Paul Reed Smith

If one had to think of a “flagship” series from PRS Guitars, there’s no better starting point than their guitars simply dubbed “Custom.” The Custom 24 may have been the primary guitar to put the Maryland-based builder on the map but it’s sibling, the Custom 22, is an equally important guitar to both the existing PRS lineup and to their overall history. The difference between the two is fairly simple on paper: one has 24 frets while the other has 22. It may seem like a subtle change but, like many other elements of an electric guitar, that subtle shift does a whole lot to transform its personality.

Many elements of the PRS Custom should be familiar to longtime electric guitar fans. The mahogany neck and body coupled with a figured maple top, the set neck construction, and the double humbucking pickups all hark back to the ever popular “Burst” guitars of the late ‘50s. Its double cutaway body and split-coil pickup tones conjure comparisons to the iconic guitar from California. But while characteristics of both of these guitars are evident in the PRS Custom, elements such as the 25” scale length, violin carve top, and “dipped in glass” finish help this guitar to stand out on its own as something unique and modern that doesn’t stray too far from the conventional.

The Custom 24 has become the go-to PRS model for many, many players due to its particularly modern identity. The Custom 22 is a bit more traditional, though not quite as much as the PRS McCarty model. The 22-fret neck is a bit more familiar to many players compared to the 24-fret version. Additionally, this results in the neck pickup being a little closer to the neck and the harmonic node around what would be a 24th fret (since we’ve already well established it doesn’t have one!) that yields a warmer, fuller sound. This warmth is further bolstered by its set of Dragon II pickups, known for having a sound not unlike a hotter “PAF” type humbucker. It’s modern without being too aggressive, traditional without being too old-fashioned. It would likely be Goldilock’s favorite PRS: not too hot, not too cold, but just right.

When we first received this guitar, its finish had developed some significant clouding throughout. PRS were gracious enough to refinish the guitar for us, so this Custom 22 bears the distinction of likely being one of the only PRS from 1999 to bear their newer High Gloss Nitrocellulose finish. As such, we suspect that this is also one of the cleanest PRS guitars from 1999 bearing only some slight oxidation to its gold hardware/pickup covers and some subtle scratches on its back plate. We rate this guitar in EXCELLENT+ condition.

• Double Cutaway Body Shape
• Mahogany Body
• Quilted Maple Top
• Violin Amber High Gloss Nitro Finish (refinished by PRS Guitars)
• Mahogany Neck
• Rosewood Fingerboard
• Abalone Bird Fingerboard Inlays
• PRS Wide Thin Neck Carve
• High Gloss Nitro Neck Finish
• PRS Dragon II Humbucker Pickups
• Gold PRS Wrap-Around Bridge
• Gold PRS Winged Locking Tuning Machines
• Synthetic Nut
• 1-11/16" Nut Width
• 25" Scale Length
• 22 Frets
• Master Volume and Tone Knobs
• 5-Way Rotary Pickup Selector
• Original Hardshell Case