NGD - The Ugly Duckling

[strat63]

Let's start with a picture.

This is a new CU22 that had been sitting in my local shop for almost 4 years until I brought it home yesterday. I've seen it there many times but never really gave it thought. It was just a bland guitar on the wall. For some odd reason I picked it up yesterday for no other reason than it was hanging next to the one I was actually interested in. It took a single A chord to make me seriously think about bringing it home. With some gain, there was just this beautiful bloom and sustain. I was powerless to leave it there. The 2 & 4 positions on the 5-way switch were all useable so it should be a rather versatile guitar. I'm hoping the look grows on me.

Tuning stability is not the greatest which is a first for me with a PRS. Any use of the trem leads to the high strings being sharp and the low strings being flat. I'm assuming I'll get that dialed in at some point

 

[Jazzedout]

Congrats!! Did you change the old strings?

 

[sergiodeblanc]

Ehh.. beauty is in the eye of the beer holder.

Congrats! Looks great to me.

 

[strat63]

Congrats!! Did you change the old strings?

It got new strings on it now so we'll see how it goes.

Ehh.. beauty is in the eye of the beer holder.

Congrats! Looks great to me.

The color in the picture makes the guitar look gray/black but it's actually a really faded aquamarine. I think my issue is I've watched the guitar go through years of fading and it looked rather odd for a while. Here's a picture taken with more natural light on it and you can see some of the blue.

You can see the original color here.

I imagine I'd be less than pleased if I had bought it right after it was built and it looked like this now. It should be blonde in a couple of years.

 

[DISTORT6]

That is not a ugly guitar.
Congrats!

 

[bodia]

I dig it!

 

[Tony M.]

Ugly?
No.

Unique.
Nice even flame.
Slight reverse chevron.
Very interesting fade.
Not ugly at all.

I would wear that in a New York Minute.

 

[strat63]

Maybe my title was a little off but looking at it without natural light makes it a dark guitar with no defined flame. There was a reason why it sat unsold for 4 years. The pictures above make the flame look way more prominent than my eyes see in person.

This picture is more representative of what I see.

The important thing is the guitar sounds incredible and feels good to play.

 

[Moondog Wily]

Congrats on adopting this natural beauty! We all have our signs of aging, at least it now has a loving home!! Rock on Duckling!!!

 

[dbrian66]

I think it looks great! But wow, that’s a lot of fade in 4 years. Did they have it hung in a window that gets direct afternoon sun?

 

[Russ73]

I like it OP...play the Shinto out of it!!

 

[SinSir]

Dude I dig it! Even though I think it looke killer, the fact that it sounds great is a no brainer.. Congrats!

 

[strat63]

I think it looks great! But wow, that’s a lot of fade in 4 years. Did they have it hung in a window that gets direct afternoon sun?

No sunlight at all. Just a pigment/dye that doesn't like light.

 

[dmatthews]

Congrats on landing a winner!
That would put a smile on my face any/every day!

 

[Turkeyhead]

Great one. I bet with a setup and strings settling in the tuning stability will fall into place. Very cool guitar

 

[Moondog Wily]

No sunlight at all. Just a pigment/dye that doesn't like light.

They should call it vampire dye!

 

[dmatthews]

vampire dye!

TWVHS
That's what Van Helsing said

 

[Alnus Rubra]

Congratulations. Sergio approved!

 

[Texas_minor_blues]

Nice Find!

 

[toothace]

Well done...Congrats! Another blue guitar finds a happy home!



Sweet top!