Korina McCartys with Brazilian fretboard

[Figaro]

The ones I've seen from 2007 have "For Sale in the USA Only" on the back of the headstock and later ones don't. Does anyone know more about the korina McCartys with a Brazilian fretboard?

 

[veinbuster]

Welcome to the forum.
The 'USA only' designation mostly means that there is no documentation to support selling them across the USA border. Some guitars built with Brazilian rosewood have had CITIES paperwork.

 

[John Beef]

This is strictly from my memory which is not so great any more.

2007 they did the initial run of McCarty Korinas with Brazzy boards, probably 300 of them or something. Word was received that some of the wood may have been illegally obtained and papers forged somewhere early in the supply chain. PRS was of course innocent in all this but as a precaution they immediately ceased production and put a hold on all the Brazzy they had in stock. That included a good number of guitars in production already. So, they held the guitars until 2013 or 2014 when they finally got the all clear to use the wood they had, but didn't have the paperwork to back up the wood, so those are the "USA Only" ones. It seemed like Dave's Guitar got the whole shipment. They were still officially 2007 model year guitars with 2007 serial numbers.

I'm sure there are gaps in this but this is how I understand it went down.

 

[vchizzle]

I've played a couple of those at Dave's and they are awesome. Can't believe there's still a couple left even after heavy discounting.

 

[BostonGuitar]

I was lucky enough to stumble upon and purchase the first one to hit NYC back in 2k7 before even Pre-orders were shipped, and it is a very special guitar...

 

[shinksma]

This is strictly from my memory which is not so great any more.

2007 they did the initial run of McCarty Korinas with Brazzy boards, probably 300 of them or something. Word was received that some of the wood may have been illegally obtained and papers forged somewhere early in the supply chain. PRS was of course innocent in all this but as a precaution they immediately ceased production and put a hold on all the Brazzy they had in stock. That included a good number of guitars in production already. So, they held the guitars until 2013 or 2014 when they finally got the all clear to use the wood they had, but didn't have the paperwork to back up the wood, so those are the "USA Only" ones. It seemed like Dave's Guitar got the whole shipment. They were still officially 2007 model year guitars with 2007 serial numbers.

I'm sure there are gaps in this but this is how I understand it went down.

Accurate but a little incomplete: I have one of those "started in 2007" Brazzy FB guitars, but it has a 2013 serial number - I hazard a guess that depending on how far along they were, they may not have been assigned a SN yet, so when they finished the lot off the remaining ones got 2013 SNs.

As I understand it, if you find a Korina McCarty without "For Sale in USA Only" or whatever on the back of the headstock, I think that means it was either from the initial release that made it out the door in 2007 before the stuff hit the fan (under 100 total, IIRC), or it was made later but without the brazzy wood, so has a regular IRW fretboard. Not sure how accurate these last assertions are...

 

[Figaro]

A friend has one that has a serial number starting with 09 and it doesn't have the "USA Only" on the back of the headstock.

Just to be clear, I'm talking about korina McCartys that have a BRAZILIAN fretboard. I think there are korina McCartys with a regular rosewood fretboard.

Thanks!

 

[veinbuster]

A friend has one that has a serial number starting with 09 and it doesn't have the "USA Only" on the back of the headstock.

They didn't start putting that designation on the headstock until a few years ago. At that time they more formally differentiated between Brazilian that had paperwork to go outside of the USA and Brazilian that they would not ship across a border. I don't recall the exact date, but believe it was about 2013.

 

[Figaro]

Very strange that there are ones that have serial numbers starting with 07 that have the "USA Only" and Brazilian ones with with 09 and later serial number years that don't have the "USA Only".

So were some the 07 serial number ones with "USA Only" not sold until after the 09 serial and later serial number ones, or were they all released at the same time? I'm confused!

 

[veinbuster]

Very strange that there are ones that have serial numbers starting with 07 that have the "USA Only" and Brazilian ones with with 09 and later serial number years that don't have the "USA Only".

So were some the 07 serial number ones with "USA Only" not sold until after the 09 serial and later serial number ones, or were they all released at the same time? I'm confused!

Yes. There were some 07 single cuts that stayed at PRS for an extended period in various states of completion.

 

[Basauri]

This is strictly from my memory which is not so great any more.

2007 they did the initial run of McCarty Korinas with Brazzy boards, probably 300 of them or something. Word was received that some of the wood may have been illegally obtained and papers forged somewhere early in the supply chain. PRS was of course innocent in all this but as a precaution they immediately ceased production and put a hold on all the Brazzy they had in stock. That included a good number of guitars in production already. So, they held the guitars until 2013 or 2014 when they finally got the all clear to use the wood they had, but didn't have the paperwork to back up the wood, so those are the "USA Only" ones. It seemed like Dave's Guitar got the whole shipment. They were still officially 2007 model year guitars with 2007 serial numbers.

I'm sure there are gaps in this but this is how I understand it went down.

Accurate but a little incomplete: I have one of those "started in 2007" Brazzy FB guitars, but it has a 2013 serial number - I hazard a guess that depending on how far along they were, they may not have been assigned a SN yet, so when they finished the lot off the remaining ones got 2013 SNs.

As I understand it, if you find a Korina McCarty without "For Sale in USA Only" or whatever on the back of the headstock, I think that means it was either from the initial release that made it out the door in 2007 before the stuff hit the fan (under 100 total, IIRC), or it was made later but without the brazzy wood, so has a regular IRW fretboard. Not sure how accurate these last assertions are...

My SC245 is one of those. BRW board with 07 serial but left the factory in 2013. It has the "USA only" on the back of the headstock.

 

[shinksma]

Very strange that there are ones that have serial numbers starting with 07 that have the "USA Only" and Brazilian ones with with 09 and later serial number years that don't have the "USA Only".

So were some the 07 serial number ones with "USA Only" not sold until after the 09 serial and later serial number ones, or were they all released at the same time? I'm confused!

My guess (and it is only a guess) is that the original batch had issues with the provenance of the brazzy wood assigned to that batch, and the 09s were made from a different source of brazzy RW.

Or, is it possible the 09s are made without brazzy wood, perhaps "regular" IRW?

 

[helmi]

A friend has one that has a serial number starting with 09 and it doesn't have the "USA Only" on the back of the headstock.

Just to be clear, I'm talking about korina McCartys that have a BRAZILIAN fretboard. I think there are korina McCartys with a regular rosewood fretboard.

Thanks!

I had a 09 McCarty korina w/ brazzy board and it DIDN'T have the "usa only" on it. my budde had a 08 one, and it DIDN'T have it either. actually, I have seen several, and have NEVER seen the "usa only" on any of them!