I remember when I bought this, I was a bit appaled by the cracks. I took a chance on it anyways. At the time I had a rock gig it was perfect for. you can't really tell from the pictures, but the cracks at the headstock are actually the evidence of a repair job someone did. The repair itself is top notch, but you would have to refinish it to completly hide it.
And yes, it is a Persuader.