Was anyone else worried they made the wrong choice?

[mranonymous]

I finally ordered my PRS and it's set to arrive next week, but I've spent a LOT of time deciding on which one to get. It was definitely going to be a PRS one way or another, but there were so many that I wanted!

The past 5 nights or so, I was up until 3AM looking on every website, refreshing Reverb, checking eBay, etc. because I find it so hard to choose the right one in the right color.

The one I ended up with was a limited edition run, only released in the UK around 2016-2017. It is a Custom 24 10 Top in Peacock Blue, but it has a satin finish. It features "All the benefits of the Wood Library without the premium", and some limited colors.

As for color, I have absolutely no doubt I made the right choice. I personally love it.

However, there are 2 reservations that have just been eating me alive, and making me worry that I will be disappointed:

1. The satin finish. I actually LOVE the look of a satin finish in certain colors, this one included. However, after doing some research, it sounds like satin finished guitars show wear much easier, and they can develop shiny spots. I have also heard that they don't show the depth of the wood underneath as well as gloss, and lastly - they obviously don't have the shine appeal.

2. I REALLY wanted the 24-08 coil tap switches, since I don't own a strat and wanted to get more single coil sounds

Did anyone else have fears like this when buying their PRS? Also as an aside, does anyone else own a satin PRS? If so, how do you like it?

Lastly, will I sorely miss not having the coil tap switches?

Thanks!

 

[jxe]

buck up, this will be the best guitar you ever owned. satin is cool, and if the worst that could happen it it gets shiny why would you want a full shiny?

 

[mranonymous]

buck up, this will be the best guitar you ever owned. satin is cool, and if the worst that could happen it it gets shiny why would you want a full shiny?

Thanks for the positive affirmation, it really helps as I get overly OCD with big purchases. And yeah that's true, there are far worse things than some shiny spots. I'll just need to be extra careful with this one

 

[Black Plaid]

Oh man, the core satin guitars from PRS are something special.

I have 3, they are older, and have thus acquired a sort of semigloss sheen to them, which looks fantastic and has the pleasant side effect of making the finish a bit higher contrast.

I rather like how they turned out more than my full gloss ones.

 

[mranonymous]

Oh man, the core satin guitars from PRS are something special.

I have 3, they are older, and have thus acquired a sort of semigloss sheen to them, which looks fantastic and has the pleasant side effect of making the finish a bit higher contrast.

I rather like how they turned out more than my full gloss ones.

This makes me incredibly happy to hear. I’ve been wanting to hear some feedback from someone who has a satin PRS.

I’ve never gotten to see/hold a satin one in person, so the purchase was totally blind. Feeling better about it now though, thanks!

 

[Tone-y]

My 53/10 ltd is satin nitro. Do you know if the custom 24 is nitro too? I think they often are if they are a satin finish.
Anyway, I love mine. But you are right with what you highlight as possible downsides.
Yes, the satin finish doesn't quite show the same depth in the wood figuring as a highly gloss would. But it's still all there, and still looks cool. Just slightly different.
The main thing is where you say the satin finish shows wear quicker (specially if it is a nitro finish). I bought mine second hand but it must have barely been touched as it was immaculate. It didn't take long with actual playing for the neck to become gloss, and some gloss patches to show up on the top and back. Now, I've lightly polished the top on mine so that it is all consistent again, it is no longer satin, but it's not the high gloss either. I also don't have to worry about wearing in gloss patches any more.
The main thing with the satin nitro finish is that it gives a different vibe to the guitar. Much more old school vintage. It's going to age, pick up knocks, dings etc. Change how it looks and feels and will eventually wear through in places like you see on old strats and Les Pauls'. I think it gives a great modern vintage feel, but it is best to be aware of this upfront and be accepting if it. Just think of the guitar growing and changing with you rather than being a static object

 

[vchizzle]

I most of us have been there at one point or another. Did you buy from a dealer or private party?

Satin finish from PRS feels awesome. Yes, it can be more delicate in some ways. There are some advantages too though. A slightly damp rag with water is all you need to clean. Your skin has oils so, yeah, shiny spots can happen. Gently wiping down after playing is a good idea. There are ways of removing shiny spots but I wouldn’t make a habit of doing it often. Another great option is to gloss the top(obviously this is only if it’s a keeper). Wash your hands before playing too.

 

[Tone-y]

P.s. where in the UK are you?

 

[Malloc]

I usually get that way while waiting for a build. Heck I’m there now after committing to an MEV wood library and truly cannot find anything outside of private stock I’d rather have more.

In terms of the switches, there’s a wiring mod posted around here involving a push/pull tone pot that can get you a very workable independent pickup split switching system. I use it on my older P22.

 

[mranonymous]

My 53/10 ltd is satin nitro. Do you know if the custom 24 is nitro too? I think they often are if they are a satin finish.
Anyway, I love mine. But you are right with what you highlight as possible downsides.
Yes, the satin finish doesn't quite show the same depth in the wood figuring as a highly gloss would. But it's still all there, and still looks cool. Just slightly different.
The main thing is where you say the satin finish shows wear quicker (specially if it is a nitro finish). I bought mine second hand but it must have barely been touched as it was immaculate. It didn't take long with actual playing for the neck to become gloss, and some gloss patches to show up on the top and back. Now, I've lightly polished the top on mine so that it is all consistent again, it is no longer satin, but it's not the high gloss either. I also don't have to worry about wearing in gloss patches any more.
The main thing with the satin nitro finish is that it gives a different vibe to the guitar. Much more old school vintage. It's going to age, pick up knocks, dings etc. Change how it looks and feels and will eventually wear through in places like you see on old strats and Les Pauls'. I think it gives a great modern vintage feel, but it is best to be aware of this upfront and be accepting if it. Just think of the guitar growing and changing with you rather than being a static object

I really appreciate the info!

Yes, it is a satin nitro finish. Very interesting that you can totally polish off the satin finish. I may end up doing that once the guitar develops the inevitable wear.

I must admit that I'm not crazy over the fact that it will pick up dings and knocks more easily as I am a bit of perfectionist with condition, but as you mentioned I will just have to accept it. I've done everything possible to keep dings off of my current gloss-top guitar to no avail, so I guess it is inevitable.

Also, I am in the US but I bought the guitar from a UK dealer. I live in the US, so that's one of the main reasons I keep second-guessing myself, as if there is an issue I'll have lost nearly $300 on shipping the guitar (both ways)

I most of us have been there at one point or another. Did you buy from a dealer or private party?

Satin finish from PRS feels awesome. Yes, it can be more delicate in some ways. There are some advantages too though. A slightly damp rag with water is all you need to clean. Your skin has oils so, yeah, shiny spots can happen. Gently wiping down after playing is a good idea. There are ways of removing shiny spots but I wouldn’t make a habit of doing it often. Another great option is to gloss the top(obviously this is only if it’s a keeper). Wash your hands before playing too.

I bought the guitar from a dealer in the UK.

Great info about the satin, thanks! And you answered one of my biggest curiosities about getting it glossed. I actually emailed PTC the other day to ask them if they could refinish a satin top guitar, but they haven't gotten back to me yet. I'll assume it's very expensive, but I love the color of the guitar so much (and it's also a limited color) that it may be something I'd consider in the future.

I usually get that way while waiting for a build. Heck I’m there now after committing to an MEV wood library and truly cannot find anything outside of private stock I’d rather have more.

In terms of the switches, there’s a wiring mod posted around here involving a push/pull tone pot that can get you a very workable independent pickup split switching system. I use it on my older P22.

I'm glad to hear it isn't just me! And that's awesome, hope you enjoy the Wood Library when it arrives

That is a big relief to hear that there is a wiring mod. Definitely something I will look into. Do you happen to know if PRS would install something like that? Or would that be considered a more custom mod that doesn't fit into their options?

 

[Tone-y]

Very interesting that you can totally polish off the satin finish. I may end up doing that once the guitar develops the inevitable wear.

It's very easy to polish it up. The only thing is to do it properly you need to take all the Hardwear off which is a bit of a pain. I never bothered but then I wasn't going for a super even gloss finish all over, just take some of the Matt off

 

[mranonymous]

It's very easy to polish it up. The only thing is to do it properly you need to take all the Hardwear off which is a bit of a pain. I never bothered but then I wasn't going for a super even gloss finish all over, just take some of the Matt off

Gotcha good to know, I'll keep this in mind

 

[dmatthews]

Love my satin WL 594. The feel is out of this world. You'll love it too, congrats!

 

[mranonymous]

Love my satin WL 594. The feel is out of this world. You'll love it too, congrats!

Awesome!! I feel so much more confident that I made the right choice after all of the feedback so far from this thread

 

[Malloc]

Yes PTC can (or at least used to) add a push/pull for you. I’m not sure what the actual resulting combinations would be.

 

[mranonymous]

Yes PTC can (or at least used to) add a push/pull for you. I’m not sure what the actual resulting combinations would be.

Sweet thanks!

 

[eliju]

I felt the same about the 24-08. I really wanted one but got a great deal on a 24. I don't really regret it. The positions 2 and 4 sound great and really it's probably keeping me form worry about the right pickup setting so I just play more with what I have.

 

[mranonymous]

I felt the same about the 24-08. I really wanted one but got a great deal on a 24. I don't really regret it. The positions 2 and 4 sound great and really it's probably keeping me form worry about the right pickup setting so I just play more with what I have.

That's good to hear, thanks!. I'm sure I will get all the tones I need

 

[dogrocketp]

You can try Meguiar’s cleaner/polish in the burgundy bottle. I’ve used it on almost all of my guitars for the last 30 years. It should give you a semi-gloss and add some protection to the finish. It also makes the guitars feel very slick, which I dig.

 

[mranonymous]

You can try Meguiar’s cleaner/polish in the burgundy bottle. I’ve used it on almost all of my guitars for the last 30 years. It should give you a semi-gloss and add some protection to the finish. It also makes the guitars feel very slick, which I dig.

Perfect, great info thanks! I'd been wondering about what I could use for this