New (to me) 408

coyote

408/1=
Joined
Sep 29, 2015
Messages
232
Hi, I actually wanted to post in an already-existing 408 thread but the search function balks, says there are too many lol

Anyway I just acquired my very first PRS, a 408 in excellent condition. PRS had never even been on my radar. I've always been one to go the inexpensive-but-good route, with Strats being my main axe. But I was looking for a new amp, and there was this PRS on the high wall. Knowing their reputation I got curious and asked to try it... and fell in love. Played it thru a Fender Blues Deluxe and thru a Marshall, and it sounded brilliant in both amps. The clarity of this guitar is incredible, and it plays wonderfully and looks gorgeous and stays in tune.

I was going to just let it be a moment and let it go. But when I got home I did some research, and found that a flame maple top 408 with original case and vibrato in this condition couldn't be found for anything like the price I was seeing. Every other one was at least $600 higher, and most far higher than that. So I went back and played it again.... and for the first time in 30+ years of playing, I spent more than $900 on a musical instrument.

Man, what an amazing guitar. In my research, this looks to me like what y'all call a '10-Top'. Dunno if that's the case, but it's awfully pretty. So now I'm playing it every day :) It sounds great in the new Marshall 40 watt combo as well as in the Princeton Reverb II and the effects pedals. Plus of course it's prompting me to revisit the style of Santana, who I always dug but never really incorporated into my playing much. Anyway, it seems a great investment.... a gorgeous and awesome guitar.
 
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Congratulations on a great find! I have 408's pickups in my guitar and love the sound.

You will have to post pictures.
 
Congrats! Glad you're happy with it, that's all that matters.

But yeah, post pics please, when you have a chance.
 
Congrats on your new acquisition but as the saying goes around here
"pictures or it didn't happen" :biggrin:
 
Congrats, and welcome to Club 408 (provisional membership, pending pictures)!

The 408 is an awesome guitar, and will cover all kinds of ground.
 
Hard to go wrong with a 408 in whatever version. If a "10 top" there should be a "10" on the back of the headstock. If it is above a 10 top, it might not be so marked but there would typically be more info with the guitar (hang tag or otherwise) to specify what it is.

In any event, it sounds as it you got something pretty special!
 
Ditto - Chez408 indeed welcomes you! I absolutely love the 408 pickups, you will get much thicker (but authentic) single-coil tones than the Strats you have been used to. Love the widebody 408 in the bridge for higher gain stuff as well.

It's nice to have a trem that stays in tune when you use it, isn't it? Love my Strats, but I've always had to deck the trem (and add locking tuners as needed) to keep the things stable. Not needed with the PRS trem.

I won't beat the "pictures needed" aspect any more - other than to add that failure to post pics within one week of acquisition may cause your 408 to morph into a First Act...so get crackin' ;)
 
Congrats! I just picked up an Artist Package 408 in Violet two weeks ago. It's quickly becoming my favorite guitar as well! I can't wait to see pics of yours!
 
Congrats on your new acquisition but as the saying goes around here
"pictures or it didn't happen" :biggrin:
Boy, are you guys strict lol

Here it is. Not a great closeup (will bring it upstairs into daylight and get one of those soon), but it's in the context of my basement studio. A few congas with music books and sheets piled on top, the Princeton Reverb II, the guitar, a set of bongos, and in the background my Warwick Corvette Standard fretless bass (German from around 2002). The PRS is from 2013. Oh, and that case contains my bassist's Fender Jazz.

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No rain, so outside it went. Here it is in better detail. Not a 10 top, but nice enuf:

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Beautiful baby there! Welcome to the PRS family! I love my 408 standard (all mahogany in PRS lingo) it is my main player and is pretty relicked by now. In my opinion these are the most versatile pickups PRS has produced to date. If you want stratier tones roll off the volume to about 7 and voila. Play with the tone knob too you can thicken it up by rolling the tone back a bit.
 
Congrats! Love 408s and the Autumn Sky color is a personal fav.

Welcome aboard the PRS train, get ready, it moves fast and can be very costly - but they're worth every penny :biggrin:
 
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