I'm not a big fan of the Custom 24 08

[Revelation]

When I tried out the Custom 24 08 and compared it to the Studio and Mcarty 594, I found in comparison, it lacked bottom and top end. I took the PRS Sonzera 20-watt amp and reduced mids and increased the bass and treble on the clean channel and things got a little better. However, it was not to my satisfaction. The Custom 24 purchased by a friend also found the mid-range to produce a honky sound and he ended up installing Slash pickups in it and liked it much better.

The Studio front pickup offered fuller sound and a wonderful top end. The McCarty 594 has a warmer tone and also sounds great, but these narrow field pickups are just wonderful. In addition, when you put the selector in the 4th or 2nd position with the back pickup in single coil mode, it provides a very nice quack like sound. In comparison, the Custom 24 08 Core in single coil mode had a much thinner sound that I did not care for. I know it all comes down to personal preference, but I am not a fan of the Custom 24 08. These tests were done mostly with the clean channel as I wanted to really hear the pickups and what they were doing.

How do fans of the Custom 24 08 adjust amp settings or what style of music do you like to use this guitar with. I am more of a blues/rock and jazz player like Larry Carlton/Lee Ritenour. So perhaps in this style where we prefer character, fullness and warmth, other PRS guitars meet what we are looking for like the Studio, Silver Sky, and McCarty 594?

 

[Herr Squid]

I think you've put your finger right on the difference between the various McCarty models (of which there a lot) and the Customs. I have many McCartys and one Custom, and while the Custom has a certain something to it, I play the McCartys and variants a lot more. FWIW, I think the Studio has more McCarty DNA than Custom DNA. And the Silver Sky is a whole other animal altogether.

 

[Bowtiefanatc]

Less mass, smaller pickups. Yup, less low end.

 

[László]

I dunno why, but I get a lot of low end out of my CU24 30th PS, and plenty of top end sparkle.

It’s a fairly heavy example, so maybe that’s one reason why, at least for the bottom end.

 

[Rider1260]

Try playing with the pickup height , the Narrow 408 pickups are supposed to cut thru the a mix Paul talked about needing something different for his band years ago that became the Pauls guitar.
408 pickups in general have a very flat EQ curve where as most pickups have a fatter bottom and brighter highs
the record really well and sound killer when playing with tracks or jamming

 

[BrianC]

I have 4 CU24s - no lack of getting the tone I want but certainly not a jazz guitar per se.

 

[Glide-bpm]

When I tried out the Custom 24 08 and compared it to the Studio and Mcarty 594, I found in comparison, it lacked bottom and top end. I took the PRS Sonzera 20-watt amp and reduced mids and increased the bass and treble on the clean channel and things got a little better. However, it was not to my satisfaction. The Custom 24 purchased by a friend also found the mid-range to produce a honky sound and he ended up installing Slash pickups in it and liked it much better.

The Studio front pickup offered fuller sound and a wonderful top end. The McCarty 594 has a warmer tone and also sounds great, but these narrow field pickups are just wonderful. In addition, when you put the selector in the 4th or 2nd position with the back pickup in single coil mode, it provides a very nice quack like sound. In comparison, the Custom 24 08 Core in single coil mode had a much thinner sound that I did not care for. I know it all comes down to personal preference, but I am not a fan of the Custom 24 08. These tests were done mostly with the clean channel as I wanted to really hear the pickups and what they were doing.

How do fans of the Custom 24 08 adjust amp settings or what style of music do you like to use this guitar with. I am more of a blues/rock and jazz player like Larry Carlton/Lee Ritenour. So perhaps in this style where we prefer character, fullness and warmth, other PRS guitars meet what we are looking for like the Studio, Silver Sky, and McCarty 594?

The first thing I do to a Custom 24 is to turn all screw pole pieces on both pickups where the circumferential outside edge of the screw heads are flush with the pickup bobbins. Them I adjust the overall height of each pickup to taste.

After that, I work on individual strings' screw pole piece heights. I have found this to be a phenomenal way to personalize your pickup tones.

On a classic fender style and other pickups with no screw pole pieces, all I have is the upper and lower pickup height screw adjustments.

It's great fun with trial and error with a humbucker guitar you love, but the pickups are pissing you off!

Screw pole pieces wield much power over the overall tone!

If this doesn't work with the CU24, then I highly recommend a Seymour Duncan "JB" or "Custom Custom" pickup in the bridge.

 

[Bogner]

Each Guitar Is Unique And No Two Are Identical. Pickup Adjustments Can Help A Great Deal But It May Just Be A Guitar Or Model Or Pickup Type You Simply Don't Get Along With. In All Truth, I Genuinely Feel You Would Need To Play Several Examples Of The Exact Same Model To Come Up With That Conclusion But It Just May Not Work For You. Because Of The Variance In Each Guitar I Always Stay Away From Non Standard Shaped Pickups Because They Eliminate The Option For A Pickup Swap As A Sonic Solution.

As Far As Amp Settings, I Simply Adjust To Taste At Volume And Let It Rip. I Have Many Various PRS Models And Have Never Had A Problem Getting What I Was looking For Out Of Them. Out Of All The Brands I Own I Would Say As A Whole They Are The Most Versatile Brand On Sonic Variance Within The Same Guitar That I Own. It Is Possible I Got Lucky And You Played A Dud. Stranger Things Have Happened.

 

[Revelation]

I think it depends on what kind of tone your looking for. It appears the Custom 24 does not meet my needs which is ok. My McCarty 594, Les Paul Custom, Silver Sky Core, Gibson 335 60's and Fender Pro Tele....one of them will meet what I need on a song.

 

[Bowtiefanatc]

I dunno why, but I get a lot of low end out of my CU24 30th PS, and plenty of top end sparkle.

It’s a fairly heavy example, so maybe that’s one reason why, at least for the bottom end.

Paul’s Guitar 408’s vs 85/15’s

 

[RobRiggs]

My 24-08 required quite a bit of pickup finessing, but it’s not lacking in bottom end, top end or mids. In fact I’m constantly amazed at how powerful the pickups are even when split. Quite a guitar if I do say so myself.

 

[László]

Paul’s Guitar 408’s vs 85/15’s

No, I had Paul’s Guitar 408s on my 20th Private Stock Anniversary guitar. It had plenty of low end, at least I thought so.

 

[Maertl513]

@Revelation, I personally would chill, if you don't bond to a CU24.
The current and former model line offers plenty of opportunities. And there is no rule, law, regime that forces that we either need to like all PRS models by design, by sound and by haptic.

[Though - my obversation - PRS implemented more models which appear to be the PRS approach with their attention and love to detail, sound, and material, their outstanding craftman-ship. Straight said, Les Pauls, Strats, and Teles in a PRS custome.
Assumed: Customers asked for that.

PRS has established their trademark double cut violin carved doublecuts (and the Santana body shape), which is taken by the company Fame as the role model and Harley Benton published guitars, too, which appears as having the designer looked out too long on guitars of PRS.

Unique models which combine the PRS double cut body shape with PRS unique features were suspended. The latest is the 509.
And it's an economic reason for a company which produces goods for sale. We do have three major national instrument dealers (one of them could be the world's largest, too). The head of the custom shop department of one of these has a statistic due to sales. 9 of 10 instrument sold in his department is a Tele, a Strat, and a LP. Ratio: 4 7enders/5 G1bsons or 5 7enders/5 G1bsons.
The one reaming is one of the bunch of other brands premium lines (IBZ, Mayonnes, Duesenberg, Relish, EBMM, ESP, Paoletti, ..., PRS). Of course there is a risk by swimming with sharks, but the reputation plus a common shape comparable to the ones of the dominant competetors may drag the pendulum to PRS.]

Different woods, different number of frets, different scales, different string gauges, different pickups and their adjustments makes prefer us a guitar more than the other at the same amp settings.
I don't change my EQ on the amp when taking an other guitar, neither I dialed in special presets for the different guitars in my collection.
I keep this static. Changing the guitar should make a difference aswell as changing the speaker cabinet (or the speaker).

Im your case Studio and 594 are 22 fretters and the CU24 is, okay, no brainer. It's obvious by design, that the CU24 sounds more midths dominated.

 

[dogrocketp]

I put 24/08 wiring in an SE Roasted maple custom 24. It does my blues and r n b thing nicely. No guitar does everything, so buy another PRS when you don’t get the sounds you want. Then you have 2 and twice as many sounds. The last time I saw Larry Carlton was last year. He was playing a Sire 335 clone. No thank you on the guitar. My S2 custom 22 semi hollow with 59/09’s gets the singing tone I want.

 

[RedGuitars]

More for the rest of us

 

[Bowtiefanatc]

No, I had Paul’s Guitar 408s on my 20th Private Stock Anniversary guitar. It had plenty of low end, at least I thought so.

I love that one. Sorry I was referring to the 30th CU24 vs (what I’m assuming the OP was referring to in the new 24-08 which is Paul’s).

I never had issues with the Paul’s pickups but I know that not everyone likes them.

 

[Broseph]

Call me crazy: but I much prefer the pickups in a Paul’s guitar vs the new 24-08. I thought the neck pickup sounded so much clearer and dynamic. I assume that’s the 22 vs 24 fret business. I’ve learned the hard way that I’m simply not a 24 fret guy. The McCarty family is where it’s at for me

 

[Bogner]

Don't Amps Have Controls For Low, Mids, Highs, Etc?

 

[László]

I want to know each of my guitars so well and the more guitars you own, and I the harder it is knowing them and what settings you need on your amps and pedals.

All of that is true, and I feel the same way.

But…

I don’t see the point of starting a thread that goes negative on a model that plenty of folks here own and like. You weren’t going to buy it regardless, if the above quote is true.

 

[László]

I might find one I just need to have. LOL

We’re all pretty much in that boat!

I don’t own a 24-08, so I have no axe to grind. I’m certainly not saying you ought to like a guitar, even if it’s a PRS.

But I think if you’re going to “review” an instrument, it’d be helpful to give it context, talk about whether you lived with it for a few days, or only spent time with it in a store, etc.

Also, you asked for feedback about how other players set up their amps. So it wasn’t clear why you posted. I thought maybe in part you were still open to it and wanted advice.