Paul Reed Smith Custom 22 L/H

Bought new 2005, not much choice in the UK, only 3 left at the time and 2 were at Guitars4you at Ashbourne. One was marked so this was it. Fortunately it has a lovely one piece violin amber top with a sort of odd quilt pattern in it. Not a 10 top, but I don't like highly flamed woods. Fixed bridge, would have preferred trem, but as always lefty lepers get no choice. Would have preferred three way but leper syndrome strikes again. Wide fat neck. I have small hands and was worried about this but actually after nine months it feels fine most of the time.
Have marked as 7 simply because of the crap choice left handers get.
I was actually going to have a Les Paul but it was too heavy, rubbish upper fret access, and just as pathetic choice in the UK.

Sound is fantastic, everything I expected. I play blues and blues rock. This covers all bases for me and when you want it you can be Carlos or Peter Green (yes you can !!). When I got it I had a digital Spider amp, but everything came to life when I changed to a valve Laney VC15. What a difference, the whole guitar warmed up and the sound just came alive.

Bridge pickup sounds like an SG on steroids, neck like a 335, split sounds also useable, and much better now I have had the 5 way replaced with a three way. What more can you want from one guitar. The Laney has high and low inputs which really make a difference to the single coil sounds.

Volume and tone pots very progressive and cleans up really nicely when you roll volume off. I use a Boss ME50 but only for mod and delay effects. The guitar just pushes the drive voice of the Laney beautifully and sustains for a loooooooooooong time.

I love the sound of this guitar, really glad I didn't get a Les Paul even though I still think they are the coolest guitar on the planet.

Great player straight from the shop, finish perfect. Only problem was that after a few weeks it started busting top e strings at the bridge every time I used it in anger. Took it back and it turned out to be corrosion in the bridge slot which Mark cleaned up.

Build integrity is so good you could probably play cricket with this thing then gig it afterwards. Nickel parts seem to go dull really quickly though. This worried me until I read other reviewers say the same thing. Seems to be par for the course but not over impressed with this aspect.

Problem already mentioned with the bridge sorted quickly but shouldn't really happen on a #2000 plus guitar should it.

Would give it a 10 for build, but marked down for bridge problem and dull metalwork.

Mixed views here. PRS e-mail advice always quick. Mark at Guitars4you excellent. Gave me a lod of replacement top E's for the bridge problem and had already made arrangements for a replacement bridge if he couldn't have solved it himself. Problems arrived when I had the 5 way converted to 3 way. Guitar was sent by G4Y to UK importer Headline Music. When it returned it had a black switch cap to match the cream pick-up surrounds (not !), this was rectified immediately with a cream one in the post. Bigger problem is that although all the switching works properly, the new push/pull tone pot now does the whole tone change over about 10 degrees of rotation. Something about using a right handed pot apparently. Guitar has to go back again as PRS are sending a new wiring loom over. Actual operation of switching is miles better than the crap 5 way, no clicks and pops, and it is actually easier to lift the tone knob than it was to move the 5 way. Anybody with a 5 way should consider this mod, it should be straightforward and I'm sure after mine has "forged the path" any future conversions will be trouble free.

PRS and Guitars4you get 10, but mod and bridge problems mean I will end up having made have 5 trips to the shop at an hour each way assuming it is right this time, and will have been cold turkey twice.

The guitar is superb, no question. Lack of choice failed to spoil the experience as I actually love the guitar I have ended up with. Might have been different had it been orange or whale blue.

Sounds are fantastic and very flexible, especially with the 3 way mod. Everybody out there go and get it done, it costs less than you think and makes a massive difference to the use of the guitar, and you get 6 tones instead of 5.

Mod problems not rally the fault of the guitar, but the original 5 way switching really is a pile of pants. Come on Mr Smith, get rid of it, it's crap.

It's a 1999 PRS Custom 22 Left Handed. Apparently it's made of mahogany with a flame maple top. The top is painted gold....my girlfriend suggests it's more of a nicotine colour, it's certainly not as nice as a Gibson goldtop.. The treble cutaway is dressed away so the back wood colour can be seen form the front which looks ugly.
It has 2 humbuckers (MR Smith is pleased to call them Dragons!), a tone & volume control and a 5 position rotary knob to select various combinations of pickups (eventually!!) It has a non-intonateable wrap round stop tailpiece. It came with PRS locking tuners with ebony buttons ( which didn't match the nickel hardware) and ugly looking locking levers. I swapped these for mini-schallers which were an exact replacement.
The rosewood fretboard has dot inlays & silver side inlays. For some reason there is no double inlay at the side of the 12th fret (though there is on the front) unlike all my other guitars.
The asymetrical headstock bears a rather cheap-looking facsimile of the Smith signature which is raised & doesn't look too durable.On the back of it the serial number appears to be written in felt marker pen which just looks cheap.
A reasonably smooth neck (though nowhere near as good as a MusicMan)but with rather an intrusive heel.
The neck is apparently a fat wide neck, it came with a PRS case (much the same as any other case) and I paid ?1000 for it on EBay.

I play stuff from pop through pop/rock to blues. I use it with a Gibson Goldtone15 or a Peavey Classic 30 or sometimes via Boss ME-5 into the PA.
It has some pretty good sounds, I like the position 5 bridge humbucker, the position 4 for rhythm and the neck humbucker for a warmer sound. The sounds don't match a Gibson or a Fender but they're a reasonable compromise of the two.

It arrived set up pretty well for a 5 year old guitar ( I don't think the previous owner had played it much). A nice low action.
The pickup selector knob is a nightmare....to get from the bass P/U to the treble involves 4 changes and 4 loud thumps....not really feasible on stage.
The neck feels pretty smooth, though again my MusicMan Silhouettes are twice as good with none of the hype.

The nickel plating has started to tarnish since I got it,the strap button are huge.....this might give a feeling of security but since I had to enlarge the strap holes to fit it on we really aren't any further forward.
I would not use this guitar live, the pick-up selector knob gives no indication of where you are (brown figures on an amber background.....even if you could remember what each one means!!)and I suspect that it would be hard to use with sweaty fingers. Also the band doesn't need to hear a loud thump through the amp when I cahnge positions.
I guess since it was in A1 condition after 6 years the previous owner didn't think it was gigable either.

I sent them an e-mail asking them to sell me a t-shirt & some new tuners. They refused and referred me to their European distributors. I live in Spain & their Spanish distributors gave no answer to 6 e-mails. I am from the UK but their UK distributor's website is unobtainable. I went back to PRS with this info & basically they told me to shove off. Contrasts VERY poorly with my experience of ErnieBall or G&L.

Been playing a long time, own lots of other gear.
If it were stolen I'd use the insurance money for a fender Strat & a Gibson SG and never miss this thing.
I quite like the lead sound and the rhythm isn't bad, but it has too many design flaws. The original tuners were a nonsense, the P/U selection system is the least user friendly ever. I had a 2 humbucker Gordon Smith which has a 3 position selector & pull-up knobs for coil taps. Much simpler. Also the basic PRS shape just is NOT rock & roll. Doesn't look the part & doesn't seem to balance properly on a strap either.

I have every admiration for Mr Smith's marketing skills, these machine-made guitars now sell for over ?2000 ( & he's too important to bother with us lefties now!!)- but I honestly can't see what all the fuss is about. And bear in mind this one doesn't even have the wavy wood front or the silly birds flying down it!

2003 Custom 22 left handed reedy
Highly figured 10 top
Custom fitted pair of emg 81's to replace dragon II's
maple top mahogany bottom
Rosewood fretboard with moons
Bloody awesome black cherry almost blood red
Hardtail ( very good tuning wise )
Locking tuners ( a must for any live player )
wide thin neck
Hard case included

Sounds great now, Dragons were a little to weak for my tastes so replaced them with emg 81's.
I use a line6 flextone II running through a mesa 290 power amp for that valve suturated tone.
This guitar is so unbelievably versatile and comfortable.
I play in an original signed band similar to 36 crazyfists/avenged sevenfold, soad ect.
Only thing i dislike is the hardware likes to corrode very quickly even after intense wiping. Mainly the bridge

Fuckin low and chunky
Feels great in ever rock pose possible

Its was built for a world war
Beautiful

Dont need em!!!

I love it and will definately get another or 10.

Bought in 2003
Violin amber 10 top
Bird inlays
PRS Pickups with rotary selector
Tremolo

Sound is unbelievable. This is, by far, the most versatile guitar I've ever played. It's light, but has plenty of sustain. The guitar goes from clean to crunch to lead with no problem. Truly a great sounding guitar.

No flaws at all. Violin ampber 10 top is absolutely beautiful.

This is a reliablbe guitar. Fully capable of standing up to live playing.

I've been playing for 18 years, and this is the best guitar I've ever played. I would definitely buy it again. I also own a Gibson Les Paul Standard and an Ibanez RG470. This is the best sounding and most versatile guitar I've ever played. It really is an unbelievable instrument.

All the usuals for a cu 22, tremelo.

Amazing, cant beat it, i also have a fender strat, and les paul, and a ibanez rg470, and this beats them all. The clean sound is amazing, and on the both the clean and distorted the definition between each string is amazing. Can't fault the sound in my opinion.

the most beautiful guitar you can but, by far. The the prs mable flame is awesome and in whale blue its so nice. The bird inlays make it look like a peice of art. The only prob is, it looks so nice i'm so afraid of damaging it in some way!! Gorgeous.

Seems very durable to me, but as i said i'm so careful with it i dont really know yet!

Amazing, been playinf for 12yrs (im only 19) and its the best guitar, i'm in love with it. My girlfriend actually gets jealous.

1999 model 22 frets made in USA. Maple top on solid mahogany body. Glue in neck. 5 way rotary switch. Replaced original Dragon II's w/HFS/Vintage Bass p'ups installed at Elderly's. Beautiful pin stripe Black Cherry 10 top, highly figured, back of guitar also transparent in same finish with mahogany neck. Tremelo, original locking winged tuners, except replaced ebonized knobs w/chrome ordered from Garrett Park Guitars. Wide thin neck.

Aerosmith reportedly eschewed their PRS guitars because they didn't like how the instrument sat in their mix. However there are countless records that sound wonderful w/this guitar. I'm using 100 watt Marshall w/4 vintage 30 watt Celestions in Marshall cab along w/Rivera 100 Duo 12 and Mesa Boogie DC-5. Boss effects and Digitech GSP-21 Artist. Nice creamy lead tone w/good definition on distorted chords. Gorgeous clean tone on spit coil settings. Only drawback here is rotary switch pops. Common problem. Definitely it's own sound and a nice blend of strat and Les Paul styling but w/tremelo more versatile than just a Paul alone. Will not do either sound convincingly on it's own but has it's own character, I bought it for it's unique tremelo design and glued in humbucker combo all in one guitar. Can easily get Santana/Rush tones.

Problem w/tremelo. It clicked/dipped only once in awhile when making dive bombs. After dozens of hours of trial and error and calling PRS I finally figured out that the lip of the screw must be visible just over the bridge plate and all screws must be exactly level with each other. Also the guitar should go to F# when bar pulled up and bridge rests on body (complete uptrem motin), DON'T make adjustments to tremelo w/o slackening the strings, you will ruin knife edge of tremelo. Even high quality guitars can come poorly set up so be careful. Cosmetically sound except for some of the stain bleeding over on to the natural maple binding. Finish is flawless and tougher than nitro which is good for durability but proabably at the expense of resonance. John Lennon's Epiphone comes to mind. Everything else on guitar perfect.

Built like a tank. Very durable finish and hardware. If you drop it it bounces back. Not as fragile in headstock area as Les Paul's tend to be. Don't gig but if I did this would hold up easily to any abuse.

Customer support is good as far as my limited experience over the phone. This guitar sat in the case for a few years until I sold my Whale Blue LH cust. 22 and decided to play just 3 guitars instead of 13! It was then I called and asked about tremelo. Best advice they gave was the screws must be completely level. Also e'mailed instructions to me.

Been playing for 25 years. Own Martin D-41L and 2001 Gibson Les Paul Standard lefty. This guitar is beautiful and plays like a dream, I'd buy another just to look at. Southpaws owe it to themselves to have at least one PRS because the quality is unsurpassed. To be honest I can't recall if I messed w/the tremelo on the Black Cherry or not after I recieved it, the Whale Blue was flawless as far as the tremelo so take my comments w/a grain of salt. Compared to Strats and Pauls this guitar plays as consistently and easily as any Paul, blows away Strats playability wise. One last word of advice, if you like the exposed coil humbucker look, go with the HFS/Vintage Bass combo. Much better sound/appearance wise than removing covers of the Dragon II's!

This is a brand new 2003 PRS Custom 22
Features:
22 frets
Solid one-piece quilted maple top
Black Cherry Finish
Volume, tone, and 5-way rotary knobs
Dragon II Treble and Bass Pick-up
Mahagony Neck and body
Rosewood Fretboard with moon Inlays
Dragon II pickups (These things are great)
Wide\Fat Neck
Hard Shell Case (custom fit)

This guitat has a sound like no other. It is in a league of its own. anyone that wants to be ahead of the crowd should buy this guitar>
i have a Marshall 200 watt cabinet, i use many effects when i play to make it sound even better. I play rock, blues, alternative and anything else that i might like to play, and this guirar can do it all. there is nothing that i dont like about this guitar, except i would of liked a stop tail bridge but it was the last custom left.

No flaws at all, this guitar is a work of art, it stands out from any other. That is what PRS's are all about, every single one is a work of art. Best guitar i have ever owned.

i love this guitar but i feel my self not wanting to play it so much b/c of the price tag that go's along with it. I dont want to scratch it. but i have played it a few practices but i just got it. so if you want a winner go with PRS/

I just got i so i havent had to deal with anything.

I have been playing for about 3 years now and love to play my PRS. I also have a Gibson les, and a fender strat but neither even compare to a PRS> Buy a PRS if you want to stand out and have a great guitar.

2000 model
22 frets of course
Dragon II neck and bridge PU's
Turquoise flamed top (quite ughly but I had the choice between this guitar and no guitar !)
Wide fat neck
Not top ten finish
Abalone moon inlays
Rotary 5 way PU selector
PRS Tremolo
PRS locking tuners

As I said, I didn't have much choice. I didn't pay it myself, so I had to decide very quickly upon the buy.
I WANTED A PRS ! ! and didn't have 9 months to wait for. This was the only stock PRS lefty in the whole country !
I don't like the color at all (WHAAAA ..... but I get used to it. At least I have a guitar nobody else has !)

Now I have used it for a few months on rehearsals and gigs, I can say that I had preferred a fixed bridge.
The PRS tremolo stays more or less in tune (way better than all other guitars I have tried) but I have difficulties
to use that small arm (maybe I should replace it with something else). I also suspect it to cut my strings (see reliability)

Well, it's nice to make innovations like the rotary PU selector, but I prefer innovations that actually HELP
instead of GETTING IN THE WAY. On stage, I sweat alot and sometimes I'm unable to change the PU in the middle
of a song. I'm seriously thinking of filing some ribs into the knob, but that will become ughly for sure .... !!!!

I was a bit anxious about the wide-fat neck (I have very small hands), but I got used to it very quickly.
By the way, I should not have been afraid : I have necks of all kinds (Fender,Ibanez, Gibsons) and
I got used to all of them.

The PRS tuners are ... tricky/ingenious/fucking ? You tell .....
At first look, they were ingenious.
But by now I still have not got used to them (Each time I replace a string, I have to make several trials and
think very hard : "Do I have to push now on the little wing , or do I have to pull !!? Damn, can't remember ..." )
By now, it takes me more time than with regular tuners, but once I will get the sequence, I suppose I will love them.

I like guitars with a dedicated tone knob for each PU. But OK, I can't argue about this :
we will never know how the combined position of dark bridge PU + clear neck PU would sound ...

One thing I really like is those large strap buttons. That's nice. I've never had the fealing that I'd needed to buy
Schaller strap locks. The guitar never felt either even under heavy use...

I give it a 9 because if I had had the possibility to choose the features, only the tone knob lacking would have left over.

Ah, the sound !
It's true, the Dragon II PU's sound outstanding on any selector/tone/volume position !
Some say it has the Gibson AND the Fender sound. That's wrong !
Some say it's between Gibson and Fender. Mmmmhh .... No dude
I'd say the single coil positions are "fenderish" in some way, but not really
but the humbuckers do not sound like Gibsons 490R or 498T at all (to my ears more Ibanezish)
It's definitly something on its own ! BUT MUCH MORE VERSATILE than let's say Fender or Gibson.
On a arbitray "tone" scale, if Fender covers the range from -5 to -4
and Gibson covers the +4 to +5 range, than PRS covers from -3 to +2 (wooow I should become a teacher ...)

As on all my leftys, the knobs are of course wrong (on this guitar, it's only the selector switch)
So selector position 6 is bridge, position 10 is neck PU
At least volume on 0 IS volume on 0 (this it not the case on my other guitars - volume 10 = quiet most of the time)
and tone on 0 = dark

This is the first time where I have to admit that all PU/tone combinations are usable.
I mostly keep the tone on 5, this leaves a good marging for adapting the sound on changing gig conditions.
Selector position 6 is my main tone for rythm and solo - very bright and clear
Postion 7 is an excellent single coil type with "twang" - very, very clean - crisp when used with distortion
I use it for soft songs with the clean channel of my amp (marshall JCM 2000 TSL 100)
Position 8 is really an intermediate humbucker sound between bridge and neck - Ok for rythm, I have not
found a use for solos
Position 9 is (to my ears) a softer, weaker and less crisp version of position 7 - I think it's kind of redundant -
I don't use it very often (has less "twang")
Position 10 : Excellent neck humbucker sound - excellent for fat rythm and fat lead

There is a significant, inherent and unavoidable volume difference between humbucker and single coil settings.
So positions 7 and 9 need a volume up when played in the middle of a song.

It's also the first time that I see a truly efficient tone knob on a guitar. The tone change is linear all the way,
the 0 setting is truly usable and not too dark as on my other gear.

The guitar cleans nicely up when decreasing the volume. Here also, a very linear "user friendly" behaviour

Excellent knobs (talking about tone and sound) - excellent pick-ups - everything the guitar delivers is usable
AND VERY versatile. Have to give it a 10 - couldn't expect anything more from a single guitar (soundwise)

Action perfect
I've nothing particular to mention
No flaws nowhere

Don't care about the "Ten Top" thing. My guitar is a beauty (let's forget about the color) but anyway,
I don't see it when I play and I care more about sound/playability than about beauty

It already got a few notches in the body, although I take care a lot.
But, hey, it's meant to be played !!!!!

I breake alot of strings without playing wild (The A string very often, sometimes the B and D strings,
very seldom the highE string) I guess due to the tremolo. Very annoying, maybe some filing would help

Something happened to the bridg PU cover. As I actually sweat alot, the cover GOT ALREADY RUSTY
(I clean the axe right after each gig before putting it back in the case) Damn !!!!!
Overall, the guitar seems to withstand the heavy duty.

As I already said, strap buttons are the best ever seen

Gig without backup ? C'mon dude, think about it once more before asking THAT question ...

?
Warranty is 2 years (a bit short IMO)

Playing 15+ years
Never had a guitar of this value
Love the sound
I would certainly NOT buy it with my own money unless I had a lot of cash
(We're not celebrities by now ...)

Excellent guitar but is it worth this fortune ?
It is certainly NOT 14 times better than my first Ibanez RG but that may not be the correct way
to think about it .....

Anyway a 10 for the technical aspects

This is a 2000 PRS Custom 22 Left-handed.
Features:
22 frets
Solid one-piece quilted maple top
Black Cherry Finish
Volume, tone, and 5-way rotary knobs
Dragon II Treble and Bass Pick-up
Mahagony Neck and body
Rosewood Fretboard with Bird Inlays
Stop Tailpiece
PRS Tuners (These things are great)
Wide\Fat Neck
Hard Shell Case

The PRS tuners are ingenious. You can change string in no time. No winding or anything. Hard to explain. Check them out.

Oh to be in love! I've had these guitar for about 8 months now and I love it more every day. To be honest, I wasn't that intralled with the guitar when I first got it. I play pretty much Hard Rock. The Dragon II pick-ups are not as hot as some of the others I've played. Especially, my LP Classic. I couldn't quite get the crunch I wanted. Well it's there, I just didn't know how to dial it up. This guitar has a lot of soul when played. It sounds best through a tube amp. I use a POD for recording and I've gotten some incredible sunds out if it. I use a Marshall TSL 100 Head and 4x12 cab for live events. The CU has a unique sound. Very full. Not tinty like a strat or harsh an LP. Extrememly versitile guitar. You can play anything. In the beginning, I would ahve changed the pick-ups. Now I'd keeo them. The cleans are too good to change.

I bought this guitar from Garret Park Guitars. They set it up before they shipped it to me. It was perfect. Very low. The top is one-piece so it has no bookmatches. The guitar was flawless. No fillers or marks. That I can see. A true work of art. The finish solid also. It doesn't scratch easily and no chipping.

I think this thing is built to stand the test of time. It looks just as good as the day I bought it. Similair to an LP. I've owned an ESP that chipped with the slightest knock. Not this PRS. I've had no problems with the electronis or any other item.

I've never had to get a repair. I e-mailed them one to confirm the history of the guitar and they e-mailed me back in a couple of weeks. I'm not really complaining but I think they're seriously under satffed in this area. I know they're extremely busy. I would like to see some improvement here. They also need to upddate their web site.

I also own a LP Classic and a Taylor 810. the PRS is my primary guitar. If someone stole it I would cry, literally. It would be like losing a loved one. Then I'd like to see the thief try and sell a lefty. The only thing I'm not too fond of it the Rotary knob. It's a little too hard to access acurately. I'd prefer a blade switch. I'm actually considering selling this one to apply toward a PRS Private Stock. If your going to spend the money, might as well get exactly what you want. Other than that, I'm a hooked PRS fan. You can check out this guitar at:http://sites.netscape.net/kevinfowler11/homepage

Made in 1999 and was shipped to me as part of the first batch of left-handed PRSs of this type to arrive on England's shores (I'm smugly proud to say!). I've had it for a year now so I hope to offer an objective appraisal. This is the 22 fret model with a wide fat neck, birds, trem, rotary switch and a gorgeuosly subtle purple flame finish. It has the standard Dragon II pickups, which I worried might be too hot but aren't at all. It is also very comfortable and balances very well on long gigs. The chrome works really well with the purple and I'm glad I didn't go for gaudy gold hardware.

I play in both in a typical pub-rock band churning out stuff by Pearl Jam, RHCP, Live, Marillion and original stuff, and I also play in a tentative Yes tribute act. The PRS handles both duties surprisingly adeptly - especially considering Mssr. Howe's alarmingly diverse electric tonal palette. For 'rock' settings I really appreciate the definition between strings which I get from the guitar on anything picked, arpeggios etc. I use a Soldano HR50 and find the tonal range wide, deep and clear. My main squeeze before was a Patrick Eggle Berlin Plus, which stood me in good stead for several years, but the PRS blew it out of the water. Even my non-musician mates noticed a marked difference in tone between the two when I first played it live. If I had one negative comment it is that I do sometimes find the treble position overly bright and have to back it off on the guitar but other than that can't fault it I'm afraid. For the Yes stuff I tend to set it at position 7 for everything as it seems a good compromise of an ES175/ES345/Les Paul Junior/steel. Steve Howe uses a fairly clean tone which is easy on the PRS.

My guitar came via my local dealer Manson's Guitars who set it up with 10s etc. I don't know if they changed the action but it is great all the same - not too low but just enough to dig in on a note. The pickup balance was spot on as was the overall finishing on the guitar. When I first opened the case I could have wept. It had been over ten years that I had been waiting but boy was it worth it. On closer inspection a few days later I noticed a couple of minor finish niggles which make me mark it down again to a 9. Firstly, the finish behind the bridge where the bookmatching actually joins was not perfectly flat but had sunk a bit. Nothing drastic at all, but it cost #2399 and I haven't got the same problem on cheaper guitars. Also, the binding had a few less than dead straight finishes on it. I understand the problem in trying to mask off the guitar and may be asking too much. Overall it's just wonderful.

Like many previous reviewers I wish it had strap-locks. I vehemently oppose altering a guitar at all and refuse to change the orginals, but this leaves me slightly vulnerable. The finish isn't as durable as I would have expected either. For the Yes stuff I set up a twelve string on a stand and play behind it whilst holding the PRS down. This means I can easily transfer between acoustic and electric parts. BUT, where the PRS occasionally knocks the back of the 12 string I have noticed a few dings are appearing. I have now made a pad to stick on the bak of the acoustic guitar. I swear we aren't talking about the guitar slamming into the back - hence my concern and surprise. The second reliability issue concernes the fact that I had to replace the trem springs the other day as the orginals had started to buzz. This happened when you hit a big open chord. It was the weirdest thing I've ever had on any guitar and hasn't spoiled my appreciation of it. What caused it I don't know ... any ideas? The guitar has also been in the wars. Not surprising really as I was gigging three/four times a week regularly for most of last year and the first part of 2000. Basically a mic stand was knocked over and fell onto the front of the neck. It clipped the edge of the neck by the fifth fret and dug a chunk out. I was mortified. Luckily Manson's performed a minor miracle and it's as good as new. I'll keep playing it anywhere and everywhere depsite this - no point having it otherwise.

Had a nice personal letter from the man himself thanking me for buying the guitar and confirming it as one of the first to arrive in Blighty. Other than that I've had no contact.

I have been playing for on or off for about 18 years, though for about seven years in the middle it was mostly off. I also own a Fender Strat (Yuk!), a nice 335 copy (for Close to the Edge), an Epiphone electro acoustic (durable war horse), a Tanglewood 12-string (nice neck + amplifies tone)and an Alhambra classical. Amp wise I've got the Soldano HR50 fed into a Marshall JCM1936 cab. Effects - a point of debate - are a BOSS GT3, Morley Wah/Volume, Zoom 508 and a Daddy-O overdrive. If it were lost or stolen I'd probably cry! I just love the way it feels so balanced. I, like many others searching for the holy grail of tones, have tried Gibsons, Fenders, Fernandez guitars, Tokais, Ibanezs etc. etc. plugged into Marshalls, Fenders, Rolands, Laneys etc. but nothing compares to the present combination.