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The Custom 24 model has been the one constant since Paul Reed Smith built his first production guitar at the Virginia Ave. shop in 1985.  Though there have been some structural variations over the past forty-one years, they continue to make this core model in the Stevensville factory today. 

 

The physical condition is 8.8 on a scale of 10.  If you want an immaculate mint condition core PRS I have several of those for sale, but not at this price.  If you’re looking for your sixth SE or your third S2, consider moving up to a rock solid core which is played and not too pure to be played a lot more.  This Custom 24 Ten Top will not disappoint and is offered below the price of a new S2 or CE-24.

 

There are a number of little ticks in the top clearcoat and around the edges which you can see in the picture with three close-ups of the top.  Those random little white ticks are there, not dust.  You’ll also notice in the rest of the pictures that the incredible flame pattern of this top hides virtually all of them.  The headstock tips have both been gnarled up and touched up.  Theya are well contoured and there is no exposed wood showing.  I’ve always liked the outline “J-Bird” inlays.  They look good on this standard carve neck and the frets are like new, all the way up and down.  Equipped with HFS and Vintage Bass pickups, which have been the standard issue in Custom 24’s since they were first developed for the late 1980’s guitars.  Comes with the original tremolo bar and hard case. All of the case candy is in the pocket. 

 

I’m a working (weekend) musician who has bought, owned, gigged and sold over 300 different PRS guitars of all models since 2001.  This is a highly playable core Custom 24 with a well-earned 10 Top in a color that has become increasingly difficult to find.     

 

 

A Word About Core PRS Guitars:

 

PRS has always made great guitars and they still do today.  From 1985 until 2002, all PRS guitars were core PRS guitars.  The 2001 Santana III was their first model created as a second-tier instrument.  Basically, a financial decision to explore a lower price point in the market.  A thinner body blank with no inlays, lesser parts, cheaper pickups and under-whelming neck inlays.  Through the mid 2000’s PRS also jumped heavily into the development of the S2 (second tier) and SE (third tier) builds, which have since been off-shored and represent the largest part of their business.  These guitars are essentially made by two different companies creating two different families of instruments.  There are the cores in one family and everything else in the other, not to mention the Wood Library pieces or of course Private Stock, both in a league of their own.  I’ve played some rather impressive SE’s that were pleasantly above my expectation for their price point.  I’ve encountered some planks too.  In the Forums I see a lot of SE’s with problems right off the rack or that have been so modified by their owner, they could have just bought a core PRS to begin with. PRS still regards the new CE-24 as a core model, but they are less than one-half the guitar that core CE’s were from 1995 to 2016 and one-quarter the guitar that the pre-factory alder body CE-24’s are.  The (mahogany) body blank is thinner (less mass, easier to build and to finish), loaded with second tier parts and come with a gig bag for $2,500 bucks.  The internet is full of rock-solid core customs like this one in that same price range (with a hard case).  Used CE’s, even pre-factory CE’s which I consider to be among the best guitars PRS ever built, can be found for under two grand with a hard case.  The SE and S2 guitars lose what value they had quickly.  The new core guitars are fabulous instruments, but sticker north of five grand and will be worth far less in 4-5 years.  If you’re casually looking here out of curiosity, while thinking more seriously about buying your sixth SE in a different color, your third S2 or a new CE-24, give some thought finally stepping up, into a core PRS instead.  Just the opinion of a PRS enthusiast that has bought, sold, owned and gigged over 300 PRS guitars across the last 25 years.

 

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Please be sure to take a moment and click here to look at my ABOUT page. or access it from the top menu bar.  I encourage even the smallest of questions so always feel free to e-mail me any time.  Over 140 of my online feedback ratings are from PRS guitar sales.

 

This guitar is also listed on sites with a starting price of $350 more than I'm asking here on my site, just to put a dent in the seller fees they would charge me for a transaction there. 

 

Why pay more than you have to?  Check my feedback and buy it here.  It may be gone soon.  Send me an e-mail and we'll talk.  

 

If you've come to this page directly through an organic Google search, click this link to see a list of all the guitars I currently have for sale before leaving this page.

 

 $1,950.00 includes shipping anywhere in the lower 48.  

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I recently heard someone a lot smarter than I am say: 

"Life is short..... Buy the guitar"