This is fake, right?

[Ovibos]

https://reverb.com/item/16422003-1998-prs-flamed-ten-top-maple

But I don't know much about really old employee guitars...

Here's my thinking, none of which I'm sure about:

• Absolutely nothing on headstock, either side
• Controls in wrong places (volume seems too far from strings), no carve around them
• Headstock shape is neither regular nor Santana
• Flat top, almost no carve
• Inlays are dots, not moons
• Tuners seem wrong

Seller also has zero feedback ratings.

 

[WEDGE]

Fake as hell to me. Headstock shape, flat top, no bevels under knobs, plastics look cheap, bridge, ......

 

[goat-n-gitter]

RUN AWAYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!

 

[toothace]

So much looks wrong on this one...


Don't employee guitars have a serial number??

 

[bodia]

If you take the first line in the description, I wouldn't even call it a PRS, let alone an "Employee Guitar".

1998 PRS Employee Project Guitar Built in PRS Factory.

To me, that just means that someone working there at the time made it inside the factory.

 

[RickG]

I'm not sure what this is. I'm no PRS expert, but I've been examining fake Les Pauls for years. Some things about this lead me to believe this is a homemade guitar and not a Chinese counterfeit guitar:

• Wings on the headstock (you NEVER see this with Chinese copies)
• That top is obviously a flame maple cap (not just veneer)
• The neck appears to be a solid piece of flame maple (no veneer/scarf/heel)

Not a PRS for sure but looks like a decent homemade/luthier built guitar to me. I don't see anything (other than the seller representing it as a PRS) that would make this a counterfeit.

 

[ViperDoc]

ONE HUNDRED PERCENT FAKE.

 

[Outlier22]

at first glance I thought it was just an SE, but it's clearly NOT a PRS!

 

[garrett]

If you take the first line in the description, I wouldn't even call it a PRS, let alone an "Employee Guitar".

1998 PRS Employee Project Guitar Built in PRS Factory.

To me, that just means that someone working there at the time made it inside the factory.

That might be plausible.

It could be a perfectly nice guitar, but it does not meet the definition of a PRS Employee Guitar.

 

[Elliot]

Looks fricken nice though. Just sucks that they’re trying to market it as a PRS.

 

[bodia]

That might be plausible.

It could be a perfectly nice guitar, but it does not meet the definition of a PRS Employee Guitar.

I didn't see it listed as a PRS Employee Guitar though. The listing header is for a 1998 PRS, which it obviously is not. But the seller does not say that it is an Employee Guitar. At any rate, I like the looks of that neck! Still wouldn't buy it, though.

 

[AP515]

It's not an employee guitar. They didn't change the carve, move the controls, change the inlays, change the headstock, drop the serial number and change the tuners for employee guitars. Doesn't look like bad workmanship for a novice (except for the poor frets and the cut of the nut), but it's not a PRS.

 

[garrett]

I didn't see it listed as a PRS Employee Guitar though. The listing header is for a 1998 PRS, which it obviously is not. But the seller does not say that it is an Employee Guitar. At any rate, I like the looks of that neck! Still wouldn't buy it, though.

That's why I stopped short of calling it a fake. It may well be nice quality, but it's a very tough sell at that price.

 

[Parralax view]

What I find issue with is the headline of the sale Item. "PRS 10 Top". Then when discerning eyes such as yourselves look it over it's apparent that it isn't completely PRS..The headline should reflect "project" guitar.

 

[tonytester]

https://reverb.com/item/16422003-1998-prs-flamed-ten-top-maple

But I don't know much about really old employee guitars...

Here's my thinking, none of which I'm sure about:

• Absolutely nothing on headstock, either side
• Controls in wrong places (volume seems too far from strings), no carve around them
• Headstock shape is neither regular nor Santana
• Flat top, almost no carve
• Inlays are dots, not moons
• Tuners seem wrong

Seller also has zero feedback ratings.

weird bridge lets body slam him

 

[dmatthews]

"1998 PRS Employee Project Guitar Built in PRS Factory."
Not even an employee project in Korea or Indonesia. There's no way they'd let this sort of thing out with that name on it.

 

[Outlier22]

That's why I stopped short of calling it a fake. It may well be nice quality, but it's a very tough sell at that price.

No it's a fake for sure. If the title said "project guitar made with PRS equipment", or "PRS style project guitar" then you could argue it's not a fake. But it's listed as a PRS and it is NOT.

 

[ViperDoc]

That's why I stopped short of calling it a fake. It may well be nice quality, but it's a very tough sell at that price.

Any legit SE would spank this guitar in the ass. Hard. NEXT!

 

[Ovibos]

It's on eBay now, too.

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/264014573384

 

[Outlier22]

i just reported it. I hate to see someone win this auction for $900 thinking they are getting a great deal on a PRS.