1993 PRS custom 24 in vintage yellow. Trem, Wide Thin, £1350

Siejen

My PRS Custom 24 is up for sale. I'd fancied one of these for years, so bought one last summer. This is exactly what I was after. Built in the old Virginia Road factory, Phase 1 tuners, wide thin neck profile and gorgeous amber top. It also has the small neck heel and one piece trem. Immediately after buying (at Express Music in Coventry) it I had it setup at Richards Guitars in Stratford with 10s. 

I'll spare the gush, but the normal PRS trick of being very easy to play is assured, as well as the range of sounds from the rotary 5way. This has not been modified as far as I know. All the exterior bits are correct, but I've not checked the pickup cavities. They should be HFS / Vintage Bass. I can't understand why people don't get on with the pickups. They sound fabulous.
The hard case is present and correct, as is the original USA sales docket, truss key but not the factory hang tag. There are a couple of dinks, most notably on the headstock and one by the binding on the upper body and on the face of the upper horn. Almost no buckle rash on the back, and fret wear is minimal, although it had some dressing when it got setup. The previous owner clearly looked after this one well! Please see photos:

As I said, I bought this last summer for £1500, but I wanted to buy it from a shop so I could play it. Open to offers of £1350 as it's a personal sale. Will post at your expense, but would really prefer to meet up. I'm in Coventry, so fairly central.

I'm not really looking for trades. I've got another guitar that I just play a load more. Which is odd, as by any measure the PRS is a way better guitar.  

Siejen

Obligatory case / candy photo. Would have been in the garden, but it's been raining
https://imgur.com/VbgMwyW

Siejen

Guitar in the Garden bump

Siejen

Just changed strings and took the liberty of popping the pickups out. 
It's a 10top in vintage yellow!!

SimpleSimon

Thats lovely indeed and priced pretty fairly!

Siejen

Thanks Simon, hope so!

Voxman

Siejen said:

Just changed strings and took the liberty of popping the pickups out. 
It's a 10top in vintage yellow!!

I have the identical guitar (2002) (non 10-top) but with zebra p/ups, so I know how good these are. But I'm just querying whether it's a 10-top not only because of the grain, but because 10-tops have '10-top' written on the headstock, by the serial number, which yours doesn't seem to have?  

SimpleSimon

Voxman said:

Siejen said:

Just changed strings and took the liberty of popping the pickups out. 
It's a 10top in vintage yellow!!

I have the identical guitar (2002) (non 10-top) but with zebra p/ups, so I know how good these are. But I'm just querying whether it's a 10-top not only because of the grain, but because 10-tops have '10-top' written on the headstock, by the serial number, which yours doesn't seem to have?  

Presumably its hand written in the pickup cavity and was noticed when popping the pups, I'm pretty sure they did that prior to writing on the 10 top on the headstock rear.

Voxman

SimpleSimon said:

Voxman said:

Siejen said:

Just changed strings and took the liberty of popping the pickups out. 
It's a 10top in vintage yellow!!

I have the identical guitar (2002) (non 10-top) but with zebra p/ups, so I know how good these are. But I'm just querying whether it's a 10-top not only because of the grain, but because 10-tops have '10-top' written on the headstock, by the serial number, which yours doesn't seem to have?  

Presumably its hand written in the pickup cavity and was noticed when popping the pups, I'm pretty sure they did that prior to writing on the 10 top on the headstock rear.

I knew that earlier PRS' had the '10' stamped rather than painted, but the position was the same i.e. on the headstock.  However, I wasn't aware that PRS ever stamped '10' in the p/up cavity where it can't be seen?   Siejen, does it show the '10' in the p/up cavity on your Cu24?

Voxman

OK, I may have an answer here from the PRS forum.  It seems that potential 10 tops had an initial stamp in the p/up cavity but after the final carve, got their rating reduced.  My best understanding is therefore that unless there is a '10' painted or (earlier PRS) stamped into the headstock, it is not an official 10-top.  Still a lovely guitar of course!

Update: Bjorn is one of the PRS guru's and board moderators.  He's actually come across this himself and checked directly with PRS:  

"I had my paws on once that had the 10 in the cavity (the seller had not checked) but not on the headstock. I was in contact with PRS, and they informed me that a 10 in the cavity but not on the headstock signfies that it has been "degraded" during production - it happens that a piece of maple look great raw, but carving and finishing it revealed it to not be a '10' (or Artist Grade) - On rare occasions you will also find guitars that go from non-10 to 10."

SimpleSimon

Its a belter either way....

Siejen

Hi, Thanks all for the research,  really interesting! It has the serial, colour (vintage yellow) and '10' in the bridge pickup cavity, and something not quite a modcat in the neck. I'll post pics when I get to the pc, because they're interesting. 
I was curious because it didn't have 10 on the headstock,  hence not mentioning it in original post. 
So, non 10top now fs!

Siejen

Pickup cavity photos as discussed. 10 pencilled, not stamped? Code doesn't fall easily to a modcat.




Any more of interest, let me know!
Iain

Voxman

Great pic, yeah, that's what they did apparently - pencil a '10' as a preliminary grade pre-final cut.  

Siejen

Clocks changing, nights drawing in, Guitar by the fireplace bump.   
@Strat54,  vintage yellow 7lb Virginia Road PRS? 

Strat54

Lovely but I never get on with the wide thin necks.....if only it had been a regular.

Siejen

@strat54, thinking that way myself :-/ 

SimpleSimon

Siejen said:

@strat54, thinking that way myself :-/ 

Me too.

Siejen

Ah well, no harm in keeping it for a bit. Virginia Rd factory Guitars aren't getting more common

Voxman

For what its worth a nice 2001 cu24 in vintage amber has just gone on ebay for £1,150.  See: 112168434502

It had phase 2 tuners and pup covers, pushpull and toggle switch. 

Siejen

Hmm, thanks (I think). More justification to keep it for more than a year. Had my Lp 22years, so maybe not given this one a fair shake!