Questions on a PRS Custom 24 35th Anniversary Acquamarine

[Alvise]

Hello everyone, I'm new to this forum
I'm about to buy a PRS Custom 24 35th Anniversary Acquamarine Pattern/Thin, though due to COVID the shop is close and they're going to ship it, therefore I cannot try and test it with my hands.

They sent me some photos of the instrument and I'd like to ask the experienced people in this forum a few questions before buying.

Question #1: is there a way to check whether a given serial number does match the expected model?

Question #2: seems like every shop only stocks the nickel hardware version, though most photos on the internet show that beautiful golden-looking hardware (named "hybrid", if I'm not wrong). Is that a different version of the guitar, perhaps even more expensive?

Thank you in advance for any information you could provide. Any further advice or comment is absolutely welcome.

 

[bodia]

#1 - No. Well, kind of. PRS serial numbers are sequential across all models. So, two guitars built on the same day will get xxxxxx1 and xxxxxx2 regardless of the model. HOWEVER, each guitar will have a Modcat. That's an alpha numeric code that you would find under the bridge pickup, and on the side of the case. You enter that code in the Modcat decoder and it will tell you the specs of the guitar. Wood Library models have a different code, and those don't work in the Modcat decoder.

Also, the serial number range would indicate the year.

#2 - Hybrid hardware is usually reserved for Wood Library runs.

 

[MarcWink]

Can't speak to the first question, but my 35th Anniversary Custom 24 Pattern Regular has hybrid hardware and is not a wood library. If I recall correctly, hybrid hardware is a typical factory option that is available in the same way as a 10 top.

 

[Palmguy]

Hello everyone, I'm new to this forum
I'm about to buy a PRS Custom 24 35th Anniversary Acquamarine Pattern/Thin, though due to COVID the shop is close and they're going to ship it, therefore I cannot try and test it with my hands.

They sent me some photos of the instrument and I'd like to ask the experienced people in this forum a few questions before buying.

Question #1: is there a way to check whether a given serial number does match the expected model?

Question #2: seems like every shop only stocks the nickel hardware version, though most photos on the internet show that beautiful golden-looking hardware (named "hybrid", if I'm not wrong). Is that a different version of the guitar, perhaps even more expensive?

Thank you in advance for any information you could provide. Any further advice or comment is absolutely welcome.

I spent a long time looking for a 35th Anniversary Custom 24....the 10 tops have gold, non-10s don't.

 

[Alvise]

I spent a long time looking for a 35th Anniversary Custom 24....the 10 tops have gold, non-10s don't.

Me too mate: I've been looking for weeks and, in the end, I gave up buying a hybrid hardware one and had to settle with a nickel one. Not that that's a bad guitar, of course it isn't, but I preferred the golden look of the hybrid hardware, though no one seems to have any available.
So basically, as far as I understand, the hybrid hardware is installed on even more expensive models, cause 10-top models are even more special than the plain 35th-anniversary line, right?

Anyway, thank you very much for your replies. In the end, I bought it: a PRS Custom 24 35th Anniversary Acquamarine, but I switched to a Pattern/Regular just because they had that available. It will be shipped next week. Can't wait to put my hands on it
By the way, this Pattern/Thin vs Pattern/Regular thing is not entirely clear to me. Read some stuff on the internet but I still haven't got it quite right, as most people claim there's barely a noticeable difference. Does anybody know what is that about?