NGD: SX KY1 CUS 22 LH NA

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BatUtilityBelt
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Hi. I don't know Jon Way, but after seeing so many of his YouTube demos I didn't hesitate on this one of 5 or 6 guitars he listed on Reverb. It intrigued me and I admittedly bought it on impulse. I just like the look, and apparently this model came out before I was aware Rondo existed. I missed that early wave entirely.
Front.jpg
That was back when I was PRS-curious. I didn't know if I would like a PRS feel, and I didn't want to spend PRS money to find out. I tried a HB PRS copy and it went back as fast as I could send it (which Thomann made painfully slow), but the shape was fine. Later, I bought a PRS SE and was pretty happy with it - still am. It's not tonally incredible, but it is very versatile and plays well. So yes, I can work with PRS-ish guitars. I just don't want to spend core money on one.

This guitar, I decided, is a PRSX. The official model name is SX KY1 CUS 22 LH NA. That's a mouthful. It's an SX take on a PRS Custom 22 singlecut with natural finish. What is the "KY" for? Nobody talks about it. I won't ask Kurt. That could be another conversation altogether. I'll just call it the PRSX because I can remember that without chuckling. I dig the birds.

I gave the whole guitar a cleaning and the fretboard soaked up some oil, looking much better. The body is a little thinner than most, and that makes a difference. With a mahogany neck and body and a maple cap, I was shocked by how light it is - 6 lbs, 7 oz. That's the same weight as my B&G Little Sister, which is a small bodied semihollow. I have to guess the SX is chambered to the point of being basically semihollow, just without the F holes. But it doesn't have the woody overtones you might expect from that.

I don't know about the original pickups because Jon changed them out at some point. I'd say these pickups might be the weak point of the guitar. They sound alright but lack clarity and character. On the other hand, I see the cheapest tiny pots in the control cavity, and those might be the tone suckers instead of the pickups. I'll probably swap them first.
Control cavity small.jpg
The neck is an awesome fit for me - it's thick but is not over the top. It plays great. The setup was spot-on for me. So great playing, great feeling, great looking guitar lacking some tone. I am betting I can change that last remaining barrier to loving the guitar.
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dabbler
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Congrats! I love 'em too!

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uwmcscott
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Great score and again the John Way nostalgia kicks in. I think his videos were some of the very first exposure I had to Agile/Rondo way back when I was just getting back into playing again.
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BatUtilityBelt
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dabbler wrote: Wed Sep 20, 2023 3:15 pm Congrats! I love 'em too!


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Nice! Those twins look great.
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sabasgr68
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BatUtilityBelt wrote: Wed Sep 20, 2023 2:48 pm Hi. I don't know Jon Way, but after seeing so many of his YouTube demos I didn't hesitate on this one of 5 or 6 guitars he listed on Reverb. It intrigued me and I admittedly bought it on impulse. I just like the look, and apparently this model came out before I was aware Rondo existed. I missed that early wave entirely.
Front.jpg
That was back when I was PRS-curious. I didn't know if I would like a PRS feel, and I didn't want to spend PRS money to find out. I tried a HB PRS copy and it went back as fast as I could send it (which Thomann made painfully slow), but the shape was fine. Later, I bought a PRS SE and was pretty happy with it - still am. It's not tonally incredible, but it is very versatile and plays well. So yes, I can work with PRS-ish guitars. I just don't want to spend core money on one.

This guitar, I decided, is a PRSX. The official model name is SX KY1 CUS 22 LH NA. That's a mouthful. It's an SX take on a PRS Custom 22 singlecut with natural finish. What is the "KY" for? Nobody talks about it. I won't ask Kurt. That could be another conversation altogether. I'll just call it the PRSX because I can remember that without chuckling. I dig the birds.

I gave the whole guitar a cleaning and the fretboard soaked up some oil, looking much better. The body is a little thinner than most, and that makes a difference. With a mahogany neck and body and a maple cap, I was shocked by how light it is - 6 lbs, 7 oz. That's the same weight as my B&G Little Sister, which is a small bodied semihollow. I have to guess the SX is chambered to the point of being basically semihollow, just without the F holes. But it doesn't have the woody overtones you might expect from that.

I don't know about the original pickups because Jon changed them out at some point. I'd say these pickups might be the weak point of the guitar. They sound alright but lack clarity and character. On the other hand, I see the cheapest tiny pots in the control cavity, and those might be the tone suckers instead of the pickups. I'll probably swap them first.
Control cavity small.jpg
The neck is an awesome fit for me - it's thick but is not over the top. It plays great. The setup was spot-on for me. So great playing, great feeling, great looking guitar lacking some tone. I am betting I can change that last remaining barrier to loving the guitar.
I´m glad you got that and that you liked it. I´m sure the tonal "issue" will be solved.

I believe I´d like one of those too - in righty shape -.

And I think I watched Jon´s videos on Agile ALs several times; they were - they are - like good movies you can watch countless times and still you enjoy them.

Congrats!
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dabbler
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sabasgr68 wrote: Wed Sep 20, 2023 4:28 pm
BatUtilityBelt wrote: Wed Sep 20, 2023 2:48 pm Hi. I don't know Jon Way, but after seeing so many of his YouTube demos I didn't hesitate on this one of 5 or 6 guitars he listed on Reverb. It intrigued me and I admittedly bought it on impulse. I just like the look, and apparently this model came out before I was aware Rondo existed. I missed that early wave entirely.
Front.jpg
That was back when I was PRS-curious. I didn't know if I would like a PRS feel, and I didn't want to spend PRS money to find out. I tried a HB PRS copy and it went back as fast as I could send it (which Thomann made painfully slow), but the shape was fine. Later, I bought a PRS SE and was pretty happy with it - still am. It's not tonally incredible, but it is very versatile and plays well. So yes, I can work with PRS-ish guitars. I just don't want to spend core money on one.

This guitar, I decided, is a PRSX. The official model name is SX KY1 CUS 22 LH NA. That's a mouthful. It's an SX take on a PRS Custom 22 singlecut with natural finish. What is the "KY" for? Nobody talks about it. I won't ask Kurt. That could be another conversation altogether. I'll just call it the PRSX because I can remember that without chuckling. I dig the birds.

I gave the whole guitar a cleaning and the fretboard soaked up some oil, looking much better. The body is a little thinner than most, and that makes a difference. With a mahogany neck and body and a maple cap, I was shocked by how light it is - 6 lbs, 7 oz. That's the same weight as my B&G Little Sister, which is a small bodied semihollow. I have to guess the SX is chambered to the point of being basically semihollow, just without the F holes. But it doesn't have the woody overtones you might expect from that.

I don't know about the original pickups because Jon changed them out at some point. I'd say these pickups might be the weak point of the guitar. They sound alright but lack clarity and character. On the other hand, I see the cheapest tiny pots in the control cavity, and those might be the tone suckers instead of the pickups. I'll probably swap them first.
Control cavity small.jpg
The neck is an awesome fit for me - it's thick but is not over the top. It plays great. The setup was spot-on for me. So great playing, great feeling, great looking guitar lacking some tone. I am betting I can change that last remaining barrier to loving the guitar.
I´m glad you got that and that you liked it. I´m sure the tonal "issue" will be solved.

I believe I´d like one of those too - in righty shape -.

And I think I watched Jon´s videos on Agile ALs several times; they were - they are - like good movies you can watch countless times and still you enjoy them.

Congrats!
In your search, realize that those guitars were called KY1 and ISIS and the Hadean versions (the one on the right in my post is a Hadean) were called SIS.

https://www.google.com/search?q=sx+ky1+ ... s-wiz-serp

https://www.google.com/search?q=sx+isis ... e&ie=UTF-8

https://www.google.com/search?q=hadean+ ... e&ie=UTF-8
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dabbler wrote: Wed Sep 20, 2023 6:17 pm
sabasgr68 wrote: Wed Sep 20, 2023 4:28 pm
BatUtilityBelt wrote: Wed Sep 20, 2023 2:48 pm Hi. I don't know Jon Way, but after seeing so many of his YouTube demos I didn't hesitate on this one of 5 or 6 guitars he listed on Reverb. It intrigued me and I admittedly bought it on impulse. I just like the look, and apparently this model came out before I was aware Rondo existed. I missed that early wave entirely.
Front.jpg
That was back when I was PRS-curious. I didn't know if I would like a PRS feel, and I didn't want to spend PRS money to find out. I tried a HB PRS copy and it went back as fast as I could send it (which Thomann made painfully slow), but the shape was fine. Later, I bought a PRS SE and was pretty happy with it - still am. It's not tonally incredible, but it is very versatile and plays well. So yes, I can work with PRS-ish guitars. I just don't want to spend core money on one.

This guitar, I decided, is a PRSX. The official model name is SX KY1 CUS 22 LH NA. That's a mouthful. It's an SX take on a PRS Custom 22 singlecut with natural finish. What is the "KY" for? Nobody talks about it. I won't ask Kurt. That could be another conversation altogether. I'll just call it the PRSX because I can remember that without chuckling. I dig the birds.

I gave the whole guitar a cleaning and the fretboard soaked up some oil, looking much better. The body is a little thinner than most, and that makes a difference. With a mahogany neck and body and a maple cap, I was shocked by how light it is - 6 lbs, 7 oz. That's the same weight as my B&G Little Sister, which is a small bodied semihollow. I have to guess the SX is chambered to the point of being basically semihollow, just without the F holes. But it doesn't have the woody overtones you might expect from that.

I don't know about the original pickups because Jon changed them out at some point. I'd say these pickups might be the weak point of the guitar. They sound alright but lack clarity and character. On the other hand, I see the cheapest tiny pots in the control cavity, and those might be the tone suckers instead of the pickups. I'll probably swap them first.
Control cavity small.jpg
The neck is an awesome fit for me - it's thick but is not over the top. It plays great. The setup was spot-on for me. So great playing, great feeling, great looking guitar lacking some tone. I am betting I can change that last remaining barrier to loving the guitar.
I´m glad you got that and that you liked it. I´m sure the tonal "issue" will be solved.

I believe I´d like one of those too - in righty shape -.

And I think I watched Jon´s videos on Agile ALs several times; they were - they are - like good movies you can watch countless times and still you enjoy them.

Congrats!
In your search, realize that those guitars were called KY1 and ISIS and the Hadean versions (the one on the right in my post is a Hadean) were called SIS.

https://www.google.com/search?q=sx+ky1+ ... s-wiz-serp

https://www.google.com/search?q=sx+isis ... e&ie=UTF-8

https://www.google.com/search?q=hadean+ ... e&ie=UTF-8
Ok. It´s not that I´m actually in the market for one of those, but I just realized that the SX ones have the undesiderable - for me - 1 5/8 nut width; Hadean´s do have the better - again, for me - 1 11/16 nut width. Those might be marginal differences, but nut width is one factor to keep in mind. And I actually prefer the wider 1 3/4 nut width. I know, we guitarists are weird animals 8-)
I´m the guy from Venezuela (Not Communist/Socialist) - Catholic - Husband - Father
Looking for online/remote job - Income on the internet
Always grateful to the AGF community and friends
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BatUtilityBelt
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Ha! I realized I skipped a step in my intake process, probably because the action was perfect. Turned out the pickups were way too high (too close to the strings). Lowering them both by ear, the mud went away and it's suddenly pretty articulate. I might like these pickups after all. The PRSX stays, and if I see another lefty of it with a trem, I'm probably interested.
Wild String.jpg
On another tangent... This picture is zoomed in from one of the listing photos, but it demonstrates an issue I found restringing it. The high E just looks badly strung, right? Worse than that. Someone (before me) has a habit of knotting strings in the tuner, and not removing the knot if they're in a hurry. Aside from the E string, there were knots from 2 previous E strings in that tuner, and that's why it looked that way. The broken off knotted old strings took a while to even get ahold of to remove. Please guys, don't knot your strings. It's not necessary.
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HNGD!

I repaired for a bunch of music stores back in the day and one would have the same Agile ISIS show up in his inventory, every year or so. I loved to jam on it and would have bought it, if it had a volume control for each pickup. I think at one time it was for sale at $80, used in that store. I should have picked it up and modified it.
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BatUtilityBelt
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andrewsrea wrote: Thu Sep 21, 2023 11:47 am HNGD!

I repaired for a bunch of music stores back in the day and one would have the same Agile ISIS show up in his inventory, every year or so. I loved to jam on it and would have bought it, if it had a volume control for each pickup. I think at one time it was for sale at $80, used in that store. I should have picked it up and modified it.
Right? I love playing in the blend of a 2 pickup guitar. In my opinion, varying the mix between the 2 pickups gives a lot more useful tonal control than a tone pot. I have replaced a tone pot with a 2nd volume on one guitar and felt immediately rewarded by it. Aside from the rare woman tone, I don't tend to touch a tone knob.
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