PRS Custom 22 - your experience?

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ZEN Amps

ZEN Amps

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I'm a Gibson guy but have experimented with a few PRS types these last few years, but don't recall spending much time with a 22 though. I wasn't on the lookout but one popped up locally for $1500 USD. Seems like a good deal? It's a 2008 model, nothing special to look at, decent condition.

What say the gallery on this important matter?
 
Not a bad price, if in good condition, plus taking in to account how much PRS's normally are in Australia.

Custom 22's are solid, although I prefer its relative, the McCarty. The 2008 model would also have Dragon 2 pickups in it, which are 12k ish A4 mag pickups.

PRS's from that era are built great, but the pickups aren't my favorite.
 
Picked one up last week. Swapped out the rotary selector with a three way toggle (which surprisingly improved the tone) and I swapped out the bridge with a Mann made (not pictured) which also improved the sound. I’m planning on swapping out the Dragon II’s with a MCP 2nd Degree Black Belt but with these improvements they might stay. I have a Custom 24 and 2 SingleCuts. I love PRS core models.
 

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PRS's look great, generally play great, but in general also sound too sterile for my taste, especially if you're used to some good example Gibson's (especially vintage ones). I've played so many from all era's, including the '80's. Some here and there sounded good IME, but not amazing. Most to me sounded like just another guitar choked in poly. I think with all that poly and other specs the sound can only be so good. If I judged guitars on looks over sound though I'd own quite a few PRS's lol
 
C22 is more like a super strat than a gibson. Solid guitars. Be prepared to change out the pickups, and remove the prs treble bleed.
 
I really liked the Custom 22 vs Custom24
The difference is the distance between pickups that make the CU22 shine over the 24 model.

Great price for what you're looking at.
 
I have a Custom 22. Beautifully made guitar, looks great, plays great. Pickups in mine are a low wind PAF style unit called the 53/10. Not sure they were all that common. Mine has the Wide/Thin neck carve. I can give you some comparisons to other necks if that’s the same on the one you’re looking at.
 
Great thread as I’m looking at one myself. I haven’t owned a PRs in 30 years but now I’m looking at mahogany neck / body with a maple cap and wide nut.
 
Yeah I've felt that some are a bit sterile but happy to try different pickups etc.

I'll probably set it up for drop C# with some Duncans or something, keep it simple.
 
I’ve had a CU22 for several years. Love it, almost plays itself. Fun and smooth. Just feels good when playing.
I put a set of PRS \m/ (metal) pickups in mine and it sounds great. I’m not a Gibson fan at all, but I did have a Traditional LP to try for a while. It’s not like an LP to me, but not a pointy shredder either (although it plays so well it makes playing faster easier). I’d say you can do anything with it.

They stopped making them so if you can get one at that price, it’s a real good deal.
 
A Custom 22 with a wide fat neck, decked trem, and EMG 81 + 89 has been my #1 for the last 25 years, almost to the day.

I can’t say enough good things about them. There are better looking guitars but the Custom 22 is by no means bad looking, and mine is one of the best playing, best resonating guitars I’ve ever picked up.

I’ve never liked PRS pickups though. If you get one, changing out the pickups (and the weird 5-way rotary selector) is the first thing you should do.
 
ZEN Amps said:
Yeah I've felt that some are a bit sterile but happy to try different pickups etc.

I'll probably set it up for drop C# with some Duncans or something, keep it simple.
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I will say with guitars that are more sterile or less woody sounding you do hear more pronounced affects of pickup swaps IME, but still find the overall sound sterile regardless. For lower tuned metal I like the Lundgren M6 and probably also the '80's Schaller Blade, but I should also explore for that my favorite low output vintage pickups like the '60's Gretsch Supertrons (my all time favorites)
 
When I got back into playing about 4 years ago I got me a PRS SE standard 24 in tobacco sunburst. I changed out the bridge pickup for a seymour 78 and it plays and sounds pretty good for a guitar way under a thousand dollars (y)

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I have a 2001 Custom 22. Wide fat neck, 5-way rotary, 10-top w/ Birds and Dragon II pickups. I have since replaced the 5 way with a toggle and McCarty wiring harness and also replaced the Dragon IIs with a Duncan JB in the bridge and '59 in the neck. Great sounding, playing and looking guitar. I would not hesitate to recommend one especially at that $1500 price point.
 
I got a Cu22 several years ago. It is definitely a keeper, but like most of the PRS core guitars I've had, they always need mods to work for me. Mine, like others, had a rotary selector that I changed to a toggle switch. Sold off the Dragon 1 pickups, and ultimately landed on SD Holcomb pickups (awesome!). Not much for the floating trem, so I blocked it and treat it as a hardtail.

So for me, the older core models are fantastic, but mods add to the cost.
 
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