# Alternative to the PRS custom 24



## jcm900steroids (Sep 22, 2010)

Hey guys my love guitar is the Prs custom 24 however it is a bit pricy for my budget and I fell the SE line is kinda weak could you name me a guitar that is close to the custom 24 ?


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## aiur55 (Sep 22, 2010)

Carvin has 24 fret carved tops now. You should check them out. However, I do see you are in Europe...that might be a problem for getting a carvin.


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## jcm900steroids (Sep 22, 2010)

yes, and still I doesn't seem cheaper than the PRS :\


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## 7 Strings of Hate (Sep 22, 2010)

carvin really would be an excellent equivelant. or you could put together a warmoth


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## xtrustisyoursx (Sep 22, 2010)

Maybe just look around for a diamond in the rough SE, then start upgrading the parts (Nut, tuners, bridge, pickups, etc)


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## jcm900steroids (Sep 22, 2010)

I'm not looking for an equivalent, because I trully love PRS, was just looking for something a bit more affordable. And I'm sure I wouldn't be able to build a good guitar myself eheh. Where I live it's really hard to try guitars out I'd need to get one shipped so finding a diamond on the SE line wont be possible. 
The Esp horizon seems the closer to me but I can't test one myself it'd be a blind buy.


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## Rex Rocker (Sep 22, 2010)

The feel of a Horizon is not all that close to that of the PRS. The neck profile and the scale lenght make it pretty different-feeling.


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## Philligan (Sep 23, 2010)

My vote's for Warmoth. I've never had a bad experience with them, or known someone who has. Their finished PRS-style bodies aren't the cheapest, but they'd still be way cheaper than a PRS, and some of them are teh sex.
Buying a raw one and getting it finished/doing it yourself would be even cheaper, too (say, get it stained by a luthier and gloss it yourself). And you could still do an all rosewood neck - mmm....


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## aslsmm (Sep 23, 2010)

how much money are you workin with? dude prs se line sucks. contact warmoth, buy your parts (neck + body) got to stewmac.com get your other parts (bridge, nut, tuners, screws ect) then hop on this forum post a thread that says "needing guitar pickups. have cash" wait for the flood of pm's you'll receive then pick wich ones you want, contact a luthier who has a good reputation and have a good little q+a with him about what steps you should take to get this project done. do what you can to finish it on your own then send him the rest and im guessing for around 200 he should be able to finish it up for you. that is assuming you stain and finish it yourself, wich is pretty simple. hell, you could even put a wanted add on this forum stating how much money you have and exactally what you want and you'll get flooded with pm's.


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## jcm900steroids (Sep 23, 2010)

I was thinking about spending 1700-1800 max I'll have a better look at warmoth thanks


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## Guitar Asylum (Sep 23, 2010)

Have you given any consideration to the PRS Mira? It falls right in that price range, it's a US made PRS and you get the basic specs of a Cu24:
Mahogany Body/Neck
24 Frets
Regular or Wide Thin neck profile

They also come in a ton of different colors, although there's no top/10 top upgrade option.


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## PyramidSmasher (Sep 23, 2010)

Honestly, my dad has a Hamer that looks somewhat different, but I think would be an awesome substitute. When I get home I'll get you a picture, but check out Hamers site or something!

Hamer Guitars :: Guitars

Similar to that. Might be it even.


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## Krankguitarist (Sep 23, 2010)

jcm900steroids said:


> I was thinking about spending 1700-1800 max I'll have a better look at warmoth thanks



Honestly, you can get a CU24 for that much in the used market.


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## jcm900steroids (Sep 23, 2010)

Guitar Asylum said:


> Have you given any consideration to the PRS Mira? It falls right in that price range, it's a US made PRS and you get the basic specs of a Cu24:
> Mahogany Body/Neck
> 24 Frets
> Regular or Wide Thin neck profile
> ...


I've checked mira its not that great for higher gain and I don't like the tone :\, as far as the used marked go I've only found Prs that are even more expensive than the new ones(maybe the used prs market in the Europe is not that great I dunno)


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## BMU (Sep 23, 2010)

aslsmm said:


> how much money are you workin with? dude prs se line sucks.


They do? Usually I hear they're as good as some guitars that are much more expensive. The SE Custom 24 I impulse-bought a while ago has pretty much flawless construction, I have it at 1mm action with no buzz sounds great, very resonant body...yeah. Just needs tuners and better pups. And it has very low frets which I hate, but that's hardly the guitar's fault.


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## yellowv (Sep 23, 2010)

The SE line certainly does not suck. With a tuner and nut upgrade they are great guitars. Stock pickups aren't the best, but are usable. I have one SE and 2 US models and while the US models obviously are better, the SE fares well for like 1/5th the price.


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## FLGearnut (Sep 23, 2010)

you could easily find a used custom 24 in very good to excellent shape for around 1500 USD or sometimes less...theyre out there u just have to look for them....i got my custom 22 10-top in like new condition with case and all factory papers/hangtags,etc for 1700


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## jcm900steroids (Sep 23, 2010)

most of the SE line is pretty ugly because of the flat body, and good prs pickups are not easy to get.


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## yellowv (Sep 23, 2010)

jcm900steroids said:


> most of the SE line is pretty ugly because of the flat body, and good prs pickups are not easy to get.



The SC's are not flat tops. PRS pickups are ok. You can get a used set of dragon II's or HFS/VB set pretty cheap.


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## SkullCrusher (Sep 23, 2010)

RGA321F !!!


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## Guitar Asylum (Sep 23, 2010)

yellowv said:


> The SC's are not flat tops. PRS pickups are ok. You can get a used set of dragon II's or HFS/VB set pretty cheap.



Yeah I think the SE SC looks great and I would be happy to play any of the SEs myself. I think for $500-800 they're virtually unbeatable. As I understand, though, PRS pups and other parts aren't as easy to come by in other parts of the world. 

My initial suggestion would have been to get a Mira (like I said before) and swap the pups, but now that I see the OP is in Europe, that changes things a bit.

I don't know what availability is like in Europe, but I love Fernandes guitars. I never see anyone mentioning them around here. My #1 right now is a Ravelle Elite w/ a BKP Warpig. Maybe the Dragonfly would work for you? Dragonfly Elite

The Elite series are well built guitars w/ Sustainers, Schaller Locking Tuners, Ebony boards and nice looking tops. It has a 24 3/4" scale opposed to the 25" on the cu24.


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## jl-austin (Sep 23, 2010)

Rex Rocker said:


> The feel of a Horizon is not all that close to that of the PRS. The neck profile and the scale lenght make it pretty different-feeling.



I know the thread has moved on from this, but I would like to agree with this. The ESP stuff doesn't feel anything like American PRS stuff. They are both good, just different.

If you want a cheap PRS, try to find a used one. Although, cheap and PRS just don't seem to go together.


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## NickB11 (Sep 23, 2010)

Ya man with that budget just get Custom 24 used...ive seen many nice ones go for that in your price range!


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## Rook (Sep 23, 2010)

Hey,

1, We just sold in my shop last year a CU24 for about 1800, it was gorgeous, McCarty Wrap, I wanted it soooo badly but hey, that's business. Look around for old stock, they are still floating around.

2, Framus. German brand, very consistant and base a lot of their design aspects on PRS. They're a bit love/hate. I think they play and sound excellent but the looks just aren't for me. Made by Warwick, excellent quality. New ones will cost about what you want to spend, but if you find Old Stock or pre-owned you're looking at about a grand, less so for second hand ones. A friend of mine determined to get a PRS bought a Framus last year under my advise and he's not looked back, I don't think he even wants a PRS now...

Here are a couple of old stock Framuses: Jam Guitars Bristol Current Stock Framus Guitars

I typed PRS Custom 24 into ebay and a few came up including this:

PRS 1992 Custom 24 on eBay (end time 24-Sep-10 17:48:34 BST)

That's a PRE-FACTORY for 1250! If I had 1250 I'd be all over that! Pre-Factory means they're still all hand made from scratch, no machines, and it may even have been made by Paul himself.

BUY IT!!!


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## jcm900steroids (Sep 23, 2010)

Thanks for the reply's guys. 
That 1992 prs is pickup only :/, didn't like much the look on the Framuses either eheh.
My original "hope" was that the horizon was somewhat closer to the Prs than it really seems to be I'll however check that fernandez guitars better and pray for a catch on ebay


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## Jogeta (Sep 23, 2010)

+1 for Framus guitars.

You may not like the look at the moment but the playability and sound will totally win you over.

I've played the Camarillo, Spitfire, Diablo and Renegade Customs (all with the cool inlay on the headstock that they've stopped doing now) and each of them totally floored me!


My biggest guitar regret is not having got one when I had the money. I got a Dean ML and a Peavey 6505 head instead hahaha. FML.


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## sevenstringgod (Sep 23, 2010)

Ibanez J custom?


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## Solstafir (Sep 23, 2010)

Either a Framus or a Mayones
You'll love either


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## Rook (Sep 23, 2010)

Even thought that '92 CU24 would be well worth the journey (lol!)

PRS Custom 24 items - Get great deals on Guitars items on eBay UK!

There are at least 6 guitars there in your price range! And don't underestimate the CE stuff. If you're considering something other than a CU24, you definitely can't go far wrong with a CE24, they are really great guitars and I personally much prefer the sound (though I'm a bolt-on guy).

PRS CE24 Custom 24 guitar mint condition hardcase CE on eBay (end time 03-Oct-10 22:44:21 BST)

I wouldn't give up the second hand hunt mate, seriously, if a PRS is what you want it's pretty unlikely you'll be AS happy with anything but... Maybe look for a used Tom Anderson? Suhr?

I've settled for guitars in the past, never goes well...


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## GuitaristOfHell (Sep 23, 2010)

In my opinion you can't beat a PRS... unless it's a Taylor haha. So far I haven't found an equivalent to a real CE ect... I hate the SE flat top, total turnoff IMO.


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## jcm900steroids (Sep 23, 2010)

For me prs and birds are a must ;D well I found a new PRS custom 24 for 2.2k &#8364;, maybe I'll try to convice myself that its worth that much. Its not that I don't have the money to get one the thing is we are in an economic recession and I don't know if I'll need it, Although Prs seems to be the kind of guitar that doesn't loose much when re-selling it.
PRS Custom 24 Electric Guitar, Dark Cherry Sunburst | DV247 2,2k &#8364; maybe I should give it a try ? With this amount of money into a guitar I don't know if I'll use it live any-time soon maybe get an horizon nt-ii w/ duncan's and use it all around ?


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## yellowv (Sep 23, 2010)

sevenstringgod said:


> Ibanez J custom?


Seriously?
First off a J-Custom is nothing like a PRS. Secondly a J-Custom costs as much as a PRS.


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## Jogeta (Sep 24, 2010)

The Caparison Angelus series might be worth checking out too!

I've had life threatening GAS for a white HGS for about three years haha


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## yellowv (Sep 24, 2010)

Guys he is trying to find a guitar similar to a PRS... CHEAPER than a PRS. For the price of an Angelus you can buy a PRS as well.


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## jcm900steroids (Sep 24, 2010)

yellowv said:


> Guys he is trying to find a guitar similar to a PRS... CHEAPER than a PRS. For the price of an Angelus you can buy a PRS as well.


Couldn't have said it better for a non PRS guitar the max I'll go will be 1800. Over that I'd rather get a real PRS custom 24 for 2.2k


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## possumkiller (Sep 24, 2010)

The PRS Custom 22 is a good alternative to the Custom 24. It just uses different pickups and 2 less frets.


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## White Cluster (Sep 24, 2010)

Just save and get the fucking PRS . You won't be happy unless you do.The Ce24 is an amazing guitar as well.I sold mine to upgrade to my CU24 but part of me wishes I didn't sell it cause it sounded and played amazing.Check The Gear Page and Birds And Moons forums. You're bound to find something that suits your fancy and your budget.


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## Rook (Sep 24, 2010)

One thing, watch out for DV247 dude, they say they have stuff in stock which they don;t, it's always been a bit shifty. They advertise stuff at old prices then email you when you buy it saying it's not available at that price and you have to pay x pounds more. You also never see the guitar you're gunna get!

Just surf around the big dealers, last year, you could pick up a 24 for that sort of money, there's bound to be some old/clearance stock lying around. As a PRS dealer, I can tell you it's not the sort of guitar we like sitting on the shelf for long, it costs us money!!!


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## jcm900steroids (Sep 25, 2010)

Maybe I should rephrase what I'm looking in a guitar. The short answer is indeed the PRS custom 24 the longer one is: I'm looking for a double cut guitar with set/tru neck with good sustain, passive pickups, mahogany body and a carved maple top with 24 frets, maple/mahogany neck(moderately fast), tremolo is optional at the best and my favourite finish is flame blue. I'm currently in a progressive/experimental metal band where we play from clean/crunch to high gain br00talz.


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## Overt1 (Sep 25, 2010)

Not sure if this has been mentioned, but Dillion Canada?

Dillion DNLP-40 Double Cut Quilt Top

They're having an overstock sale too! 






This seems like something you want. They have one with a tremolo too


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## Thaeon (Sep 25, 2010)

CU24's only come with mahogany necks... If you're only looking for a maple neck, this might be an issue. They sound awesome though. If I were gonna get a PRS, I'd go for a private stock, baritone, seven, hollowbody II, w/ a spruce top.


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## jcm900steroids (Sep 25, 2010)

its was a typo actually maple/mahogany necks


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## GuitaristOfHell (Sep 25, 2010)

White Cluster said:


> Just save and get the fucking PRS . You won't be happy unless you do.



I second this.


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## Bigfan (Sep 26, 2010)

Thaeon said:


> a private stock, baritone, seven, hollowbody II, w/ a spruce top.





GAS is reaching critical levels over here.


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