| 1995 Paul Reed Smith Custom 22
1995 Paul Reed Smith Custom 22, carved maple top, grey black finish, mahogany back, no pickguard, rosewood fretboard with abalone bird inlay, 22 fret, "wide-fat" mahogany neck, Dragon pickups w/out covers, 5-way rotary pickup selector, PRS stoptail tailpiece, 14:1 low-mass locking tuners and chrome hardware. Though not top-of-the-line, this beaut of an axe does its namesake plenty of justice. If one can whip out that kind of chunk of change, this one's a must have as it's signature sound and design puts it into the highest echelon. Top notch craftsmanship prevails with subtle touches to wet the appetite of any players and/or collectors palette. Balance, feel, sustain, tonal variety, rich full bell-like note quality akin to other humbucker-laden solid-bodied competitors, only this one wins out with its own distinctive sound. Innovative design yielding incredible ease of play and responsiveness, leaving the rest of the field in the dust. You pay for it and it delivers with every cent. American quality goods with tons of options to design your own custom model. A winner hands down.
Specs: PRS Custom 22, mahogany back/maple-top with 2 Dragon humbuckers (split-coils) and 5-way tone switch. Chrome hardware with stop tailpiece, mahogany neck w/ distinctive abalone bird inlays.
Tone: Dazzling array of variety with 5-way a la ES-345 but on steroids.
Looks: Dynamite right down to the contours around the cutaways and the light colored woods on the binding. Sensational. (This one even comes with a lawn chair reflection!)
Feel: Exquisite balance and over-all feel will bring you back every time. Ease of operation is in there as well.
Needs/wants: No needs as the options list is endless, down to a leather case!
Quirks: Tuners take some getting used to, otherwise none found here.
History: Paul is a player and his vision is exemplified by the fact that many great players use his guitars (Santana, Dickey Betts, Alex Lifeson, Al Dimeola, etc, etc.). Straight off the Gibson model of solidbody constructions but with just enough design twists to deliver a fresh new idea that simply works wonders.
Desirability: Destined to be a late 20th century masterpiece and beyond.
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