Only took 6 and a half months. :)

[Brad737]

Hello all,

I just got a very welcome email from Ben at Musicstorelive.com. They finally received my Brazilian 408 that I ordered in early February. If it sounds like I'm complaining, rest assured I'm not! I ordered this after the deadline passed for this model, and Ben went to bat for me and called in a favor. I wanted a quilt top in Santana Yellow, with Pattern neck (NOT thin), hybrid hardware, and a trem. At some point, they had to restart my order, and Ben kept me updated as well as he could. I'm just thankful I'm getting what I ordered.

I will admit that the top seems a little tame from the pics I received, but Ben told me it's a really 3-D top that changes a lot based on viewing angle. I'm REALLY eager to play her through my amps. I've heard nothing but rave reviews of the pickups. Anyway, here are a couple quick pics:

I'm hoping she'll arrive home early next week. Needless to say, I can barely wait.

 

[László]

That's not a long time. My PS took 9. And most of the special orders I've made over the years took over 4.

Beautiful guitar, by the way!

 

[Brad737]

I'm not complaining. By way of comparison, my Private Stock took a little less than 4 months. I can't wait to finally get her.

 

[swede71]

Looks Amazing!

 

[Gibson67v]

MY GAWD!!!! That looks AMAZING!!!

 

[sergiodeblanc]

Seriously never been psyched by the 408, but that looks so bangin'!

I can now totally see where you're comin' from..... I would be so much of a prissy beach waiting for that guitar!

Well done.

 

[ekul785]

I'm not usually a fan of quilted tops, but to me that's a perfect one as it's not too over-the-top. Love the colour too

 

[sleary]

I like it and I bet you love it

 

[TAJ]

Worth the wait!! That is an amazing guitar, Congrats!

 

[CoreyT]

Very nice Brad, you are going to like those pickups.

 

[markie]

Very cool Brad...........

 

[Sekunda]

Awesome axe... gorgeous color! Congrats!

 

[Sage]

My HB2 was a special order and it took almost a year, iirc. That was back in 2002. I believe I ordered it in 2001. My first Cu24 that I ordered in 1999 took longer than six months, I believe. PRS has definitely improved their wait time.

Great looking axe, too. Does Santana Yellow have a wraparound yellow back? I definitely like that better than the red back on the old Vintage Yellow guitars.

 

[Paul L]

I'm sure it was well worth the wait. Congrats!

 

[megaboogie]

Congrats! you are going to love it.

 

[Woundtight]

Awesome, you gotta be stoked!

 

[yacht_rocker]

Congrats. The Santana Yellow looks right at home on that quilted top.

 

[Brad737]

Great looking axe, too. Does Santana Yellow have a wraparound yellow back? I definitely like that better than the red back on the old Vintage Yellow guitars.

Santana Yellow has a natural back.

 

[Brad737]

Thanks for the kind words. I'm really eager to try it out!

 

[Brad737]

OK guys, I'm happy to report my 408 arrived today. Here's my quick review:

For me, this guitar was all about the neck and pickups. Home runs on both counts. I've never owned a Pattern neck before, but I like it a lot. I honestly still prefer the Wide-Fat, but this is a very comfortable carve. The shoulders are definitely not as deep. It's almost like a soft V. I played the hell out of her today, with no fatigue at all. Typical great PRS fretwork. The color of the neck is pretty light, but the feel is great. The fretboard is very dark, with swirly grain. Les Paul guys would kill for a fretboard this nice. The new Birds are simply beautiful.

The pickups are a real innovation. When I met Paul, he said the 408 pickups were voiced like 57/08s. I didn't hear that at all. The suckers are hot, The bridge sounds more modern to me. The harmonics are a bit different. The bridge sounds great, both split and full humbucker. To be honest, I don't really dig the neck pickup that much in humbucking mode. Split is a different story entirely. It sounds fantastic. I pretty much leave it split all the time. Full bridge and split neck sounds great together.

I was pretty stressed about the top. In the pics I got from MSL, the top looked lame. I was even thinking of taking delivery of a different guitar. I will say I'm a bit surprised it got a 10. It's the least figured top of any maple topped PRS I own. HOWEVER...pictures honestly DO NOT do this guitar justice. It's the most "lively" top I've ever seen. You look at it at one angle, and there's a huge dead spot...move it an inch and it comes to life. I'm glad I took this one. I love yellow guitars, and while it's not the craziest top, I do like it a lot.

All in all, this guitar won't replace my Modern Eagles, but I love it. The versatility is great. I think this model is the best bang for the buck PRS has.