Why is the Custom 24 so popular compared to the 22?

[Fluffalo03]

Hey sorry for this question but this is something that always confused me.

Most PRS Guitars have a vintage vibe with great modern features like nice locking tuners, a Tremolo that works better than probably anything produced from Fender and maple that Gibson would only use on special Custom Shop Guitars but having 24 Frets on vintage inspired Guitar is just too much for me. I think that a low Output Humbucker in the Neck Position sounds best on a 22 Fret Guitar for getting that nice singing tones most people want in the neck position.

Also I think that the pickups on a Custom 24 look really cramped together because of the 25 inch scale length that is shorter than most 24 fretted Guitars.

Then there are the Single Coil sounds that also many people buy a PRS for. I have never seen a Strat with 24 frets with singlecoils because you need the distance between the pickups to get the typical differences between the bright bridge Pickups and the nice sounding neck Pickup. So why do many people think that you could get Strat tones out of a 24 fret guitar?

Please don’t get me wrong I think that the Custom 24 is a awesome Guitar but I just sometimes get salty that no Guitar Shop in my region has any Custom 22 in stock not even the SE 22 that’s all

 

[Screamingdaisy]

I bought my PRS because it sounds like a PRS, not because it’s trying to sound like a Gibson or a Fender.

Some people hate how muddy a Les Paul neck pickup sounds and prefer the Custom 24 neck pickup sound because it’s clearer.

The Strat thing is middle/neck or middle/bridge. The Custom 24 probably gets closer to that sound because it’s pickups are closer together.

 

[Great Gazoo]

The owl, of course.

 

[marooned]

The owl, of course.

What happens to the owls that are unused on the 22 fretters? Is there a sanctuary for unwanted owls somewhere?.......slight Doink kicking in, had a long shift and hitting the drams

 

[Great Gazoo]

What happens to the owls that are unused on the 22 fretters? Is there a sanctuary for unwanted owls somewhere?.......slight Doink kicking in, had a long shift and hitting the drams

I dunno, but if PRS wants to make me a custom 408 with all owls on the frets (maybe a mated pair on 12th), I'd take it off their hands.

 

[Black Plaid]

When you are spending this much money on a guitar, you want to get all the value you can out of it! that's TWO EXTRA NOTES!

That said, I do slightly prefer the look of the 22, but that's purely aesthetic.

 

[elvis]

I don't know if the 24 sells more than the 22.

I used to be a hardcore 24-fret guy, now I'm more 22.

 

[Mozzi]

The Custom 24 is more its own beast. Its not trying to be a strat and not trying to be a Les Paul. The Custom 22 is closer to the LP - especially the fixed bridge but the Custom 24 is the 'original' PRS, the guitar that is most 'PRS' in tones. The Custom 22 didn't arrive on the scene until the 90's (91 or 92). I think the 24 is popular because its the most 'PRS' guitar in the range but I still see a LOT of love for the Cu22. The 24 though is available in SE, S2, CE and Core and whilst there are 22fret models in all the ranges too - not all are Custom/Standard 22 - the 22 fret Silver Sky is the only current bolt on model. Overall, there are a LOT more 22 fret models with only the 'Custom/Standard 24' (excluding any signature models) with 24 frets.

With sales spread out over 594, McCarty, Hollowbody, 509, Paul's as well as Silver Sky, DGT, Tremonti etc the Custom 22 has a lot of competition from other PRS models, let alone all the LP guitars (not just from Gibson), may have something to do with it. I don't have the sales figures myself to know if the 24 fret sells more but its not the 'only' 22 fret model PRS make where as the 24 fret guitars, whilst available in every price range, is really the only 24 ret non-signature guitar so it may seem more popular than the equivalent in a 22 fret.

 

[Rider1260]

I only have one 24 fret guitar.
3- CU22s of various types and the other 22 fret guitars like the Vela, DGT, SCT , 513 , Silver Sky , DC3
This is to try and balance the Universe of Sergio and Santanas and Brian with CU24s

 

[jvin248]

.

I think it's most often the 'value proposition' of getting two extra frets for free! that causes most buyers to choose 24 over the 22, why not get two octaves for shredding! However, it seems most don't realize that the pickups move when you add the extra frets and that the tone will change from an LP 22 fret to an SG 24 fret set of tones. Easy idea of what pushing the neck pickup (and the middle switch position) does to the tone is similar to switching a Strat from neck to middle pickup.

I'm not sure why PRS does not make notes of the trade off. Some players definitely want more of an SG tone than LP but if you don't know what is happening you might be disappointed, if you know what the real trade off is you may make a different choice.Especially when considering how nuanced choices people make about fretboard wood, nut swapping, saddle swapping, and what not to chase a particular tone -- the pickup placement is very important.

.

 

[shimmilou]

Why is the Custom 24 so popular compared to the 22?

...Please don’t get me wrong I think that the Custom 24 is a awesome Guitar but I just sometimes get salty that no Guitar Shop in my region has any Custom 22 in stock not even the SE 22 that’s all

This kind of indicates the opposite, the 22 are more popular and they are flying off the shelves so fast that they can’t keep them in stock, while the 24 are left behind.

 

[BMiller]

I think that it comes down to the signature PRS tone and feel of the CU24 with a wide thin neck. That and the fact that during the 90's, PRS and Mesa Boogie became a standard in certain styles of music.

Myself, I have three 24s and three 22s. I use them for different tones and feel. I don't care about the extra two frets as I don't work up there. But the difference in tones and feel is noticeable.

 

[Black Plaid]

All of my 22s have a much larger heel than the 24s, seems like it would be opposite as the 24 pushes the neck out further from the body.

 

[shimmilou]

If I understand it correctly, the neck on the 24 extends further into the body, maintaining the same scale length as the 22. This is why the neck pup has to be moved toward the bridge, to clear the extended neck.

 

[Black Plaid]

If I understand it correctly, the neck on the 24 extends further into the body, maintaining the same scale length as the 22. This is why the neck pup has to be moved toward the bridge, to clear the extended neck.

This doesn't appear to be the case, the neck joins the body at the 22nd fret on the 24 and at the 20.5 fret on the 22.

The bridge has been moved toward the neck on the 24s to accommodate. The Low E breakpoint is at 7.25" from the back of the guitar on the 24 and 6.5" on the 22 fret.

 

[shimmilou]

Hmmm, that would indicate that the neck on the 24 is both extended into, and out of the body. The 22 is 1.5 frets into the body, while the 24 is 2 frets into the body.

Are the frets spaced differently between the two necks?

 

[Black Plaid]

Hmmm, that would indicate that the neck on the 24 is both extended into, and out of the body. The 22 is 1.5 frets into the body, while the 24 is 2 frets into the body.

Those frets are closer together on the 24, remember. The end of the neck is exactly 1" from the edge of the body on both.

 

[shimmilou]

OK, that makes sense. You are talking about the last two frets on the 24 being closer together than last two frets on the 22, right? Which would mean that the 1.5 frets on the 22 are the same length as the 2 frets on the 24. Got it.

A neat animation in this thread showing the overview of changing from 22 to 24 frets.

https://forums.prsguitars.com/threads/22-vs-24-fret.24624/

 

[Black Plaid]

OK, that makes sense. You are talking about the last two frets on the 24 being closer together than last two frets on the 22, right? Which would mean that the 1.5 frets on the 22 are the same length as the 2 frets on the 24. Got it.

Yeah, exactly.

A neat animation in this thread showing the overview of changing from 22 to 24 frets.

https://forums.prsguitars.com/threads/22-vs-24-fret.24624/

Nice! But I feel like this would have been better if they hadn't moved the neck pickup in the animation, as it ends up where it started.

 

[László]

Does it really matter what other people buy, anyway? Stores with good PRS stock have 22s and 24s, and stores where you can’t find more than the occasional CU24 aren’t worth shopping in.

PS, it’s great to own both.