Looking for info on Alex Lifeson’s CE-24’s

[tonyvenn01]

Hello all…

Alex Lifeson had 3 main CE-24’s…black, black cherry & whale blue

I’m fairly certain these were early CE’s, meaning they were alder back with maple top.

What I don’t know is: what pickups would have been in those models? Would they have been HFS/VB’s or the “standard” treble and bass. The “PRS Guitar Book” even lists the “vintage” treble and bass as possible p/u’s in this model.

FINALLY…is the current 85/15 a reproduction of the “standard”

Any and all help is appreciated…

Thanks,

Tony

 

[dmatthews]

I "think" the pups were HFS Treble/Vintage Bass, but I have no solid info.

 

[bodia]

I've got no info, but Shawn let me hold this one after a factory tour in 2018. It was in for some type of repair/mod. For some reason I seem to recall Shawn telling me this was the first guitar they put a piezo in.

 

[tonyvenn01]

I've got no info, but Shawn let me hold this one after a factory tour in 2018. It was in for some type of repair/mod. For some reason I seem to recall Shawn telling me this was the first guitar they put a piezo in.

 

[tonyvenn01]

Yeah!!!

That’s the Black Cherry!

He had a Ruby Red that was modded with (I think) a Roland piece. (Pics are around here and there)….

But here, you can clearly see it’s a new non-PRS trem and the addition of a mini toggle.

Also…the Black Cherry had McCarty switching. Obviously a new knob was installed….


My guess is: PRS tried to make him a signature guitar and somewhere along the line, he de$ided to go with Chibson

Ironically…this is why I’m asking….I want to do a private stock piezo using the Lifeson-era CE-24 as a starting point.

 

[bodia]

Yeah!!!

That’s the Black Cherry!

He had a Ruby Red that was modded with (I think) a Roland piece. (Pics are around here and there)….

But here, you can clearly see it’s a new non-PRS trem and the addition of a mini toggle.

Also…the Black Cherry had McCarty switching. Obviously a new knob was installed….


My guess is: PRS tried to make him a signature guitar and somewhere along the line, he de$ided to go with Chibson

Ironically…this is why I’m asking….I want to do a private stock piezo using the Lifeson-era CE-24 as a starting point.

Nice! Love that PS idea!

 

[TFC]

This question has been asked before, specifically about his black CE24. I asked his guitar tech and posted his response here:

What can you tell me about Alex Lifeson's black CE 24?

I think he might have 2 different red CE24s. The one with the piezo seems to have very little figuring on the top, while the other has more, though I suppose it could just be the light/photography:

forums.prsguitars.com

The entire thread is interesting if you are as obsessed with Alex's PRS guitars as I was.

 

[Max Headroom]

This question has been asked before, specifically about his black CE24. I asked his guitar tech and posted his response here:

What can you tell me about Alex Lifeson's black CE 24?

I think he might have 2 different red CE24s. The one with the piezo seems to have very little figuring on the top, while the other has more, though I suppose it could just be the light/photography:

forums.prsguitars.com

The entire thread is interesting if you are as obsessed with Alex's PRS guitars as I was.

Great read, thank you!

 

[Bill SAS 513]

I've got no info, but Shawn let me hold this one after a factory tour in 2018. It was in for some type of repair/mod. For some reason I seem to recall Shawn telling me this was the first guitar they put a piezo in.

LOVE THIS PICTURE!!!!

 

[Permanent Waves]

In addition to the black 1991 CE24 (SN 4186), he also had two 1990 CE24's (2396 and 1877) in Tobacco Sunburst from the Presto tour era, all of which were sold at the Julien's auction. One of them has a single coil Evans "Signature" pickup taken from the Great White guitar that had its neck broken in mid-tour. As far as I know the black and the other tobacco sunburst guitar had the original stock pickups, either Standard Bass and Treble pickups or Vintage Bass and HFS (they transitioned in 1990). For reference, I have a 1990 CE24 in the 2500 range and they were already putting in Vintage Bass/HFS at that time.

The black is alder/maple. I have my doubts about the maple tops on the Sunbursts. The auction page says the one with the 2 humbuckers is mahogany/maple, which would have been surprising since they were using alder for CE's. The one with the single coil does not specify wood construction, but it looks like all alder to my eyes. The sunbursts were custom orders with birds on the neck which was unusual for CEs at the time, so who know what wood they might have used. I could not find much info on the Red and Blue CE24's, but they would have definitely been alder/maple with Vintage Bass / HFS (assuming pickups were still stock).

https://www.julienslive.com/lot-details/index/catalog/394/lot/177464/RUSH-ALEX-LIFESON-ROLL-THE-BONES-STAGE-PLAYED-PHOTO-AND-VIDEO-MATCHED-1991-PRS-CE24-ELECTRIC-GUITAR-WITH-BOOK-AND-BLU-RAYS-WITH-

https://www.julienslive.com/lot-details/index/catalog/394/lot/177460/RUSH-ALEX-LIFESON-TIME-MACHINE-STAGE-PLAYED-PHOTO-AND-VIDEO-MATCHED-1990-PRS-CE24-ELECTRIC-GUITAR-WITH-BLU-RAY-WITH-NFT?uact=5&aid=394&lid=177464&current_page=0

https://www.julienslive.com/lot-details/index/catalog/394/lot/177459/RUSH-ALEX-LIFESON-419-STAGE-PLAYED-PHOTO-AND-VIDEO-MATCHED-1990-PRS-CE24-ELECTRIC-GUITAR-WITH-BOOK-WITH-NFT?uact=2&aid=394&lid=177464&current_page=9

 

[Alnus Rubra]

I've got no info, but Shawn let me hold this one after a factory tour in 2018. It was in for some type of repair/mod. For some reason I seem to recall Shawn telling me this was the first guitar they put a piezo in.

Such a handsome lad

 

[Alnus Rubra]

Oh I meant the eagle, sorry!

 

[SinSir]

I've got no info, but Shawn let me hold this one after a factory tour in 2018. It was in for some type of repair/mod. For some reason I seem to recall Shawn telling me this was the first guitar they put a piezo in.

Checkout the bridge

 

[bodia]

Checkout the bridge

Yep, definitely not PRS. Shawn told me what it was, but I can’t remember what he said.