PRS, paint\neck

[rickcard71]

Does PRS make a guitar with no paint on the back of the neck, wood finish? I like that much better. Why don't they do that more often?

[Hosehead]

I think that the maple necked CE's are either no paint or a very light satin finish. I thought that I would hate having a painted neck, until I played a Custom 24. The credit card practically jumped out of my pocket. I loved that guitar for several years until I was forced to sell it for financial reasons. I want to get another one, though. Anyhow, now that I have veered sharply off topic, I'm just saying that the painted necks on those guitars are not bad at all.

[David McCarroll]

No they don't - most PRSs have Mahogany necks - mahogany is considerably more open grained than Maple, hence doesn't work as an unfinished wood. The CEs, along with the Swamp Ash Special, and the now sadly discontinued Custom Soapbar all have a thin NitroCellulose lacquer on the necks. As an aside, the Warmoth site states that the rate of neck failure (warping/twisting) rises from about .2% for finished necks to something like 5% for totally unfinished necks, so that finish ain't just there to make it look good!

Cheers

david

[rickcard71]

Why are painted necks on those are ok? I had s Les Paul Studio with a painted neck, I think I always played better with an unfinished neck.

[David McCarroll]

Unfinished Maple feels good, unfinished Mahogany... umm, by its nature tends to feel a bit lumpy. I've got two JEMs with pretty much unfinished necks and they do feel good, but I also play a PRS Custom 22 and a Parker Fly Classic, and the finishes on those feel absolutely great - I have no idea what sort of finish Parker use, but it actually feels better witha bit of sweat and finger funk after a few hours playing - both the JEMs have been refretted, and when the luthier did the refrets he said the necks were pretty out of whack (see previous post about unfinished necks!).

Cheers

David

[rickcard71]

You guys are hard core!

[David McCarroll]

Originally Posted by rickcard71

You guys are hard core!

..... better believe it! Have you tried a CE? The finish is pretty nice under your hand. The Custom Soapbar, which came with three P90s has got a fantastic feeling lacquered Maple neck and fingerboard - it's a bit like a cross between a PRS and a '50s Maple necked Strat - I sort of assume the CEs have pretty much the same neck but with a Rosewood 'board - oh, and as an added bonus the Bolt-on neck PRSs tend to be considerably cheaper than set-necks, especially on that auction thingy......