PRS Core Custom 24-08 10 Top, Aurora Borealis, Hardshell Case - Used - Mint
The Custom 24 is where PRS begins and ends. It is the guitar Paul Reed Smith built his entire reputation on when he introduced it in 1985, and four decades later it remains the clearest expression of what a PRS is supposed to be — a set-neck mahogany guitar with a figured maple top, 24 frets, a 25" scale, and that particular combination of sustain, clarity, and playability that PRS players have been chasing ever since. The Custom 24-08 takes that foundation and adds something genuinely new: TCI pickups designed to reach toward single-coil and soapbar clarity in a humbucking format, paired with two EQ mini-toggle switches that function as tuned high-pass filters, dialing back low-end shelf and opening up the high frequencies for a more articulate, musical top end. It is a feature set that originated on a Private Stock John McLaughlin model in 2023 and has now found its way into the Core line — and it transforms the tonal range of an already versatile instrument into something exceptional.
This is a 10 Top, meaning the figured maple top was hand-selected at the factory for outstanding figure. The Aurora Borealis finish carries a note worth reading carefully: there is some blue-tone fading in the finish due to UV exposure, which is a known and documented characteristic of certain PRS nitrocellulose finishes. This is not damage, not a refinish, and not a defect — it is a natural consequence of the finish chemistry, well understood in the PRS community. We are calling it out plainly because that is how we do things. The guitar is otherwise Mint — no play wear, no scratches, nothing to note beyond the color shift.
As a player it is exactly what the Pattern Thin neck promises: effortless and fast, the kind of profile that disappears in your hand within the first few minutes and just gets out of the way. The action is dialed in, the guitar responds with authority and clarity across the full range of the neck, and between the TCI pickups and the EQ toggles there is genuinely no tonal territory this instrument cannot reach. Comes with the original hardshell case.
- Make: PRS (Paul Reed Smith)
- Model: Core Custom 24-08
- Option: 10 Top with Hybrid Hardware
- Country of origin: USA
- Body construction: Solidbody
- Top: Figured maple, 10 Top, violin carve
- Back: Mahogany
- Finish: High gloss nitrocellulose, Aurora Borealis (UV color shift — see description)
- Neck: Mahogany, one-piece, set neck
- Neck shape: Pattern Thin
- Neck depth at 1st fret: 53/64"
- Neck depth at 12th fret: 57/64"
- Neck width at nut: 1 11/16"
- Neck width at body: 2 1/4"
- Fingerboard: Rosewood, 10" radius
- Fingerboard inlays: PRS Birds
- Headstock logo: Signature, inlaid
- Scale length: 25"
- Nut: PRS
- Frets: 24
- Treble pickup: PRS TCI humbucker
- Bass pickup: PRS TCI humbucker
- Controls: Volume, tone, 3-way toggle pickup switch, two EQ mini-toggle switches
- Bridge: PRS Patented Gen III tremolo
- Tuners: PRS Phase III locking with wing buttons
- Hardware: Nickel
- Truss rod: PRS double-acting
- Truss rod cover: Custom
- Strings: PRS Signature 10-46
- Weight: 7 lbs 15 oz
- Modifications: None
- Includes: Original hardshell case
Ships carefully packed and insured for full value.
International buyers are welcome — please contact us for a shipping quote before purchasing.
About Mill River Music
Mill River Music is an independent, human-powered music shop located in downtown Northampton, MA, run by a team of players, enthusiasts, and certified repair technicians. Every piece of used gear we sell is personally inspected, tested, and set up before it ships — we don't list it until we'd be happy to play it ourselves.
As Martin and Taylor certified techs, we hold our guitar work to a high standard, and we're committed to full transparency about the condition of everything we sell. No surprises.
When you buy from Mill River, you're supporting an independent local business that genuinely cares — about gear, about players, and about doing things right. We're here every step of the way. Reach out anytime.
