Is this a fake? I think so...

[Andrew Paul]

I’m always on the hunt for another PRS.... stumbled on this one and since I really love the old ones, especially with signatures, this one really caught my eye. I looked closer.. First I never heard of Award series so I combed the internet and could find no information on that. I also checked PRS website an there was no info. So I’m asking, was there an Award Series??? Also seller claims guitar to be 1990, serial number on headstock does not jive with 1990. 071866. Hang tag though blurry says serial number is 1866, photo is clearer on Craig’s list listing. 1866 would be too low for 1990.

I requested pickup cavity photos and pickup label photos. I will also request control cavity photo.

So to me there’s something NOT right. Your opinions please. Also if you experts believe the guitar is legitimate PRS please keep in mind I’m not trying to trash the seller, if it’s legit, perhaps moderaters can remove this thread. Below is Reverb link.

https://reverb.com/item/11828448-prs-signature-model-award-series-1990-sunburst

Thanks everyone

Andy

 

[toothace]

Well...
071866 would indicate the year the guitar was made ended in "0", and it was the 71866th guitar made. Now...SN 1866 corresponds to an '87 model, and SN 71866 corresponds to 2002, neither of which match up with a first digit of "0" for the year code. You decide where you want to go from there...

 

[Jazzedout]

Well... The guitar looks real to me... if there was a reasonable explanation for the s/n.
The hang tag has John Ingrams signature which would be a detail no knock off Chinese factory would do. The s/n would look ok for a CE maybe? Did they just put the 7 there because it is a maple neck? Contacting customer service would maybe shed some light. Or maybe contact John Ingram if he remembers this series?

 

[ScottR]

Listen to your heart...that's what I do...sorry I couldn't help myself...

 

[1BlinkGone]

Granted I'm not the PRS encyclopedia guy, but I do NOT recall PRS using any sort of Gibson-style stoptail & bridge hardware back then. The ones I saw were all wrap-around bridges....YMMV. I could be way off on that.

 

[Jazzedout]

Granted I'm not the PRS encyclopedia guy, but I do NOT recall PRS using any sort of Gibson-style stoptail & bridge hardware back then. The ones I saw were all wrap-around bridges....YMMV. I could be way off on that.

They did use the 2 piece bridge on several runs in the late 80's to early 90's. The wrap around bridge was done in 1994 if I am not mistaken.

 

[1BlinkGone]

They did use the 2 piece bridge on several runs in the late 80's to early 90's. The wrap around bridge was done in 1994 if I am not mistaken.

Then it was off my radar. Not surprising as the internet age hadn't hit full force yet. Thanks for the correction! I've simply never seen any back then in that timeframe. A few of the features, such as the tuners of that era, absolutely look correct. I have no idea how available those were. I did have to replace one of my teardrop lockers that had a burr, and PRS sent one right out...

 

[Collywobbles]

Not a definitive answer (and not necessarily correct) but this is what I think. 1) They defo made some tune-o-matic style guitars back then. 2) Strange it's got moons not birds on a high-end model with a hand-signed logo, but It all looks legit to me. 3) Paperwork as you see for this age, including tag. 4) I think the serial and the tag correspond. The serial is (I believe) as follows - [Year - 0 in this case, correct for 1990] [model series - 7 in this case] [sequential number for that series - 1866 in this case]. The two questions for me are i) I don't know what model series '7' relates to and ii) I've never seen another, which is strange as there were probably another 1865 made, even this one was the last.. So all in all I'd say its legit but be prepared for lots of questions when you come to sell it...

Some example of PRS using a model code in their serial numbers back in the 1980s, taken off the PRS serial number page:

Bolt-On Bass: Sequential Serial Numbers
After the year prefix, these models use a code digit of "4", indicating a bolt-on neck bass. This is followed by the sequential number for that particular model.

Set-Neck Bass: Sequential Serial Numbers
After the year prefix, these models us a code digit of "9", indicating a set-neck model bass. This is followed by the sequential number for that particular model.

https://www.prsguitars.com/csc/year.html

I also suspect the 'LE' written on hang tag under picks-up will relate to 'Limited Edition, which was a tune-o-matic equipped guitar from 1990-91.

 

[WEDGE]

Real. And hot.

 

[Andrew Paul]

Not a definitive answer (and not necessarily correct) but this is what I think. 1) They defo made some tune-o-matic style guitars back then. 2) Strange it's got moons not birds on a high-end model with a hand-signed logo, but It all looks legit to me. 3) Paperwork as you see for this age, including tag. 4) I think the serial and the tag correspond. The serial is (I believe) as follows - [Year - 0 in this case, correct for 1990] [model series - 7 in this case] [sequential number for that series - 1866 in this case]. The two questions for me are i) I don't know what model series '7' relates to and ii) I've never seen another, which is strange as there were probably another 1865 made, even this one was the last.. So all in all I'd say its legit but be prepared for lots of questions when you come to sell it...

Some example of PRS using a model code in their serial numbers back in the 1980s, taken off the PRS serial number page:

Bolt-On Bass: Sequential Serial Numbers
After the year prefix, these models use a code digit of "4", indicating a bolt-on neck bass. This is followed by the sequential number for that particular model.

Set-Neck Bass: Sequential Serial Numbers
After the year prefix, these models us a code digit of "9", indicating a set-neck model bass. This is followed by the sequential number for that particular model.

https://www.prsguitars.com/csc/year.html

I also suspect the 'LE' written on hang tag under picks-up will relate to 'Limited Edition, which was a tune-o-matic equipped guitar from 1990-91.

Thanks for the information, heard from the seller, he’s going to send me photos I requested.

 

[bodia]

Real. And hot.

I'm on the Wedge train! Stunning!

 

[Alnus Rubra]

Definitely hot! Go to 0:58 -

 

[toothace]

Well... The guitar looks real to me... if there was a reasonable explanation for the s/n.
The hang tag has John Ingrams signature which would be a detail no knock off Chinese factory would do. The s/n would look ok for a CE maybe? Did they just put the 7 there because it is a maple neck? Contacting customer service would maybe shed some light. Or maybe contact John Ingram if he remembers this series?

Not a definitive answer (and not necessarily correct) but this is what I think. 1) They defo made some tune-o-matic style guitars back then. 2) Strange it's got moons not birds on a high-end model with a hand-signed logo, but It all looks legit to me. 3) Paperwork as you see for this age, including tag. 4) I think the serial and the tag correspond. The serial is (I believe) as follows - [Year - 0 in this case, correct for 1990] [model series - 7 in this case] [sequential number for that series - 1866 in this case]. The two questions for me are i) I don't know what model series '7' relates to and ii) I've never seen another, which is strange as there were probably another 1865 made, even this one was the last.. So all in all I'd say its legit but be prepared for lots of questions when you come to sell it...

Some example of PRS using a model code in their serial numbers back in the 1980s, taken off the PRS serial number page:

Bolt-On Bass: Sequential Serial Numbers
After the year prefix, these models use a code digit of "4", indicating a bolt-on neck bass. This is followed by the sequential number for that particular model.

Set-Neck Bass: Sequential Serial Numbers
After the year prefix, these models us a code digit of "9", indicating a set-neck model bass. This is followed by the sequential number for that particular model.

https://www.prsguitars.com/csc/year.html

I also suspect the 'LE' written on hang tag under picks-up will relate to 'Limited Edition, which was a tune-o-matic equipped guitar from 1990-91.

I agree that all this authenticates the guitar...but... What's up with the serial number? The only thing I can figure is someone thought this was a bolt-on(hence the "7" in the number. The PRS website lists a "Limited Edition" 1990-1991 with similar specs(http://www.prsguitars.com/csc/models.html) I am intrigued to learn more about this guitar!!

 

[shinksma]

Yeah, everything looks kosher except the SN, which is dead-on for a CE, but completely off-base for a set-neck.

Seller says it is a setneck.

Dunno, maybe the SN guy at the factory was having an off day that day, went to the wrong look-up table?

 

[Andrew Paul]

I agree that all this authenticates the guitar...but... What's up with the serial number? The only thing I can figure is someone thought this was a bolt-on(hence the "7" in the number. The PRS website lists a "Limited Edition" 1990-1991 with similar specs(http://www.prsguitars.com/csc/models.html) I am intrigued to learn more about this guitar!!

Thank you very much for your reply and help.

 

[Andrew Paul]

Yeah, everything looks kosher except the SN, which is dead-on for a CE, but completely off-base for a set-neck.

Seller says it is a setneck.

Dunno, maybe the SN guy at the factory was having an off day that day, went to the wrong look-up table?

Thanks for taking the time out in replying much appreciated.

 

[bodia]

I agree that all this authenticates the guitar...but... What's up with the serial number? The only thing I can figure is someone thought this was a bolt-on(hence the "7" in the number. The PRS website lists a "Limited Edition" 1990-1991 with similar specs(http://www.prsguitars.com/csc/models.html) I am intrigued to learn more about this guitar!!

I have one of those LEs from '91, the one in the OPs link looks a lot like mine. Different top as mine is redwood. But the hardware is all the same, as is the headstock sig, and the hollow part. Same two piece bridge.

As mentioned, the s/n is odd. Perhaps it has something to do with the maple neck. Should have gone on a CE, and that would make it exactly right. If it was a special run of 20, maybe they're all like this. @Shawn@PRS , any thoughts?

 

[shinksma]

Welp, sometime in the last 30 min someone snagged it! Hope it was the OP!

 

[sergiodeblanc]

Too late but, looks fine to me.

I’ve never heard of an award guitar but maybe it was for a shop or something?

 

[Shizzrock]

Welp, sometime in the last 30 min someone snagged it! Hope it was the OP!

It was me. I also troll reverb and saw this, the tune-o-matic, moons?! and maple neck and knew it was a unicorn. He had a good price, I didn't think, I just bought. It was like an unknown force was guiding my hand to the buy button. Sorry to the OP, but if it makes any difference I didn't see this post before I bought it. I am also curious about its story. It's not in the book, which talks about the redwood limited editions as some of the rarest ones. So this one being one of twenty would be a rare find.