Non-10-top Core Models Rare?

[HANGAR18]

It seems to me like all the new core model (Custom 24's for example) that are on the market are all 10-tops and carry the new higher pricing to go with them. But, I am hard pressed to find any non-10-top CU24's in stock anywhere while I am online window shopping. I wonder if anyone else noticed that.

But then I got to thinking that maybe it all makes sense if I look at it this way... There are two new USA made production lines. More mouths to feed so to speak. So it would totally make sense to me that if PRS had a Maple top which wasn't a 10-top, they could use it on their S2 line or the CE line and then just save all the 10 top grade Maple exclusively for 10 tops, artist packages and etc. It would not surprise me were I to learn that PRS is no longer making any core models without a ten top or better on it.

Conspiracy theory?

 

[vchizzle]

Yes, conspiracy theory. They are out there. My buddy bought a non 10 at Experience this year. You are probably right that the ratio of non 10's is down though.

 

[Dusty Chalk]

What? No. There are plenty. Where are you looking? The bigger sites like Sweetwater and Guitar Center have them all on one page, so there are fewer different pages, but that doesn't mean there are fewer guitars, there's actually more.

 

[WEDGE]

Yes, conspiracy theory. They are out there. My buddy bought a non 10 at Experience this year. You are probably right that the ratio of non 10's is down though.

That Tremonti that Tim got was killer for a non ten. Gorgeous guitar.

 

[HANGAR18]

What? No. There are plenty. Where are you looking? The bigger sites like Sweetwater and Guitar Center have them all on one page, so there are fewer different pages, but that doesn't mean there are fewer guitars, there's actually more.

Sweetwater was one of the prime examples I used to formulate my opinion. If you want a non-ten-top Custom 24 and you search the Guitar Gallery (which is what they actually have in stock right this minute) you will find a whole lot of 10 tops but either one or zero non tens.

I don't need any more guitars but I do a lot of window shopping and most of the guitars I have ever bought come from window shopping when I don't need another guitar.

Maybe they just aren't making as many Custom 24's anymore. Are they still the most popular guitar that PRS makes? That might be a good topic for a new thread... Who still likes the Custom 24's? Or Show me your CU24's.

 

[Whitecat]

There is a not-insignificant price difference between a non-10 and a 10 - so it's good for PRS to offer both. Non-10 for someone who wants to pay the absolute minimum for a new intrument but have the full-fat PRS experience, and 10-top for someone who likes the aesthetic & can afford it (and a bit of nice margin for PRS & the dealer as well of course!)

The S2/CE grade of wood is meant to be somewhere below the regular grade (cosmetically) although I suspect to shift a few more CEs and S2s there are some nicer tops making their way onto those lately as well, especially the CEs.

Finally, other than a few guitars on a 'hot sheet' PRS makes the guitars that dealers order... if dealers want non-10s, it's as simple as filling out an order form.

 

[rugerpc]

I have no idea what the current ratio is.

But it could easily be the case that PRS is getting steadily better at sourcing georgous wood and the S2 and CE lines using up more of the non-10 stock that they do end up with.

How about the thought that in order to make a non-10 core, they have to raid the S2 or CE wood piles?

 

[CVS]

My guess is that past customer demand is what is driving dealer orders for new guitars at the larger dealers like Sweetwater and Musicians Friend (Notable exception would be PS guitars that dealers carry in stock)

Sweetwater was one of the prime examples I used to formulate my opinion. If you want a non-ten-top Custom 24 and you search the Guitar Gallery (which is what they actually have in stock right this minute) you will find a whole lot of 10 tops but either one or zero non tens.

I could be that the reason that you are not seeing many non 10 tops in dealer inventories is that they are selling quickly??

 

[László]

I think someone should sit at the end of the production line and grade them for tone!

"Tone's subjective."

"Same with looks."

 

[Dusty Chalk]

Sweetwater was one of the prime examples I used to formulate my opinion. If you want a non-ten-top Custom 24 and you search the Guitar Gallery (which is what they actually have in stock right this minute) you will find a whole lot of 10 tops but either one or zero non tens.

I don't need any more guitars but I do a lot of window shopping and most of the guitars I have ever bought come from window shopping when I don't need another guitar.

Maybe they just aren't making as many Custom 24's anymore. Are they still the most popular guitar that PRS makes? That might be a good topic for a new thread... Who still likes the Custom 24's? Or Show me your CU24's.

Or maybe they sell better. I've seen a lot of non10tops that I'd be perfectly happy with.

 

[Kazz]

It seems like they're out of of stock right now. Maybe they just sell more non-10 tops and they're waiting for more to come in, or for the 2017 models?

 

[CatStrangler]

I have no idea what the current ratio is.

But it could easily be the case that PRS is getting steadily better at sourcing georgous wood and the S2 and CE lines using up more of the non-10 stock that they do end up with.

How about the thought that in order to make a non-10 core, they have to raid the S2 or CE wood piles?

Another way to state it perhaps is that the marginally smaller cost for a nicer top to PRS is far surpassed by the costs added by the labor and other parts (I'm sure that is the case) and the best way to get the customer's money and some profit margins to have a nice top, i.e. the profit margin on a non-10 might be too low.

That being said, I am on record as stating that I wish more cool opaque colors were offered, and stand by that desire. It would be nice to have access to a artist-pack type fretboard upgrade and a cool metallic paint job without paying artist pack/wood library prices, but maybe 10 -top prices.

 

[HANGAR18]

By my measuring stick, a 10 top is now [mod edit: "a lot"] more expensive than a non-10 top. Thus, I would not call that a marginal (small) price difference. To me, that is a huge price difference. YMMV

 

[guitarzerosteve]

Seems to me that standards for a guitar to be proclaimed a 10 top have been relaxed over the last 10 years. My '95 CU24 is not a 10, but it looks much nicer then a lot of the production 10's I've seen lately. Maybe the quality of maple ain't what it once was, and they can't be as picky.

 

[CatStrangler]

By my measuring stick, a 10 top is now [mod edit: "a lot"] more expensive than a non-10 top. Thus, I would not call that a marginal (small) price difference. To me, that is a huge price difference. YMMV

That's my point. The difference in cost of the two tops to the builder is small, and the manufacturing costs are the same, however they can charge a lot more for the 10-top.