1988 PRS With Undisclosed Neck Break Now On Reverb and Ebay 2022 updated

Strat54

We've mentioned this one before but I thought seen as it has been listed on Reverb tonight that it deserves another mention just to prevent someone here buying it and being mightily disappointed. The clear coat refin on the neck isn't looking so invisible with age now. Such a shame as this was a lovely guitar before the neck break. The seller was made aware long ago about the damage and repair but he is in denial.  Buyer Beware as always. 

https://reverb.com/item/34031592-paul-reed-smith-custom-24-original-factory-sweet-switch-prs-one-piece-figured-top-1988

John_P

Thanks - Not that I have that kind of spare cash at the moment but I would be pretty devastated to spend nigh on £5k to then get an undisclosed head break arrive in the post.  

YourArsenal87

"luck of the drawer"... 

thermionic

“Any questions please ask”

Do you have a photo of the back of the headstock?

fretfinder

YourArsenal87 said:

"luck of the drawer"... 

Yep the one-piece maple tops were in one drawer, the two-piece tops in another. 

boogieman

There’s an awful lot of lacquer chipping by  the neck pocket and the very obvious difference in colour on the back of neck, yet somehow he doesn’t know anything about the neck being taken out or any repairs? “Ah no, they’re all like that guv.” 

I love the fact that dull lacquer “makes it look better” too. 

WezV

fretfinder said:

YourArsenal87 said:

"luck of the drawer"... 

Yep the one-piece maple tops were in one drawer, the two-piece tops in another. 

Is that the reclaimed wood he was using on early guitars? 

Paul_C

thermionic said:

“Any questions please ask”

Do you have a photo of the back of the headstock?

Adey

So where's the break? I can see where perhaps it is (a split up by the nut perhaps), but it must have been exceptionally well repaired if it was broken.

Astor

I'm a former owner of the guitar albeit briefly as I bought the guitar on eBay back in 2011 and the neck break happened in transit to me (thanks Parcelforce!). 
Thankfully the original seller was totally honest and accepted the guitar back (he isn't the one selling it now). The neck break was pretty clean and went in a v shape from the nut to just after the 2nd fret.

http://imgur.com/gallery/0cdGul2

gordiji

And at the bottom of add it says it's 'flipping great', which it will be for him if dishonestly 'flipped'

Paul_C

Now I've seen the photo of it broken I can clearly see some indication of it in the photos of the "undamaged" neck.

grungebob

Is it possible this seller doesn’t know it’s been broken or has one of us already told him or sold it to him in the past with full disclosure?

HarrySeven

@grungebob ;;The guitar is also listed on eBay with an update stating that people had contacted him re. the neck damage, viz:

“UPDATE:
I’ve been asked by numerous people if the neck has been out/refitted. I’m not aware of any work done to neck and I purchased from a reputable seller. However I have some more detailed photos of the guitar and it looks like the lacquer has reacted where it meets the body. This is not present at the heel, but is on the sides. The guitar plays perfectly and there is nothing to suggest it’s been damaged, everything is straight and the action/playability is as you’d expect (flipping great) from any PRS”

ICBM

Clearly broken, repaired pretty well, but the finish redone not very well. It could actually be made a lot less visible with a full-neck refinish done right, but you would have to re-mark the serial number.

I have to say it was also an unusually poorly-chosen piece of wood in the first place - the grain runs out at quite an angle to the neck, which is why it was able to break like that. That's something I haven't seen on any other PRSs I can remember - although it's fairly common on Gibsons.

grungebob

HarrySeven said:

@grungebob ;;;The guitar is also listed on eBay with an update stating that people had contacted him re. the neck damage, viz:

“UPDATE:
I’ve been asked by numerous people if the neck has been out/refitted. I’m not aware of any work done to neck and I purchased from a reputable seller. However I have some more detailed photos of the guitar and it looks like the lacquer has reacted where it meets the body. This is not present at the heel, but is on the sides. The guitar plays perfectly and there is nothing to suggest it’s been damaged, everything is straight and the action/playability is as you’d expect (flipping great) from any PRS”

I’ve edited this follow up comment as it’s obvious the guy’s not what we thought and has joined up and taken part in the discussion. 

Welcome to the fretboard 

Philly_Q

@Astor Thanks for posting the pic of the neck break.  When you had it was there also damage at the neck/body join?

ICBM said:

I have to say it was also an unusually poorly-chosen piece of wood in the first place - the grain runs out at quite an angle to the neck, which is why it was able to break like that. That's something I haven't seen on any other PRSs I can remember - although it's fairly common on Gibsons.

@ICBM Just trying to understand as I look at the pictures, is it the way the grain lines angle across the  the back of the headstock, rather than running in a straight line between the two lines of tuners?

ICBM

Philly_Q said:

@ICBM Just trying to understand as I look at the pictures, is it the way the grain lines angle across the  the back of the headstock, rather than running in a straight line between the two lines of tuners?

No, it's the way the grain lines aren't parallel to the neck in the area where it's broken - they slope up towards the fingerboard from about the 3rd fret to the nut. This significantly weakens the neck since wood tends to break along the grain lines, exactly as it did.

If anything, you want the grain to run off slightly the other way so it follows the angle of the headstock to some extent and helps strengthen the weak point under the nut.

Philly_Q

ICBM said:

Philly_Q said:

@ICBM Just trying to understand as I look at the pictures, is it the way the grain lines angle across the  the back of the headstock, rather than running in a straight line between the two lines of tuners?

No, it's the way the grain lines aren't parallel to the neck in the area where it's broken - they slope up towards the fingerboard from about the 3rd fret to the nut. This significantly weakens the neck since wood tends to break along the grain lines, exactly as it did.

If anything, you want the grain to run off slightly the other way so it follows the angle of the headstock to some extent and helps strengthen the weak point under the nut.

Understood, thanks!

amarok1971

grungebob said:

Is it possible this seller doesn’t know it’s been broken or has one of us already told him or sold it to him in the past with full disclosure?

He MIGHT have been advised a few hours ago to disclose everything on every selling platform or keep it... he also MIGHT have been sent the link to this thread 

HarrySeven

FYI - The price has been reduced by £1K with an update re. the neck break.

Just out of interest - question for PRS aficionados - what’s the consensus re. value, given the break/repair/refinish/current condition?