New 2nd hand PRS Day...two months ago...

Mr-M

It's a little after the fact, and I'm not usually one for NGD threads, but I thought this may be of interest to some. ?

It's one of 50 in a limited edition run of the core PRS Mira, with the Santana headstock in Frost Blue Metallic. Found it down in Cape Town a couple of months ago.

This one's been retrofitted fortuitously (by the previous owner?) with the 57/08 humbuckers. I tried a mate's guitar with 57/08s a while ago and they have been on my radar ever since.

Here is a previous post from me describing the 57/08 pickups: http://www.guitarforum.co.za/your-gear/ngd-prs-sc245-singlecut/msg228003/#msg228003

Has bit of the Les Paul Junior Doublecut vibe going on with the smaller body, which quite appeals to me. It's really light and resonant, the neck's nice and chunky (Pattern Regular profile) and it has the usual top shelf PRS build quality. The finish is immaculate, barring a couple of dings on the back of the headstock.

It however needed a bit of TLC when I got it. The guy that played it before seems to have had acid for sweat and the CT environment clearly didn't help either. Every single fret was rusty and/ or green and required me masking off the whole fingerboard and polishing them all back to their former glory - which took long enough. >☹ Paradoxically there is almost no fret wear at all. I'm guessing it was played a couple of times, drenched in acid sweat, put away in the case and living in CT did the rest. The pickup covers were full of green marks. ??? As you can see in the closeup of the pickups, after some cleaning they still have some marks on them but the green hue is gone. The bridge is quite tarnished and has lost quite a bit of it's nickel plating. Doesn't bother me, but I may consider replacing it in the future.

Any tips on cleaning the pickup covers without taking off the number markings? Also, I can't seem to find the correct replacement screws for the pickup rings/ surrounds (these are rusty) from any of the usual guitar repair suspects in JHB. They are seemingly different to what you'd find on a Gibson. Any ideas on those screws?

warrenpridgeon

Nice find Mr T!!! Enjoy it (belated wishes)... hehe

Charlie4

Very classy looking guitar. Simple yet beautiful.
That guitar looks like it will ooze some serious tone.
Congrats. 8)

AlanRatcliffe

Wonderful! Congrats. Yeah - they've always had a doublecut vibe to me too.

Any tips on cleaning the pickup covers without taking off the number markings?

No need to worry, the engraving is far deeper than you can polish out easily. The plating will all wear off long before you can polish out the numbers. It's a brushed finish, so I'd probably take some fine steel wool to 'em.

Also, I can't seem to find the correct replacement screws for the pickup rings/ surrounds (these are rusty) from any of the usual guitar repair suspects in JHB. They are seemingly different to what you'd find on a Gibson. Any ideas on those screws?

Countersunk, flat top, black finish? What diameter are the heads? I have some black Gibson-style pickguard screws with 6mm oval heads in my stash, but I suspect you have the smaller headed (4 or 5mm) ones. I do have some 4mm ones in nickel - if they might suit?.

DDR4LYF

What a beautiful instrument! I am thoroughly impressed. That scratch plate just works so well! Awesome find!

ftcl

I can just echo what everyone has said. That really is an amazing looking guitar.

arjunmenon

Nice score T.
Was this the Mira at Vissie's?

aubs1

Nice one MrT. Congrats! :applause:

Mr-M

Thanks for the well wishes, congratulations and adulation. ? I'm sure miss Mira (let's call her Mary) and I will live long and happy lives together making making beautiful toneful music...and, er, maybe some metallic blue babies. ? Or I'll sell it when the direction of the wind changes and get something else after telling everyone it's the best guitar in all of creation ever. ? 'Tis the life of a gear-head after all. :?

Alan Ratcliffe wrote: No need to worry, the engraving is far deeper than you can polish out easily. The plating will all wear off long before you can polish out the numbers. It's a brushed finish, so I'd probably take some fine steel wool to 'em.

I cleaned them with a micro fret polishing cloth - similar to steel wool, but gentler I guess. And I had one handy. ? I noticed that with only minor rubbing the bridge pup logo started to come off, which is why I asked. Guess I'll be more careful.

Countersunk, flat top, black finish? What diameter are the heads? I have some black Gibson-style pickguard screws with 6mm oval heads in my stash, but I suspect you have the smaller headed (4 or 5mm) ones. I do have some 4mm ones in nickel - if they might suit?.

I'm a lazy git, so I haven't actually measured them. AFAIK, they are smaller heads, and indeed in black countersunk and flat top. If I can't find any while I'm down in CT soon, I'll take you up on the nickel ones. Thanks!

Arjun Menon wrote: Nice score T.
Was this the Mira at Vissie's?

Arjun, you eagle-eyed gear watcher, you! ? Indeed it was. Easy to spot a PRS in a perpetual sea of Fender, eh? Don't think it could have been there long as I didn't see it there the trip before(4 months ago). When did you see it? It was the colour that got me.

Mr-M

@ Alan - I managed to get some screws from Gareth (Vintage Vibe) at Marshall CT CBD last week. I did however have to buy pickup surrounds to go with them as that was the only way to get the screws. Gareth reckoned I would be wasting my time trying to find the same screws, so I relented. Being PRS parts they were not exactly cheap, but hey, I've got spares now. Thanks Gareth! ? I'm still enjoying the guitar.

arjunmenon

Mr T wrote:
Arjun Menon wrote: Nice score T.
Was this the Mira at Vissie's?
Arjun, you eagle-eyed gear watcher, you! ? Indeed it was. Easy to spot a PRS in a perpetual sea of Fender, eh? Don't think it could have been there long as I didn't see it there the trip before(4 months ago). When did you see it? It was the colour that got me.

? Sorry i only saw this now.
I saw it not long before you got it.
It's such a pretty guitar.

Congrats once again.

Mr-M

Arjun Menon wrote: ? Sorry i only saw this now.
I saw it not long before you got it.
It's such a pretty guitar.

Congrats once again.

No worries. ? Thanks for the reply anyway.

Thanks, and agreed - it is a pretty guitar. 8) I especially like how it lacks the usual PRS flame maple and bright transparent burst look for a more understated appearance and a IMO lovely solid colour. I don't usually go for PRSi because of the - at least for me - overly flashy aesthetics and pointy headstocks. Happily for me, there are neither of those two things with this one. ?