the truss rod, the fret wear and the neck at the headstock and body joint. If there are no problems there and the price is low enough, I figure anything else can be addressed.

Deciding how low a price is “low enough” is the hard part. I just bought a super clean 2007 McCarty for about what you’re thinking of spending here, so I’d probably pass unless the guitar felt like it was made for my hands.

 

[bodia]

That milky appearance actually comes from moisture trapped under the clearcoat. If you live in a really, really humid area, it becomes more pronounced.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

I passed on a guitar exactly like that in Wisconsin for years (@ $900).

I dunno if I think the one you’re looking at is a good deal or not? I suppose $1500 is chump change these days but, it’s still a lot for a beat up guitar.

The milky-ness is prolly gonna go from skim to whole.

 

[László]

I passed on a guitar exactly like that in Wisconsin for years (@ $900).

I dunno if I think the one you’re looking at is a good deal or not? I suppose $1500 is chump change these days but, it’s still a lot for a beat up guitar.

The milky-ness is prolly gonna go from skim to whole.

Keep 'em cased and you minimize that on the older PRSes.

"You always say that."

"Doesn't eliminate it entirely, the older poly finishes were more likely to be prone to it, but it comes from humidity pushing the finish away from the body of the instrument."

"What makes you so sure?"

"Never happened to me because I always case them when not in use."

"You're beating that dead horse again. These folks don't care, they want to look at their freaking guitars constantly."

"More's the pity."

 

[Jbyrd78]

Sounds like you’ve played the guitar yourself. I know that if I get my hands on a guitar and it speaks to me when I play it, I’ll generally only check a couple things: the truss rod, the fret wear and the neck at the headstock and body joint. If there are no problems there and the price is low enough, I figure anything else can be addressed.

Deciding how low a price is “low enough” is the hard part. I just bought a super clean 2007 McCarty for about what you’re thinking of spending here, so I’d probably pass unless the guitar felt like it was made for my hands.

No I haven't played it, the guy selling it on Reverb lives around two hrs from me. I messaged him earlier today asking a couple of questions about the guitar and I never heard back. Here's a link to the actual Reverb listing since I can't post pictures on here

PRS Singlecut 2006 Gold Top w/Natural Back https://reverb.com/item/57568502-pr...are&utm_campaign=listing&utm_content=57568502

 

[sergiodeblanc]

Yeah, I dunno… I’d probably still buy it.

 

[Jbyrd78]

Yeah, I dunno… I’d probably still buy it.

What if the guitar in the reverb link I posted, is the actual guitar you passed on?

 

[vchizzle]

I kinda dig the wear and tear on a gold top. Actually I might prefer it!

 

[Bogner]

I would pass but that is me.

 

[jxe]

can we please get a forum where buying guitars is encouraged?

 

[Malloc]

No possible way I was thinking about buying that actual one and only turned off by the weight…. (Ok lack of birds too)

 

[RC Mike]

No possible way I was thinking about buying that actual one and only turned off by the weight…. (Ok lack of birds too)

It is a chunky one, at 9.5lbs. One of my favorite guitars is a bit over 9lbs, which is the only thing I dislike about it.

I‘m a sucker for less-common, somewhat rough PRSes. So much of the used PRS market is about how close to cosmetically perfect a guitar is, which is too bad. To me, it’s about how it feels and sounds. I feel more comfortable playing a guitar with a few dings—what’s one more?

Price is one of those things that nobody else can answer for you. How badly do you want a gold-top Singlecut with moons? How often do they show up?

 

[Gtrbldr]

That is a beater for sure and priced too high for that matters. Especially with the weight and paint issues: pass.

 

[Warmart]

Hard pass for me.

 

[DISTORT6]

Too much missing, too much damage, WAY too much money.
Nope.

 

[doublescale1]

Having a Goldtop re-finished @ PRS will be a $700.00, to possibly a bit more proposition (and that's just the top, doesn't include having the neck finish worked on as well - I know because I asked them about a re-fin on my McCarty Gold Top a few years back, I chipped it with a guitar chord. You have to re-do the entire top, there's no feathering in a finish-fix with a metallic paint - PRS Cust. Serv. position/advice, same with car metallic finish for an entire body panel). So if the finish deterioration continues to spread, and it sounds like it might due to that moisture under the finish flaw, you might end up wanting to have that tended to - or you might not - can you live with it if it spreads? Are the orig. pickups just gone? If so that might want to be something you consider as a downside as well. The rest of the hardware issues are not big money fix's. It's a value judgment-call you'll have to make, but I have to agree with some of the posts above that the asking price seems high to me for a guitar with all those issues. Consider carefully. If the seller won't take a lower offer, all things considered, maybe passing is the best choice. Guitars are like busses, there's another one along in 20 minutes - it may be the same price but may not include all those outstanding issues. Maybe consider playing the "long game". Good Hunting.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

What if the guitar in the reverb link I posted, is the actual guitar you passed on?

If I were looking at buying anymore guitars..

I’d still consider it.

$1500 is still a lot of money, even though it’s not a lot of money. Take $1500 and put it in your wallet and see how long it lasts these days.

Chips, dings, and some finish clouding on a guitar shaped object that will last a lifetime is still a better buy for me (personally) than the other stuff in my life that costs more than $1500.

 

[SinSir]

The finish isn't that big of a deal at all to me. Guitars are meant to be played. It's the pickup swap and state of electronics I'd be a little unsure of, I've heard mixed reviews and zero personal experience. Pickup swap is part of the game, and not the end of the world, except my SC58 gold top came with 57/08 I wouldn't change for the world..

The fret wear would be my biggest concern. Admittedly (bonus points) by the seller they have wear, he runs 11s, and it's seen some miles. Fret job from PTC is expensive and local isn't cheap either. Any quality fret job is going to cost and it's not something in my wheel house, yet.

Considering only those factors I personally wouldn't be a buyer at that price. There will be more cash to outlay, and I've done better for less, even during covid. Now if he would negotiate that's another story.. Goldtops Rock!

Another factor that's an unfortunate reality for the seller is selling a guitar in this shape on reverb can be tricky. Buyers can be ridiculously picky upon arrival, some deserved and others not so much. Heck he's inadvertently inviting problems by listing as Good but mentioning Fair in his description. He may get someone that's a good buyer and all good or he can get a buyer like my buddy's horror story of a guitar in similar condition. Bottom line is a localish buyer is a HUGE upside for the seller.

Goldtop tease cause it never gets old looking at her..

 

[The Bird]

If I had a guitar that I’d played and gigged that much for 15 years, I wouldn’t be selling it unless it had become basically unusable.

(I am assuming that the seller is a long time owner of that git).

But, I would say that I would like to own every PRS guitar ever made, including that one. So…buy it, it’s a PRS after all!