Need Help Identifying 97’ Swamp Ash Special with #7 pick ups

[SinSir]

Howcome 57/08s over McCartys?

5708 are the progression of the PRS take on PAF. I look at McC as the grandpa to that. All subsequent xx/xx versions have their uses and strengths. I've tried most of them in the SAS. The 5708 sounded best as a set. I ended up slightly preferring the 5815LT in the neck with 5708 in the bridge. But the 5708 as a set beat out the 5909 and 5815 while smoking the more modern 8515.

 

[Russ73]

OP that's a great looking guitar!!

 

[Jazzedout]

That's a beautiful one!!
I think the Nr 7 pickups were introduced with the PRS Singlecut in 2000.
Also the pickups in your pictures have had their covers removed and it looks like they might have come from a gold hardware guitar. Aren't these golden screws as polepieces?

 

[garrett]

Thanks, fixed it

Dang, that looks sweet. So yeah, definitely a pickup swap after 2000. #7 pickups with the covers removed, and it looks like they have gold screws which is another mismatch to the original spec of the guitar.

As mentioned the #7 pickups didn't have taps, so the push/pull will just add the single coil into the mix. The bottom left lug of the push pull would've had the tap wire there. A reasonably clean install, but I doubt that the tone cap is original; I don't expect the factory would have left that sloppy amount of extra lead on it. I also don't remember them using shiny caps like that, but I could be wrong.

 

[DISTORT6]

That's a beautiful one!!
I think the Nr 7 pickups were introduced with the PRS Singlecut in 2000.

Both of these are correct. Love that it’s a stoptail.
I never had the need to pull the #7’s out of my Singlecuts. They’ve always sound great in them.
As far as how they sound in a SAS…only you can tell.

 

[Bowtiefanatc]

Just looked and that wiring is for sure not original.

 

[Black Plaid]

It’s entirely possible that someone removed the covers. 7’s came covered too. Plus if you start fresh with a new harness the wiring is going to look “perfect”.

It’s a beauty. They are definitely underrated guitars.

Looking at those giant blobs of soldier on the edges of the pickups, 100% the covers were removed.

 

[Black Plaid]

Just looked and that wiring is for sure not original.

Yeah, I don't think I've ever seen a zip-tie in the cavity of a PRS.

 

[gray490]

Thanks for all the info, I’m going to try to negotiate the price down a bit. I’m a real big fan of the stoptail

 

[gray490]

The fretboard has a bit of wear, with that and all the other info in this thread, what do you guys think is a fair price?

 

[Bowtiefanatc]

<2k

 

[gray490]

When looking at humbucker rings I see ones for stoptail models. Do I need to get rings for a stoptail model or does it not matter?

 

[SinSir]

<2k

Feeling generous today

 

[Bowtiefanatc]

Feeling generous today

I didn’t want to wake up and choose violence lol!

 

[SinSir]

I didn’t want to wake up and choose violence lol!

The day is still young..

 

[Jazzedout]

Given the mods and wear on the fretboard (which is normally a sign of worn frets as wel)l, I would say around 1.5K (euros) but then again stop tails aren't that common and the woods on that one look really nice. So this might be priced OK-ish from the seller...
Are you located in the USA? The cost of transport from Europe is also something to consider.
I'd offer them 1.5K explaining the pickup swap and fretboard wear that could lead in a fret job and see...