Paul Reed Smith Guitars Custom 24

2004, Black Cherry (flamed, non 10 top), wide-thin neck, bird inlays, optional 3-way toggle switch + push-pull on the tone control (six different sounds).
The tremolo unit is very good: the bar doesn't rock in its hole so there are no nasty noises when you use it (a problem I have with my floyd rose-equipped Ibanez RG470). I can't say the guitar stays in perfect tune after you use the bar, because the top strings (usually the G string) get slightly sharp: this happens because, even if the guitar features a self-lubrificating nut, the strings don't slip back in the 100% exact position. I don't know if a better nut could solve the problem. However, if you continue playing and you do some bendings, the guitar will get back in tune.
The best way to minimize tuning problems is to always tune from flat to pitch (that is, if a string is sharp, first detune to flat, then raise to pitch). Floating bridges never return to the same point when you push and when you pull the bar, so I suggest to do a dive bomb before tuning, in order to place the bridge in the correct position: this way, whenever you use the bar, you know that the last movement you must do to keep your guitar as in tune as possible is downwards (which is also the most common bar use).
Another good thing about this tremolo unit is when you bend a string the others get only very little flat, much less than with my Ibanez, so those rock-blues licks which involve playing notes on other strings while bending one are almost perfectly pitched. This really impressed me because, at the same time, the bar doesn't feel stiff at all to use (it is even softer than the floyd rose on my Ibanez!).
The tuners are excellent: changing strings is easy and, most of all, fast.
The only thing which disappointed me a bit is the capacitors used in the tone and volume controls are the cheap, ceramic type, not the polyfilm and silver mica capacitors I expected to see. However the two controls do their job very well so, who knows, maybe they chose ceramic capacitors tone-wisely and not to save money... The 180pf value for the volume control is perfect to avoid the treble roll-off when you lower the volume control.
I also like the numbers on the knobs, so when I play songs where I need to move the volume and tone controls from the usual 10 position I can set the knobs the same way every time. In addition, I can check the knobs are where they should be by simply watching them.

I couldn't try a Custom 24 with my gear (a Marshall JMP-1 preamp with a Boss GX-700 multieffect in the effects loop and a Marshall EL84 20/20 power amp) before I ordered the guitar, so the only thing I was afraid of was the timbre of the PRS pick ups. My doubts disappeared as soon as I plugged the guitar in my amp for the first time. The PRS pick ups sound very good and with six different available sounds this guitar is really versatile. I love instrumental rock (Vai, Satriani, etc.), which is what I usually play at home, but I also play in a swing and rhythm & blues band: this guitar can play every type of music, from jazz to metal.
One thing someone may be interested to know (and which I didn't find on the PRS site) is the active coils in the split humbuckers mode are the outer coils, so the neck pick up position is more similar to a true neck single coil guitar, because the active coil is closer to the fretboard. The central position of the toggle switch then gives a combination (both the outer coils active) I find useful for funky or, with some chorus effect added, modern clean sounds. Probably the inner coils would give a "honkier" sound, more similar to the 2nd and 4th positions on a strat which I like very much, but I'm happy my guitar has this wiring, because I can get a better neck single coil interpretation.
The six sounds are all very usable: I couldn't imagine I would use the bridge humbucker split so often (I've always had humbuckers in the bridge position of my guitars and this is the first to have the "single coil sound out of a humbucker" feature).
Sustain is very good.

The combination of the 25" scale and the wide-thin neck gives an excellent playability.
The factory set up of this guitar was the only thing that didn't come up to my expectations: there was too little neck bow, so the first half of the fretboard always buzzed when playing, unless I picked VERY gently. Actually, as you can see in the PRS dvd at the Set Up section, almost no bow is a choice they make, but in my opinion it is a very bad choice. I recommend 0.5mm of bow. Action, therefore, was extremely low in the first half of the fretboard and not as low (too much difference) past the 12th fret.
What was really wrong in the set up, however, was the octaves intonation: notes at the 12th fret were sharp.
As I had to adjust the saddles and the truss rod, I consequently had to adjust the action and the springs tension, because as you know every regulation is in equilibrium with the others. After this complete set up the guitar plays like a dream, really. I set the action quite low (at the 24th fret: 2.2mm on the bass side, 1.9mm on the treble side), with acceptable buzz (only when I pick hard). Now I say: "Playing my new guitar is like driving a Ferrari"!!
After I set up my guitar I realized how intonated is the fretboard: if I tune the strings to perfect pitch, all notes on the fretboard are in tune.
So my vote for this category is:
with the factory set up: 8
after my own set up: 10

Too soon to say, but I don't expect problems (I gig without a backup)

I can only say I emailed them once to ask, having bought the guitar here in Italy, if I still had to send them the warranty postcard I found in the guitar case, and I received a kind answer next day (they suggested me to send it anyway, even if I will have to refer to the Italian PRS distributor for warranty).

I've been playing for 9 years now.
I'm very happy with this guitar, my favourite features being the playability of the neck/fingerboard and the versatility of the six pick up combinations: having a lot of different sounds in one single guitar is both what I like and what I need to play with bands.
These are also the best looking guitars ever built, in my opinion.
If it were stolen or lost, I would probably buy it again.

This is a 1989 model and I paid #1000 second hand. It's a fine example from that early period. Whilst not a 10 Top, the Vintage Cherry sunburst has really come into it's own over the last 4 years and is almost tiger-striped/flamed and manages to turn heads.
Stock pickups, Volume knob, rotary 5-position pickup selector and sweet switch. I do miss a tone control though

Due to the fabulous circuitry and tone capacitors in this guitar, you can coax all sorts of sounds from it and after all these years I have learnt to control the sound from the guitar volume. With something as extreme as a distorted rectifier-type sound on the amp and the guitar volume set to 10, it screams. Back off the volume to 7 and you have a lovely crunch or blues lead. Back it off further to a 2-3 and it's totally clean with no loss of tone. I'd have preferred a more flutey tone from the neck pickup ala the Gibson classic 57s or burstbuckers but the combination works well.
IMHO The neck and heel access are better than the later models and the pickups can cater for jazz, blues, metal and funk. The in-between strat sounds are passable but I still prefer strats for that.
As I said, in addition to the sweet switch, which I use on solos and on the neck pickup and a clean sound to get a dark, jazz sound, i would've liked a tone control.
The locking machine heads are great and I rarely take a spare guitar on gigs as I can change a string and it stays in tune in less than a minute! It all works and this is easily the best guitar I have ever owned. When I talk to other PRS players, the phrase "It plays itself" is often mentioned and I know what they mean. Basically, some things on certain guitars you can't pull off. With this gem, all is achievable and it certainly makes me play better.

After having the guitar for nigh on 10 years, i finally had it set up using the PLEK system and it improved an already good guitar. i was told my saddles had worn on the high E and will either replace those with Graphtecs or PRS's own. The finish is just beautiful and I just have a few chips on the headstock and around the back. However, I dropped it recently (soft case strap broke) and the headstock snapped off. The damage to the neck was so severe that I could see the truss rod. Absolutely devasted and thinking that was the end of the road for my guitar, my repairier did an amazing job and glued and finished it off and it's better sounding than before. I don't know how but the sound seems more focused and it sustains better!

This guitar has required very little maintainence and it's only in the last year that my set-up and repair have cost me money.
I depend on it and I'm happy using it in all studio and live situations and it's been gigged nearly every week for the last 10 yrs.
Forget the neck snapping - that was my fault and it's hard cases all the way now. Mind you, when I inspected the damage, I was surprised at what mahaogany looks like. It's a very open-grained and a splintery-tyre of wood and doesn't look at all solid, but obviously it is.

I have e-mailed both PRS in the USA and the UK distributor and always received prompt and full responses. I wish all PRS parts were available and I do not like the "exclusiveness" of this or indeed the price one has to pay for the few parts that are available.
On the budget side, I recently received a response to an enquiry about the new all black SE EG with 2 single coils and 1 humbucker. This will retail in the UK for under #500 and I'll most probably end up getting one as a cheap spare (better than other guitars out there and people should check these out)

I've been playing for 25 years and this is the best guitar I have ever owned. Nothing touches it and as such, I only own 2 other guitars - a Taylor acoustic and customised Fender Strat. All my needs are more or less met by it. I had a drop top Tom Anderson which I was happy to sell as it just didn't come up to scratch and various other Fenders, yamahas and a Gibson Les Paul Gold Top.
At one stage, people were offering me good money for this guitar and obviously, since the neck break, the guitar has depreciated. However, I'll never sell this baby as it's a going to be a classic and besides, it's just an awesome guitar.

2001 Platinum metallic - I'm not that keen on heavyily striped tops that look like furniture, never get of some pubs I play in one piece, so understated but rock @ roll, all the same. Great felxibility for sounds, a master of none, but good all the same, when playing loud and live.

I play mostly modern alt rock but most songs indulge in a solo (usually the same one!). Check us out at www.doonicans.com. My main guitar is a fantastic 1993 Bill Carson signature custom shop strat which is fantastic for slow Gilmour and Cray type solos. I wanted something for the more rockier pieces. Because of my technique and the design of a strat I find it difficult to damp riffs and appeggios, as the bridge is quite far back. I was looking for a higher output guitar with a more forward bridge and more frets. I used to play Les Pauls but need a more jack of all trades, and a more sparkly sound as my ears seem to need a higher register these days - age. The sound gives a lot of flexibility I can get nice flutely solos using a Fender VibroKing (fanstastic amp with a strat) with a MesaBoogie v-twin up front. Its also lighter than a Les Paul which helps my back. I've also felt the PRS was a compromise of playability - which is superb, sound which is for live stuff, reliability, flexibility (changing guitars between songs), higher fret access, and damage limitation - I try not to be too precious about guitars but I'm trying to limit the strat these days to use in the studio rather than play it into the ground. I'll get it for some songs where only a strat will do. As I said compromise.

Yeah, it couldn't be better.

Yeah, fantastic playability, its a workhorse - I can play much faster on this guitar than my strat. Having said that the extra wrestle with the strat pays dividends for a great sound.

Never needed any assistance, yet

I think 9 because the sound is outweighs most of the other advantages. This is really a gigging guitar for me where I need a strat like rythmm but more flutey solos. If anything happened to it, I'd just get another, I try not to be too precious about guitars even though it cost me a relative serious amount for my budget. I think alot of peole get defensive/offensive about PRS - I can see why, but its all a matter of balance.

very much like the typical Custom 24 nothing special to mention about you will read enough details down under
type 2 locking tuners i love that, much better the type 1 tuners

Part 1 of the transplant

To tell you the turth, i dun own this custom 24, 1 of my frined ask me to change the pick up from stock HFS to Duncan cause he hate the sound of stock pickups, as some of the owners had mentioned here sound of custom 24 is unreasonablely thin and lifeless. his new config is SD JB humbucker and Pearly Gates hum, also he had specifically ask me to rewrie the 2 new buckers back to a typical config, so no more serial/single coil config. To do this 1 have to throw away the 5 way rotary and switch to a mini toggle, the transplant was a success of course.

Now to the sound part, before the transplant, i had ask my friend to play something in front of a tube amp. also i ask him to "remember" the original sound, then after some working hours (solder off everything including the 250K volume pots, caps etc etc) change to a pair of good quality 500K pots and a 0.047F caps, with the new SD pickups installed. then test it again. sound is of course, back to earth again, at least like a decent electric guitar fitted with a pair of Hum pickups should sound like, sweet, warm and human again.
i did think about the value of caps before the transplant, either 0.02F/0.047F caps, finally i decide 0.047F cause the wood, body design of PRS did favored High to Mid Frequency to pass through.

when i open the circuit cover, i discovered that a small value cap soldered at volume pot to breed off the high frequencies.

part 2 of the transplant
the HFS did not throw away it just moved to a Les Paul SG but i have problems in wiring these 2 back to a typical humbucker config, i had to e-mail PRS for a help, very kind of PRS CS dept, they had response in a efficient manner, with tips and diagrams attached. with the HFS fitted into a gibson, it sound to me a little hotter and more electricfried (personally taste of course) than the stock PAF but this time i use the 0.02F caps as gibson used.

i had notice some custom 24 owners had stated here that the HFS is over wounded, so now i have to say that HFS is not over wounded (at least to my ears), but the R&D guys in PRS had somehow try to wire the stock HFS wiring into a very stange manner (try to take a look at the pick up config of HFS in their web page, you know what i am taking about) they do everything except a normal wiring and things screwed.

no problems here, except that the candy coated finish may have some harmful effects on body resonation (maybe????)

same as above
oh the metalware seem to be very easy to get oxidated too

i had the take my hat off to the CS dept of PRS guys fast and efficient reply to e-mails

i have enough guitars (more than 10) and GAS had almost desotry me now i focus playing on 4-5 guitars regularly and the rest is cover with dust, they are all good guitars some how i have plans try to sold out some.

My guitar collections had gave me a crystal clear information:- if you want to have a gibson sound, go ahead and buy a gibson, if you want to play fender sound, then fender is your only choice. nothing will work on both ways, if someone had said something to you about PRS guitar does have both gibson /fender like sound. then he/she is having a wildest wet dream ever had and still not wake up yet !!!!!

1991 Custom 24. Dark Cherry finish over (get this) BIRD'S EYE MAPLE TOP!!!! This guitar looks awesome. I got it used from a local store for $900 because the guy who owned it before me was an idiot and dented the finish in several places. He also knocked a fairly large chunk of wood off of the head stock.

This guitar is one of the 1st PRS's to have a double action truss rod. It has the HFS and Vintage Bass pickup with the original 5-way switch. I like this setup since I have another Custom 24 with a 3-way switch and coil splitter. This way I can get the best of both worlds with 2 very similar guitars.

This guitar is over 13 years old and still stays in tune perfectly.



I also have a 1997 Custom 24 that I payed $1800 for, it is beautiful and plays almost as nicely as the '91.

These guitars have everything that I could wish for. The less time you spend tweaking knobs, the more time you can spend shredding.

I play anything from Blues to Death Metal. This guitar can do it all very well. I only play it through amps that I have built and a THD Plexi combo so I know that it is being complimented very well by the other equipment. I use no pedals or effects. I just want to hear the tubes and the strings, not a bunch of crap.

This guitar has been through the mill. The original owner beat the shit out of it and it is still beautiful. I do wish that the finish was a little lighter. It is hard to see the wood grain in dark places. The PRS website says that if you expose the guitar to sunlight it will lighten the color a bit. I may try this.

The only thing that I had to do to the guitar was put new strings on it. The action and intonation were still perfect after all these years.

The finish is very thick and sturdy.

I have 2 of these guitars, a '97 in Vintage Amber and this '91. The '97 appears to be every bit as sturdy as the '91, which has held up under some extreme conditions.

I don't want to play any other guitars ever again. I work part time at a music store and get to play some pretty nice guitars. The '91 PRS Custom 24 shreds all of them.

Every time that I email them, they respond. Some guys here complain about them, but if you call me up talking shit, I won't be very polite either. You have to realize that they are human too and maybe stroke them a bit about their product. You will get any answers that you are looking for if you treat people right.

If not, just talk to their boss. Don't talk shit about them on some forum because you aren't intelligent enough to figure this out.

I have been playing professionally and as a hobbyist for over 20 years. I have finally found a guitar that suits both my style and my desire to have a superb instrument. I have owned every decent guitar on the market except for a Les Paul (too clunky). This is the best for me.

A lot of guys talk shit about them, but you have to be smarter than the instrument. You also have to realize that nothing is perfect. You can't please every one with a magic bean.

This guitar, like my wife and kids, is perfect for me. That's all that matters. If you don't like it, don't buy it.

This is a 2001 CU 24 in Teal Black, non 10 top, p/u are H/H configuration standard PRS pickups. I changed out the 5 way p/u selector for a 3 way switch and a coil tap on the tone control. This is a must if you play out at all. I think cosmetically the rotary is standard, but it is not very functional in my view. The coil tap and three way give you an additional tone. My next mod may be to add a coil tap for each pickup which will add more versatility and two more variations.

I like the sounds I can get out of the guitar. The single coil sound I use in the middle and neck position with a clean amp setting. I use the single coil bridge p/u for overdriven solos. The humbucker sound is great for crunch rhythm and the bridge setting is great for overdriven solos. I don't use the clean settings as much with the humbucker but the sound is good. I just like the clean single coil sound better. I've played this through a Bad Cat Hot Cat, Mesa DC 2, and a Carvin Vintage 33 with a Weber Ceramic 12" speaker. This guitar sounds good through all of them. The PRS sounds the best through the Bad Cat. I like being able to get the diversity of sound through one guitar as it allows playing most styles of music without switching instruments. I play most styles of music while R & B is my home. The single coil clean sound in the neck is great for Blues.

I didn't do any adjustments exept put 10's on it and tighened a couple of screws. I think the 10's provide a fuller tone. The set up was great. This guitar stays in tune. It's barely off on one or two strings after the guitar has set unplayed for a week.

I've been playing this most every week for three years. It shows no wear and practically looks new. I usually take a back up guitar in case I break a string, but this has not happened yet. I replaced the strap buttons with Schaller strap locks to avoid accidently dropping the guitar.

Never dealt with them except to call to see what times I could take a factory tour. The response was prompt.

I've been playing for 40 years. I've owned a 79 Strat, a 70's Guild S-100, Custom Made Strats with Andeson components. Currently my other guitars are a Bill Lawrence Strat (better than a stock Strat, the pick ups are hot) and a Custom Made Tele with Anderson neck, Gibson 57 in the neck and a Anderson single coil in the Bridge. Each of these guitars gives different tonal qualities based on the wood and pickups. I've owned Fender, Peavey, Mesa, Carvin and Bad Cat amps. The CU24 sounds great through a high end amp like a Bad Cat. I am now a believer in the boutique amp with the high end guitar. You tonal quality is just head and shoulders above the mid level priced amps. In about 1996 I started saving for a PRS. I settled on the Custom 24 based on the reviews on HC and the features of the guitar. If this guitar were stolen, I'd probably try a less expensive CE and decide this could replace the Custom 24 if not I'd get another one. I'd also like to own an Anderson Drop Top sometime in the future.

2003 Sunburst Finish with Top 10 top and Birds inlays
5 way switch, Tremolo, Locking Tuners
Smart Black flight Case

The reason I bought it, the best sounding guitar I have owned. Through a quality Valve Amplifier like my Cornford Hurricane, this is a great guitar.

When I read some of the reviews referring to poor sound, I wondered what amps were being used or how they were set up.

From experience I've found you can get a poor sound out of a quality guitar like a les paul if the amp is poor or you fail to set the amp up properly.

All 5 switching options sound good through my Cornford Hurricane.
I demoed it alongside a Custom 22 in the shop, through a Fender Twin. I preferred the sound of the Custom 24 pickups to the Dragon 2's on the Custom 22, more bite.

Have since traded in my 2 Telecasters and Gibson Les Paul now I have the Custom 24, as they werent getting played. Only my 1994 American Standard Stratocaster has survived.

Great action, just the way I like it and a doodle to play.

Superbly built and a work of art to look at.

I am not expecting any problems

Dependable, yes

This guitar is the best electric I have owned.
And I have owned in the past 4 Gibson Les Pauls, A Gibson SG Standard; A Fender American Deluxe Stratocaster; 2 Fender Telecasters, A Patrick Eggle Berlin Pro Deluxe and a Gordon Smith GS1.
All have come and gone and only my 1994 American Standard Stratocaster has stayed since buying my Custom 24.

Yes, I would definitely replace it if it were stolen or damaged beyond repair.

Like My Martin D42 it encourages you to pick it up and play it. My other acoustic is a Taylor 414RCE 2003 Limited Edition, another quality acoustic.

I look forward to playing the Custom24 for years to come.

2003 Custom 24 with a trem. 3-way toggle with coil tap. Wide-thin neck. Low-mass locking tuners. Bird inlays. The rest are standard features that have been mentioned in previous postings.

I have read in previous postings that this guitar is a LP wannabe or a strat/LP hybrid. None of that in my opinion is true. This guitar is simply a well built, great sounding guitar with lots of great features.

I play this guitar through a Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier full stack with the Recto Traditional cabs loaded with Celestian Vintage 30's. I use a couple of FX pedals (wah, reverb/delay, chorus, etc.) but I rarely use anything but the wah. I prefer the sound of a great sounding guitar going through a great sounding amp without a lot of fluff. This guitar is perfect for that no matter what kind of amp you play through.

I have played this guitar in a hard rock cover band that I used to be in and you can't ask for a more versitile guitar, especially when you are trying to play all different styles of music in a live setting. The coil tap feature is especially usefull when you need a single-coil sound. Having such a great sounding, versitile guitar saved me from bringing several other guitars to our gigs to accomplish what the Custom 24 can. Obviously, you can't have everything in one guitar, but this guitar is as close to that as I've found.

This guitar looks as good as it sounds. It is whale blue with a nice flame maple top. Its not a 10-top but well above average in my opinion.

Just like PRS advertises, this guitar was ready to play right out of the box, and almost perfectly in tune if you can beleive it. I put on a set of 10's and lowered the action a bit due to my own personal taste but that's it. The locking tuners are great. I've never changed strings as quickly and easily as I have on this guitar.

Everything about this guitar is durable. Don't be fooled by it's good looks. It is as rugged as any guitar can be. The hardware is solid and the electronics are very quiet. I even spilt a beer all over the electronics at a gig and it didn't affect the sound one bit. I would never go to a gig without a back-up no matter what kind of guitar I owned but I have never needed one. I played this guitar 80-90% of the time when I played gigs without a hang up. The trem is great too and stays in tune well. I would even go between a standard tuning and a drop D tuning between songs in very little time with few tuning adjustments to the other 5 strings.

I e-mailed PRS with a couple of questions and they were very quick to respond and were very helpful. I havn't delt with any warranty issues but judging by how well this guitar is built, I don't think I'll ever have to.

I have always been a Jackson guy. I own four Jacksons, two of which are U.S.A. made Jacksons. I love the feel and the craftmanship of Jackson's but I always thought they were lacking a bit in the tone department. I still love my Jacksons, but I was looking for a guitar with a great feel and great tone.

I have tryed numerous LP's and was never really impressed by them. I know that LP's have a great tone and a lot of big-name guitar players use them, but I never got into the clunky body style or the overall feel of a LP. Plus I think they are too expensive for what you get.

When I looked into PRS Guitars, I was immediatly impressed. Every PRS I picked up sounded, looked, and felt great. The craftmanship is incredible. I checked out some local PRS dealers around town and when I found a Custom 24 with a wide-thin neck, I fell in love and took it home that day.

I think this is one of the best guitars I've ever played. I know they are not cheap but if you look at a PRS as an investment rather than a frivolous purchase, then it is mush easier to justify the $2,000 price tag.

Overall I think this is an incredible guitar. After owning this guitar for over eight months I can't find one thing that I don't like about it. I think I've finally found my "No. 1" guitar.

Custom 24 w/ bird inlays - 10 top. All of the usual trim with locking tuners. Extremely playable guitar, I love it and it's my main axe.

Listen, give two guitarists the same guitar/amp combination and one will sound great, the other will sit there and complain about rotary knobs, pickups, tremelo takes me out of tune,etc. Bottom line: most of the tone is in the player's hands. The PRS takes (or should) all of the excuses away from you and allows you to have the most playable guitar on the market. Now what you sound like after that is, well...
In my opinion these guitars sound very balanced, with good output and a wide range of tones available through the 5 position selector switch. I've checked a lot of PRS ads and their website - nobody there every said this guitat would sound like an LP or a Strat. Go to the LP reviews and see how many guitarists there don't like their Gibson pickups. Then go to the Strat reviews and read how many think the lace sensors sucked, the single coils are too thin or noisy, etc. I like the PRS Custom 24 through my Mesa and my pedalboard. I think they sound great. The pickups are very warm and expressive - the rest is up to me and my touch, feel and ability.

This company knows how to deliver a new product to a customer - perfect setup, and the guitar is beautiful. Put together well and has stood up to two gigs per week for the past two years. Stays in tune like a champ, I love the locking tuners. I use 10-46 string sets, either Dean Markley Blue Steel or Dadario XL's or GHS Boomers - no intonation or tuning problems whatsoever.

two years and over 100 gigs later - my PRS Custom 24 is doing great and still plays great. A few dings and dents, but I guess that's life.
I replaced the strap buttons w/ straplocks. I use it on nearly every gig without a back up. Occasionally I'll bring a second guitar if we're playing 3 sets, but I never end up using the backup and always wish I'd packed less gear...I take great care of the axe - lemon oil for the fretboard, Meguires polish and scratch remover for the finish. Carmex lipbalm in the nut slots helps prevent the strings from 'hanging up' and helps keep it in tune.

no clue - I've never had a problem.

Been playing 20 years. Also own a Music Man Axis Sport, Gibson LP Classic with Duncan pups, Mesa boogie amps.
I compared this PRS to Fenders, Parkers, Andersons and Gibsons. I loved the PRS and haven't had one regret. I've since purchaced an LP Classic, which I had to mod but no complaints there either. (rplced the Gibson pups w/ Gotoh locking tuners, and put a Duncan '59 pup in the neck and a Duncan JB in the bridge).

2002 Customer 24 model.
Mine has blond/natural "10" top, HFS bridge pickup, vintage bass pickup, mahogany body and set mahagony neck (not bolt on). Has moon abalone inlays instead of birds. I wish it had birds, but oh well. PRS trem.

Surprisingly, I have never liked PRS guitars. I usually like Gibson and Jackson. I always would demo the CE22 and CE24 models when I was in the music store. I didn't like the necks very much and the tone was a little lifeless. So I bought a Jackson Archtop AT1 and replaced the pickups.
Then one day I drove 90 miles to another town to try a Parker guitar at a music store and was thinking about buying one on ebay. I saw the Custom 24 on the wall. I played it and it was the best guitar I ever played. The set mahogany neck made such a huge difference in tone and playability that I was blown away. Thinking I had gone temporarily insane, I retried the CE 22 and CE24 models on the wall. I didn't like them. But I sure liked the Custom 24!! So I thought about it for a couple of hours as I was driving home. I ended up driving the 90 miles back to the store the same day to buy it.
The HFS pickup screams on my Jackson Reference 50 amp with EL34's. The mahogany neck - again - made all the difference in tone and sustain. And it is buttery smooth with medium frets like my fave Gibson's.
It took me awhile to dial in my settings for each song - I've never had five settings to mess with before.

Action and finish were flawless. It should be for what these sell for. I was surprised that these came with 9's, but that's good because that is what I use.

Super reliable so far!

Haven't dealt with them.