Best Alternatives To PRS Custom 24

The best alternatives to the PRS Custom 24, ranked by tone similarity:

1. PRS SE Custom 24 — £699, 82% tone match. The Korean-made version at £1,500 less — the SE Custom 24 uses the same body shape, 24-fret configuration, and mahogany/maple construction as the USA Custom 24, with PRS 85/15 "S" pickups. The USA Custom 24's difference is in fit and finish, fret polish, setup quality, and the original 85/15 pickups which have a more complex tonal response than the SE versions. Players who want to experience the PRS Custom 24 concept before investing in the USA version consistently recommend the SE as the entry point.
2. Suhr Modern — £2,899, 80% tone match. Boutique superstrat at £700 more — Suhr's Modern is the professional boutique alternative for players who want a double-cutaway 24-fret guitar with the highest possible construction quality. The Suhr Modern uses Suhr's own SSV+ humbuckers and has a notably more consistent fret job and setup than most production guitars, including the PRS. Players who have settled on the PRS Custom 24 format and want the highest level of craftsmanship in that format buy Suhr; the PRS is the mainstream professional standard, the Suhr is the boutique answer.
3. Music Man Silhouette — £2,199, 78% tone match. Music Man's professional alternative at the same price — the Silhouette shares the PRS Custom 24's brief (24-fret double-cutaway, quality USA construction, versatile humbucker/single configuration) but with Music Man's faster asymmetric neck profile, floating tremolo, and proprietary pickup voicing. The Silhouette is slightly brighter and more Strat-adjacent in character compared to the PRS's mahogany warmth; players who want a more open, dynamic tone with a floating tremolo may prefer the Silhouette, while players who want the PRS character buy the Custom 24.
4. Gibson Les Paul Standard 60s — £2,799, 72% tone match. Gibson's classic alternative at £600 more — the most common real-world comparison to the PRS Custom 24. The Les Paul Standard's PAF-style humbuckers produce a warmer, rounder, more compressed tone than the PRS 85/15s; the single-cutaway body limits upper fret access where the PRS double-cutaway reaches all 24 frets comfortably. Players who prefer a thicker, warmer sound with more sustain choose the Les Paul; players who want more clarity, presence, and upper fret access choose the PRS. This is the most frequent comparison in the mid-to-high-end electric segment.
5. Schecter Hellraiser C-1 — £899, 70% tone match. High-specification superstrat at £1,300 less — the Hellraiser C-1 targets the high-gain segment with EMG 81/89 active pickups, set-neck mahogany/maple construction, and 24-fret access in a Les Paul-format body. The Schecter is a high-gain specialist where the PRS Custom 24 is a versatile all-rounder; EMG actives produce a tighter, more compressed high-gain character that PRS 85/15s cannot match for modern metal, but the PRS is significantly more dynamic and expressive across lower gain settings.