Paul Reed Smith Guitars Custom 22

I own two 22s one w/trem one hardtail. Maple top mahogany back. Unbelivable finish and it's not a ten top. Two dragon IIs covered on the other PRS vintage or something uncovered.

Tops are bookmatched flamed maple. Freakin' beautiful. Makes me want to make my own guitars.

By far my best guitars. I played a LP and a Cus. 22 for about two hours trying to decide which one to buy. I took the LP standard home and it was nice but the bridge rattled so I went back for the PRS. It sounded better and it didn't rattle.

The tuning pegs are locking. They do take some getting use to. I never break string with the hardtail or the trem. Stays in tune better than any other guitar I have.

The trem model is great. I use to have a strat and the trem is much better on the PRS.

I like guitar music of many different flavors. The PRS has the ability to change voices easily. One of my PRS has a 3 way with a coil splitter. The other has a 5 way knob. I like the 3 way better. Both work well but the 3 way/coil split is jus better. The 5 way knob makes a clicking noise when changed otherwise no unwanted noise at all. Very rich sounding humbuckers and great sustain on the hardtail. Pinch harmonics scream on both. They are beautiful instruments sound wise. Good for distortion great for any clean effects. There made with such meticulous care that they vibrate like they are alive. The only thing I would have done different is I would have purchased both with 3ways with coil spliters

Action is perfect. I played with the truss and the hardtails settings a little when I first bought them. I haven't needed to adjust since. The truss adjusts with very small twists. I'm picky about action and buzz and I couldn't be more content. I played with the p/u's height a little too.
I wouldn't dream of judging PRS's routing, finish or choice of wood. PRS is the man. Zero defects. Saddles, bridge, trem, hardware, nut, pegs, knobs, pots, frets, necks are perfect. Smooth fret work.

Yeah I'd gig with them. No backup. I've had them for over two years. These guitars are solid.

I have conversed with the factory over the internet, I wanted a different truss rod cover like the ones on the Tremonti SE but they wouldn't sell me one. It seems like a small request I can't understand it really.

I don't think the warranty would matter. These guitars are beyond warranty. If I had a problem I'd go back to the music store where I bought them and raise hell but there isn't a reason to.

If these guitars get stolen there will be hell to pay. I'd get every cent owed to me by my insurance company and buy something comparable. A PRS...probably but I'll have to see what's out there. Right now nothing I have played compares to PRS. I'm sure there are better but I haven't played one.

I'd like to get a semihollow body and I'll try Gibson, Godin, others and PRS and will probably buy the PRS.

Anyone wants to e-mail me about PRS I'll be glad to respond. Great company and even better guitars.

PRSs are expensive but the value is there.

1998 Custom 22 made in America. It is a solid maple top with bird inlays..

VERSATILE. The custom 22 is what you would call a verastile piece with a multitude of sound capabilities from Fender to Les Paul. The setting allow you to solit the humbucker setting and achieve a single coil sound. Great Studio piece.

The most beautiful guitar of any guitar collection is a prs with a maple top. The action for me is perfect. I played a strats and Ibanez's all of my liefe and in the beginning found it hard to approach. After a week of playing it I found it to be superior allowing me to take my abilities to the next level. I deinately prefer the PRS neck over anything else I've ever played.

It seems reliable and durable enough. I think I break stings more than on other guitars. Maybe because I love it so much more though.

No Opinion.

Overall the bext guitar I've ever own. And defeinately the most versatile. If you are looking for a more distict over drive I would also recomend the prs McCarty but the custom 22 has a little of every world.

2002 American made cstm 22. It has the 3-way selector switch w/ push/pull coil split switch and Dragon II pickups. My finish isn't a ten-top, but could probably pass for one, if you didn't inspect it too much. It has the new locking tuners, the ones without the "wings". PRS Tremelo and abalone bird inlays.

The guitar sounds sweet through both amps i own. (Marshall DSL-401, and Mesa Boogie Recofier) I really like the push/pull coil split switch, because i can get a more strat-like tone when i need to. Also, it's a good way (sometimes) to cut down on volume without turning it down on the guitar itself. This guitar is very quiet, with a beautiful smooth sound in the neck position, and a good treble sound in the bridge position. I've found this guitar to get a pretty wide range of tone, all the way from rock, to country. I mainly play southern rock and blues, and really like this guitar for both styles. Not really any complaints about the sound of this guitar. Maybe a little more output in the bridge position, but who am i?

The action was set up by an employee at the store i bought the guitar from to suit my tastes, so obviosly, i really like the action on this guitar. And, like i was saying earlier about the finish, it looks like a ten top. The guitar was flawless, and hopefully will be for years to come.

I've only owned this guitar for a few months, but i have full confidence in it to use in gigs as my main guitar. The hardware seems to be very durable, but the finish on the pickups is wearing off. But i see that as no big deal at all. Everything on this guitar is rock solid. I wouldn't feel,at all, uncomfortable to play this guitar live without a backup.

N/A

I've only been playing for 3 years, but i consider myself to be pretty knowledgable and experienced. I also have an american strat, a gibson les paul double cutaway standard which isn't hardly as good of a guitar as my custom 22 (but i do realise the price difference), an american tele, and a bunch of other crap that isn't worth mentioning(haha). If this guitar was stolen, to be honest, i wouldn't have any other choice but to work all summer again and save up for another one because this guitar put me in the poor house. I love the tone of this guitar, because of its smooth sound. I hate nothing about it, i only wish it had 24 frets. But overall, this piece of equipment is the best i have out of all my amps and guitars by far.

2002 PRS Custom 22, USA. 22 frets, 10 top, wide fat neck. Flamed top in scarlet red, natural binding, birds. Tremolo bridge, locking tuners and Dragon II pickups, 5 way rotary selector. Got a standard PRS briefcase-style case.

By far the best sounding guitar I have heard and played save for a McCarty. I played a multitude of different guitars (mostly Gibson and PRS) before I decided to buy this one. I run it through a Mesa/Boogie rectoverb 50, with a matching 3/4 back, 1-12" Mesa extension cabinet. The extension cabinet makes a world of difference by softening attack and filling out the lower frequencies. As most people assume, PRS and Mesa are made for each other. I also often use a Boss compressor/sustainer & Boss digital delay. This guitar nails blues, rock, funk, just about any style. I can switch from trey to santana with ease. It is a much quiter, less gainey guitar than my Gibson LP (490 & 498 alnicos,) to its benefit.

Guitar was setup perfectly. I immediately put on elixir .10's, adjusted the neck and intonation. Didn't need to lower the action, was just about on the floor with absolutely no fret buzz. Finish is superb and much more durable than my LP. It also doesn't gum or smudge as much. However to my embarassement, my friend pointed out that the gold paul read smith logo on the headstock was *peeling* off. Needless to say I was pissed. Surprised they didnt put it under the clear coat (would make sense, wouldn't it?) A hint of super glue fixed it okay though. The flame is very nice and '3d' with no 'runs' as i've seen in a few PRS and Gibsons. The bird inlays are my favorite thing about the guitar besides to sound it puts out :)

I have only gigged once with the guitar, otherwise it has pretty much stayed in my apt. It sees *alot* of use and is holding up extremely well so far (one or two minor scratches on the back.) The textured finish and grain (scarlet red and a very deep almost black red) makes it very hard to see imperfections. Needless to say I am very carefull with my $2100 guitar.

Haven't delt with them yet, hope I don't have to.

I've been playing guitar for a year now and would say I'm a natural. Being around your father and his band for most of your life also helps as does having several friends who are musically inclined. I also own a Gibson LP and a Marshall AVT20 and a cheap 6-string acoustic electric. If it were stolen, I would most likely buy another, but possibly take a second look at a McCarty.

I just sold my custom 22 and thought I'd share my thought on the guitar. These opinions are based on over 25 years of playing experience and 15 of those years in bands.
The 22 has a wonderful neck and the body feels right. However, the rhythm sounds are muddy with the stock pickups. Doing leads the guitar is crisp. The thing is this the 22 has poor pickup placement. The pickups on fine handmade guitars are placed in the proper harmonic "node" On the 22 it's not possible. The PRS custom 24 is right on and the difference is obvious when played side by side. The 22 is very good and has allot of quality but we are talking sound here and the 22 is just not up to par with guitars in its price range. Also, I founf the finish chips very easily, my guitar pick actually caused a chip.
PRS fame came from guitars they made early on...by hand, these prices have gone up, yet they make all the bodies and necks by computerized machines. The 22 is the poor man's Les Paul for sure, but you have to be rich to buy one. If you are looking for that LP sound in a slimmer body design there are plenty of handmade guitars that spank the 22, if you have to have a PRS try the custom 24, major difference in sound...but don't think this will sound even close to a LP, it won't, and unfortunately I don't believe the 22 has $2k worth of quality. Sorry PRS but you know its true.

I bought my Custom 22 in 1998 and it has a wide fat neck, moon inlays, dragon pickups, five way rotary switch and a pain in the ass fixed bridge. It is mahogany with a maple top, but I bought the plain black paint job because I didn't like the "glaminess" of the other finishes. It included a case and I leaned on the dealer to give me a PRS shirt!

The sounds of this guitar are versatile and I consider it a great studio guitar. It is a bit hot for live if your other guitars are a strat or tele or other cheaper types. I play music that is very Brit-rock inspired...Radiohead, Smiths, Jam, Cure... and I can't say it is always well suited for that. I really like the single coil settings especially the one that is one notch up from bridge HB. The single coils are very warm and bell-like. The humbuckers are great for metal or Cali Punk for sure. Very smooth. Neck HB is fat and bluesy, great for jazz leads. Bridge and neck HB's are bad for clean or with any phase effects though. A bit too hot for that.

The set up when purchased was perfect but I put 10's on it right away. The action was great , but I am not a shredder either. The pickup selecter is a bit noisy when switching and I noticed that the first time I changed strings, the high E tuning peg had to be turned more than the other pegs to get the string to lock. The "wing" was not facing out as symmetrically as the others, but rather down towards the body of the guitar. The guitar also "dings' easily. Very pretty though overall, like a Jaguar motor car.

This is the section I've been waiting for! AS RELIABLE AS A JAGUAR MOTOR CAR! LOOKS GREAT AND PERFORMS BEST IN THE FUCKIN GARAGE! I have had countless problems with string breakage and have not played a gig where this puppy could stay together. My bridge started out as a stop tail piece and when I would break 2 high E strings per practice I took it in to the dealer and they filed the bridge string guide down. I was upset but I guessed it was the only solution. It changed nothing. They filed it again, but now I was breaking other brand new strings as well. The dealer put a new stop tail bridge on the guitar. SAME PROBLEMS! I don't bend a lot and I use a nylon pick of medium guage, and I admit my pick attack can be aggressive. But come on. It seems that any repetitive down picking can break strings on this bridge. Finally after 6 months of this problem PRS sent a new bridge...the kind that comes with the intonatable saddles and I was relieved that the dealer was working with me after spending $2700 on this lemon. Same problems continued and still do to this day. This investment upsets me everytime I break a string. No other PRS player I have talked to has complained of this problem, so I have almost completely given up. The only explanation that seems partly logical is that I have played strats all my life (15 years of playing) and that the fixed bridge of the PRS has no "give" compared to the bridges of strats. I think that maybe I have developed a tougher attack because the cheap strats can take it. I can kick the living shit out of a strat and not break a string! PRS cowers like a beaten child if I so much as raise my hand! I can't depend on it and never play it at gigs anymore. I want to sell it.

I never dealt with them because that is my dealer's job.

I have been playing 15 years and I own a Fender twin (red knob) that I play a lot right now. I also own a Marshall JCM800 Lead series head, Mesa Boogie Mark 2 head, Marshall 4x12 1960 cabinet and a shit load of effects. My other guitar is a faithful American Strat with the super strat Pickguard and electronics. I find the tele configuration to be what I use mostly. The bridge pickup is a double stacked single coil made by Fury. The strat is too thin, but I paid $500 and it can really take a beating. The PRS would have been awesome if it was durable, and I would have bought the one with the tremolo, but the tone on the fixed bridge was warmer and less stratty. I still think that it might just be my style and attack... Anyone with advice or wanting to buy this guitar contact me.

I own a 2001 PRS Custom 22. Made in the USA. 22 frets. 10top Mahogany body with wide fat neck. Volume, tone, and 3 way selector. 2 DragonII humbuckers. Mahogany neck. Flamed top in whale blue. PRS Tremlo bridge. Locking tuners. I had jumbo frets installed. Leather PRS custom case.

This is a very versitale instrumnet. Great for anythng from jazz to rock, from country to metal. I am playing in a modern rock band (i.e Incubus, System Of A Down) So this guitar is great for my needs. am running it through a Mesa Boogie Triple Rectifier head with 2 4x12 cabs. You can't go wrong with PRS through Mesa amps. I am using an arsenal of effects. Rotosphere, super phaser, line 6 mm4, octave, digital delay, Holy Grail Reverb. Using 12's in a C# tuning. What really help my sound was adding a CS3 Boss Compression unit to my rig. Before I had an Ibanez S and had no need for compression, but with the hotter pickups in the PRS compression is needed. Very rich/ful sounding guitar. Bright. Tons of variety in tones, especially if you pic up one with the 5 way selector. I like everythin about this instrument.

Factory set up was excellent. Of course I tune to C# so I had to set it up with 12's and make adjustments to compensate for my down tunning and heavy strings. Pickups were great. No flaws or inperfections of any kind. PRS makes great guitars. And being a Custom series 10 top this thing was perfect to the T.

Everything seems very durable and reliable. I have been playing this axe for little over a year and have had no problems. other than I have a tendency to break my low E string. But thats fault in players technique, ot the guitar. Soild strap buttons. I have no back up this is my only guitar. As long as I don
t break a string, I need no back up.

Have not had to use customer support. Thats a good thing, right??

Been playing for about 9 years. Have owned alot of Ibanez and Fender guitars. Top of the line Ibanez as well. This guitar kicks them all. I played on this guitar at the store for about an hour and could not put it down. I had to thake it home. Best damn guitar I have ever had the pleasure of playing on. If it were ever lost or stolen I would lose my mind. I have to have this guitar. I would definetly buy it again. I am looking at getting a second PRS custom sometime in the near future. PRS Custom 22 and 24s are the bomb diggity!!!

Mine was made around 1995. It is completely stock and therefore has all the standard features of the Custom 22. It has a very nice maple top that seems to help the tone alot. Not sure of the neck wood but I think its mahogany. The combination of woods seems to be correctly selected to produce great rock tone. The C22 has a five position tone/pickup switch that gives a nice array of different tones.

I bought this guitar as a humbucker alternative to a Gibson LP. I particularly liked the fact that the body is thinner than a LP and fits my body better. Also appears to be slightly lighter in weight. Ergonomics are great.

Tone is somewhat dark but not objectionably so. Overall the tone has a thick humbucker rock sound to it. You definitely hear the maple top when this thing plays, which helps the guitar have some good tonal definition. I bought this guitar as a good alternative to a Gibson LP and in that respect it does quite well. It doesn't quite have the Les Paul signature to its tone, but does a good job making it's own mark in the tone world rather than trying to duplicate another guitar. The PRS sounds like a PRS and the LP sounds like a LP.

The tone selector 5 way switch does a good job at delivering different flavors of tone but does not venture too far out of humbucker territory. In other words, don't throw your strat away if you buy this guitar because you'll still need it.

In sum, this is primarily a rock guitar. For rock tone I rate it highly. It may not work as well for jazz, but that's OK. I think rockers like me are buying this guitar rather than the jazz freaks of the world.

I also have a PRS McCarty Hollow Body II which is a very nice guitar. In comparison, the HB2 is more versatile and has a sweeter and brighter tone. I like the tone of the HB2 better, but for most rock situations, the C22 is an excellent choice as well.

Action is very good. It's not the best I've ever played but does come close. This guitar feels good to play and has a nice warm feel to the wood.

Very well made. Finish and woods are beautiful.

Very well made.

Been playing for 20 years. This guitar is basically a rock guitar. For this purpose it's great. Could have more versatility in other areas but it still does great for rock.

My model features 5 way rotary selector, a volume and tone knob, stop tail bridge, beautiful bird inlays, and fat neck. It is ten top wood. Silver Hardware. It included a hardwood case, very nice. I wish it could have the switch, instead of the rotary knob, its much easier and more quickly accesible.

MM, this guitar is very versatile in style. I can play bluesy stuff. I can make it sound jazzy with the neck pickup, and rock with the bridge pickup. the dragon II bride could be a little 'hotter' sounding, my EMG pickup on the jackson sounds a little better, more saturated when put in distortion. Its not noisy at all, pretty quiet actually. All the switch settings have a unique distinct sound, with its own personality.

Everything was adjusted accordingly, the harmonics were matched smoothly, the tuning is correct from open to the 22nd fret. The pickup adjustment was a little shady. the bridge pickup couldhave been more tightened. but that would elevate it more, and the screws on it would touch against the vibrating strings. But everything is pretty much well done.

This guitar is by far, the most reliable, i would not need a backup, of course with the exception of a broken string or so. The hardware does last, the wood is great, the strap has never fallen off, and i dont use the strap locks. However i wouldnt trust it jumping up and down just because this guitar is like 2000 bucks. Very dependable.

Never needed customer support.

I love this guitar, i have played 3 different electrics, and this one is by far the best. However, for the price, it seems quite shady, it is very expensive indeed. But this guitar wont let you down. I'm sure they are alternates, cheaper substitutions which wouldnt be as great, but would get the job done. My favorite feature i'd say is probably the looks and reliability. If it was stolen, i would cry! I wouldn't buy another one though, its just too costly, i'd buy a cheaper alternative. But it is a very good investment indeed, for someone who is serious about playing the guitar.

My Custom 22 was made 2000 IN USA. Has the dot inlays, tremolo, and 5-way selector switch. I have the Royal Blue finish. The fat, thick neck is nice and the Flight case I bought with it is very durable and is gorgeous.

Fits the music I play like a glove. The tone is brilliant; the cleans are very clear, and the 5 different pick-up settings give great versatility. I'm using it with a Crate GFX-212 and crate cab, with a Dunlop Cry Baby and Boss NS-2. Their is some noise at high gain, but it comes from my amp, and my NS-2 noise suppresor eliminates it. The tremolo gives some creative options without worrying about keeping the guitar in tune. The highs and mids are incredible, but as others have commented, the lows aren't the greatest. The dragon II pickups also give a very unique, full tone. Plus the vintage bass pickup sound so good. The pickups don't give a very bright sound though, my Seymoure Duncan pickups on my Epiphone seem much brighter. The sustain of the guitar isn't very strong, mostly caused by the tremolo built in, however the tremolo option makes up for this lack.

The guitar was made perfect, no flaws. The intonation was perfect, and the action is just right for leads and rhythms. The neck is SOOOOOOO awesome, I like the comment one reviewer made, that the neck is "buttery." I know what he/she means, your hand just glides up and down the neck with ease. The finish is nice and looks like carpet. My only complaint is that it's almost too dark of a blue to really show off the finish design, and the finish tends to fade in small spots with heavy playing. In my case, I've been playing it almost everyday since I've owned it, which is 1.5 years. The nickel hardware also tarnishes over time.

Very reliable. The strap buttons are very large and I've never needed strap locks with it, and I use inexpensive Ernie Ball straps. The tarnishing hardware is annoying though, but doesn't affect sound. The guitar stays in great tune, if the tremolo is oiled when needed to keep strings from coming back sharp. Finish does wear some. If not for the finish problems, a ten would be given.

I've emailed them once about tarnishing of my bridge. They replied within a day with a full, informative reply on the reasons for it and possible solutions.

I've been playing 6 years, and my CUS 22 is without a doubt the best guitar I've owned. My favorite feature is the neck and playablility, I can play it just for the feel of it. I would like it more if I had the bird inlay option and maybe a different finish. If I lost this guitar, I would probably be too discouraged to ever play again. :(
When I bought this guitar, I bought it instead of the McCarty Model PRS which the store associate recommended, it had better sustain than the CUS 22, but lacked the tremolo and the light feel of the CUS 22.