PRS

Strat54

octatonic said

I had an '89.
FWIW they weren't Custom 24's- they were Customs.
Custom 24 came along when the Custom 22 was released to distinguish one from the other.

Like a lot of guys I took out the sweet switch and the pickups, because they are crap- IIRC Paul admitted as much saying something like 'we sorted the problem with the pickups'.

I also had problems with the machineheads- they would slip after a few years- I had to keep swapping them out all the time.

Collectors insist on the guitars being intact, but that isn't because they are better guitars, it is just the desire for originality.

Yeah those old ones sounded terrible.....(said nobody!)

Halikus

One thing that has changed from the old 80s ones is the wood was far nicer back then.

grungebob

Id like to add, the phase 1 tuners (so pre 2002 i think) where gash, overly complicated to work and the high E constantly slipped or the low E wouldnt fit anything bigger than a 46 it seems.
I hear people say the pickups are better but to me the HFS & VB combo coupled with the Navarro wiring are perfection for me and my styles of music.

The SE's are another story though, i dont think they have got better only more expensive.
The S2 line is hit and miss but I totally love my S2 Satin standard 24, more so than my two core models ( McCarty and CU22 - both for sale shameless plug).

Strat54

Halikus said:

One thing that has changed from the old 80s ones is the wood was far nicer back then.

Yes, I agree....there was a period too when it seemed they would stamp '10' just for the hell of it. I had the most amazing non 10 top in 1989 that was incredible....black sunburst with a reverse 3d chevron flame when I traded it in the dealer kept it for himself and I believe still has it today!
I think the later generation PRS though have made a recovery with improved headstock veneers and prettier bird inlays. There was a period of cost cutting for sure at PRS when the crash hit several years back, they came close to going under but now it seems they are doing well and for me this is reflected in todays guitars.
I'm naturally nostalgic about the early PRS though, I was 20  when I bought my first in the late 80's and back then that was a significant purchase when everyone else was spending £400 on a guitar. However if I was new to PRS I wouldn't hesitate on buying a new model.....but prepare yourself for a whipping of one's arse when you come to sell. Losing a grand from new is not uncommon.

professorben

Had a rehearsal last night and both my '98 CE24 and 2003 CU22. 

It was interesting to note how they compared, the hotter pickups in the CE (hfs and vb) against the more vintage Dragon 2's in the CU.

I found the CU sounded 'heavier' and fatter, the CE spankier and better for drop tuning. 

so despite the pickups pushing towards one sound or the other, I think the construction has more to do with the tone. 
Unless they ( the pickups) are not all that different after all? 

guitars4you

professorben said:

Had a rehearsal last night and both my '98 CE24 and 2003 CU22. 

It was interesting to note how they compared, the hotter pickups in the CE (hfs and vb) against the more vintage Dragon 2's in the CU.

I found the CU sounded 'heavier' and fatter, the CE spankier and better for drop tuning. 

shows how similar guitars can be different

bolt-on maple neck v glue in mahogany
that neck position so different on a 22 model
alder body (i assume on the CE) v mahogany - actually your CE is probably from the mahogany period
yet both have a good place in your set-up

guitargeek62

thomasross20 said:

Can I just say, uncovered 57/08s on a Cu24 seem to produce this "magical" sound.... and I've got the 85/15s on another one which folk say are the "best yet" - but not to me. 

Fancy swapping your 85/15's for a set of 59/09's?

normula1

octatonic said:

Voxman said:

octatonic said

FWIW they weren't Custom 24's- they were Customs.
Custom 24 came along when the Custom 22 was released to distinguish one from the other.

Like a lot of guys I took out the sweet switch and the pickups, because they are crap- IIRC Paul admitted as much saying something like 'we sorted the problem with the pickups'.

I also had problems with the machineheads- they would slip after a few years- I had to keep swapping them out all the time.

Collectors insist on the guitars being intact, but that isn't because they are better guitars, it is just the desire for originality.

Interesting, I'd not heard that the pups were a problem. I was aware that the machineheads weren't as stable as modern versions though. 

Loads of guys pulled out the HFS and Vintage Bass.
I had Duncan JB and Jazz in mine for years and it was a great instrument.

Ash rewound the HFS / VBs in mine to his Forces Sweetheart spec with superb results. 

SimpleSimon

Whitecat said:

Yep, the latest are the greatest... 

^^^^Wot the man says. They are continually evolving and re-engineering models refining and fine tuning. The core 594 seems to epitomise this in the current line up.

SimpleSimon

Strat54 said:

Yeah those old ones sounded terrible.....(said nobody!)

Great find, thanks for sharing that clip. A 'young' Grissom doing his thing!

welshboyo

To be fair Grissom could play a spade and sound great - his early stuff with Joe Ely is wonderful stuff - better as a sideman IMO rather than his solo stuff

thomasross20

@hootsmon ;
Fancy my violet one? RRP was £3400 but I *might* be selling it.

Lew

The few older ones I've played stuck out as being lighter and had better looking woods than newer ones. Not to say thats a rule ofcourse. Like the old Mannmade bridges too.

SimpleSimon

its funny how even PRS are now in the realms of myth and misinformation and can be considered now vintage. I suppose the internet propogates these myths. I always laugh when hearing things like they used to use better wood in the old days (of PRS) or the guitars are better built pre factory etc etc. I guess alot of people buy guitars, amps and pedals based purely on hearsay, and internet hype, rather than what speaks to them when playing. It reminds me why i need to spend more time playing and less time on internet forums!

Lew

I've owned several PRS and played a few old ones incase that was directed my way :-) 

professorben

guitars4you said:

professorben said:

Had a rehearsal last night and both my '98 CE24 and 2003 CU22. 

It was interesting to note how they compared, the hotter pickups in the CE (hfs and vb) against the more vintage Dragon 2's in the CU.

I found the CU sounded 'heavier' and fatter, the CE spankier and better for drop tuning. 

shows how similar guitars can be different

bolt-on maple neck v glue in mahogany
that neck position so different on a 22 model
alder body (i assume on the CE) v mahogany - actually your CE is probably from the mahogany period
yet both have a good place in your set-up

Actually my CE is Alder, I've never really given much cop to tonewoods having anything but the slightest influence on overall sound, but the construction is a massive piece of the puzzle I think.