Why is there not a maple fingerboard option for core models?

[dogrocketp]

Thanks for the info there much appreciated. There's a Hiland model up for sale near-ish to me so I'm gonna head down and give it a try this weekend. I think if I bought one id switch the pickups and the pull-push etc but they're definitely stunning guitars (ten tops I think). Wow, 4 large! they've certainly dropped a lot in value since then....not that I'm complaining!
I know it's not necessarily just the damage that puts me off gigging certain guitars it's having them stolen. I've had a few nicked over the years, so I tend to have nice guitars but not ones I couldn't live without, which aren't my current two PRS guitars.
I didn't know about the SE Custom 24 roasted Maple model either. That's another to look into. Jonny Hiland is the current front runner at the mo tho.

Before you change the pickups, live with them for a month. They’re great pickups. The single coil sound in the neck is fantastic in mine, and the bridge is really everything I could ask for clean. With gain, I’s pretty damn incredible. It’s one of the great underrated PRS, along with the SAS and S2 Studio. I’ll be really curious to know what you think of the Hiland. My guitars are never more than 6 feet from me, regardless of the venue or travel situation. It’s too easy to steal a guitar, and I treasure mine.

 

[Lovefish01]

Before you change the pickups, live with them for a month. They’re great pickups. The single coil sound in the neck is fantastic in mine, and the bridge is really everything I could ask for clean. With gain, I’s pretty damn incredible. It’s one of the great underrated PRS, along with the SAS and S2 Studio. I’ll be really curious to know what you think of the Hiland. My guitars are never more than 6 feet from me, regardless of the venue or travel situation. It’s too easy to steal a guitar, and I treasure mine.

If and when I buy a Hiland ill give the pups a try before swapping. I just think that single-coil neck thing will annoy me pretty quickly that's all. So it may be keep the pickups bin the coil-split or something like that.
Same here now, it has been a long time since I had any guitars stolen but I'm now permanently paranoid about it now :S

 

[Lovefish01]

Maple is much less forgiving to work with, and is more labour intensive to finish to the very high standards that PRS deliver. So it ‘might’ be a cost overhead thing? Just a guess.

One of my C24s has a maple neck and board (and it’s a very lovely thing too) but in my own experience of building guitars I can say that finishing a maple fretboard to a decent standard is way harder and takes longer than with rosewood or suchlike. For example, darker wood hides imperfections whereas maple just doesn’t. That’s just my experience though.

Agreed maple necks are tougher to make.
However I would still be happy to pay a bit more on a basic core maple neck custom or McCarty rather than the price of a wood library just to get one tho.

 

[dogrocketp]

The single coil neck is killer for rhythm, then you just hit the selector switch for a humbucker for solos. If you don't like it, just leave the tone knob pulled up and you have the standard 2 hum guitar. Check out the Johnny Hiland youtube video demonstrating the guitar.

 

[Lovefish01]

The single coil neck is killer for rhythm, then you just hit the selector switch for a humbucker for solos. If you don't like it, just leave the tone knob pulled up and you have the standard 2 hum guitar. Check out the Johnny Hiland youtube video demonstrating the guitar.

I forget split coils are there most of the time. I'd probably reverse the coil so it's humbucker first and pull out for single coil. I mean id need to play the guitar first to know, I might love it as is. But unless I'm playing something single-coil specific id just stay on a humbucker normally.

 

[VHTStark]

I forget split coils are there most of the time. I'd probably reverse the coil so it's humbucker first and pull out for single coil. I mean id need to play the guitar first to know, I might love it as is. But unless I'm playing something single-coil specific id just stay on a humbucker normally.

All this Hiland talk made me decide to buy a Hiland. Simple one with a black top. I won't be able to play it until Easter, but I can chime back in and let you know what I think. The couple I played a number of years ago, I loved!