How is the scarf joint on your Silver sky? Is it very visible?

[Jkater]

Thanks!
I drove a couple of hours to try this one out. It was used for a couple/few hours by a lady who decided she'd rather have some kind of semi hollow.
It's also one of the first 500 with hard case! Bonus.
As soon as I saw it the deal was done. Totally lucked out, but as you say, even if the neck was the usual suspect, and even without the hard case I would have bought it with zero regrets.
It just plays and sounds so great.

That might explain the flamed neck. Or not.

 

[dmatthews]

That might explain the flamed neck. Or not.

Not sure, but kind of doubt it. I've seen a few first 500s and I think mine is merely a random luck of the draw.

 

[Andy80]

Is it just me or are we seeing more and more posts that really are not worth making?

What difference does it make if a scarf joint is more visible considering EVERYONE knows that a Silver Sky (or any PRS bolt on or any neck from the SE and S2 lines too I believe) uses a Scarf joint as part of a 3 piece neck construction. Short of painting over the neck as a lot of Guitars have to hide joints, unless its made of multiple strips of course, is common practice but with a Maple neck like the SS has and to keep the neck feel without layers of paint, it makes sense to keep it visible.

Whether others may or may not have a particularly noticeable joint or not doesn't matter at all. For a start, you are relying on peoples opinion and their own decision on whether its more/less visible to them which cannot be compared to yours as they have absolutely no reference point as you have not provided any evidence of how 'bad' yours actually is and whether theirs are more/less different than yours, whether you are being more picky or not than they are etc.

None of that matters though because all that does is whether or not you like the way it sounds, plays and feels. EVERY SS has a scarf joint so you are not getting a 'worse' instrument than anyone else. If yours is a 'bit more' noticeable than others, what are you going to do? Are you going to send it bacx? I assume you bought online because if you bought in a Shop then you had the ample opportunity to inspect it (and maybe others) to know the answer and only yourself to 'blame' if aesthetically its not up to the standard you hoped for some reason. You are ALWAYS the final QC check and either send it back or don't buy if its not up to you QC check. So what would you do if its more obvious than some others? Would you return a perfectly great instrument that plays, sounds and feels like all the others just because the Scarf joint is a bit more noticeable? Any other replacement will have a Scarf joint and the line is always going to be seen if you want to go looking for it.

I just don't understand why posts like this, why someone would create a profile and make their first post about whether or not others have a more/less obvious scarf joint, more/less obvious use of different coloured maple. What next? will we get a post asking whether or not the maple heel joint and shade of maple is more obvious? Really does it matter and are you really that bothered that you would actually send it back and keep having a different one sent until you find one that the shade of maple is the same?

Haha, I actually had no idea this was a thing. I noticed it on my SS right away and just thought "Oh that looks cool". Kind of like how the new ebony boards on Taylors look now.
The guitar plays amazingly and I never gave it a second thought.

 

[88prs]

Being from Colorado..... Scarfing a joint takes on a whole new meaning!

 

[shimmilou]

As long as you don't Bogart it.

 

[hord1080]

do all PRS necks have this scarf joint? Now that we are talking about joints, i didn't want to start a whole new thread on this and get roasted but was always curious, does PRS glue on different wood to form the side "horns" on the headstock? I always notice a variation, perhaps on lesser models where cost saving techniques are perhaps present, that the wood is a different color on the left and right spikes of the headstock. Sometimes i think if i was buying i would steer clear of a bad example on looks alone.

 

[Mozzi]

do all PRS necks have this scarf joint? Now that we are talking about joints, i didn't want to start a whole new thread on this and get roasted but was always curious, does PRS glue on different wood to form the side "horns" on the headstock? I always notice a variation, perhaps on lesser models where cost saving techniques are perhaps present, that the wood is a different color on the left and right spikes of the headstock. Sometimes i think if i was buying i would steer clear of a bad example on looks alone.

All the guitars from the CE down use a 3 Piece neck and as such, the headstock is fixed using a Scarf joint and also have a bit of wood glued to the Heel too. The Core and above use a single piece of wood to make the neck, heel and headstock. However, the wood isn't wide enough to do the full width of the headstock, so that has 2 little wings glued on - these are more aesthetic. If they used Mahogany that wide, the amount of wasted wood would be too much - they get 3 necks from the same quantity of wood by gluing on the tips that would only make 2 without - that's a lot of waste too and a Single piece neck is more wasteful than the 3piece scarf joint construction of CE's and below.

Its the fact that making a 3piece neck for CE's and below, the fact they use less wood that is a way of selling them at lower cost. The maple top on these guitars is thinner too to get more guitars from the same quantity of wood to enable PRS to sell them cheaper.

The wing tips may or may not be that obvious, after all they are on the back of the headstock and generally have the same grain direction. They may darken differently with the finish but they are not easy to spot unless you really look and the top has a veneer over them too.

 

[shimmilou]

The SE necks are a bit different, the neck itself is 3 pieces the full length, side by side, with no scarf joint on the headstock. Whereas the necks on higher-end models are actually a one piece neck, with a glued on headstock (scarf) and a glued on heel extension, which are what is being referred to as a “three piece” neck.

 

[Mozzi]

The SE necks are a bit different, the neck itself is 3 pieces the full length, side by side, with no scarf joint on the headstock. Whereas the necks on higher-end models are actually a one piece neck, with a glued on headstock (scarf) and a glued on heel extension, which are what is being referred to as a “three piece” neck.

That's true, I was really talking about the guitars that were made by PRS and not the ones made for PRS and imported in. The SE's do have their own method of construction and the Indonesian factory builds in a different order too. For example, the don't put the Fretboard on until after the neck and body have been glued - I found that out with the PRS Indonesian factory tour video.

I should have been more specific when I said CE and below and specified that was the method that PRS themselves do and not including the SE guitars made for PRS. The S2 and Bolt on range do have a Scarf joint and heel glued on where as the Core have a one piece neck with a couple of headstock wing tips glued on for aesthetic purposes. The Tuners are all mounted on the one piece neck too so its just for giving the headstock its iconic PRS shape.

 

[CyFan4036]

any neck from the SE and S2 lines too I believe

My SE CU22 Semi Hollow 2018 MiK doesn't have a scarf joint at the heel nor the headstock.

My two cents... if aesthetics are important to the person creating the thread then I say it is worth posting.

 

[Jkater]

I got my silver sky today. Did a complete set-up to my taste and it's a keeper! It was pretty good from the factory but there was a bit too much relief in the neck. I put paradigm 9-46, adjusted the action where I like it and the trem where it is almost floating. The frost finish has an ever so slightly greenish hue to it that I like. I'm seriously considering getting a mint green p/g from mojoaxe. They ship to Europe.
And the scarf joint, you may ask? well, this time it has the same shade of maple as the neck and it passes the test of my nitpicky taste for such things.

Tomorrow, I'll post a pic or two.

 

[dmatthews]

I got my silver sky today. Did a complete set-up to my taste and it's a keeper! It was pretty good from the factory but there was a bit too much relief in the neck. I put paradigm 9-46, adjusted the action where I like it and the trem where it is almost floating. The frost finish has an ever so slightly greenish hue to it that I like. I'm seriously considering getting a mint green p/g from mojoaxe. They ship to Europe.
And the scarf joint, you may ask? well, this time it has the same shade of maple as the neck and it passes the test of my nitpicky taste for such things.

Tomorrow, I'll post a pic or two.

Glad to hear you are happy with the new one!

 

[Jkater]

Here she is with her big sister. Cool guitar.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipMOmX4NS319bDBIU9CgwaQECTsbJTVt8KA1nIlq

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipNUlZ9P7yMUWGy7O8nxWsY5og2fZvbCVjEZMpjH

Since this thread has been all about the scarf joint, here it is:

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipM2wBy1Wwf6-huyGlM2NsJ_V4cUuYMQ1rVMzHw9​

 

[ElrytNamrogo]

Hmmm...I've only seen a couple SS's in person. Both had relatively noticeable scarf-joints.

Personally, they don't bother me. We all know that they don't affect play-ability, per-se, but I understand that people respond to how a guitar looks and some may not like too look at the "seams" of a guitar....whether it's the book-matched top or scarf-joint.

I like it all, really. I love guitars and all the different methods of building them. Scarf-joints, three-piece tops, mis-matched backs...I think it's all cool because it shows ingenuity and determination to complete the instrument. And with PRS, you can pretty much guarantee that build quality was not compromised regardless of build methods.

Oh, and welcome to the forum!!!

 

[Jkater]

Hmmm...I've only seen a couple SS's in person. Both had relatively noticeable scarf-joints.

Personally, they don't bother me. We all know that they don't affect play-ability, per-se, but I understand that people respond to how a guitar looks and some may not like too look at the "seams" of a guitar....whether it's the book-matched top or scarf-joint.

I like it all, really. I love guitars and all the different methods of building them. Scarf-joints, three-piece tops, mis-matched backs...I think it's all cool because it shows ingenuity and determination to complete the instrument. And with PRS, you can pretty much guarantee that build quality was not compromised regardless of build methods.

Oh, and welcome to the forum!!!

Thank you!

 

[dmatthews]

Here she is with her big sister. Cool guitar.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipMOmX4NS319bDBIU9CgwaQECTsbJTVt8KA1nIlq

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipNUlZ9P7yMUWGy7O8nxWsY5og2fZvbCVjEZMpjH

Since this thread has been all about the scarf joint, here it is:

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipM2wBy1Wwf6-huyGlM2NsJ_V4cUuYMQ1rVMzHw9​

Dang... can't see the pics

 

[Jkater]

Dang... can't see the pics

Yeah, I've been wondering if it works. I used to post with photobucket but that one doesn't let me use it for free anymore. What do you use, Dave? I'll need to register to some other hosting site. I

thought google photos works but it turns out it's not the case.​

 

[Mozzi]

Yeah, I've been wondering if it works. I used to post with photobucket but that one doesn't let me use it for free anymore. What do you use, Dave? I'll need to register to some other hosting site. I

thought google photos works but it turns out it's not the case.​

I use IMGUR.COM - its free and easy to add photo's to. You don't have to make them Public either and all you do is click on the photo, copy the HTML address named 'Direct Link' (there are options to instantly copy various different links to the Photo but I use the HTML version) and, using the insert picture icon at the top of the reply box (looks like a mountain with a sun in between the emoji smiley and film logo) and paste the HTML address into that.

As I said, its free to use and what I like most is that you do not get any watermark (hosted by Photobucket for example) on the picture either.

This is an example of following that method but with my own IMGUR picture - this is my PRS Special 22 - the same I currently have as my avatar pic.

As you can see, you don't get any watermark and works by following the directions above. You can make your pics public too but its unnecessary for adding pics to this Forum.

 

[Jkater]

I use IMGUR.COM - its free and easy to add photo's to. You don't have to make them Public either and all you do is click on the photo, copy the HTML address named 'Direct Link' (there are options to instantly copy various different links to the Photo but I use the HTML version) and, using the insert picture icon at the top of the reply box (looks like a mountain with a sun in between the emoji smiley and film logo) and paste the HTML address into that.

As I said, its free to use and what I like most is that you do not get any watermark (hosted by Photobucket for example) on the picture either.

This is an example of following that method but with my own IMGUR picture - this is my PRS Special 22 - the same I currently have as my avatar pic.

As you can see, you don't get any watermark and works by following the directions above. You can make your pics public too but its unnecessary for adding pics to this Forum.

Oie! That's a stunner!

Thanks Mozzi, I'll check it out.

 

[Jkater]