Custom 24 vs 22 vs 408

Which should I buy

  • Custom 24

    Votes: 24 37.5%
  • Custom 22

    Votes: 13 20.3%
  • 408

    Votes: 22 34.4%
  • just get the 22 with the 57/08s

    Votes: 5 7.8%

  • Total voters
    64

Black Sun

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Joined
Apr 8, 2014
Messages
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Location
Minneapolis, mn
I'm planning on entering the world of PRS owners and am debating on what should be my first. I'm really debating between the 24 or the 408. The downfall of the 408 is in the future, in the crazy chance that I would actually want to swap out the pickups, I'm almost out of luck because of the weird hole size. I love the 24's but they don't seem to come with the 57/08's which I would prefer (please correct me on this if I am wrong). The 22's do come with them but I like the feel of the 24 more. I admittedly haven't spent much time with a 22 but I do hear that the pickup placement makes them just a little bit nicer (I do't know from personal experience). A coworker of mine says I should not even consider the 24 and just get the 22...I'm torn and leaning more towards the 22. Any suggestions or ideas?
 
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Order an artist Cu24. You can get the 57/08s in it that way. I have seen retail 24s with 57/08s also.
 
To me, there is a significant difference between the way a 22 fret and a 24 fret play and sound. If you really want the 57/08 sound, decide on the overall feel and acoustic sound of the 22 vs 24. Once you have that down, you can put 57/08 in either one. Be happy with the guitar first. 408 is a totally different animal and I bought mine for its great versatility. My 2 cents worth. Good luck.
 
I voted 408 just to mess with ya. ;)

Seriously, I love the 408 pickups (have one), but the 57/08s are absolutely great classic-toned humbuckers. The 408s have 22 fret necks like the CU22, so if you prefer the 24, go for the CU24.

Or, as we always say here in PRS Forum-land, "get both!"
 
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PRS are like chips you can't have just one.
If I had to pick I would start with the 408
 
My 2013 CU24 came with 57/08's in it. It didn't cost any more than a normal CU24.

If you're a guy who likes to swap pickups, don't buy the 408. On the other hand, if you like the tone of a 408 and it's versatility, go that route...A buddy of mine has a 408, and loves it. I like his tone too. On the other hand, my CU24 sounds awesome and it's more my style (obviously it has 57/08's), I'm happy with mine.

Go try them out in a store
 
NOTE:::

The CU22 has a neck heel that extends further than the CU24, making it a little odd to play near the 15th fret.

I rarely play the highest 2 frets of the CU24, but I got the CU24 because I wanted the neck heel pushed down toward the body as far as possible. Go play a CU22 and 24 back to back and you'll see what I mean. The CU24 heel starts at roughly the 17th or 19 th fret. can't remember.
 
I have played PRS guitars for 20 years...I have detected no oddities while playing near the 15th fret.

Some people don't mind it - some do. My opinion is that I'd rather not have the neck heel there. Hence why I got a CU24.

Food for thought for the OP
 
If you want new, find a leftover 2013 Custom 24. I believe the standard pickup for 2013 was the 57/08. (Mine is a 2014, but build was started in 2013, thus has the 57/08s) Also, do you want trem or stoptail? No standard stoptail in Custom 24. Custom 24 is a slick playing guitar, though. I've locked down my trem, and feel like I'm playing the ultimate guitar now!
 
If you want new, find a leftover 2013 Custom 24. I believe the standard pickup for 2013 was the 57/08. (Mine is a 2014, but build was started in 2013, thus has the 57/08s) Also, do you want trem or stoptail? No standard stoptail in Custom 24. Custom 24 is a slick playing guitar, though. I've locked down my trem, and feel like I'm playing the ultimate guitar now!

What did you use to lock the trem down?
 
The CU24 is a great gtr and my number one. You will get a million opinions here. If you never play in high G or above go 22 frets. I like the ability to access high G and A with ease.

The 408 is great but you need to be 100% with it - it's too "locked in" for me.
 
So you just pulled the bridge back against the body, via the springs?

I was very disappointed with lack of any appreciable sustain with this guitar. I love the feel, though. I went overboard to get the exact sound I wanted. I screwed in trem claw until bridge against body. I added tremol-no and locked, using blue threadlock on screws. I also wrapped electric tape around the ends of each spring. (Then re-did entire setup for relief, action, intonation)

Sounds like I have a slightly brighter Les Paul in a PRS Custom 24 body. I couldn't be happier!

Kevin
 
I was very disappointed with lack of any appreciable sustain with this guitar. I love the feel, though. I went overboard to get the exact sound I wanted. I screwed in trem claw until bridge against body. I added tremol-no and locked, using blue threadlock on screws. I also wrapped electric tape around the ends of each spring. (Then re-did entire setup for relief, action, intonation)

Sounds like I have a slightly brighter Les Paul in a PRS Custom 24 body. I couldn't be happier!

Kevin

Gotcha - I had a tremolno on my CE24 that I sold. It was awesome for what it was designed for, but I didn't notice any sustain difference - though I didnt have the bridge bottomed out like you did.

sorry to threadjack! Back to your regularly scheduled 'what guitar should I buy' thread :)
 
Why can't I vote for more than one??? :)

I dove into the PRS world last year with an Artist Package 408, and I'm absolutely in love. I'm already planning out my next guitar (Artist Package Cu22 or 24 with a trem and the \m/ pickups). I love my 408 because of the versatility. I know plenty of people who talk smack about the 408 ("if it does a bunch of things decently well, it can't do anything truly great"). But you know what? With the flick of a switch or two, I can go from Strat to Tele to straight up Megadeth. All with the stock pickups. Let's see your Les Paul or Fender do that!

I say this openly acknowledging "to each, his/her own". As a performing musician (I don't record, we just play covers in bars), I can't rave enough about having that kind of sonic flexibility at my fingertips. That said, I admit that my 408 does a lot of things really, really well. But it ain't a pure "metal" guitar, and it's not a pure "Strat" guitar...it covers the sounds I need on stage, and it does it damn well. I'd be perfectly happy never playing another guitar, but I ordered the stop tail. Can't play "Kickstart My Heart" with a stop tail, now can I? :)

Now that I'm done rambling, I'll say this - everyone's got an opinion. When I was asking similar questions, getting frustrated with delays in my build, etc....the folks on this forum by and large had the same message for me, and I'll pass that to you. They told me time and again, "Hang in there...go with your gut, and go with what speaks to you. You'll bond with this guitar, and it'll be special to you. The only thing that matters is that you're happy with it."

Seriously, the people on this forum are good people...and they know their stuff. I know I'm not alone here, but I can't rave enough about the Artist Package program. It allows you to pick the guitar model you want, and make a few customizations to it to make it your own...without going full-scale Private Stock. So as Sloan said, if you went the AP route you could order a 22 or 24 with the pickups you want, and make a few other changes as well.
 
JRod, not sure which part had the most effect. I made all changes at once! It is an obvious, and NOT subtle increase in sustain. Now that I think about it, I also lowered the action from where it was set up, and maybe that contributed??
 
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