Custom 24 Question

[jlf2960]

First post on this forum. Thanks for having me. I used to own a PRS Custom 22 trem, WF neck. I'm back into looking at PRS guitars again but this time I'm focused on the Custom 24. I played one at GC and liked the feel a little better than the CU22.

If you put a CU22 and CU24 side by side, is the difference between the two that the neck pick up stays in the same place but the bridge is moved up slightly to compensate? Or is it that the bridge stays in the same place but the neck pick up is moved in slightly to compensate?

Also were there any years where you could get a production CU24 with stoptail?

 

[jlf2960]

Actually found the answer on the bridge question in this post. Thanks.

http://prsguitars.com/forum/showthread.php?1235-22-Frets-vs-24-Frets-What-are-the-advantages/page6

 

[Sage]

If you put a CU22 and CU24 side by side, is the difference between the two that the neck pick up stays in the same place but the bridge is moved up slightly to compensate? Or is it that the bridge stays in the same place but the neck pick up is moved in slightly to compensate?

It's the former, plus the fact that the two extra frets lengthens the neck. The headstock is further away from the body on the Cu24. Both guitars are the same scale length, which means that the distance from the nut to the bridge is equal on both guitars. The Custom 24 was designed first, so when the Custom 22 was introduced, the neck was shortened by two frets. In order to keep the guitar the same scale length, the bridge was moved further down the body in order to compensate. Make sense? Here's a handy GIF to illustrate:

Technically, this means that the bridge pickups are at different positions on the body, but at the same position along the string for both guitars. It also means the reverse for the neck pickup -- it's at the same position on the body, but at a different position along the string. If you had the same pickups in both guitars, you'd be more likely to notice a difference in the neck pickup, since it's picking up the string's vibration at a different point. The bridge pickups will probably sound identical.

Also were there any years where you could get a production CU24 with stoptail?

Yes, but I don't know exactly which years. My first PRS was a Custom 24 with a stoptail, made in 1999. If you like the feel of the trem version, beware that the stoptail changes the ergonomics considerably, as it elevates the strings above the body more than the trem. I sold mine and I've never looked back. These days I play a Custom 24 with a trem, and I lock it down with a Tremol-No.

 

[jlf2960]

It's the former, plus the fact that the two extra frets lengthens the neck. The headstock is further away from the body on the Cu24. Both guitars are the same scale length, which means that the distance from the nut to the bridge is equal on both guitars. The Custom 24 was designed first, so when the Custom 22 was introduced, the neck was shortened by two frets. In order to keep the guitar the same scale length, the bridge was moved further down the body in order to compensate. Make sense? Here's a handy GIF to illustrate:

Technically, this means that the bridge pickups are at different positions on the body, but at the same position along the string for both guitars. It also means the reverse for the neck pickup -- it's at the same position on the body, but at a different position along the string. If you had the same pickups in both guitars, you'd be more likely to notice a difference in the neck pickup, since it's picking up the string's vibration at a different point. The bridge pickups will probably sound identical.



Yes, but I don't know exactly which years. My first PRS was a Custom 24 with a stoptail, made in 1999. If you like the feel of the trem version, beware that the stoptail changes the ergonomics considerably, as it elevates the strings above the body more than the trem. I sold mine and I've never looked back. These days I play a Custom 24 with a trem, and I lock it down with a Tremol-No.

Thanks. This is definitely helpful.