Who here would like to take a tour of the Paul Reed Smith factory in Annapolis?





I don't know if they charge for it,  but if they do...or not...I have a proposal.





PRS will give away a defective guitar which has been cut into a couple of pieces, via bandsaw, if you take

the tour, and sometimes you don't even have to ask.   But they have to have a bandsaw case on hand, of course,

which may or may not happen.



I want one of those.  The challenge of reassembling one and making it look good really appeals to me.



But, PRS won't mail such an item.  I know, I asked.  You have to take the tour.   I'm in Florida and not likely to

be in your part of the country at any time in the foreseeable future so I guess I can't take the tour.





If anyone here is near Annapolis and would like to take the PRS factory tour and pick up a bandsawed guitar for me,

I'd appreciate it and make it worth your time.



If there's any choice, I'd want a "standard" PRS double cutaway type, not one of their singlecuts, which I find to be

very unattractive....but I guess I could live with one of those, too.  The challenge is the same.   A nice flamed maple

top would be a serious bonus.  I think I can piece it back together well enough that you'd have a hard time seeing the repairs.





Let me know if this interests you.



CJ

I took my class over there for a tour several years ago and it was amazing.  The finishing process alone is a sight to behold.

Yes, the PRS finish process is very interesting and it is the highest quality finish used on any guitars, from a visual quality perspective.



I've learned how it's done and have applied some of their techniques to my own guitars.   I have a few differences of opinion about some

things, for example I don't believe in doing heavy dark dye staining on maple as it tends to "anchor" the "visual motion" in the maple.

(This effect is properly called "chatoyance". )





You can't say that this isn't a PRS-inspired finish, here:









I think this is the best executed finish I've ever done, on one of the two best executed guitars I've ever made.



CJ

PRS is on the other shore.

PRS will NOT give you an entire cut up guitar.  They may give you a headstock, or a piece of a neck or body.  They are very familiar with the old dumpster divers who tried to but cut up guitars back together, so when they cut up a body, the cut out the neck pocket, so it's now impossible to attach a neck.

I've been to the factory over 20 times.  Ask me how I know...

Hey, you wanna make a deal for that body?  Seriously...PM me.





If you're totally attached to it,  maybe I could attempt to rebuild it for you...that'd be fun.



How?  Not that difficult...once the body's together, I can then convert it to a neck-thru-body design, from the back. Make the cut out

neck pocket issue completely go away.
I'd be happy to get just a cut-up body.  





Frankly,  I'd be happy just to get a perfect tracing of a PRS guitar's body shape and leave the rest to me.





Why not?  I'll copy a Gibson.  I won't copy a Fender but only because I don't LIKE Fenders.





And, by learning to build a given type,  I learn more about it...more which helps me to figure out new models


of my own design that combine the best of other designs.  
CJ




 

You don't like Fenders???  Heretic!

Sorry, but I'm not interested in selling it.  It was a gift from a friend at the factory...

Well, maybe you could get him to bring out another one?  If it's not any trouble, that is...?

I was wondering about that.
I know they were on that side in '88 at least.

PRS left Annapolis and opened the factory on Kent Island in 1996...