PRS Custom 22 soapbar - opinions?

JJunkie

JJunkie

Power User
Hi guys,

I have a seven string SE which I love and have since been on the hunt for a used USA PRS in my area (there aren't many), the main qualifications being 22 frets and then we see how it goes from there.

I just found a guy selling a CU22 soapbar (rosewood fretboard) going at what seems to be a pretty good price. But from correspondence with him I interpret that he may be the type that's not comfortable with people coming to his place to have a look (said he was busy this weekend and offered to make me a video!?). Well its either that or its a scam. I was just going to let it go, but apparently these guitars used are a little hard to come by, based on what I have read online.

What I am asking is, is the CU22 soapbar worth taking a chance on? should I pester this guy more to let me see it? Should I take a chance and buy it without trying it, noting that its used, so If I didn't like it, I could re-sell at same price. Its on ebay with ebay guarantee, so if it doesn't work properly I should have the right to get a refund... I don't know, people, talk some sense into me
 
The other guitarist in my band plays one and loves it. He was looking for something with the single coil edge, but with a little more beef in the tone. He gets good sounds with it through his Mesa amp, and has been gigging it for a while now. He has the three pickup version.
 
I'm just waiting on confirmation now that I can enter the VIP room. this is the latest correspondence - lets hope I pass:

Seller:
Sure. If you just wanna have a look, I can spare a couple of minutes in the afternoon on Monday around 3pm.
Sorry I just want to ask though, is there actually a high chance you want to buy the guitar? I honestly don't want to go through trouble just for people to see the guitar casually and nothing else. I hope you understand!

My response:
Hi XXXX,
I get the feeling you are not comfortable with having too many visitors, which is fine. I haven't seen a CU22 with P90s before so I can't say right now if there is a high chance or not of buying. I am definitely in the market for a used 22 fret PRS though.
I don't want to stuff you around so if you don't like the answer I gave, feel free to end the discussion here.
Cheers,
Justin
 
Rick said:
The other guitarist in my band plays one and loves it. He was looking for something with the single coil edge, but with a little more beef in the tone. He gets good sounds with it through his Mesa amp, and has been gigging it for a while now. He has the three pickup version.
Click to expand...

Hi Rick, that's the version I'm looking at. Are the P90s as noisy as usual ? I have seen a few comments on the net that they don't hum too much (but I know that P90's in general make the loudest hum out of all pickup types).
 
Perhaps it's a bit paranoid, but maybe check if it isn't stolen somehow? If he's unclear about why he wants to get rid of it, and for the low-ish price you mentioned, plus the fact he seems very eager to sell it right away without people having a decent look at it... I dunno, something feels off.

Again, hope I'm paranoid.
 
yes it feels a bit wrong. The reason stated for selling was that he needed cash, so I'd expect him to be a bit more eager. Perhaps there is something wrong with the guitar and he's looking for a non-local sale or something. He didnt respond so I'm guessing I wont get a look at it anyway.
 
Soapbars are awesome. Twang of a tele with the punch of a sledgehammer. And noise. There are soltions for that too, if needed. (Kinman)
 
I don't get any red flags from his response. Assuming it's Craigs List or something similar, that seems like a reasonable conversation. It can be a huge pain dealing with flakes and tire kickers on CL when you're selling. I would bet that if you meet him to try out the guitar, he's fine. Good luck!
 
I can actually fully understand what the seller is coming from.
Back when I was selling my Marshall shortly after getting the Axe, many people demanded playing it before, which is totally fine, but most of them left (note: the amp was in perfect condition), saying they didn't like the tone they were getting and didn't buy anything. I mean, that is something you can do a research on before you come over and waste my time.

Like, seriously, a lot of people seem to think that the offer to check gear before buying it is like a free 30-day trial in your guitar store.
 
JJunkie said:
Hi Rick, that's the version I'm looking at. Are the P90s as noisy as usual ? I have seen a few comments on the net that they don't hum too much (but I know that P90's in general make the loudest hum out of all pickup types).
Click to expand...
No, the noise isn't an issue. We play at a lot of places with odd power and lighting issues, and I have never noticed excessive noise from his rig. They're not dead silent, but then even humbuckers can pick up some noise in certain settings or really high gain patches. It seems a very nice guitar overall, and mixes well with my PRS 513 or MusicMan Albert Lee HH guitars. It gets a nice grindy sort of drive that compliments the smoother drive of my guitars. Of course, it's a PRS so the fit and finish is top notch.
 
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