1985 Paul Reed Smith Custom 24 Metal #73
1985 Paul Reed Smith Custom 24 Metal #73
Serial Number: 0073
Weight: 8.2 lbs.
Condition: Good Vintage condition, 1985 model. Guitar shows some wear consistent with its age and use. Body shows a number of dings, scratches, indentations, and a handful of chips on the edges. The back of the body also shows some scratches, dings, and buckle rash around the edge of the tremolo cavity cover. Guitar has an NOS sweet switch assembly. Back of the headstock is hand-signed by Paul Reed Smith, dedicated to Brian. Comes with original Hardshell case.
This 1985 Paul Reed Smith Custom 24 Metal #73 (Serial #0073) is a first-year PRS, hand-painted by Bud Davis and signed on the back of the headstock by Paul Reed Smith, with a personal dedication to Brian. PRS opened its first factory in Annapolis, Maryland, in April 1985, and the Metal was one of its earliest models. It took the Custom platform and dressed it in a hot-rod striped finish, and it was featured on the cover of the 1985 PRS catalog. Davis was a custom-car and motorcycle painter, and he painted every Metal by hand, so no two are exactly alike. This one wears black with hand-laid pinstripes. PRS built the Metal only from 1985 to 1987, which makes original examples scarce. The body is mahogany with a maple top, finished in high-gloss nitro, and the guitar weighs 8.2 lb.
The mahogany set neck has a Wide Thin carve (.845" at the 1st fret, .915" at the 12th fret) and a high-gloss nitro finish. It is wide across the fretboard with a shallow back, leaving room for clean chord voicings while moving quickly for lead work. The rosewood fretboard has moon inlays, a 10" radius, and 24 medium jumbo frets. The 25" scale sits between Gibson’s 24.75" and Fender’s 25.5", and the 1 11/16" nut is PRS synthetic. The set-neck joint ties the neck firmly into the body for strong sustain. The headstock carries the Paul Reed Smith signature, and on the back sits Paul’s own hand-signed dedication. Hardware is nickel: the PRS patented tremolo and Schaller locking tuners.
The electronics are the original-era PRS pair: a Treble humbucker in the bridge and a Bass humbucker in the neck. Controls are a volume knob, a 5-way rotary pickup selector, and a sweet switch, which gives a fixed treble roll-off in place of a standard tone knob. The rotary covers both full humbucker and coil-split sounds, from thick, singing leads to brighter, thinner cleans. The guitar is fitted with an NOS sweet switch assembly. Whether you’re a PRS collector tracing the brand back to its first year, a vintage collector who wants one of the earliest hand-painted PRS finishes, or a player who wants a used 1985 PRS with real history, the Metal #73 stands apart. It is in good vintage condition, with dings, scratches, indentations, and a handful of edge chips on the body, plus scratches and buckle rash around the tremolo cavity cover on the back. This one (Serial #0073) ships with its original PRS hardshell case. Order today from Brian’s Guitars, your authorized PRS dealer.
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Body
Type: Solidbody
Shape: Custom 24
Top Material: Maple
Body Material: Mahogany
Finish: High-Gloss Nitro
Color: Black w/ Pinstripes, Hand-Painted by Bud Davis
Neck
Material: Mahogany
Shape: Wide Thin
Dimensions: .845" at the 1st fret, .915" at the 12th fret
Joint: Set-Neck
Fretboard Material: Rosewood
Neck Finish: High-Gloss Nitro
Headstock: Paul Reed Smith Signature
Inlay: Moons
Radius: 10"
Frets: 24, Medium Jumbo
Scale Length: 25"
Nut Width: 1 11/16"
Nut Material: PRS Synthetic
Hardware
Bridge/Tailpiece: PRS Patented Tremolo
Tuners: Schaller Locking
Hardware Finish: Nickel
Electronics
Neck Pickup: PRS Bass Humbucker
Bridge Pickup: PRS Treble Humbucker
Controls: Volume, 5-way Rotary Pickup Selector, Sweet Switch
Other
Case/Gigbag: PRS Hardshell Case