# Is this PRS modded??



## John123 (Jul 22, 2020)

PAUL REED SMITH - CUSTOM 24 - 25e Anniversaire - 10 TOP | Guitares | Ville de Montréal | Kijiji

The guys ad says it's all original...and he's adamant that it was never modded, even though he's not the original owner.
I believe this model came with the 5 way rotary switch. 
Is it worth $3000.00?? 
*PAUL REED SMITH - CUSTOM 24 - 25e Anniversaire - 10 TOP*
3 150,00 $



*Description*

This Custom 24 has been literally a closet queen for 10 years ! All original with its factory documentation and special Magazine commemorating the 25th year of manufacturing guitars.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

Google 25th anniversary custom 24 and see what comes up. I had mine modded to toggle, I wouldnt sweat it. 

Weird that it never got played though...


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## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

My '02 CE22 came with a three way and a push/pull tone pot from the factory, so I was told by the previous owner.
So, I think that it must've been an option at one time. Google images of that model and it shows both configurations.

I had a CE24 with the rotary previously and prefer the toggle switch.
The guitar does look cleaner with the three knobs, but the rotary can be a bit of a pita, especially live.


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## Permanent Waves (Jun 2, 2020)

Probably the switch is original - uncommon, but it is an option available on these models (they call it McCarthy Electronics). Saw another one like it:









Pricewise, it's sounds reasonable, especially for a closet queen. 12th Fret sold a few for around $2500-$2700 CDN and eBay has some sold for $2300-$3400 US.


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## John123 (Jul 22, 2020)

Budda said:


> Google 25th anniversary custom 24 and see what comes up. I had mine modded to toggle, I wouldnt sweat it.
> 
> Weird that it never got played though...


I've googled it and keep finding that it's a 5way rotary switch. Even their special brochure/magazine has the rotary switch on it. I understand the toggle is more conventional and easier, especially when switching guitars. However, the guy states that it came that way from the factory. I don't have much experience with PRS and was wondering if they would actually deviate their production?


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

As said it was an option. I wouldnt sweat it so long as all the electronics work.

Since it does appear to bother you, just dont buy the guitar.


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## satim (Mar 23, 2006)

CUSTOM 24: 1985 - Current. The definitive original *PRS*, figured maple top, mahogany back and neck, rosewood fretboard, volume and *5 way rotary*offered until 2010, *5 way* blade switch 2011 – present.


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## lchender (Dec 6, 2011)

John123, for many years when the Custom 24 came stock with a 5-way rotary, you had the option of ordering it with the McCarty Electronics instead, which is a 3-way toggle with push-pull tone.

I've owned several PRS guitars dating back to the early 2000s, so I'm very familiar with how these guitars have changed over the years.

Some owners used to complain about the 5-way rotary because it's not visually apparent what pickup setting you are on. You have to either remember where you just set it, or click to the end and back to know for sure where you are if you don't remember.

Initially, PRS started offering the the 3-way toggle and push-pull tone (McCarty switching) as a drop in replacement that you could buy from your PRS dealer if you didn't like the 5-way rotary and wanted to change to McCarty switching. Subsequently, PRS started offering it as a factory option as an alternative to the 5-way rotary. Then PRS switched to the current 5-way blade switch.

All that to say, it's quite possible that the 3-way toggle with push-pull was ordered that way from the factory on the guitar you're looking at. It's also possible that it was converted to McCarty switching after the fact using the conversion kit from PRS, which doesn't affect the value at all.

My advice is to go check out the guitar, play it, and see if you like it. If you really want the 5-way rotary, its easy to convert it to that. Most PRS guitar lovers actually don't like the 5-way rotary and consider McCarty switching an upgrade.


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## John123 (Jul 22, 2020)

lchender said:


> John123, for many years when the Custom 24 came stock with a 5-way rotary, you had the option of ordering it with the McCarty Electronics instead, which is a 3-way toggle with push-pull tone.
> 
> I've owned several PRS guitars dating back to the early 2000s, so I'm very familiar with how these guitar have changed over the years.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the detailed answer. Nothing beats personal experience!! I have a 1990 Std 24 with the 5 way rotary switch and do find it confusing at times, especially when switching from a reg. toggle equipped guitar.


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## Permanent Waves (Jun 2, 2020)

lchender said:


> John123, for many years when the Custom 24 came stock with a 5-way rotary, you had the option of ordering it with the McCarty Electronics instead, which is a 3-way toggle with push-pull tone.
> 
> I've owned several PRS guitars dating back to the early 2000s, so I'm very familiar with how these guitar have changed over the years.


I'm trying to figure out exactly what the push-pull tone does on my 92 CE24 - from the wiring diagram I mapped out and from what I hear, it's just a coil tap switch. Looks like the push-pull selects between sending the full hot signal or the tap signal to the toggle switch? This page has some interesting information on this.


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## Permanent Waves (Jun 2, 2020)

Follow up - I checked my wiring against the PRS diagrams and there were a few errors - not only the pickups reversed, but the black and white leads on one of them were reversed also, so they were out of phase. Once corrected, everything sounded normal and the function of the push-pull as a coil tap became more obvious. That out-of-phase sound was bizarre, it made the push-pull sound like some weird kind of filter.


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## laristotle (Aug 29, 2019)

Permanent Waves said:


> sound like some weird kind of filter.


an electric sitar?


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

I'm not nearly as knowledgeable as others here as to the original factory specs on any particular model or year of PRS.

I do know that one of the first things I did upon playing with my CU22 was to remove the rotary switch. I also eliminated the tone control so now it's master volume, three way pick up toggle and a coil tap mini-toggle (either humbucker). One pot, two switches.

The original components are safely in the case. The guitar makes a lot more sense to me this way. I'd say lots and lots of players have modded theirs.


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## Permanent Waves (Jun 2, 2020)

laristotle said:


> an electric sitar?


Actually, that is a pretty accurate description - a weird, thin, metallic and jangly sound when both pickups engaged. It was bad enough for me to pull out the soldering iron at 1:00 am to fix it once I finally found the culprit, let me put it to you this way. 

It's hard to go back in history to see what options were available when, but the paper catalogs I have from 2000 and 2003 indicate McCarty Electronics as an option for all CE, CU and Standard models. The drop-in wiring kit is available from PRS for people who want to do the mod themselves, but I don't know since when. I compared mine to others I seen on the web and the components are all original, but there was too much solder on the pots to properly datecode them so I don't know it it was factory original or modded.


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