One piece top in McCarty core (and pics of course)

jeffroel

New Member
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Sep 24, 2020
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33
So,

a friend of mine has just bought a NOS '18 McCarty and right away we did the unboxing at my place.

It's a core plain one, no 10 top, no special options, no WL. Great guitar, light, beautiful sustain and tone... everything is perfect in this one.

What puzzles me is that this PRS is a one piece top. I've seen it as an option in some WL or PS guitars. In this case, the top is mildly flamed (almost plain) with some vertical lines/strikes.

He has bought it unseen from an online store here in Spain, and it was sold just as a McCarty (no mention to the one piece top, which leads me to think this is just some sort of happy coincidence that sometime in a while a top comes and the factory decides to use it just in one piece)

So what do you know about one piece tops in core guitars and what do you think about this one? I would've expected a better flame instead of a one piece top, but I guess it's just a matter of opinions.

Some pictures although the light is not great.

8VSL4qA.jpg

Mp9BlXE.jpg

rcxV2DU.jpg

zXARKZe.jpg
 
Maybe I'm crazy but this is one of the most beautiful
Paul Reed Smith guitars I have ever seen.
The one piece top.
The understated dignified figuring.
(There is really a lot going on there but it's subtle.)
The first 2 pictures weren't a big deal but the last 2 are stunning.
Just plain beautiful.
 
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Wicked guitar!

In general, it seems among the guitar-player/collector/buyer-seller community that "1-piece top" (instead of the typical book-matched top) is a happy added value. With PRS, there does not seem to be a massive rhyme or reason when they show up--in fact, just recently I had been looking at a used 2012 model with a 1-piece quilted 10-top; it wasn't private-stock/custom-ordered or anything particularly "premium" like that--just a "regular old" 10-top with a typical PRS color. Just a happy coincidence/bonus when they grab that piece of wood in the factory, it seems.

Again... wicked guitar your friend's got there. Anybody spending twice the $$$ these days on a Custom Shop Les Paul should be very worried about how they've spent their money.
 
Yeah, that's just a happy coincidence there. That's not figured and symmetric enough to be a 10-top (and I hope it wasn't sold as such)! But it's a really pretty piece of wood, so why cut it up? Great looking guitar!
 
Thanks for the comments. The guitar is really something unique. The figuring is completely different depending on the light. From the front there's almost no flaming, but with artificial top light the flame "explodes" as you can see (and when that happens the top is beautiful). Just compare this pictures

Here with her sister (actually born 7 days apart :) )
apL7fEX.jpg


And just flipping it around the flame changes
2uPOobO.jpg



And here with artificial light
wzZGCnE.jpg



I'm starting to get a bit jealous about the one top and maybe I have to look for one, and even more if a one piece top means a certain "premium" or rarity, although I have myself enough McCarties for now... xD
 
Nice one! Very beautiful. I’ve seen 1pc tops on all type of “Normal” PRS guitars. From non-10 tops through artist. Luck of the draw sometimes.
 
Noice!!!! Very understated cool and unique! I really dig it. Definitely agree with the happy coincidence thing!
 
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