2011 Custom 24 vs 2012 Custom 24

[kselbee]

Are the only differences between the 2011 and 2012 the contoured pickups? Has anyone done a side by side comparison? Any details on the differences?

 

[BrianC]

I think the custom 22 is the way to the moon. The 24 with its misplaced neck pickup due to the extra frets makes it sound a bit daft.

This statement does not pay attention to the question that the OP asked and is an opinion of one. The CU24 has sold more gtrs for PRS than all others combined!

Who uses the term daft anyway????

 

[themike]

Who uses the term daft anyway????

 

[rschleicher]

To add a bit to the original question, yes, the only difference between 2012 and 2011 CU24s is that the 2012's have the contoured-bobbin 59/09s (or "squabbins"). There is one other possible difference, in that early-build 2011 CU24's were still using the Phase II tuners (closed back). The open-back Phase III tuners got intro'd some number of months into the 2011 production.

(My own 2011 CU24 falls into this category - 5-way blade switch, the original-style 59/09 pups, the V12 finish, a neck from the "Pattern" family (Pattern Thin in my case), but still using the Phase II tuners.) It's date-of-manufacture was at the end of January, 2011.

 

[Clark Kent]

So are the new pickups better or different sounding than HFS/VB?
It's got a 5-way switch also right?
V12 finish?

 

[]-[@n$0Ma☩!©]

Yes, the new pickups sound different. I was not a fan of the VB/HFS pickups until I tried through several different amps. Like most things, the complete signal path has everything to do with the final result. VB/HFS pickups are no different. I'd be quite happy with them with a rock-oriented amp (playing rock music).

 

[Clark Kent]

I highly recommend you guys to drop those pickups way lower. I did that to my Custom 24 with VB/HFS and it's simply the best guitar I've owned. Balanced ballsy but sparkly. It killed a Suhr Modern and Music Man guitars in a comparison I made... try it out if you can.