# PRS Mark Holcomb Limited Edition PTC Mod Project!



## HighGain510 (Jun 11, 2016)

Haven't posted too much on the NGD front here for a while but figured I'd share this one as I think it's going to be a pretty awesome project when it's all done!  So basically after owning a few PRS over the years (if you know me, you know this is a bit of an understatement... ), I've found which models and wood/pickup combos I typically could buy without playing first and likely be happy with them, but when I bought my first PRS Holcomb Signature Model I had no idea I was going to find what would essentially be *the* perfect Custom 24 for my tastes! I'd still love to try a CU24 with all the same specs as the standard Holcomb but swap in an alder body, but that's a discussion for a different day! 

The short version of the story is that I bought my first Holcomb Sig (in the absolutely lovely Holcomb Burst finish! ) back when the very first batch hit the streets without any hesitation as I knew they were going to be sparse and difficult to find later, plus the dealer I bought from (Wild West Guitars, Doug Diamond was great to work with FWIW, normally I try to send most of my PRS business to Brian's Guitars since Brian is a boss, but I've dealt with WW a few times and they're always great too! ) had several in stock with VERY nice tops and one had already sold before I even had the chance to call him so I jumped on mine immediately. 








I loved this guitar from the very first time I played it! Everything about it was perfect, the neck carve was comfortable without feeling crazy thin, the flatter radius was very nice for both rhythm and lead work, the hardtail worked out very well since the tuning stability was great between that and the PRS Phase III tuners. 

This guitar and my Jackson HT6 Bulb Sigs ended up splitting duty as being my main Drop-C guitars, they're both just perfectly-suited for the tones I go for and the specs I wanted (so now I have a Drop-C guitar in mahogany/maple, alder/maple and basswood, all the bases you could possibly want are well-covered!), but I play in a variety of tunings so after a while I decided I'd start scouring the used market for another Holcomb to use for Eb/Db stuff. I waited and waited and came up short a few times, I found a nicely-priced Holcomb Burst one on eBay with a killer top, but I wasn't sure that I really wanted two of them in the same color and before I had time to change my mind that one sold immediately because of the attractive price.  Fast-forward about 5 months and I managed to snag another one in Jade with a 1-piece top that a gent on here had listed on eBay for his dad, oddly enough! I got a pretty good deal on the price since it was in very good shape and the top was very nice too! Holcomb for Eb/Db stuff acquired! 







Fast forward to the present and I've been kicking around an idea for a long time... I've wanted a PRS Custom 24 Floyd for the longest time, but honestly the 10" radius and 25" scale work well for me a CU24 but the 20" radius and 25.5" scale on the Holcomb work even better for me, but unfortunately Mark's sig model was hardtail only. Bummer! But wait! What if I found one that was listed for a great price and turned that mofo into the ideal 80's hair metal/shred beast?!  Of course I've had an idea for a paint job I wanted to see on one of my own guitars but haven't found one that was a suitable candidate, however for this project since I'm already routing the front and back of the guitar and it's got an 80's feel to it, why not throw that on here while we're at it? YES!

So I waited and waited.... then I waited some more... I finally happened upon one that had a decent top (nothing I wouldn't mind covering with an opaque finish, which was key as I'd feel a little bad painting over a really nice top), a tiny ding on the binding edge and it had sat on Reverb for a while without landing a buyer. I saw the seller was a brick and mortar store and they had it listed for sale on their own site too, so I gave them a call and found out it was actually a consignment piece. I asked them to speak to the owner and explain what I intended to do with the project and that obviously the key for me here was scoring the guitar at a decent price to help justify the modification work as otherwise I'd basically be spending used PS money and I was hoping I could put the project together myself for 1/3 of the cost of a PS and a little more time/effort spent on logistics.  The owner agreed to a lower price and it was in the ballpark I was hoping for so we made the deal happen! This is what I brought home:

































So basically the plans for this beauty are as follows:

- Send to the PRS PTC to have the front and back of the body routed for an Original Floyd Rose and matching locking OFR nut
- Send to Marty Bell for a custom paintjob (it will scream 80's metal, but it will be a surprise for now! haha)
- Head back to PRS PTC for reinstallation of the hardware and pro setup from Skitchy!
- Hardware updates include Black Original Floyd Rose Hotrod (stainless steel screws all around, Fat Brass Block upgrade) and matching nut, plus new Black PRS Phase III Locking Tuners to match the new black hardware of the bridge and nut.
































I'll post more pics as I get them from the PTC and Marty, but I'm super stoked for this project to become a reality! I've wanted to drop this paintjob on a guitar for a couple years and I think this is truly the perfect guitar as I prefer gloss finishes on the body and this was the ideal one to cover up anyway since the top isn't bad but certainly isn't as nice as my other two. I'm leaving the stock satin black neck and ebony faceplate alone as those are perfect already.  Likely won't see too much on this one for a bit since the PTC has a little backlog but I'll see if I can get a few shots from Skitchy before they mail the guitar off to Marty! If you dig loud, 80's finishes, you'll probably love this guitar when it's done! haha 

Before anyone says it, yes I understand some people feel it is sacrilege to modify ANY guitar like this, much less a limited edition, but for me a guitar is simply a tool to create music and I don't intend to sell this one so I'm not worried about anything else beyond that. At the end of the day I'm going to end up with an awesome CU24 with tremolo capabilities that I don't have currently as well as a ridiculously cool finish, so I'm happy with this project and that's all that matters!


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## remus1710 (Jun 11, 2016)

sorry for asking... but why not buy a dustie waring prs? if u really want one


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## MattThePenguin (Jun 11, 2016)

remus1710 said:


> sorry for asking... but why not buy a dustie waring prs? if u really want one



Different scale length/neck radius


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## technomancer (Jun 11, 2016)

MattThePenguin said:


> Different scale length/neck radius



and pickups as well.


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## MattThePenguin (Jun 11, 2016)

technomancer said:


> and pickups as well.



True, but I was mainly pointing out the features that can't be swapped out.


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## HighGain510 (Jun 11, 2016)

remus1710 said:


> sorry for asking... but why not buy a dustie waring prs? if u really want one





MattThePenguin said:


> Different scale length/neck radius





technomancer said:


> and pickups as well.



Yeah not a dumb question or anything, but the specs are totally different between the two. 

Waring: 25" scale, 10" radius, DiMarzio Waring Sig Pickups
Holcomb: 25.5" scale, 20" radius, SD Custom Shop Alpha/Omega Sig Pickups

Plus I actually owned a PRS Waring sig briefly (the pic of the black hardware on a Waring above is my own picture of the one from when I had it here) and I just couldn't gel with it. Something felt off, not sure if it was the radius with the floyd or what, I just couldn't get into it.  I also wasn't really a big fan of the stock pickups, so I ended up exchanging it right after I got it for something else and now Dustie actually owns that one funny enough!  The scale and radius changes make a huge difference, so while I could have swapped pickups if that's all it was, I think a Holcomb-spec CU24 with a Floyd is going to be EXACTLY what I wanted vs a CU24 Floyd/Waring being "close but not quite it" instead.


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## DISTORT6 (Jun 11, 2016)

This is going to be fun to follow!


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## Alex Kenivel (Jun 11, 2016)

Dang dude that's gonna be le-fvcking-git!


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## technomancer (Jun 11, 2016)

Really looking forward to seeing this one when it's done


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## erdiablo666 (Jun 11, 2016)

Saw this on the Insta first. I'm both excited and a little scared for you. Very cool idea dude!


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## feraledge (Jun 12, 2016)

Wow, this is going to be exciting! Really can't wait to see this one come through and thanks for just amplifying my Floyd-PRS GAS.


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## Hachetjoel (Jun 12, 2016)

This is gonna be an awesome guitar and it's yours .... the haters!


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## Dawn of the Shred (Jun 12, 2016)

So much yes! Definitely going to be a good follow!


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## RaulThrashMetal (Jun 12, 2016)

Can't wait to see the result man, this is going to be a wicked project!


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## xzacx (Jun 12, 2016)

Can't wait to hear about/see the finish. How do you plan on addressing the Floyd with that radius? Will you just have to have the nut and bridge modded somehow? I ask because I love 20" boards, and I've been wondering how to make Floyd would work with one.


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## Rawkmann (Jun 12, 2016)

xzacx said:


> Can't wait to hear about/see the finish. How do you plan on addressing the Floyd with that radius? Will you just have to have the nut and bridge modded somehow? I ask because I love 20" boards, and I've been wondering how to make Floyd would work with one.



VERY valid point. I actually ordered a Carvin with the 20" radius with Floyd and could never get the thing to play properly. AFAIK there isn't a locking nut that works well with a 20" radius.


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## Petar Bogdanov (Jun 12, 2016)

Rawkmann said:


> VERY valid point. I actually ordered a Carvin with the 20" radius with Floyd and could never get the thing to play properly. AFAIK there isn't a locking nut that works well with a 20" radius.



Ibanez nuts are 17".


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## HighGain510 (Jun 12, 2016)

xzacx said:


> Can't wait to hear about/see the finish. How do you plan on addressing the Floyd with that radius? Will you just have to have the nut and bridge modded somehow? I ask because I love 20" boards, and I've been wondering how to make Floyd would work with one.



The flattest radius nut that Floyd offers is the R10, so between that and Skitchy's mastery of setting up guitars to perfection, I'm leaving it in PRS' hands. He does amazing work and said he could do it so I'm trusting this will work out.  I'm sure there will be some degree of brass-made shims going on, but we'll see I guess!


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## technomancer (Jun 12, 2016)

HighGain510 said:


> The flattest radius nut that Floyd offers is the R10, so between that and Skitchy's mastery of setting up guitars to perfection, I'm leaving it in PRS' hands. He does amazing work and said he could do it so I'm trusting this will work out.  I'm sure there will be some degree of brass-made shims going on, but we'll see I guess!



Yeah you should be fine. With some file work you can get the nut to whatever you want and the bridge saddles on a floyd are actually flat and the radius is set using shims IIRC.


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## HighGain510 (Jun 12, 2016)

technomancer said:


> Yeah you should be fine. With some file work you can get the nut to whatever you want and the bridge saddles on a floyd are actually flat and the radius is set using shims IIRC.



That's pretty much what I was thinking as well. He can modify the nut area as needed and then adjust the saddles of the bridge with a shim if required, but otherwise removing the stock radius shim should leave it flatter anyways.


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## FantasyMetal (Jun 12, 2016)

Awesome acquisition and a cool project! I'm glad to see that you are enjoying that Jade, too! It was hard for my Dad to let go of for sure!


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## Steinmetzify (Jun 12, 2016)

Stoked to see this when you're done man; can't wait!


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## Rawkmann (Jun 12, 2016)

HighGain510 said:


> The flattest radius nut that Floyd offers is the R10, so between that and Skitchy's mastery of setting up guitars to perfection, I'm leaving it in PRS' hands. He does amazing work and said he could do it so I'm trusting this will work out.  I'm sure there will be some degree of brass-made shims going on, but we'll see I guess!



True, I probably could have gotten mine set properly but Carvin couldn't or wouldn't do it and by that time I was soured on the whole experience, and I didn't feel like experimenting on a brand new guitar. I'm sure the PRS guys can get You fixed up properly.


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## feraledge (Jun 12, 2016)

Are you able to say what the mod and painting costs are or are estimated to be?


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## HighGain510 (Jun 12, 2016)

Rawkmann said:


> True, I probably could have gotten mine set properly but Carvin couldn't or wouldn't do it and by that time I was soured on the whole experience, and I didn't feel like experimenting on a brand new guitar. I'm sure the PRS guys can get You fixed up properly.



Well I don't know what Floyd nut you had on your guitar, but I'd be willing to bet that they likely bulk order the same size nut shelf and if they have a flatter radius board than that, I don't know if they buy R10 nuts or just use the more common R3 nut instead. If they didn't use the right nut shelf, that could have been part of your problem. 



feraledge said:


> Are you able to say what the mod and painting costs are or are estimated to be?



Yeah I don't mind sharing, but I'll caveat that PTC quotes are all dependent on your specific guitar and exactly how much work they're doing since each quote takes all that into consideration. For my specific guitar it's $800 for the mod work and setup from the PTC and $200 for the black Phase III tuners (although they don't normally sell those aftermarket currently, so that's the quote they're giving me since I'm sending my guitar in for work and they'll let me grab a set as part of my PTC request). For the paint I'm not sure yet as I haven't received the official quote back from Marty (it's a set neck but he's only painting the body, so I'm checking to see if I still have to pay the full "set neck price" or not) but he posts typical prices on his site if you're just curious.


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## Steinmetzify (Jun 12, 2016)

That's really not bad at all, for a dream guitar. I saw what you were doing and immediately jumped to $6k+ in my head lol.


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## HighGain510 (Jun 12, 2016)

steinmetzify said:


> That's really not bad at all, for a dream guitar. I saw what you were doing and immediately jumped to $6k+ in my head lol.



Haha yeah I know it's a lot for tech labor compared to what some guys might charge, but I know Skitchy and his work is flawless so I trust him to do the work and don't mind paying more to ensure it's done right the first time.  I know when I get it back, it will both look and play amazing!


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## Steinmetzify (Jun 12, 2016)

I hear you man....Eric in the PS dept is a friend; I'd never hesitate to send him something even if it costs more. Dude's work is flawless.


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## Grindspine (Jun 12, 2016)

HighGain, I don't want to hijack your thread, but you seem to know quite a bit about the Holcomb guitars.

So I was leaving one job, changing careers, and took a chance on a great PRS P24 just before the Holcomb sigs were announced.

Since I had just dropped a PRS on my credit card, I never did score a Holcomb when they were available, so I snagged set #172 of the 200 Alpha Omega SD Custom shop sets.

I just got around to installing the pickups, but am hitting a snag with wiring. The original 57/08 pickups were wired to the 5-way blade, but I have read that the bridge pickup was RWRP wound.

To the point, can you snap a picture of the wiring on the switch of one of your Holcomb guitars so that I don't screw up my pickup wiring?







Too bad they didn't have a Blood Orange Holcomb!


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## Grindspine (Jun 12, 2016)

I found pictures and my answer here.
http://forums.prsguitars.com/threads/swapping-out-prs-cu24-30th-anniversary-pickups.15154/
Yay! Time to heat up the soldering iron!

...but getting unusual hum in the notch positions. I don't recall the 57/08 pickups being this noisy in positions 2 & 4.


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## feraledge (Jun 12, 2016)

HighGain510 said:


> Haha yeah I know it's a lot for tech labor compared to what some guys might charge, but I know Skitchy and his work is flawless so I trust him to do the work and don't mind paying more to ensure it's done right the first time.  I know when I get it back, it will both look and play amazing!



I had a well respected luthier botch an ESP M-I with no possible recourse. For work on a PRS I would probably only trust PRS to do it and that price is less than I would have expected for what you are doing. I trust they could do it right and that they would aptly fix any problem they hypothetically might cause.


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## Rich5150 (Jun 12, 2016)

technomancer said:


> Yeah you should be fine. With some file work you can get the nut to whatever you want and the bridge saddles on a floyd are actually flat and the radius is set using shims IIRC.



Actually the Floyds ship with a shim for a 10" radius and when that is pulled it goes to a 12. I shim the saddles on mine for my Compound radius to get them closer to an 18-20" so they set up better. The nut will be the most work.


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## Rich5150 (Jun 12, 2016)

Grindspine said:


> I found pictures and my answer here.
> Swapping out PRS CU24 30th anniversary pickups | Official PRS Guitars Forum
> Yay! Time to heat up the soldering iron!
> 
> ...




I was just going to post this here, I am the one that posted it on the PRS site


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## HighGain510 (Jun 13, 2016)

feraledge said:


> I had a well respected luthier botch an ESP M-I with no possible recourse. For work on a PRS I would probably only trust PRS to do it and that price is less than I would have expected for what you are doing. I trust they could do it right and that they would aptly fix any problem they hypothetically might cause.



Yeah I thought about it and figured having PRS do the work was really the only guarantee I had that it would be done right.  My usual tech would have been able to pull it off as well, but his backlog is huge right now and with a project like this I'd imagine I wouldn't see the guitar done for 6+ months and I didn't want to wait that long or keep bugging him about it as I know after a couple months I'd probably start getting antsy.


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## austink (Jun 13, 2016)

This is going to be killer. I love my holcomb model, 80s metal and floyd rose trems. 

The funny thing is I have been knocking around with the idea of specing out a private stock prs that would essentially be a holcomb with a floyd (and only a 3 way, no tone, and a split/tap on the volume). I have been tempted by the cu24 floyds, but just like you have been turned off by the scale/radius. Those 2 things are the exact reasons why I never bought a prs until the holcombs came out. 

I can't wait to see the final product and am super amped for you!


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## Millul (Jun 13, 2016)

This will be uber-cool.
Great price as well, considering the job will be done by PRS themselves!


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## Ordacleaphobia (Jun 13, 2016)

Nice. I love threads / projects like this. Can't lie though, I would be -so- nervous about modifying any Maryland PRS' to this extent, let alone a high end limited model  
I wonder how the PRS guys feel about doing stuff like this, like if they're in the 'sacrilege!' camp.
Anyway, I've missed the HighGain NGDs, with that trusty pink PRS. Stoked to see this documented here.

Exciting project for sure, you've got me curious about what this finish might be.


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## HighGain510 (Jun 18, 2016)

As I took my Holcomb apart to prep for her trip to the PRS PTC, I came across a couple unique things:

The PRS Phase III Locking Tuners are apparently made by Gotoh!






I've used a lot of Gotoh hardware over the years and love it, so I think they made a great choice! Obviously the Phase III tuners work great, had no idea who made them (and I'm sure others didn't either) so figured I'd share!

It also seems since the first run of Holcomb sig pickups were done specifically for the PRS MH Limited Run sigs, they didn't come with "Custom Shop" stickers despite obviously being wound by the Seymour Duncan Custom Shop in bulk for these guitars only (and the production models weren't even a discussion item yet haha). These are also labeled "MH Omega Bridge" and "MH Omega Neck" instead of "Alpha Neck" and "Omega Bridge" like the later limited run sets were labeled:































I bought another set of these pickups from the short run Duncan did for aftermarket purchase to drop into my CU24 Satin Wood Library (which was basically what I was trying to accomplish with this project, prior to thinking of this idea!) and they have the usual white and orange custom shop labels on there, so I just found it odd/intersting and wanted to document it! 




















While I'm at it, here are a few more pics of this beauty as she still stands prior to the mods:

























Well, she's all packed up and ready to roll to Stevensville!








I was talking with Skitchy tonight and he said that both he and the PRS Social Media Team will be documenting this project, so I'll try to get some more pics to share with you guys but if you keep a look out for their FB/IG accounts, you might see my baby moving through the process!


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## HeadofaHessian (Jun 20, 2016)

Really pumped to see the finished product!


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## Spicypickles (Jun 21, 2016)

Part of me wants to cry, but I'm sure i'll be masturbating with the rest once we start getting progress pics.


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## Nag (Jun 21, 2016)

I know you're not sending the guitar to random dudes, but I'd be sooooo scared to cut into a guitar like this one... even if it's for a  floyd  

wondering what that mystery finish is gonna be


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## xzacx (Jun 21, 2016)

Oh man, that CU24 Satin Wood Library is killer!


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## Grindspine (Jun 21, 2016)

Man, what do you do for a living to be able to afford that many PRS guitars?!


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## HighGain510 (Jun 22, 2016)

Nagash said:


> I know you're not sending the guitar to random dudes, but I'd be sooooo scared to cut into a guitar like this one... even if it's for a  floyd
> 
> wondering what that mystery finish is gonna be



Haha yeah I hear you! Skitchy is a guitar tech wizard so I'm confident he'll get my baby set up perfectly!  The finish will be awesome!!! 



xzacx said:


> Oh man, that CU24 Satin Wood Library is killer!



Thanks! Another awesome one, PS grade top too, looks even better in person! 



Grindspine said:


> Man, what do you do for a living to be able to afford that many PRS guitars?!



I'm a systems engineer. It's fun stuff, pays the bills and leaves me with some fun money at the end of the day!  A lot of my gear money is just from saving and playing since I was 15 so while my collection might be large, I've amassed it over the years and have had to lose a lot of awesome ones to end up with what I have currently!


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## 7 Strings of Hate (Jun 22, 2016)

The sacrilege in this thread is making me nauseous.  Good luck.


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## cip 123 (Jul 1, 2016)

Just out of curiosity HighGain, would you rather have done this with the new SE's rather than a full blown USA?


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## Webmaestro (Jul 1, 2016)

Totally off-topic, but those guitar-on-my-lap-while-lying-on-my-bed photos are crackin' me up


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## Miek (Jul 1, 2016)

ugly sheets are like a ngd tradition where i come from (~10 years ago)


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## HighGain510 (Jul 2, 2016)

cip 123 said:


> Just out of curiosity HighGain, would you rather have done this with the new SE's rather than a full blown USA?



Honestly I really love the SE's, but quality-wise the USA stuff is a step above (I don't think anyone would argue otherwise ), the actual violin carved top and woods used are more what I wanted and the paint job will look better on the curves of a USA core line model instead of the more subtle rounded top of the SE model. It's definitely not a slam on the SE line as I own and love those too, but the Limited USA Sig was the better platform for me. I had heard rumors from folks I know tied to PRS well before buying the USA PRS Holcomb used for this project, so I still chose to go with the USA model. 



Webmaestro said:


> Totally off-topic, but those guitar-on-my-lap-while-lying-on-my-bed photos are crackin' me up



Haha that's actually my couch, it's just covered with blankets for our dog since she sheds like crazy. I was working on removing the hardware while watching TV so figured since it was dark (night time haha) I wasn't going to get a chance to take pictures with good sun any time soon as it was shipping out the next day. 



Miek said:


> ugly sheets are like a ngd tradition where i come from (~10 years ago)



Indeed, nothing wrong with loud sheets/blankets!  That being said, it's not my bed, we just use cheap blankets to keep our couches nice since our dog would cover them in hair otherwise.


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## HighGain510 (Aug 10, 2016)

Looks like she's heading for the router soon! Should have another update in about a week, but they've prepped her for surgery!


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## technomancer (Aug 10, 2016)

Nice! You should add a trip to Phill after the PTC for some stainless frets


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## Ordacleaphobia (Aug 10, 2016)

HighGain510 said:


> Looks like she's heading for the router soon! Should have another update in about a week, but they've prepped her for surgery!



That is a terrifying photo. 
It's like being at the zenith of one of those tower-drop rides.


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## Nag (Aug 10, 2016)

what's that thing in the neck pickup route ?


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## HighGain510 (Aug 10, 2016)

technomancer said:


> Nice! You should add a trip to Phill after the PTC for some stainless frets



Having just been by recently, Phil's queue is full as usual!  I saw several cases with the same name too, so it seems like folks are sending in batches now too!  Fortunately I love the stock fret size and this one was in great shape overall so it might not need any additional work for quite a while! 



Ordacleaphobia said:


> That is a terrifying photo.
> It's like being at the zenith of one of those tower-drop rides.



 It's super exciting for me, I am absolutely stoked to see this project come to life! Like I said before, Skitchy does amazing work so I know she's in good hands! 



Nagash said:


> what's that thing in the neck pickup route ?



The black stuff? It's just paint from the original spray job.


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## hodorcore (Aug 11, 2016)

sweet mate! 
matte finishes are awesome


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## feraledge (Aug 11, 2016)

Until further notice, just going to have to believe that I "like" all of this.


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## HighGain510 (Aug 17, 2016)

hodorcore said:


> sweet mate!
> matte finishes are awesome



When this one is all done, only the neck will remain satin! The body is going to get a custom gloss finish! 




feraledge said:


> Until further notice, just going to have to believe that I "like" all of this.



Haha thanks dude! 

Little more progress has been made!  The back got routed today!






Sounds like tomorrow we'll be seeing the top get routed for the Floyd Rose!


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## MattThePenguin (Aug 17, 2016)

Just out of curiosity, why aren't you having the guys at PRS refinish it?


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## HighGain510 (Aug 17, 2016)

MattThePenguin said:


> Just out of curiosity, why aren't you having the guys at PRS refinish it?



Two reasons really... 1) their finish department is one of the best in the business, but between other paid PTC refins and warranty refin work that was ahead of mine, it could be months (like 5+ in some cases) before they would get it through paint and 2) Marty Bell specializes in the type of finish I wanted on this one so I'm letting him have at it. I know the results will be top notch, plus he's got his finish work down to a science so I know that piece will get turned around very quickly which won't hold up Skitchy from finishing it up once it hits paint!  PRS does some of the best guitar finish work ever, it was just down to keeping the process as short as possible for the project and having Marty spray this finish for me since I know it will be done well and I've seen examples of it done before so I know he will nail it.


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## MattThePenguin (Aug 17, 2016)

Oh okay, yeah with that wait time I would send it to Marty as well. I've seen plenty of Marty Bell finishes, and they are all top notch!


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## HighGain510 (Aug 18, 2016)

Houston, we have top routes! 














Moving right along! Little more work to be done, and then she's off to see Marty Bell for the refin!


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## feraledge (Aug 18, 2016)

I've never liked seeing a finished guitar get drilled so much. Bold moves yield awesome results. Stoked on this.


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## dmlinger (Aug 18, 2016)

This thread stresses me out.


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## technomancer (Aug 18, 2016)

Moving right along, going to be awesome \m/


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## DISTORT6 (Aug 19, 2016)

So far, soooo F'in good!


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## Rich5150 (Aug 19, 2016)

Looking awesome


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## yellowv (Aug 19, 2016)

No stress needed when the mods are done by the PTC and Marty Bell. Can't wait to see when this is done.


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## Ordacleaphobia (Aug 20, 2016)

+1 onto the hype train. Really excited to see what this mystery finish is going to be.


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## Blytheryn (Aug 20, 2016)

Count me in as excited! This is tight...


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## HighGain510 (Aug 21, 2016)

Haha thanks guys!  I'm pretty at ease about this project myself knowing the guys who are working on the guitar, I know it's going to turn out great!


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## Nag (Aug 23, 2016)

I'm just happy to see such a gorgeous guitar being gifted a tremolo 


Seriously though, trems4lyfe


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## A-Branger (Aug 23, 2016)

can you hurry with this please, Im dying to see it with the crazy paint you dont wanna tell us about


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## Musiscience (Aug 25, 2016)

Hoping the refinish will be the sparkle tiger


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## mbardu (Aug 27, 2016)




----------



## Ataraxia2320 (Oct 22, 2016)

Any updates on this? I've been checking back every other week


----------



## KnightBrolaire (Oct 22, 2016)

Musiscience said:


> Hoping the refinish will be the sparkle tiger



i need that finish in my life. now.


----------



## P-Ride (Oct 28, 2016)

*mod edit: somebody's project thread isn't the place for you to complain about what you want from PRS*


----------



## HighGain510 (Oct 28, 2016)

Ataraxia2320 said:


> Any updates on this? I've been checking back every other week



Sorry I've been pretty sick recently so I haven't been keeping up with the forum as much lately. Currently it's with Marty Bell and he's got a monster queue right now, so I'm not rushing him. Hopefully this one should wrap up in November, but since I've been dealing with my insurance being complete morons and not processing disability pay in a timely fashion, I'm not exactly rushing any of these guys right now anyway when I'm selling off gear just to cover the regular bills as I haven't been getting paid for weeks now which is ouchies as you might imagine.   

Short version is that it should be done soon, within the next month or so would be my guess.


----------



## Hachetjoel (Oct 28, 2016)

^^short term is a god damn nightmare. I was very lucky mine wasnt awful and worked out perfectly but literally everyone i know who has had short term disability has gotten ....ed in some way so I wish you the best. a speedy recovery, and I hope they stop being morons.


----------



## HighGain510 (Oct 29, 2016)

Hachetjoel said:


> ^^short term is a god damn nightmare. I was very lucky mine wasnt awful and worked out perfectly but literally everyone i know who has had short term disability has gotten ....ed in some way so I wish you the best. a speedy recovery, and I hope they stop being morons.



Thanks dude! Yeah you're preaching to the choir here! The claim examiner made a mess of everything and I had to get my specialist to resubmit all the paperwork and having to wait again now for them to go through it and make the new determination. Managed to sell two guitars (at major losses, of course ) just to put some cash back into the bank, so I'm ready for some good news finally!  It's awful enough being as sick as I am and dealing with so many different health issues across the board, but having these dicks yank me around and withholding the disability pay I'm owed and covered for is just too much sometimes. 

I asked Marty if he could send me some progress and finished pics, so I'll update the thread when I get those!  Hopefully we'll see something soon! Originally I was planning on doing a sparkle finish but I ended up changing my mind so we'll see how it turns out. I'm confident Marty will nail it, dude is amazing!


----------



## A-Branger (Oct 29, 2016)

HighGain510 said:


> Originally I was planning on doing a sparkle finish but I ended up changing my mind


----------



## budda (Oct 29, 2016)

Hey Matt,

Sorry to hear about the health and claims issues. Waiting on money you're owed is never ever ever enjoyable in any way.


----------



## NovaLion (Oct 29, 2016)

Sorry to hear about your health and all that.

Who's this Phil dude that does SS refrets?


----------



## technomancer (Oct 29, 2016)

NovaLion said:


> Sorry to hear about your health and all that.
> 
> Who's this Phil dude that does SS refrets?



http://www.philtone.com/


----------



## Mayhew (Oct 29, 2016)

View attachment 52437
View attachment 52437
I hear on insurance man. First Kidney transplant I had (just had the 10 year anniversary couple days ago, special thanks to my wife for the kick ass kidney) the insurance took 6 months to pay me. Apparently being hooked up to a dialysis machine to live was not a good enough reason to live. Right now I've been in hospital for 6 weeks after having my non-functioning kidney with cancerous tumours on it removed 4 weeks ago (cancer didn't spread anywhere else thank god) and of course the insurance company screwed up and sent my file half way across the country and then messed up the rate I'm supposed to be paid. Seriously, you have one job and they always seem to drop the ball. I would rather put my trust in some tele-marketer whose been on the job 3 weeks then these "professionals". 

Been following your build since day one and I can't wait to see what you and Marty turn this Holcomb into man. Builds like yours and SS.org are a welcome distraction right now. Hope you get your stuff sorted and patiently waiting for your guitar to be in one piece again and see some awesome pics of this bad boy. 

Here's me six weeks ago not using my lungs like a sucker, out like a light after after seizure #3 right before surgery and me a couple days ago, feeling like a million bucks out on a day pass playing a killer Suhr guitar. Something for me to look forward to once I'm out of here because it will be mine, it will be. Pumped for you to get better and play your new guitar man, good luck.


----------



## Mayhew (Oct 29, 2016)

Don't know SS can't upload more than one photo and not flip it?


----------



## HighGain510 (Oct 30, 2016)

Damn Mayhew, that sucks man. I've been there before, fortunately right now it's only in the "beaten down" scenario and not the full on hospitalization/surgeries as it has been in the past. Glad to hear you're doing better now though dude, that's great!


----------



## technomancer (Oct 30, 2016)

Damn hope both you guys get healthy soon


----------



## Mayhew (Oct 30, 2016)

I like sharing this stuff just to show people if you fight like hell then you can make it back from almost anything. This crap some of us are forced to go through is just another bump in the road for me. Throw anything you got at me and I will come at you twice as hard and destroy you and leave nothing but another tale of victory in my wake. I actually had a coworker die of the same cancer I had a couple months ago because he was too scared to have the surgery. I'd be more scared of death and the cancer got you anyways so... i've had 3 brushes with death and pity the fool who tries for number 4. 

Thankfully guitars are patient mistresses and wait quietly in their cases for our return. Your rebuild and bravery at messing with your guitars has actually inspired me to do one of my own. I've never had a guitar refinished and thought why the hell not. I still remember that RGD you got off Misha I believe and had it refinished in that JP style mystique colour changing paint. Loved that thing. I&#8217;ve got a &#8217;71 Ibanez Les Paul (the original lawsuit guitar) that has some serious mojo but needs a real neck pickup (the original is the worst pickup of all time, seriously)and some new frets. From my hospital bed I've already bought all the new parts from all parts that I need and some black chrome Het set EMG's and I&#8217;m going to turn it into his white cross ESP sig. Love that paint job. So bunny hop this little bump in the road you got here HighGain and we'll all be here waiting to see another one of your killer creations when it's all done (I on the other hand am not that creative and have to poach someone elses's idea lol) and hopefully I can show mine in the near future too. Here's to living life, killing what tries to kill you first and ripping on those custom guitars. Cheers.


----------



## electriceye (Oct 31, 2016)

Sorry for my ignorance, but what is PTC?


----------



## HighGain510 (Oct 31, 2016)

electriceye said:


> Sorry for my ignorance, but what is PTC?



PRS Tech Center.


----------



## Andromalia (Oct 31, 2016)

It's actually the insurance job to try not to pay. :/ Get well !


----------



## HighGain510 (Oct 31, 2016)

Andromalia said:


> It's actually the insurance job to try not to pay. :/ Get well !



Yeah you said it man! It's annoying, but it is what it is at this point. Just trying to get cash back into the bank so the last outstanding projects like this are covered and I have extra in there for all the normal bills until these jerks finally release my owed back-pay. Hopefully it gets sorted out soon.  

I don't want to stray this thread too much further and have it devolve into an OT thread on insurance and the screwed up medical industry of today, so we'll just leave it at that and return to the positive/fun focus of the project again!  Going to give Marty a shout this week and see if there has been any progress yet, definitely okay if nothing has happened but I cannot wait to see how it looks once Marty throws the paint job on there!


----------



## Gravy Train (Oct 31, 2016)

I hope you guys feel/get better soon!


----------



## budda (Oct 31, 2016)

Hey Mayhem, keep up the good fight dude.


----------



## HighGain510 (Nov 16, 2016)

Marty got back to me with an update on the current progress for the Holcomb mod project! Here's the first peek at the transformation! 







Still has 2 more color coats and then some clear coats ahead, but should be done in about a week or so and then she's off to see Skitchy for final assembly and setup! Looks like it's an early Christmas present for Matt this year, and considering how rough things have been recently on the health front, it's a very welcome time for some good news!


----------



## Musiscience (Nov 16, 2016)

So I was right? You are going with the tiger sparkle. Cant wait to see the result !


----------



## HighGain510 (Nov 16, 2016)

Musiscience said:


> So I was right? You are going with the tiger sparkle. Cant wait to see the result !



Nope, not a sparkle!


----------



## Gravy Train (Nov 16, 2016)

HighGain510 said:


> Marty got back to me with an update on the current progress for the Holcomb mod project! Here's the first peek at the transformation!



Do you mind me asking how much he is charging for a job like this (or at least a price range)? It looks stunning so far!


----------



## HighGain510 (Nov 16, 2016)

Gravy Train said:


> Do you mind me asking how much he is charging for a job like this (or at least a price range)? It looks stunning so far!



Honestly not sure, I didn't ask him for a quote for this job. Marty has general pricing on his site. We changed it from a sparkle originally to a pearl graphic finish a while back too so the original quote we talked about has likely changed quite a bit so I couldn't tell you at this point.  If you're serious about a quote you can always email Marty directly, he's a friendly dude.


----------



## feraledge (Nov 16, 2016)

This is awesome beyond words. Well done, can't wait to see this finished! Hope you're feeling better!


----------



## Gravy Train (Nov 16, 2016)

HighGain510 said:


> Honestly not sure, I didn't ask him for a quote for this job. Marty has general pricing on his site. We changed it from a sparkle originally to a pearl graphic finish a while back too so the original quote we talked about has likely changed quite a bit so I couldn't tell you at this point.  If you're serious about a quote you can always email Marty directly, he's a friendly dude.



Thank you, I appreciate it. Looking forward to seeing your finished project!


----------



## ImBCRichBitch (Nov 16, 2016)

Wait wait wait. Solid paint over a top? BLASPHEMER!


----------



## HighGain510 (Nov 17, 2016)

feraledge said:


> This is awesome beyond words. Well done, can't wait to see this finished! Hope you're feeling better!



Thanks dude! 



Gravy Train said:


> Thank you, I appreciate it. Looking forward to seeing your finished project!



No problem man, if you're just looking for a ballpark figure the pricing page should help give you an idea, if it's something complicated I would think a formal quote would be best to make sure it's accurate. 



ImBCRichBitch said:


> Wait wait wait. Solid paint over a top? BLASPHEMER!



Originally I was going to have Marty tape off the binding but once I decided on the yellow/orange Bengal graphic finish, I knew that a) it would look wonky having the graphic stop and restart on either side of the binding and b) I figured it would look cooler to have the tiger stripes wrap over the top across the sides and Marty nailed it! I prefer for the bright yellow outside portion of the burst to go interrupted from the top around the sides to the back. Trust me, it's going to look great when it's done! 

Besides the maple on this particular guitar is more for the tone and less for the aesthetics, hence painting over it in the first place!  I wouldn't have gone opaque if it were a PS piece of maple. 


Seeing pics with the graphic finally on there is giving me major GAS, I'm super stoked to see this guy get some color added next!


----------



## Malkav (Nov 17, 2016)

Looks great so far 

If you don't mind me asking a stupid question that may well have been answered already but what is happening with regards to the radius? I know Floyds are normally 12" and the Holcomb is 20", is the bridge going to be shimmed to accommodate this?


----------



## Spicypickles (Nov 17, 2016)

Check the first page.


This thread is awesome, but makes me hurt simultaneously.


----------



## HighGain510 (Nov 17, 2016)

Malkav said:


> Looks great so far
> 
> If you don't mind me asking a stupid question that may well have been answered already but what is happening with regards to the radius? I know Floyds are normally 12" and the Holcomb is 20", is the bridge going to be shimmed to accommodate this?



A custom-ordered 20" radius nut and saddles set were bought from Floyd Rose for this guitar.


----------



## Andromalia (Nov 17, 2016)

I wasn't even aware they did that, it's worth keeping in mind if I ever have a weird idea. Nice zebra finish, sparkly white with it or just plain ?


----------



## HighGain510 (Nov 17, 2016)

Andromalia said:


> I wasn't even aware they did that, it's worth keeping in mind if I ever have a weird idea. Nice zebra finish, sparkly white with it or just plain ?



You guys need to be patient, this is just the first stage, it's not finished yet!  It's not zebra, it's the start of a bengal tiger finish, I said in the update it still has two more *color* coats to go.  It's going to end up like this guy, but done with pearls:


























See the resemblance in the stripes? 






I was trying to build up to the full reveal but if people are going to just keep guessing away, there it is!


----------



## BigViolin (Nov 17, 2016)

Whoa!!!


Cool.


----------



## Rawkmann (Nov 17, 2016)

HighGain510 said:


> A custom-ordered 20" radius nut and saddles set were bought from Floyd Rose for this guitar.



How does one go about ordering something like that? Really would have been nice to know last year when my custom Kiesel was made with some really bad radius mismatch...


----------



## SwingMachine (Nov 17, 2016)

Part of me thinks this is awesome and really good looking work, the other part of me hurts because the Holcomb Burst is being painted over. Either way, great looking guitar so far!


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## technomancer (Nov 17, 2016)

SwingMachine said:


> Part of me thinks this is awesome and really good looking work, the other part of me hurts because the Holcomb Burst is being painted over. Either way, great looking guitar so far!



It's not the Holcomb burst, it's the red one with the mediocre top


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## HighGain510 (Nov 17, 2016)

Rawkmann said:


> How does one go about ordering something like that? Really would have been nice to know last year when my custom Kiesel was made with some really bad radius mismatch...



Apparently Floyd Rose has folks who can do custom work. I tried to reach out to them myself twice and didn't hear back, but one of the techs at PRS knows the guy we needed to talk to so he offered to handle it for me. 



SwingMachine said:


> Part of me thinks this is awesome and really good looking work, the other part of me hurts because the Holcomb Burst is being painted over. Either way, great looking guitar so far!





technomancer said:


> It's not the Holcomb burst, it's the red one with the mediocre top



Haha yeah I didn't mod/paint over my Holcomb Burst guitar, THAT would have been a mistake!   This one had a less awesome top so I didn't feel as bad about modding it and putting an opaque finish on there.


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## Possessed (Nov 18, 2016)

You've got the inspiration from Ted Nugent's Zebra CE?? 









BTW, i love Damn Yankees


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## HighGain510 (Nov 18, 2016)

Possessed said:


> You've got the inspiration from Ted Nugent's Zebra CE??
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Not at all. It's not a zebra finish, as I've stated a few times now.  Maybe no more progress updates until it's done...


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## technomancer (Nov 18, 2016)

HighGain510 said:


> Not at all. It's not a zebra finish, as I've stated a few times now.  Maybe no more progress updates until it's done...


----------



## Lemons (Nov 18, 2016)

HighGain510 said:


> Not at all. It's not a zebra finish, as I've stated a few times now.  Maybe no more progress updates until it's done...



Sick zebra finish!


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## technomancer (Nov 18, 2016)

Lemons said:


> Sick zebra finish!



Don't be a dipsh1t


----------



## ImBCRichBitch (Nov 18, 2016)

HighGain510 said:


> You guys need to be patient, this is just the first stage, it's not finished yet!  It's not zebra, it's the start of a bengal tiger finish, I said in the update it still has two more *color* coats to go.  It's going to end up like this guy, but done with pearls:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Not even mad about the covering the maple and binding now lol this thing is looking sick!


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## feraledge (Nov 18, 2016)

HighGain510 said:


> Not at all. It's not a zebra finish, as I've stated a few times now.  Maybe no more progress updates until it's done...



I hope this is a "I'll turn this damn car around if you kids don't knock it off" kind of threat. These updates are awesome because this project is insanely awesome.


----------



## beerandbeards (Nov 19, 2016)

That is going to awesome. I'm all about animal print shredders. If someone handed me an original 59 LP I'd get this finish lol


----------



## jwade (Nov 19, 2016)

Oh man, I knew it! I actually tabbed over and copied this image immediately after I read your initial post:







So stoked to see this finished.


----------



## austink (Nov 20, 2016)

Gravy Train said:


> Do you mind me asking how much he is charging for a job like this (or at least a price range)? It looks stunning so far!



His pricing is super reasonable. I am getting a san dimas refinished by him for 375 for a 3 stage graphic with 2 pearl coats. Give him a ring, he is super helpful .


----------



## Ataraxia2320 (Nov 20, 2016)

Dude it looks absolutely dope so far. It's certainly going to end up being a true one of a kind PRS. Looking forward to more updates.


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## theicon2125 (Nov 21, 2016)

HighGain510 said:


> Not at all. It's not a zebra finish, as I've stated a few times now.  Maybe no more progress updates until it's done...



NOOOOO Don't let the idiots ruin it for the rest of us. 

If you stop here at least put stuff up on your Instagram.


----------



## hairychris (Nov 21, 2016)

The first thing that I thought when I saw the colour scheme was "Nugent" haha.


----------



## Gravy Train (Nov 21, 2016)

austink said:


> His pricing is super reasonable. I am getting a san dimas refinished by him for 375 for a 3 stage graphic with 2 pearl coats. Give him a ring, he is super helpful .



Thank you, I appreciate it. I got my quote back from him and it ended up being more expensive than I estimated (since it is a set neck), which I'm not in the least upset about because I am certain that his work speaks for itself. Time to start saving! I have some very cool ideas for my PRS's...


----------



## HighGain510 (Nov 21, 2016)

Per Marty: "We still have to do some clean up and tighten some of the graphic lines and then it will be off to final clear coats. Getting real close to the end here." 






Looking good!  Once she gets some clearcoat, that finish is REALLY going to pop!!!


----------



## technomancer (Nov 21, 2016)




----------



## Yodel (Nov 21, 2016)

Sweet finish, now all it needs is a hockeystick headstock


----------



## A-Branger (Nov 21, 2016)

Im still sad because of the no sparkle


----------



## Anquished (Nov 22, 2016)

Looking forward to seeing how this turns out!


----------



## HighGain510 (Nov 22, 2016)

Marty Bell is moving right along, first round of clearcoat is done already! 







Won't be too much longer, looking sick as expected!  It's going to look amazing with the black hardware on there!


----------



## dan0151 (Nov 22, 2016)

looking forward to it being finished.


----------



## feraledge (Nov 22, 2016)

My favorite mod project. Ever.


----------



## StrmRidr (Nov 22, 2016)

This is sick. We need more tiger stripes guitars around.


----------



## Glades (Nov 22, 2016)

I hope you send the finished pics to @MarkPeriphery on Twitter when it's done. I'd like to see his reaction lol


----------



## Omzig (Nov 22, 2016)




----------



## JustMac (Nov 22, 2016)

Here's one I sketched out in reaction to this thread


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## HighGain510 (Dec 1, 2016)

Looks like she's all done with clearcoat and polish and on the way back to PRS HQ for final assembly and setup! 


























The matching yellow/orange bengal burst finish on the neck came out great too, decided to have Marty match the neck (as seen on the Jackson Soloist this one is based on) but the clearcoat is still done in satin to keep that killer playability it had stock!


----------



## technomancer (Dec 1, 2016)

That is just ridiculous


----------



## Crash Dandicoot (Dec 1, 2016)

Fantastic! Looking forward to seeing it completed


----------



## Djentlyman (Dec 1, 2016)

This is intense. I hope Mark Holcomb sees this.


----------



## A-Branger (Dec 1, 2016)

did you painted the headstock too, or left it with the natural ebony that came stock?


----------



## HighGain510 (Dec 2, 2016)

A-Branger said:


> did you painted the headstock too, or left it with the natural ebony that came stock?



Nope I left the stock ebony headstock overlay in tact.


----------



## A-Branger (Dec 2, 2016)

HighGain510 said:


> Nope I left the stock ebony headstock overlay in tact.



good choice


----------



## Gravy Train (Dec 2, 2016)

HighGain510 said:


> Nope I left the stock ebony headstock overlay in tact.



Did you get a locking nut installed, or have you left it as is?


----------



## technomancer (Dec 2, 2016)

Gravy Train said:


> Did you get a locking nut installed, or have you left it as is?





HighGain510 said:


> A custom-ordered 20" radius nut and saddles set were bought from Floyd Rose for this guitar.



He's got a locking nut going on it...


----------



## Gravy Train (Dec 2, 2016)

technomancer said:


> He's got a locking nut going on it...



I must have overlooked that post, thank you!


----------



## ittoa666 (Dec 3, 2016)

This is beyond sexy Randy.


----------



## NickB11 (Dec 4, 2016)

Wow - looks epic! Can't wait to see the final product - thanks for sharing


----------



## absolutorigin (Dec 4, 2016)

I need some new pants.


----------



## TamanShud (Dec 4, 2016)




----------



## HighGain510 (Dec 9, 2016)

Skitchy has her on the bench!  Sounds like this puppy is going to all buttoned up by next week! Little preview since I know I'm not the only one excited to see the progress being made on this beauty!






DAT FINISH THO!  Black hardware was definitely the right call!


----------



## narad (Dec 9, 2016)

I had mixed thoughts until that bridge was on there. Black was indeed the right call!


----------



## technomancer (Dec 9, 2016)

Absolutely killer


----------



## feraledge (Dec 9, 2016)

Unrecognizable in the best way possible. Kudos to you on having the vision and will to make this happen.


----------



## TonyFlyingSquirrel (Dec 10, 2016)

That's screaming cool!!!


----------



## forsakened (Dec 10, 2016)

Wow awesome project man! Saw this in the PRS forum as well and was wondering how it turned out. I'm a big PTC fan now.


----------



## hidebai (Dec 10, 2016)

This is a very big project !!!


----------



## sawtoothscream (Dec 11, 2016)

CNt wait until it's all together. Looking good


----------



## penguin_316 (Dec 11, 2016)

That has to be one of the tackiest finishes I've ever seen. Top notch craftsmanship, but you ruined it with that finish.

IMO of course, to each their own. Digging the rest of the build though.


----------



## Insomnia (Dec 11, 2016)

Why though? I understand that you like the Holcomb model and all but...that finish...


----------



## Lemons (Dec 11, 2016)

Because he can.


----------



## Ordacleaphobia (Dec 11, 2016)

Insomnia said:


> Why though? I understand that you like the Holcomb model and all but...that finish...



Some people don't dig 80s 'in your face' style finishes. Personally, I'm not a fan either, but I am beyond stoked to see this happen. Super cool to see a high end instrument totally recustomized and made into someone's own like this, and the addition of the floyd alone is enough to get me excited.

Eagerly awaiting finished product shots!!


----------



## HighGain510 (Dec 11, 2016)

penguin_316 said:


> That has to be one of the tackiest finishes I've ever seen. Top notch craftsmanship, but you ruined it with that finish.
> 
> IMO of course, to each their own. Digging the rest of the build though.



"Ruined" is a pretty strong term to use in this case, it's not like this was some heirloom instrument like a Stradivarius and I cut it in half.  I can understand folks not liking the finish because loud graphics aren't for everyone, but I hardly think it's been "ruined" by any means. 




Insomnia said:


> Why though? I understand that you like the Holcomb model and all but...that finish...



Because I liked all of the specs of the stock guitar but wanted to drop in a locking trem and for the purpose of this guitar, the finish is exactly what I wanted for an 80's hair metal vibe? I love the scale, the radius, the pickups, etc that come stock on this one and there aren't any other 25.5" custom 24 models with a 20" radius. I added the finish because this was the guitar I wanted to mod and it works for me. 



Lemons said:


> Because he can.



Yep, that too! 



Ordacleaphobia said:


> Some people don't dig 80s 'in your face' style finishes. Personally, I'm not a fan either, but I am beyond stoked to see this happen. Super cool to see a high end instrument totally recustomized and made into someone's own like this, and the addition of the floyd alone is enough to get me excited.
> 
> Eagerly awaiting finished product shots!!



Exactly! I bought a used guitar with the specs I liked and modded it to be perfect FOR ME. I get that not everyone will love the mods or the finish, but at the end of the day it's just an instrument used to make music. It's not like this was some $20K collector's item, I'm not worried about the value as I built this for me and I intend to keep it and play the crap out of it. 

Besides, I still have my bone stock Holcomb that will remain untouched!


----------



## Yodel (Dec 11, 2016)

I dig it, that kind of finish is something prog/djent millennials will never be able to understand, like Tuneomatics and EMG81s.


----------



## technomancer (Dec 11, 2016)

^ these are the same people that guitar manufacturers managed to convince that flat finishes are an upgrade instead of a cost saving measure soooo.....


----------



## noise in my mind (Dec 11, 2016)

Lots of animal themes going on. I dig.


----------



## xCaptainx (Dec 11, 2016)

I like 80s guitars, had a a variety of gunslingers in crazy colours at one time. 

I really don't like this on a Holcomb model but kudo's to you for doing whatever you want and getting the perfect guitar for you. It looks like it's been done very well and I've enjoyed watching the build. Thank you for sharing.


----------



## HighGain510 (Dec 14, 2016)

She's all finished!!! 







Absolutely cannot wait to get my hands on this one!


----------



## HotKarl (Dec 14, 2016)

My goodness, that is sexy. so cool.


----------



## technomancer (Dec 14, 2016)




----------



## Gravy Train (Dec 14, 2016)

Damn man, there just aren't words.


----------



## Rich5150 (Dec 14, 2016)




----------



## ThePhilosopher (Dec 14, 2016)

That's just yummy.


----------



## KnightBrolaire (Dec 14, 2016)

looks so good.


----------



## yellowv (Dec 14, 2016)

That looks so badass Matt.


----------



## Meeotch (Dec 14, 2016)

Bravo!!


----------



## Hachetjoel (Dec 14, 2016)

amazing, I love it


----------



## Forkface (Dec 15, 2016)

Jesucristo Resucitado....
that is insane.


----------



## ManOnTheEdge (Dec 15, 2016)

Beautiful Guitar

Always glad to see people taking a guitar, not being precious and making it "their" guitar.


----------



## Petar Bogdanov (Dec 16, 2016)

22 Faces In A Row


----------



## xCaptainx (Dec 16, 2016)

Ok the finish build has changed my mind, hahah this is awesome.


----------



## ihunda (Dec 16, 2016)

Speechless, I love it!


----------



## Tom 1.0 (Dec 16, 2016)

Yum.

Looks amazing.


----------



## dan0151 (Dec 16, 2016)

wow..what a stunner


----------



## sloanthebone (Dec 16, 2016)

HighGain510 said:


> She's all finished!!!
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Wow, that is amazing looking! Love the new finish.


----------



## HighGain510 (Dec 16, 2016)

Thanks guys! Looks like my Christmas present arrived early this year! 












Love it!


----------



## technomancer (Dec 16, 2016)

Honestly wasn't sure how the birds would look with the tiger, but DAMN is that amazing


----------



## Blasphemer (Dec 16, 2016)

I'd be smashing that like button if it still existed. That thing is awesome!


----------



## Spicypickles (Dec 16, 2016)

I was in the "Oh Noes!" camp at first, but it looks a ton better as a final product. I'd proudly rock that on stage.


Or in the bedroom, who am I kidding?


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## feraledge (Dec 16, 2016)

Refinish of the year 2016. Amazing vision, perfect execution. Well played, this is absolutely awesome.


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## Ordacleaphobia (Dec 16, 2016)

I knew the finish would look a lot better all strung up and completed.
Came out AWESOME dude, does it play as good as it looks? Everything you'd hoped it would be?


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## 77zark77 (Dec 16, 2016)

Stunning, but maybe it's not enough !

Big big congrats !


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## DISTORT6 (Dec 16, 2016)

Killer! Time for some Dokken!


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## Ataraxia2320 (Dec 16, 2016)

That thing is SERIOUS.


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## Nlelith (Dec 17, 2016)

Absolutely stellar. But does in bounce?


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## Andromalia (Dec 17, 2016)

In my time, Zebras were white. *squint*

Don't hit me please 

Ended up being pretty stellar, enjoy your 17th PRS XD


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## cmtd (Dec 17, 2016)

Been following this for a while now. Not exactly my cup of tea in the finish department, but with that being said I totally respect what you did here. We all have different preferences for our guitars. This is a really awesome project you did here and it came out phenomenal. You truly have a 1 of a kind on your hands and it was done to perfection.

Haven't played a Holcomb PRS but those specs are really tasty. Enjoy OP, you have a stunner.

Have you shared it with Mark? (twitter or something) I'd love to see his reaction.


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## budda (Dec 17, 2016)

Yeah you did!


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## mbardu (Dec 17, 2016)

Argh it's ruined now 

OK not to worry, I'll give you 500$ to take it off your hands  



Seriously, best thing ever.


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## StrmRidr (Dec 17, 2016)

This is amazing


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## HighGain510 (Dec 17, 2016)

Thanks guys! Been playing it non-stop since I got it, just such a fantastic piece! 



Ordacleaphobia said:


> I knew the finish would look a lot better all strung up and completed.
> Came out AWESOME dude, does it play as good as it looks? Everything you'd hoped it would be?



Yes indeed! It absolutely met my expectations! I might tweak a few things (noiseless springs and titanium string blocks are on my list of items I forgot to buy before I shipped everything to the PTC ) but Skitchy did a fantastic job as I knew he would, he has an excellent reputation for a reason!  He actually even cut me a new truss rod cover because the nut wouldnt allow the original to fit without removing the "H" and that would just look off. 



cmtd said:


> Been following this for a while now. Not exactly my cup of tea in the finish department, but with that being said I totally respect what you did here. We all have different preferences for our guitars. This is a really awesome project you did here and it came out phenomenal. You truly have a 1 of a kind on your hands and it was done to perfection.
> 
> Haven't played a Holcomb PRS but those specs are really tasty. Enjoy OP, you have a stunner.
> 
> Have you shared it with Mark? (twitter or something) I'd love to see his reaction.



Yeah a few folks tagged him on both IG and FB, he seems to think it was cool from his posts. Whether or not he's just trying to spare my feelings is another question!  At the end of the day, I absolutely love it and will be playing the crap out of it so that's really all I was worried about. The stock pickups sound so great in here, love love LOVE the SD Holcomb Alpha/Omega set! 


Here are a few more quick pics:




















I'll try to get around to grabbing some more shots once the weather gets a bit nicer and I can do some outdoor pics. The finish is just wild (ha!) in person!


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## narad (Dec 18, 2016)

Hey, I found your next amp:






https://reverb.com/item/3506296-blades-venom-2015-mike-learn-orange-tiger


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## hairychris (Dec 20, 2016)

HighGain510 said:


>



"10"


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## Steinmetzify (Dec 20, 2016)

Matt this came out SUPER SICK. What a vision, dude. Had no idea what it was gonna end up like, but glad I followed this thread. ONE OF A KIND BITCHES!!!


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## HighGain510 (Dec 20, 2016)

hairychris said:


> "10"



The guitar actually has a 10-top quilted maple top (as was designated on the back of the headstock prior to the refin) underneath the paint. In hindsight, I should have asked Marty to mark it an "11"... 



steinmetzify said:


> Matt this came out SUPER SICK. What a vision, dude. Had no idea what it was gonna end up like, but glad I followed this thread. ONE OF A KIND BITCHES!!!




Haha thanks man!  I'm keeping it on my living room guitar stand and honestly the finish just draws you in non-stop, so I end up picking it up to play even more than normal!  Works for me!


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## themike (Dec 23, 2016)

So sick! 






Did you plug the side dots? Jeez, you're a mad man


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## HighGain510 (Dec 23, 2016)

themike said:


> So sick!
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Haha Thanks Mike! The luminlay side dots are still there, Marty painted up to the edge of the fretboard only, the dots remain! No reason to cover those up, I need them!


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## MAJ Meadows SF (Dec 27, 2016)

narad said:


> Hey, I found your next amp:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## Vede (Dec 30, 2016)

Looks amazing! Congrats!

Tech question: Perhaps it's an optical illusion, but it looks like the Floyd sits closer to the bridge pickup than the original fixed bridge. Is that correct? If so, given the placement of the saddles on both bridges, it seems like adding the Floyd slightly shortened the scale length?


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## electriceye (Jan 3, 2017)

That is CRAZY! Great job and glad you like it. Play it like you stole it, now.


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## Riffer (Jan 3, 2017)

themike said:


> Did you plug the side dots? Jeez, you're a mad man



It definitely looks like there are no side dots in all the photos that I can see.


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## HighGain510 (Jan 3, 2017)

themike said:


> So sick!
> 
> 
> 
> ...





HighGain510 said:


> Haha Thanks Mike! The luminlay side dots are still there, Marty painted up to the edge of the fretboard only, the dots remain! No reason to cover those up, I need them!





Riffer said:


> It definitely looks like there are no side dots in all the photos that I can see.



You would be incorrect. I already pointed out that they are not painted over, not sure why you'd bother saying that a week after I already confirmed they aren't painted over. 










Vede said:


> Looks amazing! Congrats!
> 
> Tech question: Perhaps it's an optical illusion, but it looks like the Floyd sits closer to the bridge pickup than the original fixed bridge. Is that correct? If so, given the placement of the saddles on both bridges, it seems like adding the Floyd slightly shortened the scale length?



I think it's just an optical illusion.


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## xwmucradiox (Jan 4, 2017)

The dot in the picture proving the point that the dots aren't painted over has paint over it


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## p88 (Jan 4, 2017)

HighGain510 said:


>



are those just artifacts on a low quality photo or are those flecks of paint on the side of the fretboard?


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## technomancer (Jan 4, 2017)

p88 said:


> are those just artifacts on a low quality photo or are those flecks of paint on the side of the fretboard?



Looks more like dust / grit from playing...


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## Glades (Jan 4, 2017)

Looks like overspray. The masking tape must have lifted off during spraying.


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## HighGain510 (Jan 7, 2017)

xwmucradiox said:


> The dot in the picture proving the point that the dots aren't painted over has paint over it



Flecks of overspray on the edge of the board =/= dots painted over. You can see the dots fine, as the picture shows. Not sure why the snarky comment was needed, though... it's pretty clear that you can see the dot just fine from the picture. 




p88 said:


> are those just artifacts on a low quality photo or are those flecks of paint on the side of the fretboard?





technomancer said:


> Looks more like dust / grit from playing...





Glades said:


> Looks like overspray. The masking tape must have lifted off during spraying.



Nah, Glades is correct, seems the masking lifted a bit so there is a touch of overspray along the edge of the fretboard. Not enough for me to be upset considering the rest of the paint job is killer and it was handed straight to PRS for assembly without me seeing it in person, it was already fully-assembled before I saw it so no point in sending it back to Marty over that. Again, I plan to play it, I can still see the luminlay side dots just fine, so not really something anyone needs to be jabbing at as I'm not upset about it.


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## littleredguitars2 (Jan 7, 2017)

still a killer guitar nonetheless dude! those dots do seem a little hard to see to me personally but could be different in person. 

question for ya. how do you think the alpha/omegas sound compared to BK juggernauts?


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## technomancer (Jan 7, 2017)

HighGain510 said:


> Nah, Glades is correct, seems the masking lifted a bit so there is a touch of overspray along the edge of the fretboard. Not enough for me to be upset considering the rest of the paint job is killer and it was handed straight to PRS for assembly without me seeing it in person, it was already fully-assembled before I saw it so no point in sending it back to Marty over that. Again, I plan to play it, I can still see the luminlay side dots just fine, so not really something anyone needs to be jabbing at as I'm not upset about it.



Ah right on, killer guitar regardless. Take it along the next time you visit Phil, he can probably clean that up for you in about 5 minutes  (assuming of course that the edge of the board isn't clear coated)


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## HighGain510 (Jan 8, 2017)

littleredguitars2 said:


> still a killer guitar nonetheless dude! those dots do seem a little hard to see to me personally but could be different in person.
> 
> question for ya. how do you think the alpha/omegas sound compared to BK juggernauts?



Yeah in person it's not really a big deal, and the overspray isn't spanning the entire neck, it's just where the tape lifted in a few spots and unfortunately it happened near the edge of the inlay in one or two spots. 

With the Juggs, I find they react VERY differently depending on the guitar they're put into. In alder/maple, they sound very aggressive and the low end was huge, cleans are very nice as well! In basswood, the definition was greater and the cleans are, just IMHO, even better. My silverburst sparkle HT6 is one of the best-sounding guitars I own, and my laguna is no slouch either!  I had the Juggs in my Boden 6 Koaberg and they sounded very good with black limba/koa and a coco neck but definitely not as good as it did in alder or basswood, again just IMO. 

I've only used the Alpha/Omega set in an actual Holcomb or my old CU24 WL for a short period of time (similar to the Holcomb specs but 25" scale and a mahogany neck), in the woods it was designed to be used with I found the Holcomb set to be tough to beat. Super tight low-end, wonderful clarity on big chords and the cleans (especially split!) are some of my favorites. My stock Holcomb Burst and Tiger Holcomb aren't going anywhere. 





technomancer said:


> Ah right on, killer guitar regardless. Take it along the next time you visit Phil, he can probably clean that up for you in about 5 minutes  (assuming of course that the edge of the board isn't clear coated)



Yeah fortunately I have Chris Bavaria local to me so honestly if it ever got to the point that I actually got annoyed with the overspray bits, he could clean it up for me easily. Right now it's not worth the time or expense since it's not bugging me.  Definitely agree though, the guitar has remained on my living room stand since it got here and I pick it up almost daily even if I'm not turning on my living room rig. They all did a killer job on this project!


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## littleredguitars2 (Jan 8, 2017)

yeah i've used juggs in quite a few different guitars and they definitely shine differently in different guitars. had them in a baritone alder strat, a 7 string strat, boden6, PRS mccarty. gibson les paul custom. etc. all great sounds too.


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