Rarity of Natural Tops

[Driver 8]

Hi all. First post. I currently have a CU22 in blood orange but I’ve been gassing for one with a natural top. I want to buy used because of price for one but I also like dragon II pickups and would like to get one with them being original to the guitar. The trouble is they seem very hard to come by. I’ve scoured Reverb, Ebay, Craigslist, various guitar forums, well-known dealers, etc. without luck. I’ve seen a few 24s but only one 22...and it has a stoptail (trem is a must).

Just wondering if there are statistics available as to how many were produced and whether or not they are “rare”. Can you guys point me in the right direction? I’m going to keep trying but I am curious about the numbers. Thanks.

 

[NoisyDante]

Natural tops do seem rare, I don’t know what statistics exist on that but I’d be willing to be that it’s not in the top 5 most requested finishes. And would they even consider leaving it natural if it wasn’t a 10 top?

For years I wanted a natural Santana II but never came across one. Then one day I was walking into the Pasadena Guitar Center to get a gift card fit a friend and I thought I myself, “do NOT buy yourself anything ... unless you see a mint condition natural Santana II for a ridiculous price.” Well, there it was, and they were selling it for $2500. To this day I think they didn’t really know what it was worth.

 

[Serious Poo]

They’re not common, but I’d be hesitant to call them “rare”.

 

[bodia]

Not a lot of them out there. Special runs, or one offs.

 

[Driver 8]

Natural tops do seem rare, I don’t know what statistics exist on that but I’d be willing to be that it’s not in the top 5 most requested finishes. And would they even consider leaving it natural if it wasn’t a 10 top?

For years I wanted a natural Santana II but never came across one. Then one day I was walking into the Pasadena Guitar Center to get a gift card fit a friend and I thought I myself, “do NOT buy yourself anything ... unless you see a mint condition natural Santana II for a ridiculous price.” Well, there it was, and they were selling it for $2500. To this day I think they didn’t really know what it was worth.

That’s the kind of luck I need. Good story.

 

[Driver 8]

Thanks all. I’ll just keep searching til one pops up.

 

[Simon Says]

https://wildwestguitars.com/electri...om-22-flame-maple-top-ebony-fretboard-natural

WWG has two in stock

 

[Driver 8]

https://wildwestguitars.com/electri...om-22-flame-maple-top-ebony-fretboard-natural

WWG has two in stock

I have seen those 2 but the $5k price tags give me a lot of heartburn. Ideally I’d like a used one that is considerably less. Like $2,500 to $3,000.

 

[Simon Says]

I have seen those 2 but the $5k price tags give me a lot of heartburn. Ideally I’d like a used one that is considerably less. Like $2,500 to $3,000.

Roger that. If that makes you feel better about the price $5000 is £3600 in UK money... still less than I paid for my core Custom 24

 

[GuitarJammin]

https://wildwestguitars.com/electri...om-22-flame-maple-top-ebony-fretboard-natural

WWG has two in stock

Wow with ebony boards too! Those are pretty sweet!

 

[GuitarJammin]

https://wildwestguitars.com/electri...om-22-flame-maple-top-ebony-fretboard-natural

WWG has two in stock

You know the build list states mahogany neck...but that neck wood looks like Korina to me.

 

[Driver 8]

Roger that. If that makes you feel better about the price $5000 is £3600 in UK money... still less than I paid for my core Custom 24

I do feel better . Glad I live in the US.

 

[Simon Says]

I do feel better . Glad I live in the US.

Bruh, for that guitar... its a bargain

 

[Simon Says]

You know the build list states mahogany neck...but that neck wood looks like Korina to me.

It does look like Korina. They do have different models mixing mahagony with korina - confirmed in the spec list. Must be WWG thing. Needless to say, I would be all over this guitar if it would be distance reachable. They do have CU24 too, which is more like my thing

 

[Driver 8]

Do ebony boards make them too bright? And what tonal difference could I expect with a korina neck vs a mahogany neck? I’ve always played guitars with traditional necks and boards e.g. mahogany/rosewood or maple on Fenders. My current CU 22 has mahogany/rw.

 

[GuitarJammin]

Do ebony boards make them too bright? And what tonal difference could I expect with a korina neck vs a mahogany neck? I’ve always played guitars with traditional necks and boards e.g. mahogany/rosewood or maple on Fenders. My current CU 22 has mahogany/rw.

I've had ebony boards on 3 prs guitars, a cu24 i currently own, a few floyd cu24. I have also owned a few mahagony bodied/RW board PRS guitars. It's not a huge difference, but it is noticable to me. I feel it more in the precision of the guitars response per say...but I could see some brains translating it to brightness. I'd say if you already have a mahagony/rw neck...that's perfect! Getting an ebony/korina neck (korina is a wood that brings a brighter edge, on this example though it's only on the neck) that will add variety to your arsenal. I've owned an all Korina cu24 and it was a different animal but I definitely loved it.

I think playing with wood options on PRS guitars is the best way to experience PRS...because from my perspective there is no really standard "PRS" tone or character. All my CU24 that were all different build types behaved completely different.

 

[Driver 8]

^^^ Thanks. Good info!

 

[László]

The natural tops were popular in the late '90s and early '00s. While they don't seem to hit the market often, I don't think they were especially unusual.

PRS doesn't share production numbers, so it's impossible to know for sure, unless a guitar is a limited run model.

 

[Driver 8]

The natural tops were popular in the late '90s and early '00s. While they don't seem to hit the market often, I don't think they were especially unusual.

PRS doesn't share production numbers, so it's impossible to know for sure, unless a guitar is a limited run model.

Good to know, thanks. I have hope one will pop up.

 

[veinbuster]

@11top and I like to horde them.
Sorry.

As noted above, patience will serve you well. They are out there, just not as many as red, blue, etc.