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Dominik M. Group: Members Posts: 55 Joined: July 2005 Posted: Mar. 07 2006, 11:36 Hi everyone   Please tell me some things about PRS Custom 24: 1. Is any quality difference between pre-factory models (like Oldfield's model - about 1990 year) and todays factory models? 2. Oldfield's guitar (PRS used on the Art in Heaven live in Berlin concert, used on Shadow On The Wall) - it is: Custom 24, 10 top flame, Vintage Yellow, birds, volume and push/pull tone control with 3-way toggle pickup selector. If I'm wrong please tell me. 3. What neck carve Mike's PRS has, "Wide Thin" or a "Standard" ??? If you know please tell me I will be grateful, Regards   Back to top

amazarak Group: Members Posts: 284 Joined: Mar. 2005 Posted: Mar. 07 2006, 16:38 Quote (Dominik M. @ Mar. 07 2006, 17:36) Custom 24, 10 top flame, Vintage Yellow, birds, volume and push/pull tone control with 3-way toggle pickup selector. I've been always thinking that the Vintage Yellow was an "artist series II" model, but i'm not an PRS expert... There's instruments section on tubular.net, check it out. Moreover, probably most of those guitars Mike sold out recently. amazarak -------------- Just hold your heading true Got to get your finest out Back to top

Dominik M. Group: Members Posts: 55 Joined: July 2005 Posted: Mar. 09 2006, 07:59 Quote (amazarak @ Mar. 07 2006, 16:38) Quote (Dominik M. @ Mar. 07 2006, 17:36) Custom 24, 10 top flame, Vintage Yellow, birds, volume and push/pull tone control with 3-way toggle pickup selector. I've been always thinking that the Vintage Yellow was an "artist series II" model, but i'm not an PRS expert... There's instruments section on tubular.net, check it out. Moreover, probably most of those guitars Mike sold out recently. amazarak I think that this model wasn't sold, I think this is model from 1989 year, an I would like to know his specification. If you know please answer for my questions Regards   Dominik Back to top

Korgscrew Group: Super Admins Posts: 3511 Joined: Dec. 1999 Posted: Mar. 09 2006, 08:31 I'll start with 2 first... It's apparently a PRS Signature - a limited edition Custom with higher grades of wood, with the headstock hand signed by Paul Reed Smith. I'm not 100% certain that it actually is, though - I'll check that up if I get a chance. Signature or not, its features are that of an early Custom (there was no Custom 22 when Mike's was made, so what's now called a Custom 24 was simply a Custom) - the controls are volume, a 5-way rotary pickup selector (available selections being bridge pickup, bridge + neck outside coils in parallel, the bridge + neck inside coils in series, the inside coils in parallel, and the neck pickup) and a sweet switch (a kind of treble roll off, which replaces a tone control). As far as I know, it has a regular neck profile. Quality difference...a rather heated topic. Some do maintain that the hand built ones are better. I would certainly say that the more guitars a company makes per year, the harder it's going to get for them to find woods of the absolute highest quality. Beyond that... Using computer controlled machinery to make guitars doesn't necessarily make them worse - it's all down to quality control. Shove in any old bits of wood and stick them together as soon as they come out of the machine and there's a chance of a good guitar coming out, but also a chance of a bad one coming out. Select the pieces carefully, and check them afterwards before assembly, and there's no reason it won't be as good as a hand built guitar (though whether it will be as special to its owner is a different matter - the romance factor certainly plays a part). PRS would undoubtedly tell you that they follow something more like the second philosophy...whether they do or not is something you'll have to decide by looking at and playing their guitars... Back to top

Luca Group: Members Posts: 84 Joined: Jan. 2004 Posted: Mar. 10 2006, 03:30 Its all down to quality control - Indeed it is! My friend had a 1985 vintage cu24 for a while that he was borrowing of an old guy who didnt play it very often (it was the first PRS imported into the UK apparently). At the same time I was also playing a cu24 except my one was made in 2002. Needless to say the '85 blew the pants off my one However I recently got another cu24, this time its an 04 version and it is way better than my old 02 - the frets are better, the neck feels better, the finish is better, everything is all round better. I'm not willing to say its better than the '85 vintage one for risk of being flamed to death, so i will say its almost on par... If I was offered some vintage one in exchange i probably would take it just for the 'vintage' factor and the fact that they are worth a bomb. I dont however think that they are all far superior instruments than the ones made today (especialy the private stock and higher grade instruments) On another note.. i swear the amber prs Mike plays in the TBII video has a 3 way toggle switch, but its a while since i watched it. Back to top

Ray Group: Members Posts: 857 Joined: Jan. 2000 Posted: Mar. 10 2006, 06:07 I recently bought a second hand PRS hollowbody, it's from 1999.  I tried a whole load of guitars, Les Pauls, PRS 24s, New Hollowbodys and I kept comming back to this one. Bearing in mind I set out to buy a custom24, I ended up buying this hollowbody  (and it was a very good price for a 10 top and back). I think every guitar has it's own character, regardless of how it is made, what it is made off and when it was made. Of course some materials are typically better than others due to inherent resonance etc., and some have better craftsmanship in the making, but once you get to a certain standard - you're into the feel and character of the indivudual guitar. I think the vintage-ness, is probably something to do with how the wood resonates differently as it getts older together with the older sound from the pickups having more harmonics or something due to the quality of material being too Qaulity contrioled in the new equiopment. for example in 1957 the wire used in pickup coils would have been less uniform in size and material (steel) quality than one manufacured today - hence even Gibson can t make their New - historic copy - pick ups sound as raunchy as their orgiginals - you would have to use old wire and old magets to get that sound. Hence - the vintage guitar will probably always sound pleasant-er. But - you can probably find a guitar that hits your note - so to speak - you just have to try lots - and I personally find that second hand guitars often are better to play (They seem smoother at the neck) and the frets are usually nice an smooth. I have a new Custom 22 artist and I dont play that anywhere near as much as the Hollowbody - even though they are exactly thre same shape.  (and it's not the electric sound becuase I play alot unplugged just for fun/practice)  But I do find the C22 to clean when it is plugged in. Another example of this is I bought a tatty old Music Man axis for about £150 in a music shop in Trinidad 2 years ago - what a nice guitar that is - the frets are all worn and the neck is polished - but it sounds fantastic  and plays really nicely - especially Bar chords - as it's neck is so narrow.  I got a shock when I looked at the second hand price of these instruments though - so i probably got a bit of a bargain. That's what I think anyway - guitars have personality, or do I mean individual character? Cheers  Ray   -------------- Looking out over the harbour in Peel....... Back to top

Dominik M. Group: Members Posts: 55 Joined: July 2005 Posted: Mar. 19 2006, 12:57 Thank you for information   If you know, please tell me what is the difference between "wide thin" and "regular" neck? Back to top

Ray Group: Members Posts: 857 Joined: Jan. 2000 Posted: Mar. 19 2006, 15:26 I'm not 100% sure what a regular neck is - but I have a wide thin ( the sopeace for your fingers is bigger - therefore probably better for consistent fingering when playing solos and easier to squeeze your fingers into the relevant notes for chords up above the 12th fret  - but harder to  bar chord - as the leverage on your finger is higher.  I haver a Axis Music Man which is a narrow neck asnd a dream to play rythm on - The Custom 22 I have is not so nice for rythum as the neck is wide/thin.  I think the thin bit is just the depth of the neck from back to front.   I wish I had bought narrow neck 24 rather than Custom 22 with wide neck! If you want dimentions in mm - i'll measure it (Custom 22 with wide thin) for you. Ray -------------- Looking out over the harbour in Peel....... Back to top

Dominik M. Group: Members Posts: 55 Joined: July 2005 Posted: Mar. 19 2006, 16:54 Quote (Ray @ Mar. 19 2006, 15:26) If you want dimentions in mm - i'll measure it (Custom 22 with wide thin) for you. Thanks, I will be grateful, down the 1 and 12 fret   Back to top

Ray Group: Members Posts: 857 Joined: Jan. 2000 Posted: Mar. 19 2006, 19:14 42mm at the nut and 52 at the 12 fret on the hollowbody Exactly the same on the custom 22 (bloody production line stuff) and  - well blow me down  the same on Mike's old Les Paul Junior TV!!!! Music man axis 40mm and 50mm - and wow what a difference that makes. Vigier Excalibur also 42 and 52. Both PRS necks 22mm thick, gibson LP TV 18mm thick also Vigier 18mm, musicman axis 20. there you go - it looks lile the PRS's are all made by a machine - they are identical profile of body and neck and thicknesses of neck. They are also a bit thick for me for chords with any barring - but the Hollowbody is so nice i'll let it off!!!! cheers  Ray -------------- Looking out over the harbour in Peel....... Back to top

Ray Group: Members Posts: 857 Joined: Jan. 2000 Posted: Mar. 19 2006, 19:19 Quote (Dominik M. @ Mar. 07 2006, 16:36) Hi everyone   Please tell me some things about PRS Custom 24: 1. Is any quality difference between pre-factory models (like Oldfield's model - about 1990 year) and todays factory models? 2. Oldfield's guitar (PRS used on the Art in Heaven live in Berlin concert, used on Shadow On The Wall) - it is: Custom 24, 10 top flame, Vintage Yellow, birds, volume and push/pull tone control with 3-way toggle pickup selector. If I'm wrong please tell me. 3. What neck carve Mike's PRS has, "Wide Thin" or a "Standard" ??? If you know please tell me I will be grateful, Regards   Mike also used a sunburst PRS Hollowbody for the milenium concert - if you have the Millenium DVD cover - you can see the hollowbody on the inside cover.   Ray.   PS - I didnt know he had one until I saw in in the instrument list recently.  Good taste that man! -------------- Looking out over the harbour in Peel....... Back to top

Dominik M. Group: Members Posts: 55 Joined: July 2005 Posted: Mar. 19 2006, 21:13 Thank you Ray Yes I know about hollowbody, but I prefer a screaming sound of Custom 24 Back to top

Ray Group: Members Posts: 857 Joined: Jan. 2000 Posted: Mar. 20 2006, 07:41 A-Ha, may be you can help me - why is the custom 24 considered to be more of a screaming sound than the custom 22?? I can't find the difference - unless it's fitted with different pickups?? I was told they are pretty much the same - but I have not found any clear evidence or anyone who seem s to know for definite?   Do you have a C24  Ray -------------- Looking out over the harbour in Peel....... Back to top

Dominik M. Group: Members Posts: 55 Joined: July 2005 Posted: Mar. 20 2006, 08:31 I think that HFS treble and Vintage bass pickups in Custom 24 are screaming more than Dragon II treble and bass pickups in Custom 22 Back to top

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