PRS SE Custom 24 7-String model/color differences?

[monomatic]

Hello, Im new to the forum and a new owner of a PRS SE Custom 24 7-String! I cannot express in words how much I LOVE this guitar.

I purchased my guitar in Black from GuitarCenter about 2 weeks ago, and couldn't be happier...
...except that Ive always wanted a PRS Custom 24 in Vintage Yellow, or at least Vintage Sunburst. Those just look more...PRSey to me I guess?

So I found out that I can have GC order one in the Sunburst option and noticed something else that was different. While my black model has all black pickups, the Sunburst has the 2-color back and creme pickups that look so amazing!
But this got me thinking about what other differences are there, and what are the differences in those pickups, even. Everywhere Ive looked, all I see is the description text from PRS's website that says it has SE HFS and SE Vintage Bass.

I know the color options are, at least to some degree, a result of different year models. But nothing indicates what has changed other than the colors. Perhaps other changes (non-cosmetic, even) have been made that are not advertised?
Anyone know anything about the specifics on the pickup changes in these different color options/years, or noticed any other inconsistencies in the different versions that I may have missed?
I'd like to over-think this properly before heading up to GC to return my black one and have the Vintage Sunburst ordered. ;-p (Also, my guitar was hanging in the GC showroom, surely covered in rocker cooties, and having a spankin new guitar that came from an unopened box ordered for me sounds appealing!)

Thanks folks! Glad to finally be among this club of owners!

PS. Ive never owned a guitar with a push/pull knob like this. What is the physical configuration change in each mode? Is this what Ive heard called "coil tapping"?

 

[TroyBaer]

The "zebra" and all-black pickups are identical electrically. I have a 2013 Cu24-7 in royal blue and a 2014 Cu24-7 in amethyst, and literally the only differences between them from the factory were the different finishes and all-black vs zebra pickup bobbins. They sound more or less identical (or did until I replaced the pickups in one and put it in a different tuning, anyway...).

Pulling the tone knob out splits the coils of the humbuckers, by connecting the "middle" of the pickup (the end of the screw bobbin windings and the beginning of the slug bobbin windings) to ground.

 

[jimistephen]

Just color variations. Nothing more. There have been Vintage Sunburst, Black, Amethyst and Sapphire blue and Blue, that I know of. That's the only difference so far.

 

[monomatic]

Thanks for the answers, Jim and Troy! That's what I was hoping to hear - I'll probably order the Vintage Sunburst this week, and keep playing my black one until then!

I've been wondering if its cost-effective/reasonable to find a way to order one directly from PRS or something that is in the Vintage Yellow I love so much. Im guessing they don't do single custom orders like that without it being one of the pricy, American models though. If Im wrong about that, I'd love to know where to look! =-)

 

[jimistephen]

No, you have to go through a dealer, even for the private stock stuff you have to go through a dealer. PRS is just a manufacturer/wholesaler.

 

[TroyBaer]

I've been wondering if its cost-effective/reasonable to find a way to order one directly from PRS or something that is in the Vintage Yellow I love so much. Im guessing they don't do single custom orders like that without it being one of the pricy, American models though. If Im wrong about that, I'd love to know where to look! =-)

As Jimistephen said, you pretty much have to go through a dealer. There aren't any USA 7-string production models right now, so any USA 7 is probably going to be a Private Stock order.

My understanding is that it is possible for a dealer to get SEs in custom finishes -- for instance, Thomann in Germany currently has a limited run of SE Bernie Marsdens in Vintage Yellow and Sapphire. However, it has to through a dealer and there is a minimum order quantity (at least 10 IIRC, and possibly more). So if you can convince a dealer to order a limited run and/or find several other people interested in a group buy in a particular finish, it's possible, but it's not going to be a single-guitar order.

 

[jimistephen]

If you want another SE 7 in vintage sunburst ebay/craiglist/reverb.com, which is run by the Chicago Music Exchange, would be a couple of places to look.