Sunday, October 9, 2011

PRS Custom 22 are the Guitars all Other Guitars are Evaluated by.

By Erik Robel


The PRS custom 22 is one of PRS' key products. This model was first produced in the early 90's and is still one of the most admired guitars of PRS. Custom 22 is a term that PRS made to indicate that the guitar has 22 frets. The PRS custom 22 has several features. They are a 5 way rotary pickup selector, one volume and one tone knob, double cutaway, wrap around tailpiece, locking tuners and bird inlays. Over time some features are changed but most of the fundamental things still stay true to the original design. One alternate of the custom 22 is the custom 22 Soapbar version which has 3 fat single coil pickups. Except for that, the other noticeable difference of the Soapbar edition is the 5 way blade pickup selector. This custom 22 model is a limited edition and hasn't been crafted that much compared to the standard Paul Reed Smith custom 22.

The jewel which is known as the custom 22 for some reason is very sought after among guitar players. Many say that it is because of the playability of this guitar. Some say it is because of the locking tuners that come with it, because it makes for an easy and stable axe to play. But most people love this guitar because of its versatility. The Paul Reed Smith custom 22 can create many suitable tones that would fit various types of music genres. You can play any type of music from classic to hard rock, blues to jazz music and even the more mellow pop tones. This is mainly because of the electronics installed in the guitar. Although it has passive electronics in its design, it can still emulate almost any tone of any guitar out in the market. Some say it is comparable to a Stratocaster at certain pickup settings, while others say it is much like a Les Paul at other settings. This is one of the benefits of having a 5 way pickup selector. You can achieve several different tones at a flick of a switch.

The earlier models of the PRS custom 22 had Dragon 1 pickups installed in it, even as the later models have Dragon 2s. Despite the fact that those two pickups are somewhat different, they still do provide a very good tonal diversity for the guitar. A myriad of people observed that the neck pickup produces a remarkably fat and warm resonance and can effortlessly keep up with the pace of your guitar playing no matter how fast it is. That is why it's extremely ideal for playing blues music with the neck pickup of the custom 22. The bridge pickup on the other hand, produces an incredibly warm and bright sound that if you pair it up with a good and decent high gain pedal or increase the gain in your amp, it produces a very good crunch sound especially suitable for hard rock and metal music. You can appreciate the strength of the Dragon pickups when set this way. If you change it to the middle setting which makes use of both the neck and the bridge pickup simultaneously, you can produce a good fat and warm tone great for classic rock and blues. Paired together with a good low gain or overdrive pedal or a tubescreamer and you get a good juicy crunch that you won't come across from any other guitar. The only disapproval of some guitar players about this guitar is the 5 way rotary switch. Several guitar players find it hard to switch settings using the rotary switch compared to the blade switch which is a lot easier. The good thing is that given that the fact that the Paul Reed Smith custom 22 is quite flexible; nearly all guitar players don't really have the need to switch pickup settings in the middle of a song, as long as they find their preferred settings.

Another good thing that guitar aficionados perceive about a PRS custom 22 is the low action in the neck. A large amount of people say that they swear that the strings are almost touching the frets due to the very low action position in the guitar. The bizarre thing is that regardless of the low action, guitar players can still execute double bends and pinch harmonics easily and there isn't even an indication of a buzzing sound that is produced when the string hits the pickup. Rock guitarists even assert that the guitar is really shred-friendly despite the low action. The fit of the guitar is also amazing. The neck is very thin which is great for playing and the body is very light, taking into consideration the type of wood they use to craft this guitar. Many say that the custom 22 makes a Les Paul look as if it's like a truck in terms of lightness. The handcrafted and custom-made neck makes for an incredibly smooth and fast action that some people say it's illogical. The finish of the body is also dazzling and the paint job is superb. It justly puts emphasis on the wood that PRS utilizes in their bodies. This is actually what sets PRS guitars apart from other guitars, ostensibly. The wonderful thing about a custom 22 is that it is already impeccable when taken out of the box. There are scarcely any modifications that you need to make after you take it out of the box. The intonation is spot on as well as the action; as a result it makes the playability of this guitar flawless.

The most prevalent observation of a guitar player about a Paul Reed Smith custom 22 is that it is very reliable and sturdy. The hardware looks as if like it was built to last a lifetime, even if you drop it on concrete, you will hardly see a dent in it. This makes for an exceptional guitar to gig with and you won't even need a backup guitar. PRS intended this guitar with the idea that once guitarists get this guitar, it would be the lone guitar that they will play with in their existence. One evident feature of the custom 22 is the strap button. It is fairly bigger than other strap buttons of other guitars which makes it harder to put the guitar straps on. The encouraging thing is that once the guitar strap is put on; it is not going to be removed accidentally, save of course if you take it off. This helps to steer clear of inadvertent dropping of the guitar when the straps come off since small strap button is small. It is PRS' own variation of a strap lock.

The only word to exemplify a custom 22 guitar for nearly all guitar players is perfect. Their reflection of a custom 22 guitar is that it can do whatever you fancy from it. The versatility of the tone it produces is extremely astonishing, that is why it is perfect for any kind of music that you wish to play. You can scarcely ever find a guitar that can accomplish that feat. Owners of custom 22 guitars say that if their guitar is stolen, they would find the thief and get it back with interest and so much more. That is how important a custom 22 is for them. For professional musicians, it grants whatever you want from it every day of the week. It is beyond doubt the perfect guitar.




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