PRS Finish Clouding/Hazing/Ghosting Explained

[@zz-.-]

The ghost white single cut is super cool. I love the unique fades, the stranger the better. I’ve got a royal blue 00 Cu24 that has started to shift into an emerald/aqua blue. I love it!

[@gregsenko9855]

Thanks for this! I have watched this progress on the clear finish over Mahogany back and neck on my PRS Santana

[@2yugen2]

Interesting, thanks for sharing the explanation. I had noticed a little bit of this on a 2009 Hollowbody II that I bought used but hadn’t thought to look more into the cause.

[@ministryofguitar]

Yeah just something to be aware of. Guitars play equally awesome with or without the clouding

[@rxdoctordaddy1795]

​@ministryofguitar but any usa, or high end guitar can play well if you set them up to your preference. People buy prs based on looks and that fallacy that they are somehow better quality than other brands, which isn't true. They know about the issue and have now tried to protect themselves specifically written on their warranty page located at rule number 5.

[@SD-cl5mj]

Nice guitars, hello sir, learned something new about guitars, thanks

[@ministryofguitar]

Something to be aware of with PRS guitars. Doesn’t stop me from buying them though :)

[@SD-cl5mj]

@@ministryofguitar I have a 2018 zebrawood se, also I am always going to have a good comment to make on every video, guarantee that, just to let you know

[@iromanovsky]

Thanks for sharing this. My 408 from 2013 has a lot of dings on the edges of body, to the level of the exposing the wood, and clouding appears on under the finish around the dings. Do you think i need to spot fix the dings sealing the wood with some CA glue or nail polish to prevent developing further clouding, or it may make it worse? Also, finish on the edges of fretboard is delaminating and showing bubbles underside in some areas. No ideas how to fix it, but i hate to see it.

[@Isikkkcan]

As you said the tops are not at the same ''level'' anymore, some core tops really look weak compared to older models. My SC594 core arrives in 2 weeks, so i hope its not as bad as some models i've seen recently.

[@ministryofguitar]

Yeah it’s inevitable unfortunately. Both climate change and general demand for figured maple (no thanks to PRS and multiple copycats after)I can easily see twenty years into the future that figured maple caps could be a very premium feature and older guitars with great tops could be very highly valued.

[@BoharK]

This just started on my 05 custom 24. I reached out to PRS and they can refinish it for a fee. These guitars are too beautiful to be hidden by cloudiness.

[@ianedmonds9191]

I've got a 2001 Emerald green Custom 24 ten top that has a cloudy patch below the strings just at the lower horn. It's tragic. How much do PRS charge?

[@rxdoctordaddy1795]

That is called finish lifting and it still happens. It's happened to every one of their proprietary finishes. Not just that, their stains do not last either. They suffer major finish fading issues

[@Oggi7777]

Milky like and reminds me of something I’ve seen on a Harley Benton tele

[@208414]

That last one is the most extreme example I've ever seen.

[@ministryofguitar]

Yes . It has been stored terribly by the previous owner

[@RichardGutman-f8w]

OK I HAD TO SPEAK ON THIS. I have personally painted several classic cars with Lacquer and others with Polyurethane. I have read people commenting on this subject, incorrectly, about both products. Someone said to use a hair blower. WTF! STOP!! FYI: the clearcoat whether it is a lacqer or urethane can be buffed out. HOWEVER, one can buff through the clear, then your screwed. If that happens you will have to redo the color and then clear again. Which May possibly require sanding down to the wood surface. OUCH! If, IF YOU HAVE CLOUDINESS IN YOUR GUITAR, buy a gentle car wax using a baby diaper cloth and try removing the cloud. I could donthis for yiu before you ruin your beautiful finish. People need to stop making ridiculous dangerous No Experince with suggestions. If I had a new PRS, after 3 minths of breathing to allow the solvents to vent out, I wiuld use a quality Brand Carnauba Wax. HOPE this helps. HAIR DRYER WTF!!

[@eigenvector77]

I sold off all my PRSes due to this reason, 25% of the PRS I had had this clouding.

[@ministryofguitar]

Yeah for good or bad it’s only happened to guitars I like or I have purchased them with it . I think there is only one guitar with clouding I plan to sell. The rest I’m keeping.

[@the_armada5579]

First:)

[@monsirto]

Not a lefty friendly brand so PRS get none of my coin anyway. TBH, in my own experience, US made < Japanese made.

[@sythe77]

What does that mean?