NGD 88 ce24

[The Fight]

Hey guys! So I finally picked up my 1988 CE24. It was two hours away, but I finally found some time to drive out and pick it up. What do I know about it? Well with the help of some friends from this forum I found out this is a 1988 #46, crazy.
The guitar is a white pearlescent, and very beat up and it looks like the last owner tried to touch up the paint job with nail polish.

The guitar is beat, it was definitely played and toured with.

Nothing on this guitar looks original except for tuners, bridge (not the saddles), and the pickups are unknown.
The neck pickup is definitely a prs pickup but the bridge I have no idea about.

I'm happy that the logo and serial number is intact. The neck has been re-glossed or oiled it looks like.
The frets are worn out and definitely need to be refretted.

A little disappointed...
But why am I still so happy?
The guitar sounds so killer! Whatever pickup is in this thing, it sounds good.
Very EVH sounding and thick.

Now. I've been looking for a project guitar for a wile now and I really feel like I found it. When I was looking for a new "old" ce, I told my self that it had to have an all maple neck and beat to **** so I wouldn't feel bad making into something awesome. But now that I found its a very low serial number I'm having second thoughts. Also it's a bit of a clash now that I found out its hardly original.

Ill keep it around for a bit and see what will come of it.
And I do have to say that I'm really happy that I got it, seeing that spent hardly nothing. This is my oldest prs I own and the cheapest. Can't go wrong.

Now my other 92 CE has a friend.



yin and yang...

 

[AP515]

Congratulations! I'd like it best with the war wounds but without the polish. I wonder if nail polish remover would work on 20 year old polish? Maybe take a rag and put a little on a corner and just set it on a polish spot for a few minutes and see if it softens up. Probably wont.

 

[Huggy Love]

Because I'm not a bolt on or maple fretboard guy I would sell it, If you like the tone & playability, keep it.

It's the perfect "project" guitar, so restoring it to specs is a good idea if you keep it or sell, you can also take the time & money to make it your dream axe, with a one of a kind color, top notch hardware,etc.
On the other hand, if you need a workhorse, just get a re-fret job on it and play it.

 

[The Fight]

Congratulations! I'd like it best with the war wounds but without the polish. I wonder if nail polish remover would work on 20 year old polish? Maybe take a rag and put a little on a corner and just set it on a polish spot for a few minutes and see if it softens up. Probably wont.

I like old beat up necks! Reminds me of Van Halen's finger board.
Hey speaking of which, why was there nothing written in the pickup cavity?

 

[The Fight]

Because I'm not a bolt on or maple fretboard guy I would sell it, If you like the tone & playability, keep it.

It's the perfect "project" guitar, so restoring it to specs is a good idea if you keep it or sell, you can also take the time & money to make it your dream axe, with a one of a kind color, top notch hardware,etc.
On the other hand, if you need a workhorse, just get a re-fret job on it and play it.

Dude that's what I'm talking about! Thank you!

 

[ViperDoc]

If it sounds as good as you say it does, I would consider leaving it with a story to tell. Looks awesome, dude.

 

[Smoo]

I voted "Do nothing". I think you should literally do nothing with it, leaving it to remain stringless and propped up on your couch to be cumbersome to any future guests

 

[prsrocker1988]

HNGD.

And leave it as is. I love worn guitars be they original or reliced.

 

[CantankerousCarl]

Leave it as-is and continue playing the snot out if it.

Love the double maple fretboard goodness BTW!

 

[bodia]

I'm with everyone else, although I have a couple of CE projects floundering right now. Here's the difference, and why I agree with the others; mine were just bodies, so I didn't have any choice.

An old CE, beat and bruised the honest way, should be a joy, and would be a keeper for me. I'd probably refret it, and call it a day. Nothing to do at that point but plug it in, turn it up, and let her rip!

That's a good find! HNGD!

 

[veinbuster]

I'd do nothing but play it for a bit and see how it feels to me.
If I really like it, I'd take a shot at some restoration myself and if that started going sideways, send it to the PTC to do a couple of things.

 

[mezzio]

I voted restore it yourself.

But (yeah I know, don't start a sentence with 'but'), I've been on a major restoration/refinishing kick lately. I've found almost as much enjoyment in tearing down and rebuilding guitars lately as I have playing them. There's something satisfying about playing something you had a hand in making beautiful again .

 

[toothace]

Refret and roll with it! Congrats on the find!!

 

[Jimi D]

I vote Refret as well... Now if it was mine, I'd probably get my wife to paint a Norval Morrisseau-inspired Thunderbird or Wolf directly on the body as is and just throw a couple coats of clear on top to protect it... maybe something like this:

but that's me...

 

[shupe13]

Nice!

Congrats!!

 

[The Fight]

Hey guys I've been playing the guitar a good part of the afternoon and I have to say, the guitar feels solid. The feel and sound reminds me of a expensive EVH guitar but better! It's really hard to explain, it's so easy to get the brown sound, I think due to what ever pickup is in it. You can hit it hard and you get a special spank, but it's almost like the neck eats some of the low end, leaving awesome high sparkly over tones. I can't explain, I think I'll have to make a video.

I don't think my 92 CE sounds this good and I intentionally changed the pickups to get that sound. All I can say is I'm having fun and I can't put the thing down, though still curious to hear what 59/09 pickups would sound like. Mby in the near future I'll give it a shot, and definitely get it wired back for coil tap.

Any how, I really appreciate the input.
I think I'm going to wait a bit before I make any rash decisions, let the thing grow on me for a wile.

 

[The Fight]

I vote Refret as well... Now if it was mine, I'd probably get my wife to paint a Norval Morrisseau-inspired Thunderbird or Wolf directly on the body as is and just throw a couple coats of clear on top to protect it... maybe something like this:

but that's me...

Lol , but I'm not in a tribe..
I think this is a bit more appropriate

 

[shupe13]

An EVH inspired PRS would be B A D!

 

[The Fight]

An EVH inspired PRS would be B A D!

Well I do have 1/3 of it painted
I think the first coat is white.

 

[shupe13]

A reliced version of the EVH would be the way to go.

But... I'd hate to lose the natural relicing. Hard to call.

Just play her!