Paul Reed Smith Custom 24 1988 Old Factory Vintage Cherry Sunburst — Brazilian Rosewood, Sweet Switch, All OriginalQuick Hook

A true Old Factory PRS Custom 24 from 1988, built at the original Virginia Avenue shop in Annapolis. Brazilian Rosewood fretboard, Sweet Switch, original electronics — a collector-grade vintage PRS that's also a serious working guitar.

Description

Up for sale is a 1988 Paul Reed Smith Custom 24 in Vintage Cherry Sunburst — one of the most sought-after early-era PRS instruments, built in the original Virginia Avenue factory in Annapolis, Maryland, where Paul Reed Smith and a small crew of luthiers were producing just a handful of guitars per day.

This is the real deal: 24 frets, 25" scale, mahogany body with carved flame maple top, and — crucially — a Brazilian Rosewood fretboard, standard on Custom models until 1991 before CITES restrictions made it virtually impossible to find on production guitars. The finish is the classic Vintage Cherry Sunburst, with deep cherry on the edges fading into amber/yellow at the center, showing off the flamed maple top beautifully.

The guitar carries the iconic 1980s PRS spec sheet: Standard Treble and Standard Bass humbuckers (the precursors to the HFS/Vintage Bass pickups introduced in late 1991), Sweet Switch + 5-way rotary, original PRS tremolo and Schaller locking tuners. All electronics are original and working correctly.

This guitar plays and sounds the way these early PRSes were meant to: open, dynamic, less compressed than modern Custom 24s. The Standard Treble/Bass pickups have a sweeter, more vocal character than the hotter HFS that came later — perfect for rock, blues, fusion, classic rock, and session work.

Key Features

• True 1988 Old Factory PRS — built at Virginia Avenue, Annapolis, MD, by the original PRS team
• Brazilian Rosewood fretboard — no longer available on production PRS guitars, standard on Customs until 1991
• Standard Treble & Bass pickups — the original '80s PRS voice, warm and dynamic, with more openness than the post-'91 HFS/Vintage Bass
• Sweet Switch + 5-way rotary — five usable pickup combinations plus the treble-rolloff Sweet Switch for instant jazz/blues warmth without touching the amp
• Vintage Cherry Sunburst finish — one of the most desirable PRS colors of the era, showing off the flame top
• All original electronics and hardware — PRS tremolo, Schaller locking tuners, original wiring

A Word on "Pre-Factory" vs "Old Factory"

You'll often see 1985–1995 PRS guitars listed as "Pre-Factory." Strictly speaking, this is incorrect. The only true Pre-Factory PRS guitars are the roughly 80 instruments hand-built by Paul Reed Smith before the Custom model launched in 1985 — those carry no serial number and trade between $20,000 and $160,000.

Guitars built from 1985 to 1995 at the Virginia Avenue facility, like this one, are more accurately called "Old Factory." Same craftsmen, same philosophy, but produced in an actual factory setting. The 1995 move to Stevensville brought more precise CNC machinery and larger spaces — not a downgrade, but a step forward in consistency and complexity (Artist III/IV, Hollowbody, Private Stock all came after the move).

What makes this 1988 Custom 24 special isn't a mythical "handmade" pedigree — already in Virginia Avenue, machines were used — but the historical context (one of the earliest production years), the period materials (Brazilian Rosewood, in particular), and the small-batch attention that defined PRS production before volume scaled up.

Condition

Vintage instrument with play wear consistent with its 38 years of life:

• Lower bout, treble side: small dent on the body edge with finish touch-up already done. The repair sealed the wood and is not in a structural area. Visible in raking light, not visible while playing.
• Frets in good condition with plenty of life left, neck straight, action set up to PRS spec
• All original electronics — pots, switches, jack clean and fully functional
• Original PRS tremolo and Schaller locking tuners working correctly
• Light buckle marks and minor dings on the back, consistent with age
• No cracks, no headstock repair, no breaks

Photos are of the actual guitar for sale. Happy to provide additional photos of any specific area on request.

Specifications

• Brand: Paul Reed Smith (PRS)
• Model: Custom 24
• Year: 1988
• Built at: Virginia Avenue, Annapolis, Maryland (Old Factory)
• Body: Mahogany with carved flame maple top
• Finish: Vintage Cherry Sunburst
• Neck: Mahogany, set-neck (glued), pre-1991 low heel joint
• Fretboard: Brazilian Rosewood
• Scale length: 25" (635 mm)
• Frets: 24
• Inlays: Birds, mother-of-pearl
• Truss rod: Single-action
• Pickups: PRS Standard Treble & Standard Bass humbuckers (original)
• Controls: 1x Volume, 1x Tone, 5-way rotary selector, Sweet Switch
• Bridge: PRS Tremolo (original)
• Tuners: Schaller locking (original)
• Case: [to confirm — original PRS hardshell case if included]
• CITES: [to confirm — Brazilian Rosewood documentation status]

Why Buy From Us

We're a specialized guitar shop with verified experience in vintage instruments. Every guitar leaves our shop with:

• Professional setup already performed
• Honest condition assessment with detailed photos
• Verified year and originality of components
• Secure international shipping, fully insured

International buyers welcome. Please contact us regarding shipping costs, CITES documentation, and import requirements for your country before purchasing.