Would you return this guitar?

[stayfreejc]

I have just purchased a USA Custom 24. First off, it did not come with a trem arm as it was not in the case for some reason. Then I noticed that the volume knob doe's not rotate straight. If you look at it from above you can see the shaft is not straight. It's not much but the tone control is perfect so I assume the volume pot should be the same. Lastly when I move the selector switch from position one to position two it pops. The rest of the positions are fine. I have found that when you start to move the selector switch the mechanism does not move until the lever gets to a certain point. The mechanism then flicks forward and hits the contacts which is amplified as a pop. I would have though that a $$$ guitar should have flawless electrics. Any advice would be greatly appreciated as I am not sure if these are design flaws or mine is just a bad example. Thanks for reading.

 

[n24re]

Take it back to the dealer you bought it from. In the event it is new and they are an official PRS dealer they will make it right. Every PRS I have owned or played has been flawless...even heavily wore ones didn't have any electrical/mechanical problems.

 

[Wolfen]

Hi stayfreejc, it's hard to believe that your CU24 left PRS with these flaws. What you describe looks like a physical damage. Is the wood and finish flawless? The absence of a case is suggesting to me that the condition may deteriorated on the way between the PRS shipping dept. and you picking her up at a dealer(or digi-purchase). N24re has it right: Return her to your dealer and two PRS replacement parts will bring her back to the known PRS quality that you are rightfully expecting. Your dealers QC is up for an improvement, too!

 

[Michael_DK]

Hmmm... I've seen slightly misaligned pots before, although not on a PRS.
The pop when changing the pup (see what I did there?), can you try to flick the switch back and forth a bunch of times and see if it improves? like with a scratchy pot where this works sometimes?

Trem arm should definitely be there. My PRS was missing trem arm and some documentation when I got it . the dealer sent it as soon as i made him aware of this.

 

[Stephen@Chucks]

If you like the guitar and you purchased it new from an authorized dealer, then you should politely inform them and they should be more than happy to rectify the situation. Those are all pretty simple fixes. The assurance of quality is one of the reasons you buy a new instrument.

I know I wouldn't be too happy - if you're going to buy a $3,000 guitar you deserve the best service. At Chuck's we give each guitar a full pro setup at our repair shop and make sure that the case and candy are all correct and the guitar leaves looking brand new.

 

[stayfreejc]

Hmmm... I've seen slightly misaligned pots before, although not on a PRS.
The pop when changing the pup (see what I did there?), can you try to flick the switch back and forth a bunch of times and see if it improves? like with a scratchy pot where this works sometimes?

Trem arm should definitely be there. My PRS was missing trem arm and some documentation when I got it . the dealer sent it as soon as i made him aware of this.

I have tried flicking the switch backwards and forwards but it has not improved. I was wondering if its normal and just part of the design? I have already sent it back once to have the neck treated as it was quite dry and had a few open grains. I mentioned the volume pot but they did not change it. I only noticed the popping after I got it back. It's quite frustrating as it's a beautiful guitar. I don't know if I am being overly picky due to the price, but in my opinion it should be flawless on a guitar that price.

 

[stayfreejc]

If you like the guitar and you purchased it new from an authorized dealer, then you should politely inform them and they should be more than happy to rectify the situation. Those are all pretty simple fixes. The assurance of quality is one of the reasons you buy a new instrument.

I know I wouldn't be too happy - if you're going to buy a $3,000 guitar you deserve the best service. At Chuck's we give each guitar a full pro setup at our repair shop and make sure that the case and candy are all correct and the guitar leaves looking brand new.

I have emailed PRS and spoke to the dealer again today. The dealer have been really good but they think it may just be the design of the selector switch. Trouble is I have not got another one to compare it to. Are the selectors usually silent on these?

 

[stayfreejc]

So just to get it straight before I take it back to the dealer. The pick up selection should be silent on all selections? It pops on position one to two then is fine after that.

 

[Smoo]

Sounds like you need to find a better dealer for your next purchase

 

[stayfreejc]

Hi stayfreejc, it's hard to believe that your CU24 left PRS with these flaws. What you describe looks like a physical damage. Is the wood and finish flawless? The absence of a case is suggesting to me that the condition may deteriorated on the way between the PRS shipping dept. and you picking her up at a dealer(or digi-purchase). N24re has it right: Return her to your dealer and two PRS replacement parts will bring her back to the known PRS quality that you are rightfully expecting. Your dealers QC is up for an improvement, too!

Sorry my wording is bad. The guitar came in a case but the trem arm wasn't in it. The wood and finish is perfect, especially now the neck has been treated so I am confident it is new. But I agree, I can't see how a wonky pot got through quality control. I noticed it within minutes of picking it up

 

[rocguitar]

You can call the PRS Customer Service folks (@ 410-643-9970), and ask them if the problem is something that needs to be addressed by a tech. If the guitar was purchased brand new, from an Authorized PRS Dealer, you may be asked to send it back to the Factory PTC guys for the "perfect fix"!

 

[Stephen@Chucks]

I have emailed PRS and spoke to the dealer again today. The dealer have been really good but they think it may just be the design of the selector switch. Trouble is I have not got another one to compare it to. Are the selectors usually silent on these?

You would hear a slight mechanical noise from the switch physically moving into a new position, but if you're talking about a noise coming through the amp that sounds like it's static or something the electronics just need to be cleaned a little bit, which is an easy fix.

 

[stayfreejc]

You would hear a slight mechanical noise from the switch physically moving into a new position, but if you're talking about a noise coming through the amp that sounds like it's static or something the electronics just need to be cleaned a little bit, which is an easy fix.

The sound is a pop which sounds electrical but its not. I've inspected the mechanism and its the contacts hitting each other to hard due to the mechanism not moving smoothly.

 

[Michael_DK]

I have emailed PRS and spoke to the dealer again today. The dealer have been really good but they think it may just be the design of the selector switch. Trouble is I have not got another one to compare it to. Are the selectors usually silent on these?

I've jsut tried with my brand new PRS 30th anniversary Custom24 (core model). It has a pop (well, more like a "tick") when moving from 1st position (bridge humbucker) to second position (HB + neck SC tap). Not so much going the other way. There is a bit going from position 5 to 4 (less so the other direction), and there is also just the SLIGHTEST hint going to the middle position. Or maybe it was FROM middle to either 2 and/or 4. So it may indeed be a design "issue". Doesn't bother me, since I use it for recording, but I can see how live might be a different beast if you change mid-song. Its not crazy loud and would probably go unnoticed, especially the other ones than from pos 1 to pos 2.

 

[Screamingdaisy]

Any mechanical switch will make a slight electromechanical noise when switching positions. A very slight popping is normal IMO.

In positions 1 and 5 one pickup is totally isolated, so any static that builds up will be released when you switch back into positions 2, 3 or 4. Positions 2, 3 and 4 should make less noise because both pickups are grounded through the switch, therefore static is unable to build up.

The questions isn't so much about whether it pops or not, but whether the pop is abnormally loud. That we can't deduce through the internet. Your best bet is to compare it to a bunch of different guitars and make the call yourself.

One possibility is that if someone hit the guitar hard enough to bend the pot shaft they may have also damaged the switch. It could also be that is just requires a quick burst of contact cleaner, or that the bent pot has you putting every detail under the microscope and the switch is actually functioning fine.

 

[stayfreejc]

I've jsut tried with my brand new PRS 30th anniversary Custom24 (core model). It has a pop (well, more like a "tick") when moving from 1st position (bridge humbucker) to second position (HB + neck SC tap). Not so much going the other way. There is a bit going from position 5 to 4 (less so the other direction), and there is also just the SLIGHTEST hint going to the middle position. Or maybe it was FROM middle to either 2 and/or 4. So it may indeed be a design "issue". Doesn't bother me, since I use it for recording, but I can see how live might be a different beast if you change mid-song. Its not crazy loud and would probably go unnoticed, especially the other ones than from pos 1 to pos 2.

This is exactly the same as mine. 1-2 is the loudest and 5-4 their is a quieter noise. The middle ones are pretty much silent. Thanks for testing it out on yours mate! Greatly appreciated. It must be normal then. Cheers

 

[stayfreejc]

Any mechanical switch will make a slight electromechanical noise when switching positions. A very slight popping is normal IMO.

In positions 1 and 5 one pickup is totally isolated, so any static that builds up will be released when you switch back into positions 2, 3 or 4. Positions 2, 3 and 4 should make less noise because both pickups are grounded through the switch, therefore static is unable to build up.

The questions isn't so much about whether it pops or not, but whether the pop is abnormally loud. That we can't deduce through the internet. Your best bet is to compare it to a bunch of different guitars and make the call yourself.

One possibility is that if someone hit the guitar hard enough to bend the pot shaft they may have also damaged the switch. It could also be that is just requires a quick burst of contact cleaner, or that the bent pot has you putting every detail under the microscope and the switch is actually functioning fine.

That makes a lot of sense. Also I think you are right that because the pot shaft is slightly bent I am scrutinizing everything. The thing is, it works and rotates perfectly smoothly so I don't think it is damaged, just probably not had the shaft mounted on the pot correctly.

 

[DogPhishHead]

Sounds like you bought this from a Guitar Center, but you noted a case, which seems not typical for GC. I'd return it for a refund and find a top notch PRS dealer. For nearly $$$, I'd want a perfect guitar.

 

[Rider1260]

If you got a NEW CU24 for $$$ congrats nice score.
If the noise is not heard in the amp then I'm thinking it just the sound of springs and contacts coming together BUT if it bothers you I would send it back to PTC they will 100% fix it for you

 

[coyote]

When I got my 408, they originally said it came with a case - but neglected to mention the tremolo arm. At first they couldn't even find the case!! Then they brought it to me without the arm. I told them I would not leave without it; I made them search the store.