Up for sale is a beautiful and all-original 2004 Paul Reed Smith Custom 22 Artist Package in Royal Blue, serial number 4 88063.

I contacted PRS directly regarding this guitar, and PRS Customer Support confirmed from the serial number that it was built as a 2004 Custom 22 with a Quilted Maple Artist top, mahogany Wide-Fat neck, East Indian rosewood fretboard with paua bird inlays, straight stoptail bridge, Dragon II treble and bass pickups, Royal Blue finish, and gold hardware.

I will include a copy/screenshot of that correspondence with the guitar.

This is an especially attractive example. The Artist-grade quilted maple top changes dramatically depending on lighting and viewing angle; in normal indoor light it can appear deeper and more subdued, while direct sunlight brings out a very vivid blue/turquoise color and substantially more depth in the figuring. I have included photographs in several lighting conditions to show that character as accurately as possible.

The guitar is also quite light at approximately 7.28 lbs / 3.30 kg.

Specifications:

• Model: PRS Custom 22 Artist Package
• Year: 2004
• Serial number: 4 88063
• Made in USA
• Finish: Royal Blue
• Top: Quilted Maple Artist top
• Body: Mahogany
• Neck: Mahogany
• Neck profile: Wide Fat
• Fingerboard: East Indian rosewood
• Inlays: Paua bird inlays
• Frets: 22
• Scale length: 25”
• Fingerboard radius: 10”
• Nut width: approximately 42.9 mm / 1.69”
• Pickups: Original PRS Dragon II Treble and Dragon II Bass humbuckers
• Controls: Volume, tone, 3-way toggle and coil tap
• Bridge: PRS straight stoptail
• Hardware: Gold
• Weight: approximately 7.28 lbs / 3.30 kg

The guitar is all original. The pickup cavity retains the matching 88063 factory serial label, and the original pickups are visibly labeled Dragon II Treble and Dragon II Bass. These specifications also match the information provided directly by PRS Customer Support.

Condition

This guitar is over 20 years old and has been played, so it does show cosmetic wear consistent with its age. There are various small dings, scratches, pick marks, finish marks and areas of oxidation/tarnishing on the gold hardware and pickup covers. Nothing is unusual for a played instrument of this age, and I have tried to photograph the condition clearly rather than hide it. Smoke free home.

There is also some finish clouding/hazing on portions of the body and back of the neck. This was specifically disclosed by Ishibashi when I purchased the guitar. The affected areas remain completely smooth to the touch and do not affect playability.

There are no known breaks or structural repairs.

Ishibashi also noted some small finish chips/dings and age-related hardware wear and had the guitar inspected and set up before it was sold.

Overall, this is a very attractive, played but well-preserved example of a relatively uncommon early-2000s Artist Package Custom 22. The cosmetic wear keeps it from being a collector-grade mint example, but the guitar remains structurally sound, plays well, is very light, and has an excellent top.

Included

The guitar includes its original PRS hardshell case and the pictured original paperwork/case candy, including:

• Original PRS Eagle hang tag
• Original PRS warranty/customer record card
• Original dealer/purchase information
• PRS informational paperwork
• Original case combination-lock instructions
• Ishibashi inspection/service paperwork
• Other pictured case candy/paperwork
• Copy/screenshot of PRS Customer Support’s factory-spec confirmation for serial 4 88063

The original PRS customer record card identifies the guitar as a Custom 22 Artist, serial 4-88063, and shows its original retail purchase through G&M Music in Lafayette on 7/27/06.

Please review all photographs carefully for cosmetic condition.

The guitar will be packed carefully inside its original PRS case and securely boxed for shipment.