First PRS was delivered today and I'm considering my options...

JustinK

JustinK

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Joined
May 8, 2022
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I've wanted to try a PRS for quite a while with its 25 inch scale and splitable humbuckers. It all seems so versatile and in-between the other major brands! I had an SE Pauls's guitar on preorder but a few days ago I decided to switch the order to an in-stock S2 Standard 22 Satin. It arrived today and I love that it's 7.1 pounds! I can tell that it's going to be a great player and overall I can't wait to get aquainted with this guitar.

BUT, it arrived damaged. There is a dent on the edge of the body in the area where your right forearm would be while playing. I have the option to return it or take a discount. I expected this guitar to get its fair share of dings but I wish I was the one to make the first one. I'm a little surprised that I'm kind of OK with this damage. I have 4 nitro finished guitars and they've all been blemished in some way, so it's only a matter of time... My poly guitars continue to look almost new with some over 20 years old.

I'm leaning toward keeping the guitar and accepting the discount. My question is is this repairable? I'm a handy person and could tackle this myself if I knew it was possible to steam this out a bit. Or would the PTC fix this under warranty? This guitar just arrived today so I'm weighing my options. Any feedback would be appreciated. Thanks!

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I've recently had good luck steaming out dents in PRS guitars. They haven't come all the way up, but close. Given the porosity of the satin finish, and the openness of the grain, I'd expect your dent on that one would respond well.

But a new guitar should be new, not have a big hammer-dent in the edge (and another screwdriver imprint below that on the rim). You don't say if it came from a local PRS dealer or a web bigboxer; in either case, I'd want a replacement guitar. With a PRS, you really don't have much worry that the next one won't play as well or sound as good. But if you want to keep that one...I dunno, I'm kinda doubting the PTC would "fix" it under warranty. One, their options to fix it aren't much different than yours (with the exception that they can refinish the whole body...but what are they gonna do about the BF dent?); two, you don't think of a dent as being a warranty issue - a new guitar simply shouldn't have a BF dent. And you bought a NEW guitar.

The value of that dent is completely subjective. Whatever they're offering you, it's because they're asking themselves what are we gonna do with this thing?, and their answer is sell it as a second/blem/B. (It's hard to imagine a factory second/blem/B with that particular BF dent, almost impossible PRS would have shipped one that way. I say it's on the dealer.) To me, 150.00 might be consolation for the screwdriver impression in the rim. BF Hammer Dents ought to be worth more. If I was shopping a guitar on Reverb, that would be at least a 200.00 - 300.00 injury. I don't know if I'd even consider that one vs a guitar with more ordinary play-related wear (vs such an obvious OH CRAP! wound).

You might send a picture of that to PRS and ask their opinion. You know, Hey I just got this new S2, and is this BF Hammerdent from you guys, or the dealer? Waddawe wanna do about it?

Another perspective: you ordered a NEW SE Paul's Guitar, and changed to a NEW S2 ST22. In neither case did you take the path of shopping for a guitar on Reverb (where you can get 7 or 8 PGs right now, including NEW ones). You must really want a new guitar. You didn't get a new guitar.

Only you can answer what kind of discount (if any) will make you feel whole after not getting a new (condition) guitar.
 
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I'd probably return it - $150 isn't enough for me off a guitar I bought as new. I don't mind playwear, and my guitars have some dings here and there...but if I buy new, I want to be the guy putting in the marks. PRS guitars are amazingly consistent, so I'd return it and find a pristine one, knowing it'll be every bit as great.
 
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That dent is deep, it most likely happened in transit - the retailer who shipped it to you should make a claim on their shipping insurance and replace the guitar, same finish color for you. Start that conversation with them and send it back. Best of luck in getting it resolved. I'm not sure the conversation should start with PRS, the retailer is the one you bought it from, they shipped it, most likely it did not come from PRS to them in that condition.
 
I'm going for warehouse or another employee at the retailer. If you look closely at the wound, it bears a pebbly impression that looks to me a perfect match for the texture of the tolex on the case. I don't see how that would have happened in transit, with the guitar in a foam-and-fake-fur padded hardshell case. I say someone got it out to look at it, had an ohcrap moment and dropped it against the case, then looked around to see if anyone had seen the accident, quickly stuffed it back in the case, and nonchalantly walked off whistling, hands in his who, me? pockets.

(Either that, or the guy whose job it was to hammer-test the edges of the guitars has a hammer with a crosshatched head.)
 
Return it! $150 is a "we hope you go away" offer!! You could ask them to just take it back, and you will probably get an accelerated offer at that point anyway, especially if you indicate in your return communication that you don't feel $150 covers the damage done to your new guitar!!! Best wishes on a satisfying resolution!!!!
 
Normally, I say if you love the guitar, AND it's the only one like it available anywhere, the ding doesn't matter, BUT, I have to echo everyone's $150 isn't enough to cover that ding when it's new. But ultimately, it's you heart that leads you. good luck!
 
Proteus said:
I'm going for warehouse or another employee at the retailer. If you look closely at the wound, it bears a pebbly impression that looks to me a perfect match for the texture of the tolex on the case. I don't see how that would have happened in transit, with the guitar in a foam-and-fake-fur padded hardshell case. I say someone got it out to look at it, had an ohcrap moment and dropped it against the case, then looked around to see if anyone had seen the accident, quickly stuffed it back in the case, and nonchalantly walked off whistling, hands in his who, me? pockets.

(Either that, or the guy whose job it was to hammer-test the edges of the guitars has a hammer with a crosshatched head.)
Click to expand...
It’s an S2 - it doesn’t come in a hardshell case. You’re making a lot of suppositions here! I’ll keep it brief… ;) Shipping damage… plain and simple.
 
Yeah, I see now it's a chair and not a case under the guitar. And shipping damage through the outer cardboard box, then through the gig bag and into the guitar is plausible.

I'm still trying to imagine what created the crosshatching/waffling impressions in the dent. Possibly the texture of the fabric inside the black signature gig bag (which is what my S2 came in)...though would fabric be tough enough to imprint the wood?

In any case (or bag), I can't imagine the box taking a hit in transit which would create that damage - and not be evident on the outside of the box. But we're too far removed from the receipt of the box by the dealer/distributor to know if there was such damage, and if it went unreported, or was reported to the shipper and ignored, reported and reimbursed...obviously none of us are in a position to know.

I'm sorry it wasn't obvious, but I wasn't making serious suppositions so much as imagining scenarios. Y'know.
 
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