Please help with a PRS

[marty_the_westie]

I am desperate to get a PRS. I cannot afford a custom or McCarty or any other real one for that matter so I want to get a Santana SE. The only problem is I absolutely HATE the pickguard. I would replace the pups with genuine PRS ones, but have no idea what to do about the pickguard. Can anybody give me some ideas how to remove it without leaving holes in my insturment. The only thing I can think of is to leave the screws in, sans pickguard, but I dont know how it would look. Please give me some ideas.

 

[kaknight]

why don't you get one from the first year that doesn't have the pickguard? I bet you can find em on eBay. Otherwize, i think you might consider a different brand. I don't know if there is any routing under that guard, but even if there isn't it's going to look funny with either holes or screws.

 

[proxy]

I would consider maybe a schecter c-1.

They are PRSish without the tag, it sounds liek you are looking for the name, not the guitar.

 

[Skullkrusher]

You cant go wrong with Schecter. Also, Check out Rondo Music. They have some PRS style guitars for a good price.

http://www.rondomusic.bigstep.com/homepage.html

 

[tone4days]

i agree with proxy .. some of those schecters are simply beautiful to hear, play, and see ... and i agree that the santana SEs are hideous with the pickguard ... i am afraid that trying to remove one will leave more problems than you can fix ... even if you fill the holes with woodfiller and find a way to match the colour nicely, it might not have a good look .... heck, it might even be covering a rout !!!

good luck

cheers
t4d

 

[rspst14]

Go with a used Hamer Studio instead. They look similar to a McCarty, and are about $1000 less on the used market. The quality of Hamer guitars is right up there with PRS.

Ryan

 

[Jonny R]

Or a Musicman - less emphasis on the PRS look I guess but a great pro guitar

 

[Grandor]

Musicman imo doesn't look like a PRS,
addmitedly i have only seen the JP model.

 

[garublador]

It looks like they have some of the old ones at Guitar Heaven:

http://www.gtrheaven.com/PRS/santana.asp

 

[Gearjoneser]

I saw a dark green SE with no pickguard on Ebay yesterday for around $300! Nice!