Can someone help me decide between these finishes?

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kingneptune117

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Hey all,

I am a new member here and am going to be getting my first Paul Reed Smith guitar! I am beyond excited. However, I am having an insane amount of trouble picking which guitar I want.

I have decided on either a Custom 22 or Custom 24. Technically I'd prefer a Custom 22 but I am more than happy with a Custom 24. I am left handed, so my choices are somewhat limited.

I have found several guitars I am interested in. I cannot for the life of me just pick one. Please see the guitars below that I am trying to decide between:

https://reverb.com/item/7531304-paul-reed-smith-custom-24-left-hand

https://reverb.com/item/13570666-pr...maple-neck-wood-library-burnt-maple-leaf-3737

https://reverb.com/item/14434982-pr...maple-neck-wood-library-burnt-maple-leaf-5614

https://reverb.com/item/7885650-pau...ple-neck-ebony-board-2017-lefty-lefthanded-lh

I know this is a personal decision but at this point I really need some input. I literally cannot just pick one.

Thank you.
 
Last edited:
You won't be disappointed with either. They are both amazing guitars. I prefer the 24 but the 22 is also great.

Burnt maple leaf is cool but to me it looks a lot like charcoal cherry burst, which is not an upgrade color. So I don't know if that color is worth it. Personally I'd go for copperhead burst, but it's seriously too personal a question to ask on a forum imo.

Enjoy it either way!
 
Andy80 said:
You won't be disappointed with either. They are both amazing guitars. I prefer the 24 but the 22 is also great.

Burnt maple leaf is cool but to me it looks a lot like charcoal cherry burst, which is not an upgrade color. So I don't know if that color is worth it. Personally I'd go for copperhead burst, but it's seriously too personal a question to ask on a forum imo.

Enjoy it either way!
Click to expand...
It's funny you say that I was leaning towards the copperhead burst. It looks absolutely incredible. It's just that I play more modern style music (anything from pop punk to metalcore) and I didn't know if this came off as too vintage looking? But yeah personally I am leaning towards the copperhead burst.
 
They’re all fabulous. You cannot possibly screw this up.

I’d go with the copperhead one, because I’m more of a traditionalist.
 
Alnus Rubra said:
Burnt Maple Leaf Quilt top for me. I’m a sucker for the quilt and with that finish it is really quite unusual and beautiful :D
Click to expand...
This was my first instinct as well. The reason I started to veer away from it was, if you zoom in on the quilt, there are these thin white squiggly lines streaking everywhere. Is that normal? I looked at probably 50 other PRS quilts and none of them have this.

Of course, you only notice this if zoomed in. When zoomed out I think it actually enhances the quilts look. But I don't know. I keep nitpicking. What do you think?
 
the thanksgiving quilt looks weird, the copperhead is best and not as vintage looking as you might think — but it is classic.
 
That my friend is how the quilt is formed. Think of it as hundreds of tiny peaks and troughs in the wood, which are compression marks. Part of nature’s wonder.

The beauty of quilt is that as you move the angle at which you view it from, the figuring almost appears as fluid. A natural 3D if you will.

Best of luck with which ever of these beauties you take care of.

Happy times.
 
I guess you can tell which would be my primary choice of colour - but in terms of the tops, I like Quilt and the pattern of the Copperhead. Despite being a fan of red (you would never guess), the red one here is the most uninspiring of the lot. Between the Quilt Burnt Maple and the Copperhead, it would be a toss of the coin or maybe the price difference.

The easiest way to perhaps pick would be whether I want 22 or 24 frets more - there is a difference because of the position of the neck PU and the distance it is from the Bridge. Some prefer the 22 fret as it also has a bigger separation from the Bridge.

Ideally I would say pick the one you want best - whether that means trying them first hand (if you can) or factoring what it is you want from the guitar. Its not just an extra 2 frets with a Custom 24 as that alters the neck PU tone - 4 out of the 5 options you can select include the Neck PU so its not a minor choice. In my opinion, the 22 fret is a bit more like a 'modern day' Les Paul whilst the Custom 24 is more PRS, more what PRS built their sound on. I know the 22 isn't exactly like a Les Paul before any one gets on their soap box over that statement but its more like a Les Paul than a Cu24 is. Its the type of guitar you may of expected if Gibson [had the chance to] evolve instead of being expected to stick with the guitars they made in the 50's and early 60's.

It really doesn't matter which one I would pick, or anyone else here. Its your money, and its a lot of money too, that you really need to pick the guitar that YOU want and take responsibility for that decision - not blame us if its not quite right for you or be left wondering if we advised you correctly. As for the colour, go for the one you like best - so what if one maybe a bit more 'vintage' or 'classic' looking, as long as you rock it with confidence - the confidence you should have by owning a high quality instrument - the audience or band members won't care. Its much more important that you feel happy. None of these look vintage - one maybe more reminiscent of a bygone era but the way the light catches that, the very impressive grain etc certainly makes it look modern.

The first decision should be 24 or 22 fret, the 2nd decision is which colour to buy - the 3rd decision should be how you intend to earn money to buy your the next PRS...
 
Only advice i can give since they are all really great guitars is..................

Pictures rarely do these guitars justice. All of these guitars are going to look crazy in person.

That said....look at what you like/not like about each top and multiply it!
 
The first one, but I'm a big Cu24 fan and like warmer, more natural finishes like that one.

Smokin' guitar!
 
.

Be careful choosing 22 or 24 frets ... you may be thinking "two free frets!" but there is a cost, or a benefit : 22 fret will sound like an LP, 24 fret will sound like an SG because the neck pickups are in different locations. Got a Strat around? switch between neck and middle pickup while strumming and hear the tone change. So get the frets to get the tones you want to live with.

That Maple Leaf Quilt is amazing. If you're already spending $4k, what's the extra 30% bump? It has free shipping too.
Second choice would be the Red Tiger if you can find a 22 fret version.

Of course, if you had money for the quilted model but got the Red Tiger 22 and then get one of these as a 24 fret with the left over cash, that would make for some added fun.
https://reverb.com/item/12960151-prs-se-custom-24-left-handed-fire-red-burst
https://reverb.com/item/17261512-paul-reed-smith-se-custom-24-lefty-2018-tobacco-sunburst

.
 
jvin248 said:
.

Be careful choosing 22 or 24 frets ... you may be thinking "two free frets!" but there is a cost, or a benefit : 22 fret will sound like an LP, 24 fret will sound like an SG because the neck pickups are in different locations. Got a Strat around? switch between neck and middle pickup while strumming and hear the tone change. So get the frets to get the tones you want to live with.

That Maple Leaf Quilt is amazing. If you're already spending $4k, what's the extra 30% bump? It has free shipping too.
Second choice would be the Red Tiger if you can find a 22 fret version.

Of course, if you had money for the quilted model but got the Red Tiger 22 and then get one of these as a 24 fret with the left over cash, that would make for some added fun.
https://reverb.com/item/12960151-prs-se-custom-24-left-handed-fire-red-burst
https://reverb.com/item/17261512-paul-reed-smith-se-custom-24-lefty-2018-tobacco-sunburst

.
Click to expand...
I did originally have my heart set on the quilt. But zoom in on the quilt. There are all these thin white squiggly lines everywhere. Is this normal? I looked at a bunch of other PRS quilts and none of them seem to have this. Thanks.
 
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