PRS Custom 24: The Modern Guitar That Found the Sweet Spot Between Gibson and Fender

For decades, the electric guitar world was a two-party system. You played a Gibson or you played a Fender — warm and thick, or bright and snappy; short scale or long; mahogany or alder. Then in 1985, a young luthier from Maryland named Paul Reed Smith released a guitar that refused to pick a side. The PRS Custom 24 took the best of both worlds and built something new: a guitar that splits the difference between a Les Paul and a Stratocaster, and in doing so created a third standard entirely.

Forty years later, the Custom 24 is PRS’s original and still best-selling model — the guitar that put the brand on the map and helped make PRS the third best-selling guitar maker in the world, behind only Fender and Gibson. It’s the choice of players as diverse as Carlos Santana, Mark Tremonti, John Mayer, Orianthi, and Al Di Meola — a testament to just how versatile this instrument really is.

This guide covers the full story: the founding of PRS, the Custom 24’s design philosophy, the full specs, that famous in-between voice, the players, tone recipes, the Core-versus-SE question, and whether the Custom 24 is the right modern guitar for you.

The Origins: How Paul Reed Smith Built a Better Guitar

The PRS story begins with a college dropout building guitars by hand. Paul Reed Smith built his first instrument — an electric bass — in 1972 as a high school student, and later, while at Bowie State, built a guitar so well-made the college awarded him four credits and deemed it “of professional quality.” Smith dropped out, opened a repair and luthier shop in Annapolis, Maryland, and began building roughly one guitar a month.

Earning Credibility the Hard Way

Smith built his reputation by literally knocking on backstage doors. In 1976 he built a custom guitar for Peter Frampton and brought it to concerts to show it off. Ted Nugent bought an early example. Al Di Meola ordered a 12-string. And crucially, Carlos Santana — after seeing a maple-topped guitar Smith built called the “Golden Eagle” (which went to Heart’s Howard Leese) — requested one of his own, delivered in 1980. The relationship between Santana and Smith gave the fledgling brand enormous credibility and became the template for PRS’s future signature models.

The Custom 24 Arrives

By the end of 1984, Smith had refined his designs and crystallized the elements that would define the brand. In 1985, PRS Guitars officially launched, and the 24-fret Custom — the Custom 24 — was the company’s first production model. It introduced nearly every signature PRS design element at once: the distinctive body shape merging Stratocaster and Les Paul, the elegant headstock, the famous “birds-in-flight” fretboard inlays, dual humbuckers with rotary five-way switching, and a 25-inch scale length that deliberately sits between Fender’s 25.5 inches and Gibson’s 24.75 inches.

That in-between philosophy is the entire point of the Custom 24, and it’s expressed in every dimension of the guitar.

PRS Custom 24: Full Specifications

Body and Tonewoods

The Custom 24 is built around a mahogany back with a carved figured maple top — the same fundamental tonewood recipe as a Les Paul, with mahogany providing warmth and sustain and the maple top adding brightness, clarity, and attack. But where a Les Paul is heavy and slab-like, the Custom 24’s body is carved into an extremely ergonomic, lightweight, and resonant shape. Many describe the body as a mix of a Les Paul and a Stratocaster, and you can see exactly how Paul Reed Smith borrowed advantages from both: the tonewood and carved top of the Gibson, the contoured comfort and double-cutaway access of the Fender.

PRS’s figured maple tops are legendary — the “10-Top” designation marks the most visually stunning flame and quilt patterns, and the brand’s finishes and color options are among the most beautiful in the industry. This visual artistry, along with the maple/birds aesthetic, is a core part of the PRS identity (though it admittedly isn’t to everyone’s taste).

Neck and Fretboard

The Custom 24 uses a mahogany neck with a 25-inch scale length — the defining “in-between” measurement — and a rosewood fretboard with 24 frets and the iconic abalone bird inlays. The 24-fret neck gives players a full two octaves on every string, a genuine advantage for lead players. The fretboard radius is typically 10 inches, flatter than a vintage Fender for easier soloing but not as flat as a shred guitar.

Neck carves vary; the Pattern Thin and Pattern (regular) carves are common, offering comfortable, fast-playing profiles. PRS necks are renowned for their consistency and playability — the company’s precision manufacturing means every Custom 24 plays beautifully out of the box.

Pickups and Electronics

The modern Custom 24 ships with PRS’s 85/15 humbuckers (named for designer Paul Reed Smith’s 85 and 15 pickup designs), which deliver a clear, musical, versatile voice. The electronics are a key part of the Custom 24’s flexibility: a volume control, a tone control, and a five-way blade or rotary selector that includes coil-split positions, giving the guitar access to both full humbucking tones and convincing single-coil-style sounds. This switching versatility is central to the Custom 24’s “do-everything” reputation — it’s one of the most versatile two-humbucker guitars on the planet.

The PRS Tremolo and Tuners

A signature feature is the PRS Gen III tremolo — a vibrato system widely regarded as one of the best non-locking trems ever made, offering excellent tuning stability and expressive, smooth vibrato. Combined with PRS’s Phase III locking tuners, the Custom 24 stays in tune remarkably well even with vigorous trem use. (A stoptail, non-trem version is also available for players who prefer a fixed bridge.)

The Sound: Finding the Space Between Gibson and Fender

The Custom 24’s defining sonic quality is exactly what its design promises: a voice that lives in the space between a Les Paul and a Stratocaster. It has more clarity, snap, and articulation than a typical Gibson humbucker guitar, but more warmth, body, and sustain than a typical Fender single-coil guitar. The 25-inch scale contributes a string tension and tonal character that’s neither slinky-warm nor tight-bright, but balanced in between.

In full humbucking mode, the Custom 24 delivers thick, sustaining rock and lead tones with excellent note definition. Engage the coil-splits, and it produces convincing chimey, glassy, single-coil-style sounds ideal for funk, clean arpeggios, and country-tinged playing. This range is the Custom 24’s superpower — it genuinely covers rock, blues, pop, jazz, funk, and metal in a single instrument, which is why it appears in the hands of such stylistically diverse players.

The trade-off some traditionalists cite is that by sitting between Gibson and Fender, the Custom 24 isn’t quite as “vintage-authentic” as either — it doesn’t sound exactly like a ’59 Les Paul or a ’62 Strat. But that’s the point. The Custom 24 isn’t trying to be either; it’s its own thing, a modern voice with its own clarity, balance, and versatility.

Famous Players: The Custom 24’s Diverse Roster

Carlos Santana — The Player Who Built the Brand

Carlos Santana is foundational to the entire PRS story. His early relationship with Paul Reed Smith gave the brand credibility before it even had a factory, and his singing, endlessly sustaining lead tone became inseparable from the PRS sound. While Santana has his own signature models (with a shorter 24.5-inch scale), his influence on PRS’s identity — that warm, vocal, sustaining “master of eternal sustain” voice — runs through the whole line, including the Custom 24.

Mark Tremonti — The Rock Architect

Mark Tremonti of Alter Bridge and Creed is one of PRS’s most important modern artists. After falling in love with a PRS McCarty on tour, Tremonti developed his own signature model — but his association cemented PRS as a serious rock and metal machine. The Custom 24’s powerful, articulate voice handles the heavy rhythm and soaring lead work that defines Tremonti’s style, and PRS even built him a signature MT amp line.

John Mayer — Before the Silver Sky

John Mayer was a prominent PRS player for years, often seen with Custom 24s and other PRS models, before his collaboration with the brand produced the wildly successful Silver Sky (a Stratocaster-inspired model). His association underscored the Custom 24’s versatility across blues, pop, and rock.

Orianthi, Al Di Meola, and the Wider Roster

Orianthi — Michael Jackson’s guitarist and a formidable soloist — is a longtime PRS player who showcases the Custom 24’s lead capabilities. Al Di Meola, the fusion maestro, was an early PRS customer dating back to Smith’s hand-building days. David Grissom developed a signature model. From rock to fusion to pop, the Custom 24’s roster reflects its genuine all-genre versatility.

Tone Recipes: Dialing In Classic PRS Custom 24 Sounds

Custom 24 vs. the Competition

Custom 24 vs. Gibson Les Paul

The Les Paul shares the mahogany/maple recipe but is heavier, darker, warmer, and more vintage-voiced, with a 24.75-inch scale and a single-cutaway body that limits upper-fret access. The Custom 24 is lighter, more ergonomic, more versatile (thanks to coil-splitting and 24 frets), and brighter and more articulate. Choose the Les Paul for classic Gibson warmth and tradition; choose the Custom 24 for modern versatility, comfort, and clarity.

Custom 24 vs. Fender Stratocaster

The Stratocaster is brighter, snappier, and lighter with three single-coils and a 25.5-inch scale, but lacks the Custom 24’s humbucking power and sustain. The Custom 24 offers Strat-like comfort and some single-coil-style sounds via coil-splitting, plus full humbucker tones the Strat can’t produce. Choose the Strat for classic single-coil sparkle; choose the Custom 24 for a broader tonal range in one guitar.

Custom 24 vs. PRS Santana

Within the PRS line, the Santana models use a shorter 24.5-inch scale, a fatter neck carve, and a thicker body, giving them a warmer, more compact, almost Les Paul-like “grunt.” The Custom 24, with its 25-inch scale and lighter body, feels more stretched-out and balanced, and is generally the more versatile of the two. Both are benchmark PRS guitars; the Santana leans warmer and the Custom 24 leans more balanced and flexible.

Custom 24 vs. Custom 22

PRS also offers the Custom 22, which trades two frets for a slightly different neck-pickup placement and a marginally warmer, more “vintage” voice that some players prefer. The Custom 24 has more upper-fret access and a slightly brighter character. The choice comes down to whether you want maximum range (24) or a touch more warmth (22).

Core vs. SE vs. S2: Understanding the PRS Lineup

One of the most important things to understand when buying a Custom 24 is which tier you’re looking at, as the name appears across PRS’s price ranges.

Core (USA-Made)

The Core Custom 24 is the flagship — the “real” PRS, made in the Maryland factory with premium tonewoods, the finest figured maple tops, USA-made pickups and hardware, and the highest level of fit and finish. This is the guitar that defines the brand, typically priced in the premium range alongside USA Gibsons and Fenders.

S2 (USA-Made, Streamlined)

The S2 range, introduced in 2014, offers more affordable USA-made PRS guitars built in the same Maryland factory. The S2 Custom 24 uses streamlined construction, less figured tops, and a mix of US-designed/overseas-made hardware, prioritizing the fundamentals of build, feel, and playability over luxury and decoration. It’s a genuine USA PRS at a mid-tier price.

SE (Imported, Affordable)

The SE Custom 24, made overseas (Indonesia/South Korea), brings the PRS experience to a budget price point. SE models look strikingly similar to their Core siblings and play and sound very good, using less costly materials and quicker assembly. The modern SE Custom 24 — with its 85/15 “S” pickups, 25-inch scale, bird inlays, and Wide Thin neck — is one of the best value electric guitars available, delivering a huge slice of the PRS experience for a fraction of the Core price.

For players on a budget, the SE is a legitimate, high-quality choice; for those who want the ultimate version, the Core earns its premium with superior materials, pickups, and craftsmanship.

Living With a Custom 24: Practical Considerations

Playability and Setup

One of the Custom 24’s greatest strengths is its out-of-the-box playability. PRS’s precision manufacturing means the guitars arrive exceptionally well set up, with low action, accurate intonation, and consistent fretwork. A professional setup can fine-tune it to your preference, but most players find the factory setup excellent.

The Tremolo

The PRS Gen III tremolo is stable and expressive, but like any floating trem, it benefits from proper setup. Once dialed in, it holds tune remarkably well thanks to the locking tuners and quality nut. Players who never use a trem can opt for the stoptail version for even simpler maintenance.

Weight and Comfort

Custom 24s are generally lightweight and comfortable — a major selling point versus the heavier Les Paul. The carved, contoured body sits well seated or standing, making it an excellent choice for long gigs and players who find heavier guitars uncomfortable.

The Aesthetic

The maple top, bird inlays, and PRS finishes are divisive — many players love the elegant, almost ornate look, while some prefer the more understated aesthetics of a Fender or Gibson. This is purely personal taste, but worth knowing the PRS “look” is a strong visual identity.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Verdict: Should You Buy a PRS Custom 24?

The PRS Custom 24 is the guitar that proved there was room for a third standard between Gibson and Fender — and it did so convincingly enough to make PRS the world’s third-biggest guitar brand. It offers a uniquely balanced voice, exceptional versatility, world-class build quality and playability, one of the finest tremolo systems ever made, and a visual elegance that’s unmistakably its own.

If you want a single guitar that can credibly cover rock, blues, funk, jazz, pop, and metal — that plays beautifully out of the box, stays in tune, feels comfortable for hours, and sits in that sweet spot between Gibson warmth and Fender clarity — the Custom 24 is one of the best choices on the market. It’s the guitar for players who value versatility, modern refinement, and consistency over vintage authenticity.

If your heart belongs to the specific vintage character of a Les Paul or Stratocaster, those remain irreplaceable. But if you want a modern instrument that takes the best of both and adds its own identity, the PRS Custom 24 delivers like few guitars can. Whether you choose the flagship Core or the remarkable-value SE, you’re getting one of the most complete and versatile electric guitars ever designed — a genuine modern classic.