The dragon gets bit...

[Watershed]

...by the CNC machine.

I got a chance to go to the Experience PRS 2009 over the weekend, and thought I'd share this pick with you all.

Apparently, this one got loose in the CNC machine with catastrophic effects.
It was a great time.  The factory tour was very cool.

Paul is a pretty good guitar player as well.

James

 

[Volitions Advocate]

.... is that dragon inlay or paint? 

 

[Watershed]

It's the real deal (inlay).
I imagine there was weeping and gnashing of teeth that day.
LOL

They had a table of some factory accidents.

James

 

[Nando Vallart]

CNC can really destroy a guitar when goes wrong :laughing7:
WyllieE told us once, there is the prove!

 

[bbl4ck]

Ouch!!!  :toothy11:
A lot of time on that inlay down the drain...
:kewlpics: :rock-on:

 

[Watershed]

This one may be the culprit.

 

[Mor Paul]

Man, that's a bummer.

 

[Kublai]

I always assumed all CNC stuff would be complete before any inlay was done.

 

[Nando Vallart]

I always assumed all CNC stuff would be complete before any inlay was done.

The Inlay routes are done by a CNC...
Perhaps they glued the shells to give a more dramatic look...

 

[bpmorton777]

why in gods name would they use a flame maple top only to put inlay over most of it? seems like a waste.

Brian

 

[JaySwear]

the factory tour is very cool! i got to go a few years ago, and man it was impressive. you can really see how much detail work they put into their guitars. it's not a big place, but they produce some insanely nice equipment.

 

[OzziePete]

Oh, that is a bad pic to see. Prospective big dollar maker ruined. I bet the guy doing the inlay design (by machine or hand?)wanted to smash the CNC responsible.

 

[Watershed]

The inlay work is done by CNC, however they don't do it in house.
Things like that, and the fingerboards, are done by another company in Maryland called Pearlworks.
www.pearlworks.com

What they said is that Pearlworks has a very fine CNC machine that makes the routes, and also cuts out the shells.
At least for the fingerboards, PRS glues the inlay into the wood themselves once everything comes back form Pearlworks.

My guess is that they got the body back from Pearlworks, and were cutting out the neck pocket and pickup routs when this happened.
It looks like the inlay work was done before the incident, as some of the inlays are chewed up as well.

Why didn't they route the neckpocket and pickup routs first?
I have no idea.  It's probably a pretty complicated process, especially being a carved top.

It's about a $20,000 guitar, so no expense is spared.
Still, that has to eat into profits.

 

[line6man]

The inlay work is done by CNC, however they don't do it in house.
Things like that, and the fingerboards, are done by another company in Maryland called Pearlworks.
www.pearlworks.com

What they said is that Pearlworks has a very fine CNC machine that makes the routes, and also cuts out the shells.
At least for the fingerboards, PRS glues the inlay into the wood themselves once everything comes back form Pearlworks.

My guess is that they got the body back from Pearlworks, and were cutting out the neck pocket and pickup routs when this happened.
It looks like the inlay work was done before the incident, as some of the inlays are chewed up as well.

Why didn't they route the neckpocket and pickup routs first?
I have no idea.  It's probably a pretty complicated process, especially being a carved top.

It's about a $20,000 guitar, so no expense is spared.
Still, that has to eat into profits.

That has got to be one of the worst website designs I have seen in a long time.
I hate dealing with those flash sites that make you see a little intro to every page.

 

[DangerousR6]

This one may be the culprit.

It's not the machines fault, it the fault of the operater who did the set up. He should have made sure everything was secure...

 

[Watershed]

The inlay work is done by CNC, however they don't do it in house.
Things like that, and the fingerboards, are done by another company in Maryland called Pearlworks.
www.pearlworks.com

What they said is that Pearlworks has a very fine CNC machine that makes the routes, and also cuts out the shells.
At least for the fingerboards, PRS glues the inlay into the wood themselves once everything comes back form Pearlworks.

My guess is that they got the body back from Pearlworks, and were cutting out the neck pocket and pickup routs when this happened.
It looks like the inlay work was done before the incident, as some of the inlays are chewed up as well.

Why didn't they route the neckpocket and pickup routs first?
I have no idea.  It's probably a pretty complicated process, especially being a carved top.

It's about a $20,000 guitar, so no expense is spared.
Still, that has to eat into profits.

That has got to be one of the worst website designs I have seen in a long time.
I hate dealing with those flash sites that make you see a little intro to every page.

Yea, they aren't really a retail operation.

 

[Watershed]

This one may be the culprit.

It's not the machines fault, it the fault of the operater who did the set up. He should have made sure everything was secure...

I'm sure he was scolded appropriately.
:tard:

 

[Alfang]

It looks like they use vacuum air to hold the bodies down for machining, could be a whole bunch of reasons that it got loose. Product loss happpens in manufacturing all the time, so they expect it, try to prevent it, and learn something when things go wrong.    I'll bet it wasn't as big a loss as you think.

 

[stubhead]

I live right down the road from them and used to take guitar students on their factory tour, but now it's an "experience" and it costs money - their loss, I feel. That old free tour used to instill a hankering for a $5,000 guitar that's not there anymore among a lot of people.... :icon_scratch:

 

[Watershed]

I live right down the road from them and used to take guitar students on their factory tour, but now it's an "experience" and it costs money - their loss, I feel. That old free tour used to instill a hankering for a $5.000 guitar that not there anymore among a lot of people.... :icon_scratch:

Well in all fairness, the Experience is a 2 1/2 day event.  The tour was about an hour.  They built a new factory last year to accommodate the acoustics and amps they are now making.
Last year I got in for free (buddy bought a PRS), but I did join the Signature Club for $40.00.  After 2 days of free beer, meals, and concerts, I thought it was only fair.
Didn't want to be a plate licker.

This year, joining the club costs $60.00, and should get you into next year's event.
Beer was $2.00 this year, but we got three catered meals.  The clinics by Johnny Hiland and David Grissom were pretty cool.
I'm not really a country guy, but Hiland can tear it up.  Also had my eyes opened to Tony McManus.  Wow, very humbling.
Getting to see Carlos Santana and Buddy Guy play Maggot Brain within spitting distance was priceless...and I didn't even have to use my Master Card.

They had some interactive tables where you could install frets, carve tops, and do some staining.
The name of the manufacturer was on the bottle of dye.  It's not what I would have expected, but works very well for staining darker woods.
I would never have thought of using it.

Anyway, I don't work there, I'm not a share owner, but I'll say that I do think I got my money's worth.
Although I really don't see myself dropping 5 large on a PRS any time soon.

James