Christmas 2001. Mrs. B says, “this year, why don’t you go get that guitar you’ve been wanting?”. Precisely .004 seconds later, I was on the phone to GC on the north side of Indy setting an appointment to audition everything possible. The manager coordinated with all of the staff that owned PRSi and I had 6 different models to play! They didn’t stock but a couple but they had a couple hundred in corporate inventory to choose from once I knew what I wanted.
After all was said and done, even though I preferred the feel of the Santana, I opted for the quintessential PRS…the Custom 24…as my entry into the mad mad obsession. The color choice was so overwhelming. More than the catalog showed, so I selected sight unseen. Teal black! When it arrived, I got to open the case to inspect at the store, but my deal with Mrs. B was no playing until Xmas.
Toughest 3 weeks of my life at the time.
I was so blown away. At first it was the aesthetics. Finish and top we’re 200% better than anything else I’d ever seen. (Truth: Mrs. B set no budget. If I’d known about the Artist package, I would have that, but no one tried to up-sell me)
Then, I started playing. Never had I experienced that level of craftsmanship and attention to detail. Should have ordered the Santana immediately, but I was so smitten w/ the Cu24, it didn’t cross my mind.
Anyway enough BS, here’s how she looked, stock:
* no gravel was disturbed while taking these shots.