1985 PRS Banana Yellow NAMM Pre-Standard #5 02XX

This is the third of four Banana Yellow Pre-Standards to surface — an incredible one-off which was part of the Winter ’86 NAMM show. She came off the line in November 1985, Serial Number #5 02XX

This is a one-owner guitar which has been HEAVILY gigged for 25 years, and shows it. The owner remembers the pickups being very early Stamped T&B’s that are clearly hand-wound with irregular magnetic bars, lots of goo and some heavy black cloth tape applied to hold it all together.

She has all the appointments of the first wave of Paul’s wonderful new guitars as they were just being introduced. Regular neck carve, moons and Brazilian board — which has bathed in enough lemon oil over the years to darken it to an almost ebony color. Note the black tone knobs rather than the amber ones found on the other existing yellow Pre-Standards.

The 5-way switch is the only thing not completely stock. The original one cracked into two pieces, right down the middle while being played. The owner says he hated switching it out, but a working guitar for a musician is obviously better than a broken one. That’s what Paul intended afterall — for these beauties to be PLAYED.