Inlay material?

[soundbee]

Hi

I recently picked up this exact guitar (serail number) http://www.sweetwater.com/guitargallery/electric/custom/s187235

The specs state "Abalone bird inlays" - but it doesn't look like any abalone I've ever seen (little to no pattern). Then elsewhere "Ivory/brown bird inlays"
The interior of the bird inlays appear to be a different type of wood than the fretboard - but actually appear to be some sort of coppery metallic like material.

Does anyone know what material is actually used?

Here's a larger image:

Thanks - KB

 

[Faded]

No abalone to be found on PRSi these days unless it's a special run. The centers are neither metallic nor wood, the new "dirt birds" as they are referred to on some forums are a Corian type material, similar to a countertop as I understand it.

 

[Proxmax]

some call it corian, i call it plastic.

 

[soundbee]

"dirt birds" - that's pretty funny actually. It probably wouldn't stand out as much if they could match the color of the rosewood a a bit more...

 

[Shawn@PRS]

Not entirely true. While we have moved to synthetic inlays for some models. (US Fish & Wildlife requires documentation for all shell inlay, but more about that another time). The JA15, Sc58 and Mc58 all have genuine shell inlays.

No abalone to be found on PRSi these days unless it's a special run. The centers are neither metallic nor wood, the new "dirt birds" as they are referred to on some forums are a Corian type material, similar to a countertop as I understand it.

 

[soundbee]

Not trying to open any political can-o-worms... so feel free to ignore this entirely... It seems over the last couple of years there's been a lot to do about conservation and regulations. For example Gibson's problems, a recent (I think it was last week) video by Bob Taylor - there's a lot of controversy from both sides. Mr Taylor was skewered from the left and the right.

But beyond all that - do you folks at PRS find these types regulations stifling your business or is there more of an attitude that they force you to be more creative with the materials you choose to use and ultimately end up creating better instrument? I mean who knows, 5-10-15-100 years from now folks might be paying big (star)bucks for a mint "dirt bird" PRS...

 

[Faded]

Not entirely true. While we have moved to synthetic inlays for some models. (US Fish & Wildlife requires documentation for all shell inlay, but more about that another time). The JA15, Sc58 and Mc58 all have genuine shell inlays.

I stand humbly corrected, and what a beautiful inlay those are. Some of my favorite are found on those models you mentioned. Does the shell inlay present any problem when traveling across borders?

 

[Shawn@PRS]

Each time a guitar is shipped out of the US or back into the US, for a repair or whatever reason, the US Fish & Wildlife must inspect the guitar for shell inlay and PRS must file documents to coincide with each inspection.

This is simply the world in which we live and PRS must find ways to adapt to the changing world.

 

[László]

I almost had a Ric held up at French customs when I traveled there for a project quite a few years back. They were suspicious that I was bringing in what looked like a new guitar to avoid paying duties and having it inspected by their version of Fish & Wildlife.

Finally, after conferring amongst themselves, they decided to have me play the guitar to see if I was really a guitar player or a wood smuggler.

After hearing me play, I'm sure they were still wondering. LOL

 

[tfancil]

Hi

I recently picked up this exact guitar (serail number) http://www.sweetwater.com/guitargallery/electric/custom/s187235

The specs state "Abalone bird inlays" - but it doesn't look like any abalone I've ever seen (little to no pattern). Then elsewhere "Ivory/brown bird inlays"
The interior of the bird inlays appear to be a different type of wood than the fretboard - but actually appear to be some sort of coppery metallic like material.

Does anyone know what material is actually used?

Here's a larger image:

Thanks - KB

I don't really know what the new inlays are, and don't really care. I just think the look great on my 2 new PRS guitars! You can see them really well under stage lighting also, which is really nice!
I like all the different types of birds that PRS has done over the years and I don't really have a particular preference as long as they are birds
tfancil

 

[László]

I don't really know what the new inlays are, and don't really care. I just think the look great on my 2 new PRS guitars! You can see them really well under stage lighting also, which is really nice!
I like all the different types of birds that PRS has done over the years and I don't really have a particular preference as long as they are birds
tfancil

I agree. I even like the moons and dots!