Prs special semi hollow ltd edition 10 top question

Robocop69

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I am going to order a prs special semi hollow ltd edition from UK dealer,
The 10 top is quite a bit more expensive than the non 10 top, I have 3 core prs models none of them 10 tops , do you consider the 10 top worth the extra expense ? any opinions ? I've narrowed it down to mcarty sunburnt or tobacco burst, although the pictures of the river blue look stunning .
 
It doesn't add anything to the tone, so it really comes down to how important looks are to you. I snagged one of them from a dealer who picked a few up and Exp. but didn't have a sales table there. It's a seriously great guitar. I stumbled into a 10 top, but I was willing to take whatever I could get. Top was not important to me.
 
I wouldn’t specifically search out a 10 top, but if a guitar I liked was a 10 top, I wouldn’t hesitate to pay the premium - I might not like the non 10 as much by the time I found it.
 
I've owned two 10-tops and a few non, it's mainly because that's what they just happened to be and not for my desire to have that extra credential on the back of the headstock. I've also seen standard tops that were as flamed and looked as good as 10-tops, I wondered why they weren't or if the factory just forgot to put the 10 stamp on the back of the headstock.

For me the love of PRS is the feel & tone primarily, the looks are just icing on the cake.
 
As far as I am concerned, the 10 top is purely a cosmetic difference - not that it always makes a 'big' difference. It may end up getting you a better price 'IF' you sell but you also pay more initially too. I wouldn't specifically seek out a 10top as you are literally paying more for a slightly better look. Its like paying 'extra' for some stripes on your car that doesn't make any difference to the performance or driving experience. If the 'guitar' you want just so happens to be a 10 top, so be it but I wouldn't specifically seek out a 10 top as the 'core' will sound and play equally as good.
 
10s are gorgeous...but Maple is maple, so I wouldn't think the 10 effects the sound...but resale value...that's different all together. Interestingly, a few years back, me and a friend played a bunch of PRSi and , out of that bunch of 10 or so, we liked the sound of the translucent tops best...go figure. A couple were solid black and red maple topped Customs. Of course, I really think I like solid mahogany more anyway. All personal preference.
 
The Special Semi-Hollow Ltd that I picked up at the Experience was not a 10 top, but had what I considered to be one of the better tops available. Yeah, the "flame" faded out in a couple of spots, which is why it wasn't graded "10", but frankly I don't notice that - but I do see the awesome tight figuring and great "burst" job. So I was quite happy to save a chunk of cash.

leNf3Oc.jpg
 
The Special Semi-Hollow Ltd that I picked up at the Experience was not a 10 top, but had what I considered to be one of the better tops available. Yeah, the "flame" faded out in a couple of spots, which is why it wasn't graded "10", but frankly I don't notice that - but I do see the awesome tight figuring and great "burst" job. So I was quite happy to save a chunk of cash.

leNf3Oc.jpg

That top looks stunning and you would be hard pressed to tell it apart from a 10-top version in the same colour.
 
I am going to order a prs special semi hollow ltd edition from UK dealer,
The 10 top is quite a bit more expensive than the non 10 top, I have 3 core prs models none of them 10 tops , do you consider the 10 top worth the extra expense ? any opinions ? I've narrowed it down to mcarty sunburnt or tobacco burst, although the pictures of the river blue look stunning .

I’ve had PS, Artist, 10 and non-ten. Lots of them. The grade of the maple is purely cosmetic. It has nothing to do with the tone.

You get a little more for the 10 if you sell it, but you pay more for it, too. 6 of one, half-dozen of the other.

If it’s important to have the looks, well, there’s a cost. If the tone matters more, it’s irrelevant. I wouldn’t stretch the budget to get a ten top. If it isn’t a stretch, well, why not just do it? :)
 
Thanks for all the great advice,I found this one in stock in a shop in the uk
https://goo.gl/images/uTKhBG
It is a ten top but after looking at many images on line for a 10 top the flame doesn't look so pronounced as on others images I have seen including non 10 tops.
Problem is I live on a small island in spain and don't have the possibility to visit the shop and see the guitar in person , I have to judge on the photos, and IMHO this image does not particularly look 10 top material to me , could be lighting or poor quality picture ,so thinking of taking my chances of pre-order non 10 top McCarty sunburst. Any thoughts?
 
That's a great looking guitar ,not sure what you mean about the hybrid hardware , do the 10 tops have different hardware ?
 
10-tops seem to be the ones with the most grain - in particular the fine lines that seem to be quite even. Personally I prefer more characteristic or even different cuts rather than something that looks very even which may be why I prefer some of the non-10tops to actual 10tops.

For example, My Custom 24 has a 'Chevron' cut and I find this far more aesthetically pleasing than those 10tops that are very fine lined and perfectly book matched

ExpmAXk.jpg

E3pL6EF.jpg


This is not a 10top and I like the fact that some of the lines are wider, less even and think this adds more character. This too has 'hybrid' hardware as it has a mix of Brass and a 'Silver' coloured metal as you can see in the bridge here. Also can see the Hybrid hardware on my 509 below...

BJ3Om6e.jpg

psZ8lWF.jpg


Again not a 10 top. but you can see it has more of what I consider character because its not super-even. My 594 is more 'even' with more fine lines but not so well book-matched but in a lot of ways but I still think it has more character because its not 'regular'

8sNcZH1.jpg

FCjJKxZ.jpg


I am not saying that I wouldn't buy a 10-top because they are so finely grained and much more 'even' in general but I certainly wouldn't go out of my way to make sure I had a 10-top in particular. Its MUCH more important to buy the guitar you like first and foremost. If it happens to be a 10 top, so be it and if not, then its a 'bargain' because its often cheaper (assuming its not Artist grade or Private Stock of course). Tone-wise, you will not hear a difference - other than the very small differences you find between guitars anyway as wood is not perfectly consistent.

I know that part of buying a guitar can be the way it looks. I know when I go to a Guitar shop, I am attracted to certain guitars and the ones I don't like the look of, I don't bother trying. They could be the 'best' sounding guitars but if it looks 'unappealing' to me, then I won't even try it to find out. 10 tops are part of this too - hoping that they catch your eye more than the standard top models so you go to those first and part with your money. There is nothing wrong with either a standard or 10 top, neither has a tonal advantage - its just aesthetic and perhaps will have a higher resale value too - after all only '10%' of all cores will have a 10-top in theory...
 
Thanks for all the great advice prs lovers,
I had put a deposit down on a 10 top McCarty sunburst, but after great deliberation I switched the deposit to order a non 10 top, I prefer the look of the non gold/ brass hardware, although as it is placed by order no way of knowing how the top will look,. But I agree that a certain amount of quir in the
 
Thanks for all the great advice prs lovers,
I had put a deposit down on a 10 top McCarty sunburst, but after great deliberation I switched the deposit to order a non 10 top, I prefer the look of the non gold/ brass hardware, although as it is placed by order no way of knowing how the top will look,. But I agree that a certain amount of quir in the

nice!
 
Good luck. Decisions on what guitars to buy are very difficult if you cannot play them and see them with your own eyes as a 1st step
Hope you are satisfied.
 
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