The answer to the question about the pickups doesn't seem right to me. If there was a noise problem, you would send it back to Santa Rosa for the upgrade. If only the pickups were replaced, then maybe there was a problem with one of the pickups. The intriguing thing here is the possibility that it's had the upgrade. If so, then the price becomes much more appealing. Unfortunately, a serial number lookup wouldn't happen before the auction is over. My guess is, from the way the question was answered, that just the pickups were replaced and that it hasn't had the upgrade.