PRS color advertised not what you get

[Brian Murphy]

I recently bought a CE24, smoked amber. Not the same as guitar pictured in ads for smoked amber but to be expected, different guitar. I am happy with this purchase, at least color wise.

However I also purchased a SE24, sapphire. I got a green guitar instead of the sapphire blue guitar advertised, or even close.
I contacted the dealer, "Guitargear" who stated that this guitar was sapphire and that all guitars are different than those advertised and that they also had several other sapphire PRS Guitars and they too looked like mine. So no doubt others will get something different than what they ordered.

This ended up being a major inconvenience for me even though I am returning and expect to be reimbursed.

I am done with PRS after discovering that if another guitar were purchased, I will get a buy another guitar but there is a good chance, 50% in my case, of getting a guitar that does not resemble the guitars that PRS advertises.
Not too vane to play an ugly guitar but when I spend my money on anything I expect it to be as advertised and offended when told that two colors the same when not!

Red, Yellow and Blue are primary colors.
Green is a color made by combining yellow and blue, there is no yellow in the photo in the ad. Trust me the guitar I got was Green, emerald green in my opinion.
I contacted PRS who stated same color but darker and that this is a rare problem.
https://ibb.co/Q8b7dRy
I had a request for a shot outside. Shows a darker sapphire, or green, than the sapphire, or green grass.
How many others who are disappointed with their purchase due to color difference.
https://ibb.co/RTCrg0t
this is guitar in the ad, what I expected. I was told by Guitargear that the other "sapphire" guitars they had in stock looked like mine. So others who expect this guitar will also get what I did. I think it is a bad deal.
https://ibb.co/XJttt9j


]https://ibb.co/W2pyJXC

 

[jxe]

did you calibrate your monitor or did you order from a print catalog?

 

[veinbuster]

All the sapphire I’ve seen looks pretty much like this.

...except for the jeweller my wife favours. Their sapphires cover the rainbow. She reminds me from time to time that she doesn’t have a rainbow sapphire bracelet.

 

[Mozzi]

And some woods take stain differently. The Maple could be more on the yellow side for that particular veneer top and so the Blue ended up more on the green side. The ISSUE is not really with PRS but in you, the method your purchased your guitar and the store who sold it to you. You essentially bought a guitar on a 'stock' photo without actually inspecting the instrument and whether or not any 'variation' due to the 'natural' nature of woods and interaction with stains, are within your margin of toleration. Had you gone to the store yourself, you could have picked up the guitar, inspected it, asked the store if they had any others in that colour scheme, maybe even chosen a different colour or gone elsewhere to find one that matched exactly your expectation. The store themselves could have taken actual photo's instead of just using a stock photo - maybe its not their policy for guitars under a certain price point. Maybe they could have been 'helpful' in provide a Photo IF you asked or maybe even checked to see if it was 'Blue' like the stock photo or looked through their stock to find one - had you asked...

However, the point still remains that Natural woods react to stains differently - even if it is the same species. Some Maple can be much more 'white' in appearance and others have more 'yellow' and when 'Blue' stain is applied, that yellow comes through more creating a more 'green' like appearance. Therefore you have to accept some variation in the look and colour and if that is a big issue to you, ensure you get to see at least a photo (if you cannot get there in person) before opting to purchase.

Of course you can buy guitars that use solid paint to cover the body and therefore you get a more 'consistent' look - great for Shops that use stock images to sell guitars online...

 

[bodia]

That's a little harsh

 

[Brian Murphy]

did you calibrate your monitor or did you order from a print catalog?

did you calibrate your monitor or did you order from a print catalog?

My computer is calibrated. The ad at GuitarGear showed same color as the PRS ads. If I could figure out how to attach photos I would.

 

[Brian Murphy]

All the sapphire I’ve seen looks pretty much like this.

...except for the jeweller my wife favours. Their sapphires cover the rainbow. She reminds me from time to time that she doesn’t have a rainbow sapphire bracelet.

 

[Brian Murphy]

Beautiful guitar. I would have been very happy with that guitar.
I wish I knew how to add photo but the guitar you show is not exactly the same as the PRS ads but absolutely acceptable, it is blue.

 

[Craig Bennett]

Perhaps if you cannot go and see it in person, have the salesperson snap a photo with their phone and send it to you. My CE24 (Amber) matched perfectly what the factory showed. I bought mine local from a dealer and did go in person to play and view it. I certainly would not write off a company that produces an excellent product because the color was not what you expected. It could have been the dealer/distributor you dealt with. The Sapphire Blue I've seen were dead on to what PRS shows on their site.

 

[WEDGE]

So if I read this right your giving up on PRS because one dealer takes crappy poorly lit pics, so all PRS guitars must be sh!t? Makes sense to me.

 

[Ovibos]

How does it play and sound?

 

[Ovibos]

This is a dealer problem. Their pix are wrong. Blaming the brand is unfair.

Sweetwater has consistently good pix and they show your model as clearly green.
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/SECU24SBB--prs-se-custom-24-sapphire

 

[RallyFanatic]

However, the point still remains that Natural woods react to stains differently - even if it is the same species.

Very true - nature is nature, no two trees we’re created equal. Solid colors if you want consistency.

for example:

 

[]-[@n$0Ma☩!©]

I am done with PRS...

 

[sergiodeblanc]

Must’ve been Sergio Sapphire...

 

[Brian Murphy]

Perhaps if you cannot go and see it in person, have the salesperson snap a photo with their phone and send it to you. My CE24 (Amber) matched perfectly what the factory showed. I bought mine local from a dealer and did go in person to play and view it. I certainly would not write off a company that produces an excellent product because the color was not what you expected. It could have been the dealer/distributor you dealt with. The Sapphire Blue I've seen were dead on to what PRS shows on their site.

Great advise Craig,

I now know better.
My Ce24 was bought at Sweetwater and they did send me a photo of the guitar I purchased before shipping.
I knew that all guitars are made with different pieces of wood with different grains and that the person applying the finish has to have some latitude with amounts of paint applied to best compliment the piece of wood so sometimes lighter or darker with more or less smoke if a smoked effect.
An inspector also has to have a wide spectrum of colors and shades that are acceptable for each color offered. I for one applaud the freedom given the artists that do apply the finishes because this should be an organic process to produce the most attractive product. My objective opinion of the majority of PRS guitars and colors offered have very attractive finishes. The guitar I received may be the most beautiful guitar someone else has ever seen, just a different color than what I ordered and unlike any guitars shown in any model of PRS shown on the PRS site.

 

[jxe]

anyone remember having a drawer full of phones just to test your websites? it was worse than y2k, it was murda!

 

[Brian Murphy]

Very true - nature is nature, no two trees we’re created equal. Solid colors if you want consistency.

for example:

Wow, all beautiful guitars!!!!!!
I was expecting a guitar, could be the same photo, much like the second guitar down but like the one leaning towards aqua as well as the others. They are all shades of blue within what I would consider within an acceptable range as was the much darker one on another post.
I wish someone would let me know how to attach a photo.

 

[jxe]

the dealer should take it back and send you what you want, you’re clearly a sucker like the rest of us and he’s gonna lose that second sale.

Great advise Craig,

I now know better.
My Ce24 was bought at Sweetwater and they did send me a photo of the guitar I purchased before shipping.
I knew that all guitars are made with different pieces of wood with different grains and that the person applying the finish has to have some latitude with amounts of paint applied to best compliment the piece of wood so sometimes lighter or darker with more or less smoke if a smoked effect.
An inspector also has to have a wide spectrum of colors and shades that are acceptable for each color offered. I for one applaud the freedom given the artists that do apply the finishes because this should be an organic process to produce the most attractive product. My objective opinion of the majority of PRS guitars and colors offered have very attractive finishes. The guitar I received may be the most beautiful guitar someone else has ever seen, just a different color than what I ordered and unlike any guitars shown in any model of PRS shown on the PRS site.

 

[Tahlee]

Hello and welcome to the forum.

I upload pictures to www.imgbb.com
Then, I copy the Embed Code for the picture and paste it here.