DoctorPaul's Guitar Emporium

2014 Paul Reed Smith Floyd Custom 24

"Tony"

I wanted a PRS Custom 24 for decades ... it was a "bucket list" guitar since seeing that chick on Channel 4's "RockSchool" (Edit: Derdrie Cartwright) play a glorious cherry-burst CU24 back in the day. Just beautiful (the guitar ... not her).

A few years ago, I realised the dream, when I snagged "Ruby", a beautiful vintage CU24 from the halcyon days of PRS's early period. Only it turned out to be ... well ... not very dreamy at all really, as the neck didn't suit me one bit. Although I'm pretty accommodating when it comes to neck profiles (I play, and am perfectly happy with, stuff from the super-skinny Ibanez Wizard, through to the massively chunky stuff on my 50's profile Gibsons). The PRS, however, felt narrow, awkward, and the (now VERY rare) Brazillian rosewood board felt sticky and nasty. It was a HUGE disappointment, as I'd dreamt of a Custom 24 for bloody years. I suppose that the same is true of many things that you dream of as a youngster ... once you try one out, or actually get the chance to buy one when you get older, you realise that they were actually pretty shit. The same happened to me with my dream car (the Ferrari 355), which when I finally test drove, I didn't actually fit into it properly (with my knees pressing on the underside of the steering wheel and my head smacking off the roof when I hit a bump in the road). I digress. So, the experience with Ruby put me off the PRS idea for a few years, but I still dreamt of finding THAT Paul Reed Smith ... one that I could bond with and really enjoy.

Then, while minding my own business and scrolling through YouTube, I hit on a video from Andertons (a major UK PRS dealer), and saw that they were abusing two achingly pretty CU24s ... and that they had FLOYDS. Whoa. It turns out that these were proper USA guitars (not the cheaper Korean 'SE' line, nor the budget USA 'S2' line, although there are good guitars in each of those lines). PRS call them their "Core" guitars ... proper USA hand-made stuff with all the bells and whistles, but not quite as stupidly expensive as their "Artist" stuff or "Private Stock" stuff, with their obscenely figured maple tops, unicorn-bone tuners, kryptonite pickup rings and solid platinum truss rods (... surely, given that those models can top £5,000?). Whatever, these were full-fat, PROPER lust-worthy guitars. They explained that these sold for £3,000 (so presumably no unicorn-bone or kryptonite ...), but that a deal had been done on the last few dozen, which were being blown out at £2,000. Ouch. My insides hurt. So I doubled my efforts to charge up my "guitar fund". And I was doing well, but got distracted by other gear ... I'm such a child sometimes ... so took my eye off he ball for a month or so. And (you guessed), by the time that I was in a position to do the deed, they'd all been sold. Bastards.

As if to rub salt into the wound, an internet-buddy soon announced that he'd got one. Bastard. ABSOLUTE bastard. AND, it was the colour that I had wanted ... "Orange Tiger" ... a beautiful dark orangey-brown flame-top with a clear-coated back. Then, in a quirk of fate, he contacted me within a couple of months to say that it MIGHT be for sale, as he'd seen something else so needed a big bunch of cash. As I'd bought a few guitars from him in the past, he wondered if I wanted it. We fought like scolded children about the price (to the point that he called the deal off several times ...). He finally (and very gallantly) agreed to my suggested price (I wore my BEST haggling-pants), so a deal was done. I was deeply excited about this one.

As I had a long list of places that I needed to visit for my job, I managed to prioritise a visit to his hometown a couple of days later. I gathered up the inch-thick wad of cash, and handed it over to his Mum (a delightful sort ... ) in exchange for arguably the prettiest guitar I've ever owned. So. PRS call this the "Floyd Custom 24". It is, as you might expect, based on the regular Custom 24, but has a few tricks up its sleeve. Firstly (and obviously) it has a peachy German-made Floyd Rose trem and lock-nut, with the trem recessed into the maple top. Although recessing is thought by some purists to be sacrilegious, it gives you lots more flexibility when using the trem, and clears space for pulling up on the trem (so increasing pitch) ... so it's practical ... and my argument (against the purists) is that fitting a Floyd is hardly consistent with guitar 'purity' is it? Really? Anyway. The trem is installed well, works a treat, and (as Mr Smith describes) the thing is "welded in tune". Differences also include an ebony board, bigger frets, a rock maple neck with an almost imperceptibly thin satin lacquer, and pickups from the PRS "Metal" line. They're both uncovered humbuckers, with the awesome squared-off exposed bobbins, which Paul refers to as "squabbins". The squabbins, along with the profiled pickup rings give an air of tidiness that you don't see on other guitars. The "Metal" pickups (which they call "\m/") are higher output than the usual PRS stuff, which, for the bridge pickup at least, makes for a pretty high output which really pokes your valve amps in the face with a stick. The neck pup is also pretty hot, but not TOO hot ... The signal runs through master volume and master tone pots, then a five-way blade.  The blade offers the coil-tapped loveliness that you used to get on the PRS rotary 5-way, but in a switch that you can actually USE with sweaty hands.  Let's get this right.  Position 1 unleashes the full fury of the bridge humbucker (which, despite its power, cleans up nicely when the volume is rolled off).  Position 2 is the bridge hum and a split coil from the neck (which is nice ... kinda jangly and sweet), position 3 is both humbuckers, position 4 is a split coil from each humbucker (and is REALLY aweseome ... full of stratty, quacky goodness), and position 5 is the neck hum.  Roll a little tone off the neck hum and its glorious, hooty, woody, syrupy ... very nice indeed.

What else.  Fit and finish is impeccable, the back is a single chunk of mahogany, and the top is a thick chunk (two thick chunks, actually) of nicely flamed maple.  If anything, I'd say that there was TOO much flame for my tastes, but its not like it is a problem.  Unusually for PRS, the neck is maple (also with some nice flame), with a really thin (almost imperceptible) satin lacquer.  Beautiful.  And is is a 'Pattern Thin' carve, in case you were wondering.  The board is a huge chunk of black ebony, the inlays are abalone birds, and the frets are chunkier than I've ever experienced on a PRS.  Just ... perfect.

So on paper, everything should be near perfect.  Strap it on and play for a while, however, and its a different story ... it plays like CRAP.

You kidding?! Of COURSE I don't mean it ... within 10 minutes of strapping this puppy on, I was absolutely at home ... completely in the zone, and riffing out like I'd been playing it for years ... it fits, sounds, feels and plays wonderfully.  Regardless of the circumstances, regardless of the price, the spec, or any other expectation, this has gone instantly to a podium place ... its right up there with "Gaffer" and "Genesis" in the Alpha-male group.

Now the only issue I'm left with is that I want MORE of them.  Which is bloody stupid, I know, as this one suits me perfectly.  But a Custom 22?  A 513?  A CU24 with one of their solid rosewood necks?  I'm getting worked up just thinkign about it ...

So, yes.  This does everythign that I hoped it would, and plays better than I ever imagined it would.  A keeper?  Yup ... I reckon so.