PRS Custom 22 Tremolo 2020 - Faded Whale Blue

This 2020 PRS Custom 22 Tremolo in Faded Whale Blue has one of those tops that makes absolutely no sense not being marked a 10-Top. The figure runs basically everywhere, with big bands of flame mixed with some almost quilt-like movement, and the faded blue finish lets a ton of the natural character of the maple show through. This is easily one of the better non-10-Top PRS tops I’ve had.

It’s also an incredibly easy guitar to play. This one has a Pattern Thin neck, and paired with the low action and excellent frets it feels fast without being overly flat or insubstantial. Bends are smooth, the fretwork feels excellent, and the current setup is right where I’d want it. Intonation is spot on.

The original uncovered PRS 85/15 pickups have a ton of punch. There’s a really strong low end to them, but they stay articulate when you add gain instead of turning into mush. They’re also very responsive to your picking hand, so there’s a noticeable difference between digging in and backing off. The 5-way switching gives you quite a bit more range than the simple two-humbucker layout suggests.

2020 was also an interesting year for the Core Custom 22, with PRS moving to the TCI-tuned version of the 85/15 pickups. It was near the end of this generation of the Custom 22 as a regular Core model, which makes these later examples particularly cool to come across.

What stood out to me:

• Outstanding figured maple top despite not being designated a 10-Top
• Faded Whale Blue looks fantastic against the natural maple edge
• Original uncovered PRS 85/15 pickups
• Pattern Thin neck feels fast and extremely comfortable
• Excellent frets and fretboard
• Effortless low-action setup
• Spot-on intonation
• PRS Gen III tremolo
• Complete electronics test passed
• 7.28 lbs on my scale
• Original PRS hard case
• Includes the complete case candy

The guitar is graded Very Good overall, but the front is honestly excellent. I’m not seeing any notable blemishes across that figured top, and it presents beautifully.

The reason for the Very Good rating is almost entirely on the backside. There are areas along the rear edges where the finish had chipped and was previously touched up. Whoever did the touch-up actually did a pretty respectable job—it blends into the black well enough that it isn’t something that jumps out from normal viewing distance. There are also a couple of light bumps and scratches on the back consistent with use. I’d rather grade around those areas conservatively even though the rest of the guitar is exceptionally clean.

At only 7.28 lbs, it’s also noticeably light for a carved-maple-top, mahogany-backed Core PRS. Between that weight, the Pattern Thin neck and the low setup, this is the kind of guitar that disappears in your hands pretty quickly.

And visually, the top really is the story here. PRS obviously has very high standards for what gets the 10-Top designation, because if you handed me this guitar without telling me otherwise, I would have assumed it was one.

The photos shown are real photographs of this exact guitar. I do not use AI-generated imagery, replacement backgrounds, or image manipulation to misrepresent the condition of my guitars. What you see is the instrument you’ll receive.

Like all my guitars, this one’s been cared for and dialed in—no guesswork, no surprises, just a great instrument that’s ready to play. I personally inspect and test every guitar before it ships, making sure it’s in the exact condition I’d want to receive myself. These guitars come from me, not a shop—each one gets the kind of attention and care only a real guitar lover gives. Ships fast and fully insured via Reverb Safe Shipping.

⏳ Quick note: Most of my guitars sell within 1–5 days, and I regularly hear from watchers after the listing has already sold. If this one’s on your radar, now’s the window!