Special Semi-Hollow PU switching issues

[bodia]

It is extraordinarily bad that this guitar got out of the factory in this condition. This is a very expensive, premium instrument from a company that has made excellent quality part of its brand. Not only is it astonishing that these errors were made, but that no QA prevented it or detected it before shipping is disgraceful. Surely someone actually plugs in and plays the guitar before it is packed??? Someone else in this thread was told that a wire had come loose in shipping - is it wrong of me to suspect that it was most likely never soldered correctly in the first place?

Because this very thing happened to my Wood Library 509 last year. The wire was physically broke at the solder location. So, between shipping from PRS to Brian’s Guitars, and from Brian’s to Chicago, it broke loose.

 

[iborarb]

Yes, I bought, payed and received it as a new item. It's one of Europe's biggest online sellers.
I bought a couple of guitars from them in the past and never had a problem so far. Always excellent quality and delivery service.
But, I have the impression too that I was not the first customer.

I tried at first to get a Special Semi-Hollow from our local PRS-Dealer, a very nice and competent guy, but it was not available anymore.
Here in Europe, there were only three online stores having the Special SH still on their list.
Anyway, I'm glad I could get one .

 

[ChristopherM]

Because this very thing happened to my Wood Library 509 last year. The wire was physically broke at the solder location. So, between shipping from PRS to Brian’s Guitars, and from Brian’s to Chicago, it broke loose.

Sorry to hear that! But as someone once didn't say "To break one wire may be regarded as a misfortune; to break two looks like carelessness". PRS should be reviewing its design and/or processes to prevent this happening. These are expensive instruments. If a typical far-eastern manufacturer can make a decent quality instrument for $x, PRS should be making practically perfect instruments for $5x or even $10x, don't you think?

 

[bodia]

Sorry to hear that! But as someone once didn't say "To break one wire may be regarded as a misfortune; to break two looks like carelessness". PRS should be reviewing its design and/or processes to prevent this happening. These are expensive instruments. If a typical far-eastern manufacturer can make a decent quality instrument for $x, PRS should be making practically perfect instruments for $5x or even $10x, don't you think?

Watch this. PRS IS making practically perfect instruments. It’s not like this is the norm, or even happens often.

 

[ChristopherM]

Thanks for the link to the video, which I watched with interest (albeit without sound - not possible in the location that I was using). I end up more perplexed; motivated, skilled people in a well-equipped factory, where the processes that should all but prevent defects like the ones we've been talking about, including play testing are in use, yet these defects are made and evade detection. It'd be interesting to see how the factory responds to field reports of errors like these, but I guess PRS regards that as confidential.

 

[Boogie]

...I am also very surprised that the wiring has that many mistakes and wasn't picked up and rectified before shipping to the retailer. Its not just 1 person that would have missed this as the guitars are checked at least once more after assembly to ensure they are working as expected when plugged in...

...this should have been caught in QA.

^these. The issue(s) should have been caught by both the factory and the dealer. Shipping is a brutal process and they know it. But I’ve never seen DHL resolder pickups. Something is missing from the equation. This is highly uncharacteristic of PRS.

 

[Dirty_Boogie]

^these. The issue(s) should have been caught by both the factory and the dealer. Shipping is a brutal process and they know it. But I’ve never seen DHL resolder pickups. Something is missing from the equation. This is highly uncharacteristic of PRS.

As an industrial engineer, I'd be interested to know if they have a specific final QC checklist designed for every model of guitar. Other than a visual inspection and checking the action and intonation (which would be common to all), the main differences are in the electronics - pup configurations, wiring schemes, pot operation, etc. While QA (quality assurance) should be built into every operation in a process (and it looks like it is at PRS) to avoid issues right from the start, the final, comprehensive QC (quality control) checks should catch anything before it's shipped. As we like to say in manufacturing... QA prevents you from making junk. QC prevents you from shipping junk.

Anyway, this one seems like a real odd-ball and not the norm for PRS.

 

[Geo408]

Does anyone have the diagram for the ssh that they can send me? Or detailed pics of the control cavity? I hate to revive an old thread, but my ssh has a similar issue, and a phasing problem, with the bass pup toggle in the up position. I tried customer service, but right now they have no access to the diagram. Thanks for any help, in advance.

 

[Michael Lee]

Hey, I've got the exact same issue too on my PRS Special - positions 1 and 2 are identical, 4 and 5 are the same - the middle narrowfield pickup is always 'on'. And it also seems the toggle split switch for the neck humbucker doesn't seem to work either. I would really appreciate if someone could share the diagram please. So disappointed.

Thank you.