SC245 Value Question

[rising farce]

PRS Pros,

I need your advice. Someone has offered to trade me a 1997 SC245 (Black Cherry, birds, locking tuners, allegedly "great" condition) for my Voodoo Amps-modded Mesa Triple Rectifier. The amp is literally like new, with all accessories included; I simply don't use it any more (thanks in large part to my Archon 100). Although I have more than $2K in the amp, I suspect its actual value in the current, abysmal market is no more than $1500.

If the guitar were newer, this would be a no-brainer, but I'm unsure as to how year of manufacture affects PRS values, if at all. I'd love to add this one to my arsenal--it would be my first PRS product that isn't loaded with vacuum tubes--but I'm unwilling to take a financial hit in order to do so.

For what it's worth, researching eBay was of little help: SC245 "sold" prices seem to be all over the place, for reasons I am unable to discern.

Thanks in advance.

 

[justmund]

As far as I know, PRS didn't have a singlecut until 2000? So this is prob a 2007?

What sort of locking tuners are they?

 

[tip]

I notice a wide price point for a lot of PRS's on the used market. It seems you have to hook someone by color to get the 2K and up for the Core line. eBay completed listings search is great for most stuff. Then you generally subtract 11.9% from the price to see net.
Get pictures in focus, close ups of all angles of the guitar for your eventual 1,500$ resale. No surprises. Have them pull the strings back for fret wear. weigh it accurately. I don't know anything about that era although i like black cherry. Selling amp heads , modded, is hard.

 

[rising farce]

Good info; thanks. The guy is relatively close by, so I could most likely check it out in person before committing. I just didn't want to waste my time if there was a huge value disparity.

Not sure on the tuners, as I'm waiting on more pictures (including ones of the front and back of the headstock). As for the year of build, it's entirely possible the guy doesn't know what he's talking about. I'm assuming it's possible to easily deduce that info using the serial number...?

 

[rising farce]

Update: It looks like the tuners are of the "winged" variety.

 

[justmund]

If I were in the market for a SC245, I'd pay around the $1500 mark. If I was in the market for a singlecut in general, I'd be spending a few hundred bucks more and get a Stripped 58. You may not get a fancy top or birds, but you do get 57/08s and a 2-piece bridge.

Pics will help though

 

[Herr Squid]

My recollection is that singlecuts didn't come along until about 2000, SC245s were later still, and never came with winged tuners stock. Something doesn't add up there.

 

[ChrisCst22]

Yeah it's possible the seller has looked up the SC245 on the web and concluded that his is the same.

Man I really don't remember early SC's coming with winged tuners. I remember them mostly having the klusion style. That was kinda standard for them when they were first released. I know SC250's had Phase II's but that was sometime later.

Sigh I should go consult my PRS history book again but ooo look a new episode of Deadliest Catch...

 

[ChrisCst22]

OK OK, I consulted the bible. So it looks the first "Singlecut" to feature locking tuners was the first Tremonti run in 2001. This is why the early ones have winged tuners. The Phase II's came along in 2002, and the first Singlecut other than Tremontis to get locking were the SC Standards. Including Satins, Trems, and Soapbars. That was 2006.

So. If he actually has winged tuners, then its a Tremonti, or someone sourced and installed Phase I's on a newer style Singlecut which had the thicker headstock to accomdate them. Any SC's that originally came with Klusions cannot use any of the "Phase" tuners.

Ok back to Deadliest Catch....This one is new...They go crabbing this time.