I've had a Custom 24 since 1995. I'll be honest, I've really struggled with the guitar over the years but I've come to really like it. My wife bought it for me when we were first married (and absolutely didn't have the money for me to drop $1.7K on a guitar), so I can't ever sell it.
When I bought it, I wanted a swiss army knife of a guitar for a band I was playing in that covered about everything you can think of in the era of electric instruments. We'd double up some nights, with a dinner music gig early and a roadhouse gig later. I didn't have time to head home between shows, so I needed a rig (one guitar, one amp, and some pedals) that would go from jazz through ZZ Top and AC/DC. I almost bought a Hamer Studio, but decided I wanted a McCarty (they were new that year).
I played about 25 PRS guitars in Minneapolis that weekend, and it came down to a new Whale Blue Custom 24, or a 1987 root beer Custom with artist package (for $100 less!). Of course I bought the new one. I brought it home, took it to a gig, and immediately hated the tone. I love how the guitar plays, but I was always disappointed with how it sounded through my rig. Oddly enough, any time I've heard anyone else play my guitar, I love how it sounds. But I didn't like it with my playing.
I've now come to realize that part of the problem was amps. I was playing my PRS in lower gain settings with Fender-style amps and 10" speakers. When I got my first Line6 POD, I couldn't believe how amazing the PRS sounded through the higher gain amp models. I bought a Dirty Little Secret pedal for my rig, and the PRS shines through that for 80's rock. A pickup swap to some slightly lower-output pickups (Duncan APII's), and I've tamed some of the shrillness I used to hear.
I'm now finally understanding that the PRS Custom is a guitar from the time it was designed - it's essentially a late-80's superstrat without a Floyd. It's not a vintage blues guitar, it's not a jazz box - it shines on fusion and rock. Once I "got it" (hell, it took me over a decade), I get it. I now really love this guitar.
Pic below. It's now at PhilTone for some new stainless frets and a nut that will allow some more use of the bar. As a package it's a really good guitar. I've never owned a guitar that is as effortless to play. I've said before that the PRS allows you to play over your ability level. You're not fighting them like you do with strats and teles.
I even bought a new amp (Mesa Mark V) that will hopefully allow this guitar to absolutely shine once I get it back. As I'm now getting heavily into fusion and hard rock/metal, I think I'm finally ready for the guitar.
