Paul's 85!

docteurseb said:
Congrats!

It's a beautiful batch with perfect looking top and color.
The pricing bugs me a bit personally compared to a base specs Private Stock Paul's Guitar with identical specs.
However:
  • I'm told the curly maple tops on this run is definitely no joke, with off the charts chatoyance. Anyone who has seen or owns a Graveyard I knows how incredible that batch of tops looked, I was skeptical until I saw couple in person in Tokyo.
  • It's also available now/soon rather than in 12-18months, that makes a $13k 'impulse'/dream purchase all that much easier.
Click to expand...
I second this. Pictures do not do justice to my Graveyard II ‘s top . There is a iridescence to them (to borrow PRS’s words) which has to be seen in person. Hope the Paul’s 85 have the same quality
 
Hey folks, just wanted to add on to this thread our mini demo of this stunning guitar. I believe it’s sold already but we were lucky to have received the very first edition in the UK and I got my hands on it as quickly as I could!

Hope you enjoy!

 
These are starting to trickle in at several US stores (and overseas too). I was told delivery for most is pushed out as PRS is out of stock/waiting for one part.
Interestingly they all seem to be coming with zebra covers so far.

The other thing is that my comment below hasn't aged well after just 2 months... Need I say more ? Damn GAS... :D
docteurseb said:
The pricing bugs me a bit personally compared to a base specs Private Stock Paul's Guitar with identical specs.
Click to expand...
 
I saw one in europe a few weeks ago
Clearly an amazing top ! (But not better than the ones you usually see on private stocks)
But ... that is actually a pauls guitar with vintage tuners (and that bothers me for esthetical purpose)
The color is amazing for sure and will aged well i guess
But ... the back, black backplates ... what a lazy choice ... when private stock is all about details ... at this price this is not forgivable

That said ... i had the thoughts of giving it a try (damned GAS !) but the « details » pushed me back ...
 
There's figuring, and then there's chatoyance. Pictures, and even most videos, never fully convey how strong the latter is but you can get a good hint with good pictures taken at different lighting orientations.

At first I was laughing at the PRS video stating the Graveyard's had these incredible tops thinking it was just marketing; I wasn't laughing anymore the moment I saw couple of them in person in Tokyo.

The Vault has fantastic tops, they're just typically not as iridescent as the best Graveyard/Paul's 85 specimens.
I was in the Vault last year and the process was eye opening: while there was no shortage of nicely figured curly maple billets, there was a very notable difference in chatoyance. The dealer and I narrowed it down to just two tops that were a fair bit above the others we had sorted through; I still wouldn't put that top quite on the same level of chatoyance as the best Graveyard tops.

As for the details you mentioned I'm with you on that, but willing to forgive :)
If it's a wood without crazy grain and a dark stain then I almost prefer plastic backplates.
If it's a more crazy grain like ash with a lighter finish then I absolutely want wood backplates.

BTW, I just saw JD at @GTRMAV listed his today and that one appears to have insane chatoyance.
 
There’s one particular Paul’s 85 I saw in PSF. If THAT one became available I’d have a hard, hard time...
8mx.gif

tenor.gif
 
ScottR said:
Hey what happened?? I've been holding it for days...about to start my pee pee dance. :p:D
Click to expand...

Well...
It arrived yesterday but with a small chip and finish crack on both corners of the nut slot, and bit fat cluster of lacquer checking right at the back of the neck in that same area and the E tuner. Looks like there was a bit of shipping trauma... the guitar was actually a bit loose inside the padded case, which isn’t unusual (my MEV PS, Paul’s guitar Core had the same case issue) but coupled with the k early fragile nitro a small fall might have been enough to cause this.

It’s going back for a return, although I’m tempted to see if PRS can help with a refinish of the neck.
I was sure about the return earlier today, tonight not as much
The fragility of this lacquer has given me pause as far as owning one for investment purposes; for the purpose of playing it wouldn’t care.

Aside from that it does look great, though to be clear the chatoyance didn’t wow me. It plays effortlessly, and sounds incredible.
Most acoustically resonant guitar I’ve heard, though my PG Core I got a few weeks ago was already a monster in that department and very very close behind.
On the playability front I’ve just replicated the setup on my PG and it still doesn’t play quite as nicely. The only things left would be the nut slot filling to adequate height which might very well get me there, and those highly polished frets on PS guitars which is easy to do as well bout will have to wait the next string change.
Thing is the neck shape on that Paul’s 85 is perfect for my hands; fits like a glove.
Hence the hesitation about returning it vs trying to have it refinished. It’s incredible feeling and playing, and I know it may be hard to find another PRS with a neck shape that feels just as right as this one does (neck shape consistency isn’t PRS strength based on my recent experience with multiple guitars having supposedly the same neck shape but feeling way different).
 
docteurseb said:
Well...
It arrived yesterday but with a small chip and finish crack on both corners of the nut slot, and bit fat cluster of lacquer checking right at the back of the neck in that same area and the E tuner. Looks like there was a bit of shipping trauma... the guitar was actually a bit loose inside the padded case, which isn’t unusual (my MEV PS, Paul’s guitar Core had the same case issue) but coupled with the k early fragile nitro a small fall might have been enough to cause this.

It’s going back for a return, although I’m tempted to see if PRS can help with a refinish of the neck.
I was sure about the return earlier today, tonight not as much
The fragility of this lacquer has given me pause as far as owning one for investment purposes; for the purpose of playing it wouldn’t care.

Aside from that it does look great, though to be clear the chatoyance didn’t wow me. It plays effortlessly, and sounds incredible.
Most acoustically resonant guitar I’ve heard, though my PG Core I got a few weeks ago was already a monster in that department and very very close behind.
On the playability front I’ve just replicated the setup on my PG and it still doesn’t play quite as nicely. The only things left would be the nut slot filling to adequate height which might very well get me there, and those highly polished frets on PS guitars which is easy to do as well bout will have to wait the next string change.
Thing is the neck shape on that Paul’s 85 is perfect for my hands; fits like a glove.
Hence the hesitation about returning it vs trying to have it refinished. It’s incredible feeling and playing, and I know it may be hard to find another PRS with a neck shape that feels just as right as this one does (neck shape consistency isn’t PRS strength based on my recent experience with multiple guitars having supposedly the same neck shape but feeling way different).
Click to expand...

Aww man what a bummer!!! Sorry it went that way. Glad you got to check it out at least. For that kind of cheddar it would have to beyond just a great example. To me at least it would have to be beyond exceptional. Good luck getting it all sorted out my friend!!

Now...excuse me while I go pee.:D
 
ScottR said:
Aww man what a bummer!!! Sorry it went that way. Glad you got to check it out at least. For that kind of cheddar it would have to beyond just a great example. To me at least it would have to be beyond exceptional. Good luck getting it all sorted out my friend!!

Now...excuse me while I go pee.:D
Click to expand...

I'm almost getting used to shipping damage, UPS seems to specifically be targeting the most expensive PS... My Graveyard II arrived with a long finish crack starting at the heel...

Don't get me wrong: it's exceptional looking and about as perfect of an example as you're going to get for these.

It's just that I was expecting off the charts chatoyance and it just has outstanding chatoyance.
My recent acquisition didn't help; I'm very hard to wow in terms of chatoyance after this:
... not that I want to make you pee yet again.
 
docteurseb said:
Well...
It arrived yesterday but with a small chip and finish crack on both corners of the nut slot, and bit fat cluster of lacquer checking right at the back of the neck in that same area and the E tuner. Looks like there was a bit of shipping trauma... the guitar was actually a bit loose inside the padded case, which isn’t unusual (my MEV PS, Paul’s guitar Core had the same case issue) but coupled with the k early fragile nitro a small fall might have been enough to cause this.

It’s going back for a return, although I’m tempted to see if PRS can help with a refinish of the neck.
I was sure about the return earlier today, tonight not as much
The fragility of this lacquer has given me pause as far as owning one for investment purposes; for the purpose of playing it wouldn’t care.

Aside from that it does look great, though to be clear the chatoyance didn’t wow me. It plays effortlessly, and sounds incredible.
Most acoustically resonant guitar I’ve heard, though my PG Core I got a few weeks ago was already a monster in that department and very very close behind.
On the playability front I’ve just replicated the setup on my PG and it still doesn’t play quite as nicely. The only things left would be the nut slot filling to adequate height which might very well get me there, and those highly polished frets on PS guitars which is easy to do as well bout will have to wait the next string change.
Thing is the neck shape on that Paul’s 85 is perfect for my hands; fits like a glove.
Hence the hesitation about returning it vs trying to have it refinished. It’s incredible feeling and playing, and I know it may be hard to find another PRS with a neck shape that feels just as right as this one does (neck shape consistency isn’t PRS strength based on my recent experience with multiple guitars having supposedly the same neck shape but feeling way different).
Click to expand...

Oh so sorry for you ...
Maybe if this one has not the chatoyance (are you french by the way ?) you expected maybe another one will ... there are 85 of them and i am sure many more opportunity to come in the next weeks ...

could you share pictures of the guitar and the damages please ?
 
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