The PRS custom 22 is one of PRS' main products. This line was first made in the early 90's and is still one of the most popular guitars of PRS. Custom 22 means that there are 22 frets in the guitar. The main features of a PRS custom 22 are a 5 way rotary pickup selector, one volume and one tone knob, double cutaway, wrap around tailpiece, locking tuners and bird inlays. Over the years some features are altered but most of them still remain true to the original design. One variant of the custom 22 is the custom 22 Soapbar edition which has 3 fat single coil pickups. Aside from that, the other obvious difference of the Soapbar edition is the 5 way blade pickup selector. This custom 22 model is a limited edition and hasn't been produced that much compared to the regular Paul Reed Smith custom 22.
The gem which is branded as the custom 22 for some rationale is very preferred among guitar players. Lots of people say that it is for the reason that the guitar is excellent in terms of playability. Some say it is also because of the locking tuners that come with it, since it makes for a straightforward and stable axe to play. But nearly everyone loves this guitar because of its flexibility. The Paul Reed Smith custom 22 can produce many tones that would fit a range of music genres. You can play any kind of music from classic to hard rock, blues to jazz music and even the more soft pop tones. This is mostly because of the electronics installed in the guitar. Even though it has passive electronics in its design, it can still copy more or less any tone of any guitar out in the market. Some say it is similar to a Stratocaster at specific pickup settings, whereas others say it is much similar to a Les Paul at other settings. This is one of the advantages of having a 5 way pickup selector. You can pull off several diverse tones at a flip of a switch.
The earlier models of the PRS custom 22 have Dragon 1 pickups, while the later models have Dragon 2s. Although those two pickups are quite different, but they still do provide a very good tonal diversity for the guitar. A lot of people observe that the neck pickup produces a very fat and warm sound and can keep up with the pace of your guitar playing no matter how fast it is. That is why it's very ideal to play blues music using the neck pickup of the custom 22. The bridge pickup produces a very warm and bright sound that if you pack it up with a nice and decent high gain pedal, it produces a very good crunch sound very suitable with hard rock and metal music. You can appreciate the power of the Dragon pickups when set this way. If you set it up in the middle setting which uses both the neck and the bridge pickup at the same time, you can get a nice fat and warm sound ideal for classic rock and blues tone. Combined with a solid low gain pedal, you get a nice juicy crunch that you won't get from any other guitar. The only complaint of some guitar players about this guitar is the 5 way rotary switch. Some guitar players find it hard to switch settings using the rotary switch compared to the blade switch which is a lot easier. The bright side is that since the Paul Reed Smith custom 22 is very versatile, most guitar players don't really have the need to switch settings in the middle of a song, once they find the right settings.
Another good thing that guitar fans notice about a PRS custom 22 is the low action in the neck. Most people say that they swear that the strings almost touch the frets due to the very very low action set in the guitar. The weird thing is that even with the low action, guitar players can still pull off double bends and pinch harmonics with ease and there isn't even a hint of a buzzing sound that is produced when the string hits the pickup. Rock guitarists even say that the guitar is very shred-friendly even with the low action. The fit of the guitar is also amazing. The neck is very thin which is very good for playing and the body is very light, considering the type of wood they use to craft this guitar. People say that the custom 22 makes a Les Paul seem like a truck in terms of lightness. The handcrafted and custom made neck makes for a very smooth and fast action that some people say it's ridiculous. The finish of the body is also exceptional and the paint job is perfect. It really accents the wood that PRS uses in their bodies. This is actually what sets PRS guitars apart from other guitars, at first glance. The remarkable thing about a custom 22 is that it is already perfect when taken out of the box. There are seldom any adjustments made after you take it out of the box. The intonation is perfect as well as the action, thus making the playability of this guitar picture perfect.
The most common observation of a musician regarding a Paul Reed Smith custom 22 is that it is very reliable and durable. The hardware seems like it would last a lifetime, even if you drop it on a cement ground, you will hardly see a dent in it. This makes for an excellent guitar to gig with and you won't even need to have a backup guitar. PRS designed this guitar thinking that once guitarists buy this guitar, it would only be the guitar that they will play with in their lifetime. One noticeable feature of the custom 22 is the strap button. It is slightly bigger than other strap buttons of other guitars which makes it harder to put on the guitar straps. The good thing is once the guitar strap is put on; it is not coming off, unless of course you take it off. This helps avoid accidental dropping of the guitar when the straps come off due to the small strap button. It is PRS' own version of a strap lock.
The only word to describe a custom 22 guitar for most guitar players is perfect. Their impression of a custom 22 guitar is that it can handle anything you want from it. The versatility of the tone it produces is very remarkable, that is why it is perfect for any type of music that you want to play. You can seldom find a guitar that can do that. Owners of custom 22 guitars say that if their guitar is stolen, they would hunt the thief down and get it back with interest and more. That is how much they value a custom 22. For professional musicians, it gives you what you want from it, night in and night out. It is truly what a guitar should be.
The gem which is branded as the custom 22 for some rationale is very preferred among guitar players. Lots of people say that it is for the reason that the guitar is excellent in terms of playability. Some say it is also because of the locking tuners that come with it, since it makes for a straightforward and stable axe to play. But nearly everyone loves this guitar because of its flexibility. The Paul Reed Smith custom 22 can produce many tones that would fit a range of music genres. You can play any kind of music from classic to hard rock, blues to jazz music and even the more soft pop tones. This is mostly because of the electronics installed in the guitar. Even though it has passive electronics in its design, it can still copy more or less any tone of any guitar out in the market. Some say it is similar to a Stratocaster at specific pickup settings, whereas others say it is much similar to a Les Paul at other settings. This is one of the advantages of having a 5 way pickup selector. You can pull off several diverse tones at a flip of a switch.
The earlier models of the PRS custom 22 have Dragon 1 pickups, while the later models have Dragon 2s. Although those two pickups are quite different, but they still do provide a very good tonal diversity for the guitar. A lot of people observe that the neck pickup produces a very fat and warm sound and can keep up with the pace of your guitar playing no matter how fast it is. That is why it's very ideal to play blues music using the neck pickup of the custom 22. The bridge pickup produces a very warm and bright sound that if you pack it up with a nice and decent high gain pedal, it produces a very good crunch sound very suitable with hard rock and metal music. You can appreciate the power of the Dragon pickups when set this way. If you set it up in the middle setting which uses both the neck and the bridge pickup at the same time, you can get a nice fat and warm sound ideal for classic rock and blues tone. Combined with a solid low gain pedal, you get a nice juicy crunch that you won't get from any other guitar. The only complaint of some guitar players about this guitar is the 5 way rotary switch. Some guitar players find it hard to switch settings using the rotary switch compared to the blade switch which is a lot easier. The bright side is that since the Paul Reed Smith custom 22 is very versatile, most guitar players don't really have the need to switch settings in the middle of a song, once they find the right settings.
Another good thing that guitar fans notice about a PRS custom 22 is the low action in the neck. Most people say that they swear that the strings almost touch the frets due to the very very low action set in the guitar. The weird thing is that even with the low action, guitar players can still pull off double bends and pinch harmonics with ease and there isn't even a hint of a buzzing sound that is produced when the string hits the pickup. Rock guitarists even say that the guitar is very shred-friendly even with the low action. The fit of the guitar is also amazing. The neck is very thin which is very good for playing and the body is very light, considering the type of wood they use to craft this guitar. People say that the custom 22 makes a Les Paul seem like a truck in terms of lightness. The handcrafted and custom made neck makes for a very smooth and fast action that some people say it's ridiculous. The finish of the body is also exceptional and the paint job is perfect. It really accents the wood that PRS uses in their bodies. This is actually what sets PRS guitars apart from other guitars, at first glance. The remarkable thing about a custom 22 is that it is already perfect when taken out of the box. There are seldom any adjustments made after you take it out of the box. The intonation is perfect as well as the action, thus making the playability of this guitar picture perfect.
The most common observation of a musician regarding a Paul Reed Smith custom 22 is that it is very reliable and durable. The hardware seems like it would last a lifetime, even if you drop it on a cement ground, you will hardly see a dent in it. This makes for an excellent guitar to gig with and you won't even need to have a backup guitar. PRS designed this guitar thinking that once guitarists buy this guitar, it would only be the guitar that they will play with in their lifetime. One noticeable feature of the custom 22 is the strap button. It is slightly bigger than other strap buttons of other guitars which makes it harder to put on the guitar straps. The good thing is once the guitar strap is put on; it is not coming off, unless of course you take it off. This helps avoid accidental dropping of the guitar when the straps come off due to the small strap button. It is PRS' own version of a strap lock.
The only word to describe a custom 22 guitar for most guitar players is perfect. Their impression of a custom 22 guitar is that it can handle anything you want from it. The versatility of the tone it produces is very remarkable, that is why it is perfect for any type of music that you want to play. You can seldom find a guitar that can do that. Owners of custom 22 guitars say that if their guitar is stolen, they would hunt the thief down and get it back with interest and more. That is how much they value a custom 22. For professional musicians, it gives you what you want from it, night in and night out. It is truly what a guitar should be.
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Before you spend money on a PRS Custom 22 on the internet, be sure you read this informational post. You'll have complete knowledge of a Paul Reed Smith Custom 22, and be ready for your new electric guitar.
