PRS 2022 Wood Library McCarty nitro lacquer checking

[CharlesH]

Hello everyone! I am new to the PRS family. First post here! Bought a beautiful wood library McCarty with artist top in Faded Blue Jean about two months ago. Fantastic sounding guitar.

I have kept the guitar in the hardshell case it came with. It has been played only around the house, and it is stored in my bedroom.

I picked it up to put new strings on, and saw a crack in the nitro finish at the neck joint (1/2 inch long), and what looks like a very small chip at the edge of the headstock veneer.

Is that common? Should I make a warranty claim? I have nitro custom shop fenders and gibsons and would have been okay with that, but I am candidly not sure what goes into the “nitro” topcoat of the new core models…

Cheers,

Charles

 

[BrianC]

I never really got the nitro thing or maybe I just really like Poly. Shiny, glossy no checking protective not sticky...

 

[bodia]

I would contact customer service about it. If you’re keeping it cased, I wouldn’t think you’d have any checking. I’ve got a 2021 JW Ltd that has the “fast checking” nitro finish instead of the CAB/nitro. It hangs on the wall and has no signs of checking

 

[Prs Mods too]

You lucked out, a relic at standard pricing.

Flip it and make out like a bandit!

 

[Lkdog]

Contact PRS.
This nitro over CAB finish is another unsuccessful experiment by PRS.

 

[László]

I never really got the nitro thing or maybe I just really like Poly. Shiny, glossy no checking protective not sticky...

The PRS nitro doesn't get sticky at all. Some of nitro finished PRSes have been around for 8 or 9 years, and through many changes of season and humidity. I feel pretty confident in saying that it's nothing like Gibson's nitro that gets crazy-sticky in summer.

If you haven't owned a nitro PRS, you may not be aware of this. I'd have assumed the same thing prior to owning mine.

Contact PRS.
This nitro over CAB finish is another unsuccessful experiment by PRS.

Not at all true. I've had several now (currently five), the finish is both great-looking and unproblematic, and the tone is improved over the other stuff. No checking or issues with the ones I have, but nitro will check sometimes. PRS will probably fix the finish on a new one.

I had a poly finish peel around the edges of the top on two Taylors, and flaking and peeling on a Rick. Nothing's perfect, and PRS' nitro, while very good stuff, is no exception.

Fact is, paints really don't like sticking to wood the way they do metal.

 

[CharlesH]

Thanks all for the color! Will check in with the dealer and PRS…

 

[bodia]

Contact PRS.
This nitro over CAB finish is another unsuccessful experiment by PRS.

Disagree

 

[bodia]

The PRS nitro doesn't get sticky at all.


Not at all true. I've had several now, the finish is both great-looking and unproblematic, and the tone is improved over the other stuff. No checking or issues with the ones I have, but nitro will check sometimes. PRS will probably fix the finish on a new one.

I had a poly finish peel around the edges of the top on two Taylors, and flaking and peeling on a Rick. Nothing's perfect, and PRS' nitro, while very good stuff, is no exception.

Fact is, paints really don't like sticking to wood the way they do metal.

Completely agree.

 

[Lkdog]

The PRS nitro doesn't get sticky at all. Some of nitro finished PRSes have been around for 8 or 9 years, and through many changes of season and humidity. I feel pretty confident in saying that it's nothing like Gibson's nitro that gets crazy-sticky in summer.

If you haven't owned a nitro PRS, you may not be aware of this. I'd have assumed the same thing prior to owning mine.


Not at all true. I've had several now (currently five), the finish is both great-looking and unproblematic, and the tone is improved over the other stuff. No checking or issues with the ones I have, but nitro will check sometimes. PRS will probably fix the finish on a new one.

I had a poly finish peel around the edges of the top on two Taylors, and flaking and peeling on a Rick. Nothing's perfect, and PRS' nitro, while very good stuff, is no exception.

Fact is, paints really don't like sticking to wood the way they do metal.

I have had about 30 Gibson and other company nitro finishes. No issues.

Have had early DGT PRS straight nitro finishes. No issues.

There is common issue with the new nitro over CAB they have underneath adhering. It flakes and bubbles. We are not talking checking.
They had a very well known similar issues with the V12 we all know about with flaking (I had 2 of them) and they finally ditched it.

PRS needed to stick with what worked. But Paul likes to create market interest with claiming new breakthroughs.

FWIW- I have had about 15 PRS guitars and do still have a 2021 DGT I like that had these new paint issues. PRS tech gave me bad advice on addressing with a simple spot respray by my professional luthier that made it worse.
They then wanted $1000 bucks to respray the neck only and refused to do touch up on a 2" x 2" area.

I was out of warranty as I bought it used although they were fixing the V12 screw up issues for non original owners as you recall.
I would never pay retail for a PRS or any higher end guitar really.


I had MJT sand down and stain the neck. I like it.

 

[Alnus Rubra]

I would contact customer service about it. If you’re keeping it cased, I wouldn’t think you’d have any checking. I’ve got a 2021 JW Ltd that has the “fast checking” nitro finish instead of the CAB/nitro. It hangs on the wall and has no signs of checking

I had a non PRS nitro guitar that checked in the case. The guy I sold it to was over the moon.

 

[CharlesH]

Thanks all! Super helpful. Have you had experience with PRS for something like this? Should I expect them to be constructive?

 

[László]

I have had about 30 Gibson and other company nitro finishes. No issues.

Have had early DGT PRS straight nitro finishes. No issues.

There is common issue with the new nitro over CAB they have underneath adhering. It flakes and bubbles. We are not talking checking.
They had a very well known similar issues with the V12 we all know about with flaking (I had 2 of them) and they finally ditched it.

PRS needed to stick with what worked. But Paul likes to create market interest with claiming new breakthroughs.

FWIW- I have had about 15 PRS guitars and do still have a 2021 DGT I like that had these new paint issues. PRS tech gave me bad advice on addressing with a simple spot respray by my professional luthier that made it worse.
They then wanted $1000 bucks to respray the neck only and refused to do touch up on a 2" x 2" area.

I was out of warranty as I bought it used although they were fixing the V12 screw up issues for non original owners as you recall.
I would never pay retail for a PRS or any higher end guitar really.


I had MJT sand down and stain the neck. I like it.

Welp. Started buying PRSes in 1991. Have had about 35 or 36 of them over the years. I've had the original finish as early as the mid - '90s need to be redone along the fretboard edges a couple of times, and clouding due to clear coat lifting a time or two. I know better than to think the older ones were any less prone to finish issues than the new ones.

However, there have been no issues with my 5 current and two former nitro PRSes at all. Zero, none. Pretty good results, as far as I'm concerned.

I was a Gibson player from 1967 - 2007, though I preferred PRS, but I still have my '65 SG Special. Gibson's finishes always cracked, flaked and got sticky. That was part of the bargain. But nitro finished guitars have a sound; personally I prefer it. The tradeoff is a more fragile finish. For me, tone is king, so it's worth the tradeoff.

Paul's doing more than making changes to generate interest. The changes have improved the tone, in my book.

We all have a different perspective. I strongly disagree with yours.

 

[Lkdog]

Welp. Started buying PRSes in 1991. Have had about 35 or 36 of them over the years. I've had the original finish as early as the mid - '90s need to be redone along the fretboard edges a couple of times, and clouding due to clear coat lifting a time or two. I know better than to think the older ones were any less prone to finish issues than the new ones.

However, there have been no issues with my 5 current and two former nitro PRSes at all. Zero, none. Pretty good results, as far as I'm concerned.

I was a Gibson player from 1967 - 2007, though I preferred PRS, but I still have my '65 SG Special. Gibson's finishes always cracked, flaked and got sticky. That was part of the bargain. But nitro finished guitars have a sound; personally I prefer it. The tradeoff is a more fragile finish. For me, tone is king, so it's worth the tradeoff.

Paul's doing more than making changes to generate interest. The changes have improved the tone, in my book.

We all have a different perspective. I strongly disagree with yours.

Glad you are happy with your guitars. PRS has no doubt made some interesting alternatives in the market in the view of many people. The early CE24's, and the DGT are the only models I have found that offer anything I wanted to keep.

And there is no question that Paul is a master salesman and he has a loyal following.

 

[dogrocketp]

I’ve bought and sold about 50 PRS and currently have 20 with no problems, LKDog. What data do you base your comment on? Oh yeah, I gig them, even outside in the hot, humid summers of Maryland.

 

[László]

Glad you are happy with your guitars. PRS has no doubt made some interesting alternatives in the market in the view of many people. The early CE24's, and the DGT are the only models I have found that offer anything I wanted to keep.

And there is no question that Paul is a master salesman and he has a loyal following.

There is no question that he is VERY good at sales - after all, there aren't many fine guitar makers who've done what he did - and yeah, many of Paul's customers (including me) are loyal!

I guess as a business owner I can relate; I want customers to come back for more, and to be loyal to at least considering my company for their business (I'm in the music composition/production business). Who wouldn't want that?

My own feeling is that if you've found even two types of Paul's instruments you actually like, that's a pretty good result. When I first went into business, a successful mentor told me, "If you're getting one out of ten clients to return, consider that a very good result."

I don't know what Paul's repeat customer ratio is. For me, it's been 10/10 for the last 15 years (bought my last Custom Shop Gibson in 2007). That's pretty darn good.