1997 Paul Reed Smith PRS Custom 22 Quilt Top ~ Cherry Sunburst

Some guitars are tools… Some guitars are collectibles… And then there are guitars like this one that walk into the room, throw a leather jacket over a chair, steal everyone’s girlfriend, and somehow leave with their wallet too.

This is a 1997 PRS Custom 22 from the glorious era when PRS was building guitars that have since become the subject of heated internet debates, late-night forum arguments, and grown men whispering the words “Dragon Ones…” as if discussing a lost civilization.

The quilted maple top is absolutely ridiculous. Not “nice.” Not “pretty.” Ridiculous. The kind of top that causes people to stop listening to what you’re saying because they’re staring at the guitar instead.

Then there’s the pickup set. The original Dragon I Bass and Treble humbuckers are still here, which is fantastic because half the battle with old PRS guitars is finding one that hasn’t been “improved” by seventeen different owners armed with a soldering iron and dangerous levels of confidence.

And yes, it has the legendary 5-way rotary selector. For those unfamiliar, this was PRS’s way of separating true guitar players from people who just randomly flip switches until something happens. Once you learn it, you’ll love it. Until then, you’ll spend a few minutes looking down and pretending you totally know what you’re doing.

The old-school Phase I locking tuners with the wing buttons are present and accounted for, because PRS apparently decided that even the tuners should look cooler than everyone else’s.

At only 7.3 lbs, this thing weighs less than some pedalboards and approximately half of the average Les Paul currently listed on the internet as “lightweight.”

Specs:

• Model: PRS Custom 22
• Color: Cherry Sunburst, Gloss
• Top: Quilted Maple, Carved
• Body: Mahogany
• Neck: Mahogany, Set Neck
• Neck Profile: Wide Fat, .888″ at the 1st Fret and .974″ at the 12th Fret
• Fretboard: Rosewood
• Inlays: Abalone Moons
• Scale Length: 25″
• Pickups: Original PRS Dragon I Bass and Treble humbuckers, Uncovered
• Controls: Volume, Tone, 5-way Rotary Selector
• Bridge: PRS Wrap-Around Stop-Tail
• Tuners: Phase I Locking Tuners with Old-School Wings
• Knobs: Gold Speed Knobs
• Weight: 7.3 LBS
• Serial #: 730291

Condition:

This PRS recently celebrated its 29th birthday and remains in very good condition. It shows honest play wear throughout, exactly as pictured, including the finish marks and scratches that can only be achieved through years of making actual music instead of living under a bed waiting for its next appraisal.

The good news is that none of that wear affects playability. The bad news is that you’ll have a much harder time convincing your spouse that you “needed” another guitar after they see this one.

Includes the original PRS hardshell case and case candy, minus the original spec card.

If you’ve been looking for a genuine late-’90s PRS with a killer quilt top, Dragon I pickups, moon inlays, Phase I tuners, and enough vintage PRS mojo to make internet experts suddenly appear in your comment section, this is your guitar.

Just don’t blame us when you start referring to newer guitars as “the modern stuff.” That’s how it starts.

Whoever brings this baby home is gonna be STOKED!!

LET’S GO!!