Paul Reed Smith Guitars Custom 22 Artist Package

I have a quilt top Custom 22 Artist Package in Amber. I ordered it with the HFS/PRS vintage bass combo. I also have a trem bar, and ordered it with the wide thin neck. 5 position rotary. Penty of sounds to choose from.

I use this for some of my hard core rock passages, and it completes my arsenal, beside a Fender Eric Johnson and a Gretch 6120 in tiger maple. I run it through a Fender Twin with BK Butler, Keeley compressor and TS808 mod, also with a TC electronics Vintage delay and Chorus/Flanger OR my Soldano SLO100. It sounds killer

Awesome fit and finish. Best I have ever seen on an electric guitar.

Solid as a Rock

Never needed them

Worth every penny. Too bad they don't offer the quilt top with the Artist package any more.

Beleive it or not, I purchased this guitar new in April 2003, but have only got round to posting this review, but then, I've lived with it for well over three years, so hopefully, I can give prospective owners some real insight. My particular guitar is a Custom 22, Artist Pack, eye-poppingly beautiful red cherry sunburst quilt, obviously a '10-top,' gold hardware, tremlo bridge, wide-fat neck, fitted with McCarty electronics (ie the Les Paul style 3-position switch).

PRS's are built with the player in mind in the same way a Porsche 911 is build around the driver - small details like a tiny tensioning bolt, adjustable with an allen key on the tremelo bridge, to adjust the tightness of the tremelo bar, so it doesn't swing around like a loose Strat bar would. Another example, string changes take no time at all...simply slacken off the strings, and use your pick to loosen the screw-cap on the tuning post, remove, insert your new string (no winding necessary), re-tighten the screw-cap, tune to pitch and your playing....how thoughtful, in a word, quality.

All the bits pieces came with it - smart but tough & protective leather case and owners literature & tools. Its a stunning guitar and on rare gig appearances, many (evidently)knowledegable folks have sked me whether or not its Private Stock, yes, its that eye-catching.

I play a range of jazz, funk, blues music and this guitar does it all. Pair it up with my main amps (Fender Twin and a 1983 Concert) and it will play Lukeather-like dirty when you want it to, throttle back on the volume and you can play cool Carlton chords. Does a lovely, warm and vibrant clean tone, as well. Also, I've added a Keeley compressor to my board, which, incredibly, makes it even sweeter. Great range of sounds, its an amazingly versatile guitar.

The neck is immensely comfortable, the wide-fat variety giving lots of warm sustain (owing to the greater mass) and playing lead breaks and difficult chords at all speeds if far easier than on other guitars I can mention. In fact, I will mention them - would never part with them but it comprehensively outdoes my Les Paul Standard (which equipped with Vintage Seymours, so its an enhanced LP) and it puts my Custom Shop Strat in the shade.

It's a nice weight as well - if you think of something which has the lightness and playability of a REALLY good Strat, but the creamy sustain of a good Les Paul,but looks to beat them both, then you have a Custom 22.

I really cannot fault this guitar - looking at todays prices, I probably paid very sightly over the odds for it at the time, jeez, I'm SO glad I did. I've yet to see one which looks-wise at least, can match this one,

Paul RS prides himself on producing instruments which don't require extensive setting up post-sale, that you can take it straight out of the case and use it live. This is very much the case with my example, it felt 'right' straight out of the box.

PRS's are like Ferraris in that over time, you need to tweak them & give some TLC to a little to keep them singing, but thats part of the pleasure of owing one. The top E string height dropped a bit on mine, but talking to the guys at PRS, it was suggested I use the allen key to raise the height again, which solved the problem.

Finish - absolutely perfect, no flaws whatsoever, just fantastic craftsmenship all round. To anyone who has seen the PRS DVD, it won't come as any surprise - on the DVD, they show you what they do with guitars that have even minor cosmetic flaws (that other big manufacturers would actually pass for sale)- they cut them in half and throw them away!!!

No complaints here, either - PRS build quality really does stand the test of time. Gigs, rehearsals, you name it, its reliable. I have no problem using it without a back up, though my LP, Strat & Martin 000EC get regular outings - no point having these other beauties and not playing them, after all! The PRS does win though, as its such a light weight guitar compared to the LP that you can stand and play for a few hours at a time, with much less fatigue than when holding a Gibson for that period of time.

Harware seems robust, three-and-a-half years of regular use and no sign of any disclouration. Also, strap buttons are slightly bigger, so the likelihood of it falling off the strap is very low.

Never had to have it repaired, but have asked them a few maintenance questions by e-mail and these guys are right back to you within minutes, with the info you need, but politely and with alot f humour. They are a very friendly & knowledgeable bunch who take a real pride in their product, irrespective of how old it is.

PRS remind me of Mesa Boogie, another extremely customer-focussed business - in fact, have a piece from each of these two and you're most unlikely to have any issues!

Paul Reed Smith himself is very friendly - he sent me a signed electronics compartment cover shortly after I purchased my instrument - all I asked for a was a signed letter head!

Warranty is lifetime for the original purchaser, which is very generous.

Overall, after 3.5 happy years together, I have nothing but praise for this guitar. My band mates and audience love it, as well. I will never part with it, but should it ever get stolen, I will track the thief down and brutally torture him....in addition to retrieving my guitar, of course.

I love my other electrics, of course, but this one is absolutely in a different league and any other PRS will know what I mean.

I'm 43, been playing since aged 8 and presently play in a jazz funk band, so like to think I know my gear.

2001 Whale Blue Custom 22, USA MADE. 22 Frets, Artist quality Maple top on mahagony body. Mahogany neck, paua birds, rosewood overlay on headstock. Dragon II pickups, volume, tone, 3 way switching, stoptail. Was made during the transition period in 2001 between the old winged locking tuners and the Phase ii. This particular guitar did not come with any locking tuners, and wide fat neck. I recently ordered the Phase II from Magdon Music and they work perfectly.

I like to play rock hard rock and some metal, PRS are perfect for all kinds, but the Dragon II seem to have a sonic limit when it gets to a higher gain and don't really give you that extra push. For older rock and medium gain, they are excellent. Mainly play, Collective Soul, Pearl Jam, Candlebox mostly humbucking rock.

My rig goes from the PRS > Cry Baby > Sabine tuner > Mesa Single Rectifler. The Cu22 sonds very full and the bridge pickup sings. With the coil tap on, you get a decrease in signal strength, but sounds very good clean. I would say its very versatile for all kinds of rock and blues, but just ok for metal. I love the 3 way switching and will never go back to the 5 way rotary. The wide fat neck is splendid, although it took a while to get used to the painted finish. The problems I have with PRS is that they have alot of midrange and sounds very boxy to me when I have the mids turned up on my amp. them.

PRS are held to high standard and I wasn't dissapointed at all. When I fist opened the case, the whoa factor was there. Beautiful flame on the maple top, with gold hardware that complemented the black back. I had to raise both the treble and neck pickups and it sounded 10 times better. The stoptail was not adjustable, but I have never had a problem with intonation.
The only problem was that mine came with nonlocking tuners which didn't stay in tune, but that problem was resolved by putting on Phase ii . Funny that you pay an extra charge for those but they didn't include them, but I checked the PRS Web page and they confirmed that in 2001 some PRS were made without locking tuners. Weird.

I previously had a PRS CE 22 from 1995 and have only played PRS for 11 years, within that time. I have never, ever had anything go wrong with any of my PRS. The only minor flaws were the tarnishing on chrome and gold pieces, but hey, that shows that it's actually been played and which is what they were meant to do. I play at home and PRS are built like tanks, but everyone should have a backup for gigs.

I've heard nothing but good things about their customer service. One of the few places that revere their product.

Been playing for 17 years this month, my first real guitar was a PRS CE 22 and now the Custom 22. I plan to but a McCarty, Singlecut, Singlecut SE and a SRV Strat in the future, but I will always be a devout PRS fan. If it were stolen or lost, i would definitely miss it, but I would want to try the McCartys and Singlecuts to keep my tone journey going. I chose PRS because when you first pickup and strap it on, you know instictively if it feels right. That's how I've felt with all PRS, they feel like home. Comfortable and yet still exciting. I absolutely love the neck pickup with the tone rolled back a little. Beautiful, warm singing lead tone. The necks always feel perfect in every way and the Paua birds are extremely cool, my favorite is the Coopers Hawk on the 12 fret, it's so cool in Paua. I don't really like the gold hardware, and my next PRS won't have it. Also again, 3 way switching is so much better than the 5 way rotary, just flick it instead of grabbing and clicking to the other position. In conclusion, I am a PRS devotee for life. i will never have the money for Private Stock or Modern Eagles, but those are kinda superficial anyway. Do you really think about how much your guitar costs when you're caught up in the music and bending the G string up an entire note? Nah, It's all about what feels right to you and PRS guitars are my soulmates.

They could be a little cheaper so I could buy more :D

2001 Model. Five way selector. Artist grade top. Trem. I am giving it a 7 on features because I do not like the 5 way switch. I plan on switching it to the McArthy electronics. I also plan on having the bridge blocked.

I am writing this as in initial review. I just got the guitar a few days ago and I wanted to do an initial thoughts review an then another in about six months. I have to say that I do not like the sound of the dragon II pickups. They are rather harsh with no meat behind them. I am not sure what I want to switch to but I do know they have to go. My previous main axe was a MIM strat with a Jeff Beck humbucker at the bridge and Schaller locking tuners. It's pretty disappointing to me that it sounds better for both distorted and clean than the PRS. On the other hand the fit and feel of the wide thin neck and the balance of the PRS are worlds better than any strat I have played.

Right now my live setup consists of an A/B/Y box to go between a JCM900 half stack for dirty and a Rolland Jazz Chorus 120 for clean. I also have a POD Live XT that I plug into the JC120 for practice. I play in both an alternative cover band and an original rock band. I think once I swap out the pickups and the electronics this guitar will cover everything that I need.

I was looking at the Custom 24's but since I am the singer I do mostly rhythm playing so I went with the 22 as I have heard that the neck pickup in the 22 is in the sweet spot, whereas it isn't on the 24.

Action is perfect. I LOVE the wide thin neck. I don't think I can go back to playing a standard neck now. That along with the balance of the guitar are the main reasons why I bought it. The violin top leaves something to be desired though. The finish is way too thin. The tuners work OK. They are a lot more touchy than I thought they would be, and the headstock kind of gets in the way of the low and high E string tuners.

I'm sure it will withstand live playing. I'm not exactly going to beat it around given how much it cost. In fact this guitar is so beautiful I am considering buying another PRS custom 22 that is beat up so I don't feel bad about playing it live!

I would gig without a backup. The strap buttons are awesome, why doesn't everyone use these big ones?

N/A

I've been playing for about 12 years. My main guitar (as well as my first guitar) before this was a MIM strat with Jeff Beck at the bridge and standard single coils for the rest. On that guitar I have the bridge blocked and schaller locking tuners. The strat NEVER goes out of tune, EVER. I can also get any tone I want to out of it however after about 6 years of solid giging and 12 years of playing it is time for me to retire it. I have wanted a PRS since highschool and now that I have graduated from college I can finally afford one. I plan on keeping this guitar until I die, it is the most beautiful guitar I have ever seen. I just need to sort out the pickup problem.

2005 Custom 22 adorned with the Artist package. Paul Reed Smith wanted to do something extra special for the 20th anniversary edition guitars besides the birds in flight inlay pattern very special all of the 20th Anniversary Artist package customs would receive special highly figured Brazilian rosewood headstocks & fretboards some actually pulled from the private stock pile.WOW and of course the extremely high Artist/Private Stock grade figured top, all Gold hardware and the custom 22's have the Dragon 2 pickups. My 20th anniversary Artist is in Blue Matteo extremely amazing color changes in different lighting situations looks beautiful onstage! and presented in a Leather and Gold Artist Presentation Case

Produces a Thick Fat and Juicy Tone! I play in a top 40 cover band requiring many different sounds everything from blues,country,modern rock & metal. Guitar sounds great with all my amplifiers Mesa 2:90/Triaxis Rig, Mesa Recto half stack & Line 6 Flextone 3 XL.

Action was set a little high for my taste requiring me to have my guitar Tech do a setup. But the perfectly bookmatched Artist/Private Stock grade top made me smile & the insanely high figured Brazilian rosewood headstock and fretboard had me slobbering. So I can overlook the setup

PRS quality goes without saying I have played the stores for years with no issues of course I always add strap locks.

I have used customer support in the past they are extremely helpful probably the best I have ever dealt with!

I have been playing guitar for 20 years and playing PRS guitars for 16 of them. This is by far one of the finest PRS guitars I have ever played. I initially purchased his guitar as an investment I own a 10th anniversary PRS as well and I have been offered triple what I paid for it. But I started playing this guitar and bonded instantly this is my main go-to guitar in the studio and @ bigger live shows.



These 20th Anniversary Artist Customs are special not just because of the highly figured Brazilian Rosewood and special birds in flight inlay pattern.

2001,artist option,antique violin finish ,gold hardware,ebony tuning buttons,3 way toggle,,dragon 2 pu,s,quilt top,paua inlay,s,,the works

this guitar plugged into a soldano slo,,wow ,fat sound and sustain for days,i use a tc g force but have toned down my effects cuz this guitar,s tone is so good ,,used to be an ibanez,guy but after purchasing this ,those guitars feel like junk,sorry ibanez,,

the quilt top on this guitar is probobly the nicest i have seen on a prs including there private stocks ,i bought it used from someone who had played it maybe twice ,so i basically bought a fve year old brand new guitar so it was in need of a setup ,after the setup the guitar played like butter ,,low action no buz and georgous string bending,the nicest guitar i have played

gold hardware will surely ware ,i always take a backup and when i can afford another i will have another prs for that backup

never had to deal with em,,that says something

prs builds quality instruments no doubt,i will definitely purchase another,it will probobly be private stock,,expensive ,,yes ,worth it ,,absolutely

2003 WIDE THIN NECK, BEAUTIFUL MATTEO BLUE QUILT TOP, PAUA BIRDS, GOLD HARDWARE, DRAGON II PICKUPS, LOCKING TUNERS, TREMELO, VOLUME, TONE & 5 WAY SELECTOR. ALL ARTIST MODEL GOODIES

I PLAY ROCK,BLUES AND R'N'B AND THIS IS JUST AWESOME. AFTER 6 MONTHS THIS FEELS LIKE AN OLD FRIEND. RUNNING THROUGH A MARSHALL TSL100 THE TONE NEVER FAILS TO MAKE THE HAIRS ON THE BACK OF MY NECK STAND UP. I HAVE OWNED GIBSONS, FENDERS AND ALL MANOR OF OTHER GUITARS BUT THIS ONE IS STAYING.

THE SET UP IS SPOT ON STRAIGHT FROM THE SHOP. HAD A PROBLEM SNAPPING B STRINGS BUT THIS WAS CORRECTED UNDER WARRANTY - VERY FAST TURNAROUND. THE 5 WAY POPS IF CHANGING POSITION WHILE NOT PLAYING BUT WHAT A SMALL PRICE FOR ALL THE OTHER BENEFITS

THIS GUITAR IS GIGGED REGULARLY AND YES I WORRY ABOUT DAMAGE, THEFT AND DRUNKEN BUMS FALLING INTO MY GEAR BUT IT IS A WORKING GUITAR. I ALWAYS USE TAKE A SPARE GUITAR BUT WOULD DO THIS REGARDLESS OF WHICHEVER MODEL I WAS USING. ALL THE HARDWARE IS TOP QUALITY, FINISH FLAWLESS BUT I EXPECT THAT ON A GUITAR AT THIS PRICE.

THE FEW DEALINGS I HAVE HAD WITH PRS HAVE BEEN DEALT WITH IN A FIRST CLASS WAY. NOTHING BUT GOOD THINGS TO SAY ABOUT THEM.

I HAVE BEEN PLAYING 26 YEARS, I ALSO OWN FENDER, CHARVEL, IBANEZ AND SQUIRE GUITARS. IF THE CUSTOM 22 WAS STOLEN I WOULD BE ABSOLUTELY GUTTED AS IT WOULD TAKE SO LONG TO GET THE MONEY FOR ANOTHER - BUT IF MONEY AVAILABLE I WOULD BUY AGAIN WITHOUT WORRY. THE SOUND IS INCREDIBLE.

2004 wide fat neck, brazilian rosewood fretboard, stopbar tailpiece, 5 way rotary switch, dragonII's, quilted tiger eye, you guys know the features.

Seems pretty flexible. Playing thru '78 Marshall JMP 2x12 50 watt combo, fender 50 watt bassman head w/ mods, fulltone fulldrive 2, dunlop univibe, crybaby wah, ross phaser, etc...I'm used to Les Paul sound. The Dragon II's are a little hot for me right now but I'm trying to get used to them. I hate the 5-way switch. Like I said I'm used to standard Les Paul 3 way. The settings seem to have a wide range of output, i.e. not very balanced. The level of output decreases dramatically on a few of the settings. Also, the knob says 1-10 as in stock volume knob. No indicator, what setting am I on again? Seems a little bright I assume due to the beautiful maple top. Really though you don't need a distortion pedal as the guitar has a lot of growl to it. I amd real curious to hear it thru a real clean fender as I have a hard time cleaning it up on my rig. All in all a mean sounding guitar. It also doesn't really have the fatness I'm used to in the bridge position. I play a lot of blues, classic rock so it's almost too hot. I played a McCarty right after I bought this one and it had the sound and the looks. Thinking of replacing my pups and switch with McCarty stuff. At least the switch, I'm really scared I'll turn this one too far and break it.

Excellent, for $3500.00 it better be.

I'm sure this guitar is reliable, but to tell the truth I'm hesitant to use it playing out. It's a VERY nice guitar.

Lifetime warranty if you turn in your card w/ in 30 days. Haven't used the company yet, doesn't really look like I'll have to.

Playing for 17 yrs. If it were stolen I would want to buy another one but could not afford to. As it was this one was gift. Also let me add that I definitely wake up at night worry about someone stealing this guitar. It is truly a work of art and superior craftsmanship. I have a 95 LP standard, a 75 LP custom, an 80's japanese paisley strat reissue, 72 telecaster deluxe reissue, johnson dobro, etc...I would like to get a 335 or a firebird ( I am a gear junkie and if you are reading this you are too.) I gave a no opinion because the nice paul reed smith's are relly too far out of reach unless you are a spoiled kid or well off middle aged. Kind of reminds me of Harley Davidson...

2004, Artist Package, Coil Tap, 3-way switch, Tremolo, Dragon 2 pu, wide thin neck.

Much better sounding than HFS distorted (tighter, HFSs get a little loose/mush-up). HFS coil tapped a bit more jangly clean, but Dragon 2's do a decent enough job. A lot goes into the "sound" that reaches your ear (pick to speaker), and this guitar will not limit your tonal possibilities (just depends on what underlying sound turns you on). Dragons have a tight rich sound, compared to Gibson pu (which I also like) which I feel have a smack you in the face 2D punch.

Perfect. The rosewood neck stands alone. Playability is sometimes just as inspiring as sound, and this neck just blows me away. All PRS should come this way.

Looks like it will stand the test of time (if not beat).

20 years. Played most out there. Say what you want about PRS, this guitar sounds, looks AND plays beautiful. Up there with the best of them in my opinion.

2001 artist package, double cutaway, whale blue AAA flamed maple top over a mahagony body, mahagony wide fat set neck with brasilian rosewood board, fine paua bird inlays, tremolo, gold hardware, Dragon II humbucker pickups with golden caps, paua prs signature on headstock, 1 volume, 1 tone control, 5 way control to switch between Neck HB, Bridge HB and three types of parallel/seriell SC.

Looking for a "Heavy Rock" guitar I decided to buy either a black Gibson Les Paul Custom or a PRS, which I figured out is one of the apperently used guitars by most Numetal young guns. The sound is deep like a Les Paul but with a better definition in the hight end. Nevertheless, the ceramic Dragons were not the ultimate ratio for that style of music I play, thus I replaced the Dragons with an EMG 81 in the bridge and an EMG 85 in the neck position, accompanied with a change of the 5 way swith to a regular 3-way toggle switch. Both pickups combined deliver great sounds for clean settings, the bridge EMG 81 smokes and the EMG 85 gives you searing lead sounds with endless sustain. Tus its now the best sounding "Les Paul" I've ever owned.

Action is great and factory setup was perfect. No dead spots at all, easy to handle and to carry due to its medium weight. Everythins is finished in high quality and you really get what you can expect for the high price the guitar had.

Has been played all the time on rehearsals, session and live gigs, very reliable, no problems at all, high quality guitar.

Sorry, haven't need any support.

Before I purchased the PSR I thought, that my Music Man van Halen would be the ultimate guitar I own. The PRS Custom 22 play in the same league, whereas the MM represents a top of the line BMW, this one is a top of the line MERCEDES. I play in a rock band since 1969, thus I owned Strats, Teles, SGs, Les Pauls, Vs and all types of amps in the meantime. At the moment I play 60% of the time my PRS Custom and 30% my Riemer Strat (check review !!!) in combination with a MARSHALL 2558 Silver Jubilee 2x12 Combo, which RROOOCCKKKSSSS !!!!!!

2002 Artist Package in Orange (though it looks more like red thankfully) with gold hardware and quilt finish. Two Dragon II pickups with 5 way rotary control with coil tapping and Pau bird inlays. Leather case which isn't quite of the same quality though it looks the part.

The pickups are excellent with a wide variety of sound and little noise. The coil tapping gives the option of a Strat and Les Paul sound in one instrument though neither sound is like the original. I like the sound it produces but I don't like the rotary switch which is a real pain and takes ages to operate. They could have gone for a standard 3 way switch with push on/off coil tap switches on the tone controls like my Yamaha SG3000. Much quicker to use when you're switching from/to a solo pickup position.

I can't really fault the workmanship though I'm not happy with the soft paint finish. The area beneath the pickups is now heavily scratched from my pick after only a few months playing and I'm not a strumming freak. I guess that proves why guitars need a pickguard eh?
The set-up seemed a little high and it's taken me a while to adjust to the high frets. I like the quick action pegs which seem to work fine though you have to give the strings a good tug to make sure the tuners all line up properly. I've had it professionaly set-up so there's little buzzing and the action is as good as it gets but I'm still not entirely comfortable with the high frets. I hear many custom shop guitars suffer from high frets but I guess that's OK if you dont mind that kind of action. Personally I don't like the feel of running over what feel like railway sleepers when you slide up and down the arm. The balance of the guitar is not perfect and it has a tendency to dive backwards slightly when you have it over your knee. In all other respects the guitar is excellent in terms of quality and workmanship but then what would you expect for #3500?

I think it would stand up to hard use though I wouldn't be too keen to take it out on a gig. If the soft finish wear is anything to go by then at the rate I play it'll be down to bare wood in a few years! Had the strap buttons replaced with lockers but the originals seemed pretty strong with long screws. The leather case seems durable but the catches seem cheap and nasty and dont work too well.

Never dealt with them but I get the impression they are ultra busy so I wouldn't like to put them to the test from here in the UK.

Ive been playing for 40 years and own loads of guitars. Among others I have a 59 Gibson 175 with PAF's, a 68 Gibson 330, a seventies Strat a new American DeLuxe Tele and a Yamaha SG3000. I've just bought an Epiphone Elite Les Paul (made in Japan) and that's what prompted this review. Out of all the guitars I own there is no doubt that the Japanese maufactured instruments by the top makers out there are superior in craftsmanship to American ones. The Epiphone Les Paul Elite which I just bought for #650 is superior in build quality to it's recently manufactured American Gibson originals, and the Yamaha SG3000 which I bought in the eighties is quite superb and easily my favourite guitar. So where does that leave the PRS? well it's a nice guitar - I'll give it that - but quite how PRS justify the #3500 price tag )actually it's more like #4000+ full price)is beyond belief. If it were lost or stolen I think I could find much better deals on 2 or 3 guitars for the price I paid for this one. The Japanese manufactured Epiphone Elite LP is easily of the same high standard as the PRS and it cost #3000 less. Paul Reed Smith must be a very rich and happy man with punters like us prepared to pay such huge sums for his instruments It's certainly a nicely made and sounding instrument but I'm left wondering what all the fuss is about...

2002 PRS Custom Artist package, tailstop, 5 switch, wide fat neck,
dark cherry sunburst, artist quilted maple top, Dragon II pickups,
paua inlayed birds, rosewood headstock veneer, gold hardware, and leather case.

Warm, fat, and smooth. Great sustain with the tailstop and wide fat neck. Can get both a Les Paul and Strat sound. I really like the 5 switch. I tried both the 5 switch and the toggle with push-pull tone knob and I thought the 5 switch suited me best. This guitar even has great sustain and harmonics unpluged.

Take it out of the box and play. I was shopping for another Les Paul,
when I took a another look at PRS. I first saw PRS's at a guitar show in the late eightys and was impressed, but thought they were a bit too expensive. Recently, comparing the '58 reissue Les Paul to a PRS CE 22's and 24's (the only PRS models in that store) I was amazed. The fit and finish of low end PRS was better than Gibson pricy '58 reissues. Set up, finish, and attention to detail simply was much better on the PRS's. The paua bird and headstock inlay look backlit, the quilted maple with dark cherry finish is beautiful, the
neck/fretboard is slick and fast. You can tell by examining the PRS's that they are made with pride. Compared to the Gibson's sharp edges on the frets, glue on the fret board, poorly fitted truss rod covers, and mismatched MOP inlay.

I haven't had this guitar a month yet but, by the way it is made I am
confidant it will be durable and reliable. The strap buttons are oversize and don't require locks. It does have a lifetime warranty for the original purchaser.

The only "flaw" I could find was with the very nice artist case. It
does not latch tightly on one end. There is a little play between the
top and bottom of the case when latched/locked. I contacted the customer support at PRS and Jim checked the other cases and replied back that there was some play in all the cases that he checked. It seems like a fairly minor problem, if one at all. Not sure on the case but, there is a lifetime warranty on the guitar.

I have been playing for about twenty five years. I have a Martin D-18, a Dobro DM33 California Girl, a fiftys model Kay F-hole archtop, and have owned a Gibson Les Paul Custom, Les Paul Standard, and a
Gibson ES125. I would never sell the D-18 or this Custom 22, and if
lost, I would replace them.

2000 PRS custom 22 Artist package, rosewood headstock, artist top, paua birds & signature, brazilian rosewood fretboard.
Narrow tigerstripe maple, dark cherry sunburst.
Dragon2 pickups, gold hardware, straplocks
Leather artist case.

This baby has it all! If there's one guitar to do it all it's my artist!!!
I also have a custom24, mccarty 10top, and singlecut, but this one beats them all...

Got it used, so it has dings, scratches and I love um..

Hey it's a PRS, they will last a lifetime (or more)
I only bring a set of 0.11 strings as backup!

Again: It's a PRS, I think Paul would come to fix it personally if there's a real problem with it.

I play and own a lot of gear, vintage strats, juniors, other PRS guitars, marshall's, koch etc.
This is the most beautifull PRS I've ever played! strung with d'addario 0.11 it plays like a dream.
Wonderfull guitar

i just got this 2002 artist package custom 22 WOW what a piece of artwork!!i've had many PRS's but this one is just beautiful.its chambered with a trem. otherwise it's a std. artist package custom22.
the new locking tuners are great.this one has the "wide fat" neck which takes some getting used to.awesome bird inlays rosewood veneer headstock, gold hardware and leather case make up the rest of the artist pkg. the flame is supposed to be "artist grade" but i've had 10 tops with better flame.because of a possible 2 year wait if i ordered one i took it even though the flame is a little dissapointing.if you get one buy another case the leather will mark up easily. the 5 way pickup selector can be a pain on stage too.

very warm sounding guitar even with the dragonII pickups,but will bite if need be.i play it mainly through a Dual Rectifier half stack
with tons of gain and it will scream. with the 5 way switch you can make it sound like a Strat or a Les Paul,trem seems to stay in tune well

as with all PRS's it was great right out of the box.even though they are like 8000 guitars behind in production their work has not suffered.the flame top is bookmatched very well but a little dissapointing for an "artist grade" top.

prs's seem to be very delicate.they do scratch and ding VERY easy.i'm very very picky about how my guitars look and are kept.i play them as much as possible but leave them home when its a small stage.(too much to bang in to)they are always shinny and clean up well but will ding if bumped.i use Schaller strap locks on all guitars but the prs buttons are large enough for the strap not to fall off if i had to use them.

because they are so far behind if you need something cosmetically repaired be prepaired to wait!!!! they told me about 4 months.if its a mechanical defect your dealer will repair it,and they will stand behind it.their customer service is very good they have answered my e-mails quickly.the botom line is they are the real deal and they don't
break.they are put together well so you'll probably never need to talk to them.

THIS IS A FABULOUS INSTRUMENT. I AM A LES PAUL FANATIC BUT ALWAYS TAKE AT LEAST 1 PRS TO A GIG.I THINK EVERYBODY SHOULD OWN ONE.THEY PLAY WELL SOUND GREAT AND LOOK AMAZING.THEY ARE THE MOST VERSATILE GUITARS I'VE EVER PLAYED.TONS OF SOUNDS.I JUST WISH THEY COULD BUILD
THEM FASTER.THEY ARE A GREAT INVESTMENT ALSO YOU WILL ALWAYS FIND SOMEONE TO BUY IT IF YOU HAVE TO SELL IT AND YOU WILL GET YOUR MONEY OUT OF IT.BUY LARGE!!GET THE NICEST ONE YOU CAN FIND AND ITS LIKE MONEY IN THE BANK ONLY BETTER BECAUSE YOU CAN PLAY IT.AND GIRLS LOVE EM TOO!!!!!!!!!!

22 fret, thus the name; 10+ artist grade curly maple top over a mahogany body. I went with the chambered body and was able to get one before they discontinued the semi-hollow option. Rosewood board with paua birds. I chose the PRS trem with a standard 3-way selector and Dragon II pickups. Gold hardware of course. After a long consideration, I selected the violin amber finish and it came out beautifully. More to follow on aesthetics...

Absurd tone. I have a ton of effects and use none of them with this guitar. My main two amps are a Marshall JCM800 with a Celestion Vintage 30 and a '64 Fender Bandmaster with a 4x10 of Kendrick Black Labels. The guitar absolutely screams through either rig, but it has a particular affection for the Marshall. The guitar has every sound you would ever want: the bridge pickup kills when you want an overdriven sound and the middle position has all kinds of bluesy spank to it. The neck pickup is warm, but not muddy like most. The Dragon II pickups are my favorite and very articulate. The quality of woods, craftsmanship and tone chamber contribute to the unbelievalbe sound, the electronics are also top notch.

Absolutely perfect; flawless. Whatever extraordinary adjective you would like to attach to this description - just plug one in. Every aspect of the action, fit and finish was perfect. An 11 on a 10 scale.

Despite how gorgeous the guitar is, it is very well constructed and I have no doubt that it will outlive me. I've already promised it to my oldest son when ever I kick off...

The first two guitars they sent to fill my order were incorrect. They were also flawless, but not to the specs I had ordered. The first came with a wide-thin (I had ordered wide-fat) and the second didn't have the semi-hollow option (that was a big deal to me). They were very responsive when I sent the first two guitars back and sent me a bunch of free stuff, including two nice embroidered shirts. I was not happy about the additional wait (a total of 22 months), but they handled it like pros.

I've been playing for about 30 years and had a local touring band for just over 10 years. I own seven guitars: a vintage SG Standard, a vintage SG Custom, a custom made quilt top Jazzmaster, a custom made Strat w/Braggs bridge, a '59 Grestch 6120 (modified), a Taylor K10 and my beloved PRS Custom 22 Artist. If it were lost, I would need professional counselling; were it stolen, I would hunt the thief down and kill him. Although it will never see a live gig, because I'm terrified it might be damaged, it is my #1 and will be on everything I record for the rest of my life.

2000 Cu22 Artist package, Dark cherry burst. This has the dragon II pickups and five way selector with tremolo. The five positions are all very useful and very different sounding. The tremolo is the best I've played on, very stable. I chose the wide-fat neck and liked it a lot better than I expected. The rotary switch is a little tough to get used to, especially playing live. The next one I get will have the toggle. It came with a beautiful leather case, although scratched up a bit. The locking tuners were tricky when I changed the strings for the first time, but after that they're great. These guitars can do it all.

You can go from searing liquid lead tones to punchy clean tones. I have a Les Paul studio and an American Strat. I love both these guitars, but they are not the complete package that the Cu22 is. It does not copy the sounds of the strat or LP, it has its own version. Lead playing on the neck PU is very addictive. It almost has an element of feedback(controlled) when you let the notes ring even at low volumes. You can play just about any style with this, but classic/hard rock is where it shines.
I run it through a MK IV head and 2x12 Recto Cab. They were made for each other. Pretty much any PU and channel combo sounds good except for maybe a real bright 'strat/tele' type sound. I use just every pu setting(all 5) on the Cu22, where as I use 2-3 on the strat and 2 on the LP. It is the most versatile guitar I have ever played.

PERFECT.....ABSOLUTLY PERFECT feel and setup! I play better with it. I haven't had to touch anything on it. The action, bridge, PU height, etc are perfect. I've had it for over a year now and even in a dry winter climate, the neck doesn't shift like my other guitars. There was a flaw in one of the birds(very minor), but they said they could fix it or they would send a new one. I didn't want to let this one go so they fixed it at the dealer. The tremolo is incredible. You can get real aggressive on it(spaghetti) and come back sounding great. It has a great feel too.

I try not to gig with this one, but it plays so much better than my others. I have no doubt that this one will stand up to some abuse. I feel comfortable playing this one without a backup. I'm not sure about the gold hardware's durability, but it is supposed to be a lot thicker plating than other manufacturers.

No problems other than the birds and they were willing to do whatever I wanted.

Wish I had a few more(singlecut,CE24), but they're expensive. I would definitely replace this one if I had to. I did a lot of research before buying this one and it is better than what I expected. I bought it primarily for playability and sound, but it's styling and looks are a huge bonus.

Year Built: 2000 - USA
Has all of the standard artist features; rosewood veneer headstock, gold hardware, paua birds, 10 Quilt top. (Teal Black)
It also has McCarty Electronics (3-way switch) and also the
semi-hollow body (chambered) option.

I play a variety of musical styles, but mostly blues and southern
rock styles. It has a fantastic sound! I play it through a POD w/
the Vox AC30 top-boost model. (Through headphones and also through a Marshall valvestate) It can scream with the humbuckers and I think that it has nice a single coil sound. (Not like my SRV strat but OK)
I recently played a McCarty Rosewood and I found the sound that I have been searching for! (This custom 22 doesn't quite have it. It is a beautiful piece of work that plays like a dream, but the Rosewood McCarty leaves it in the dust!)

Quilted 10 top is probably its greatest feature, I spend a great deal of time admiring the quality Experienced the 'Oh my God, Wow its beautiful!!' reaction when I opened the leather case. (ordered from the web) Excellent in all aspects but one. The nut is a pool fit. It has not had any effect on the playability but is not a tight fit to the headstock on the top or the bottom. With the amazing job that they did with the binding, the veneer and the rest of the guitar, this was rather disappointing.

I would use this at a gig without a backup, provided I had enough spare strings. Deep glassy finish that seems like it hardly wears.
I have some very fine scratches just below the 1st string between the
pickups, but that is it. I use the PRS cleaner and polish, and would recommend it to those who wish to keep that mirror showroom finish.

Prior to purchasing the guitar, I sent Email to customer service and received a 1 day turn around response. I had questions about local dealers. I purchased this guitar from the web.

I have been playing for 25 years. I own an SRV strat, a G&L Legacy, Gibson Marauder, Gibson Nighthawk, Fender Stagelead 212, Marshall valstate 30, and a POD 2.0 along with other misc items / gadgets.
Rather than asking before I purchased, I really wish that I had waited until I got to play the McCarty with the Rosewood neck, now that I have played one, that is the guitar that I must have. If it were stolen or lost, the McC Rosewood would be my replacement.

I love the whole guitar. With the exception of the problem with the nut that I described it is nearly a perfect piece of work. It took a long time for me to decide on the color (teal black), although it looks really great with this quilt top, I wish that I had gone something a little lighter to really bring out the quilt.
As far as I am concerned, there are no other guitars to compare with.
Before I played the PRS's My SRV strat was my favorite, I had though briefly about a Les Paul, but they are too darn heavy. Other than changing color selection, this guitar already had all of the options that an Artist model can have.

this is their best top before you go private stock (really insane prices) It's a nice quilted maple top, on a somewhat heavy mahogany body, rosewood headstock veneer. Dragon II pickups with a 3-way switch and pull-out tone control for coil taps Some what cheesy locking PRS tuners, trem unit. Wide Fat PRS neck, bird inlays, gold hardware. Really nice leather case, with warranty card & a few other papers.

Nice sounding guitar, very Les Paul type tones, I find the coil splitter less desirable that I initially thought, it's too thin, and just does not sound good. I always use a Fender for those sounds and this does not come close. I do wish they would offer a true single coil option like the studio package of days gone by.

Setup was good - super thick dipped in plastic finish, looks like nothing it will never wear through it. Funny thing, the older PRS I have has much thinner finish. I think the new one sounds better plugged in, the old one sound so much better unplugged. I think the newer pickups sound so much better, but the wood of the old one combined with the different finish sounds better unplugged. I would like to try these pickups in my old PRS.

It's a PRS - they build them to last.

I e-mailed several times - no reply. I called asking for a catalog - never got it. I guess the only way to get one, is to buy it off e-bay. PRS needs help here.

It's a nice guitar, very overpriced for a mass-produced guitar - but I like it. I think PRS really needs to improve it customer support, in addition to a much longer warranty. I would also like to see them offer models like this on an imported line at a more affordable price. This is great gutiar, but way too expesive for what you get.

2000 PRS CU22 Artist package, built at PRS factory in Maryland, 22 frets, mahogany body with quilted maple carved top. McCarty electronics (3-way switch and pull-out coil tap control on tone knob). Two Dragon II humbucker pickups. Locking PRS tuners. Wide Fat PRS neck, paua shell inlays, gold hardware, stoptail. Gorgeous PRS leather Artist case.

I play rock and blues, and this guitar is a cannon. Slightly brighter than a Les Paul, but plenty of low end and balls. Incredible edge and harmonics. The best sounding solid body PRS that I've personally played. Jack at Magdon Music (very large PRS dealer) told me that he almost took this guitar home (it is a very stunning natural color quilt) and I can see why. Not all guitars are created equal and two people who have experience with this PRS and many others told me that this particular guitar is quite exceptional. My experience would corroborate that.

This guitar came perfectly setup in every way. FLAWLESS, like every PRS that I have personally owned. Nobody makes a better guitar than PRS.

I'm sure this guitar is bulletproof.

PRS is always quite responsive and helpful. They are easier to contact via telephone than by email however. Bear this in mind when dealing with them. The customer service rep is buried in email that may take him time to answer, but they always take their phone calls.

My PRS is a 2000 Custom 22 with the Artist Package option. This includes an Artist Grade Quilted Maple top, w/ Mahogany body and neck. The finish is PRS' Traditional Orange.Also included are Paua shell bird inlays, gold hardware, and rosewood headstock veneer, with PRS tremolo system and Locking tuners. The neck shape is wide-thin,and the Artist Package also includes a deluxe leather case with brass hardware. This guitar has two humbucking pickups ,(PRS Dragon Pickups), with one volume knob, one tone knob, plus a five way rotary switch.
















tch to select the pickup outputs.

I was weaned on a Les Paul Custom model that I have had since High School, and so the "humbucking thing" is a mode with which I am intimately acquainted. I have always played rock and blues, which are styles for which humbuckers are uniquely suited. The PRS does everything that the Les Paul does, and yet it has a greater variety of tones, smoother action, and its' controls are very sensitive and dynamic. Because of the five way rotary switch, I can achieve bright tones, out-of-phase tones, and those elusive "Santana/Allman Bros." full, round woman tones. I have a variety of amps, including a Mesa Dual Rectifier Solo Head (100 watt), a Music Man 2x12 130 Watt combo (all tube), and a twenty watt Mesa Boogie Subway Rocket. The PRS truly shines when paired with the Mesa Dual Rectifier Head, pushing a Marshall 4x12 cabinet. It seems that this amp can capture the nuances of the PRS better than the other amps can. So far, my only dislike is the fact that the PRS seems to lose a bit of punch when the pickup selector is turned to the out-of-phase settings. I have found that the best way to counter this is to use these settings for quieter songs that require more finesse and definition.

The set-up was the first thing I noticed -- the factory settings were an absolute knockout. I was used to the low, fast action of my ancient Les Paul Custom with its nearly thirty years worth of wear. But the PRS set-up was a thing of beauty; flawless, fast, and in tune right out of the box. I did not have to adjust a thing. The pickups are another story. although they sound terrific, I would like to experiment with them to see what kind of tonal mojo I can get from them. As for the workmanship......sorry to bore you guys, but the craftsmanship of this instrument is simply first rate.

I'm sure that this guitar can take a pounding. My only disappointment, though, was the fact that some of the gold finish on the strap knobs began flaking off the moment that I put a strap on them. This is minor, though it was disappointing. I'm still not sure if I would gig with it; it's simply too nice to haul around town, and I would hate to see it damaged or stolen. If, however, I did gig with it, the only backup I would bring is a spare set of strings.

While I have not dealt directly with PRS, the local dealer was very easy to work with, and they did a bang up job of insuring that some great wood went into the making of this guitar. I was fortunate that my dealer has a close rapport with PRS, and they actually allowed my dealer to help select the quilted maple for the top of my PRS. Not everyone gets that kind of treatment.

I've been playing for 25 years. In addtion to the PRS, I have a 1971 Les Paul Custom, a 1999 '57 Re-issue Fender Strat, a 1996 Taylor Model 512 Grand Concert acoustic, a 1999 Taylor Model 355e 12 string acoustic, and a 1973 Ovation Custom Baladeer acoustic/electric. My amps include a Mesa Dual Rectifier 100 Watt Solo Head, a Music Man
2x12 130 watt combo, a Mesa Boogie Subway Rocket combo w/ 20 watts and one 10" speaker, a Peavey Bandit 1x12 combo, and a Peavey Rage amp. I also have various pedals and effects. If my PRS were lost or stolen, I would have to find a way to replace it --- it's that good. I love the way it looks, feels and sounds. I hate the fact that I'm afraid to play it because I don't want to knick it or wear it out. My favorite feature is the sensitivity of the control pots; the gradual tapering of the tone that can be achieved with these pots is nothing short of spectacular. I compared it to a more traditional stock PRS model,but the Artist Package was too good to pass up. Every now and then I look at this guitar and wonder what it would look like with a flame top instead of the quilt. But then I look at the Orange quilted finish and I am blown away. So far, my experience has been everything that PRS promises. This guitar has the looks, sound, craftsmanship, and feel that a guitar player dreams of. I think that after 25 years of playing, I'm qualified to make that judgement.

This Guitar was awesome straight out of the case. It has a translucent Emerald Green AAA flamed Maple top. Mahogny Body, Mahogny Neck, Rosewood Fret Board, 5 Way Rotary Switch. Abalone Bird Inlays, Two Dragon II Pickups and self locking tuning heads. It is all pasive electronics. The Five way Rotary switch however great in theory is a little tricky to get used to just a little to much roll of your finger on stage and you missed the sound you were looking for.

I play my custom thru a Line 6 Flextone Head and Line 6 2x12 Cab. it has the best sound out of any other guitar I have played. The Treble pickup is Crystal Clear with a little bit more warmth than I like. But overall the pickups make a great pair. The Five way Rotary Switch gives you a verry verstile sounds. You can sould like a Custom Les Paul, or thin out down to a little bit thicker than Strat sound.

The action was set perfect upon receipt which is verry unusual in mail order. All the wood work was superb. And for all you who have not saw the Bird Inlays in person they are a must see. Exsquiste detail. I have two gripes however the Twelth fret was a littled jagged on the bottom of the neck and was repaired at my local dealer for a mere $15. the second gripe is the strings Paul needs to stick to guitars because the stock PRS strings are horrible and noisy. i swithed them to D'Addario XL's .009-.042 and it is now perfect.

The Finish is perfect, the oversized strap buttons are alot better than standard strap lock due to the noise they make when the strap moves and the metal rubs agains each other. i have experienced this noise being picked up in the pickups on other guitars I own. The construction is awesome. I have always been extra carefull with any of my neck thru body or set neckguitars because if you damage the neck it is rather expensive to have them repaired but I dont think I will have to worry about this with this Ax.

have not used it.