Electric Guitars Have you played several PRS?

MikeS

Student Of The Blues
Staff member
So many people speak very highly about their PRSs and I have several people I know have them.
I'm wondering your thoughts on the differences between PRS models.

What's the difference between and SE and a non SE? (the SE seems to be much less expensive)

for instance, what is different between:
Paul Reed Smith 35th Anniversary Custom 24 - Black Gold Burst $3,950
  • Top Wood Carved Figured Maple Top, Back Wood Mahogany
  • Neck Mahogany, Fretboard Rosewood
  • Bridge PRS Patented Tremolo, Gen III
  • Tuners Phase III Locking Tuners w/ Faux Bone Buttons
  • Treble Pickup 85/15 TCI
  • Bass Pickup 85/15 TCI
  • Two Mini Toggle Coil-Tap Switches

PRS SE 35th Anniversary Custom 24 Electric Guitar Black Gold Burst $999
  • Mahogany body with carved, contoured maple top, flame maple veneer
  • 25"-scale Wide-Thin maple neck, 24-fret, rosewood fingerboard
  • PRS TCI "S" humbucking pickups with coil taps, 3-way switch
  • PRS-designed tremolo bridge and tuners

or the
PRS SE Custom 24 - Vintage Sunburst $789
  • maple top, mahogany back,
  • wide thin maple neck,
  • rosewood fretboard with bird inlays
  • 85/15 “S” pickups
  • 3-way blade pickup selector.
I'm not seeing $3,000 difference between the PRS SE Custom 24 and the Non SE version besides the coil tap switches.

Thoughts?

 

Al Holloway

Devizes UK
The major difference is where they are made. If Made in USA is important to you then there is your $3000. Another major difference I see imediatly in the specs is the SE is a flame maple veneer. Not solid flame maple top that probably makes a reasonable price differenec in the build costs.

cheers

Al.
 

PapaBear

Guit Fiddlier
I have an SE, S2 and two USA made (single cut trem and a McCarty) and love them all

Edit: I forgot to mention the Silver Sky it's such a great Strat style guitar I forget it's a PRS
 
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mountain man

Still got the Blues!
PRS went the same way that Gibson is now with Epiphone, Fender is with the MIM guitars, Martin is with the X series guitars, among other guitar manufactures brands. They are made off-shore (or Mexico) with what I understand as lower level materials and parts. That combined with lower wage rates among lacking environmental and labor standards that "Americans" will not allow if manufactured here on the continental USA yield a lower price point. Really kind of hypocritical. I'm sure all of these price point guitars from all the manufactures are nice guitars to play and sound just fine. :Beer:
 

MikeR

Guitar Challenged
Staff member
I've got a US-made CE24 ($2000 list) and an SE Paul's guitar ($1000 list). The CE24 has a 1/4 thick flame maple cap, while the SE has a cheaper maple cap with a thin flame maple veneer. The SE pickups are made to the same specs as the US models and most people would be hard pressed to tell the difference. There's also a 3rd series, the S2 series, which is made in the US, but uses a lot of the SE parts.

There's a great video of the factory in Indonesia with an explanation of the differences by PRS people here:

 

Zzzen Dog

Blues Junior
I've played several SE models in guitar stores, and I own a USA made Custom 22 (it may be an Artist, but I'm fuzzy on that).

I will say that the differences are highly subjective, since I haven't played them side by side. That said, while the SE models I checked out played and sounded really, really good. But my USA PRS plays a lot smoother (not a finish thing, ergonomic of the neck?) and sounds distinctly "better".
  • My understanding of the whole body wood and top thing is that both have maple tops and many SE models have mahogony bodies. The prime difference is the grade of the woods being used. So how much of this tone that I find "better", I'm not sure.
  • My understanding is that tuners and bridges are also different. Although I didn't really notice any remarkable difference in terms of their performance.
  • It may be due to the difference in pickups, TCI vs. S series pickups (assuming both have in-house brand pickups). I feel like the TCI pickups have more "oomph".
  • Internal electronics might play a part as well, but I'm not clear on specifics there so I can't comment.
  • The coil tapping is an obvious advantage, simply due to versatility. That said, it doesn't make the SE sound "bad" because it doesn't have it, right?
That all said, I'm casually looking for a guitar with P90s, and I really like the way they look in the PRS models. I'd seriously consider one of the SEs for that purpose.
 

mountain man

Still got the Blues!
I've got a US-made CE24 ($2000 list) and an SE Paul's guitar ($1000 list). The CE24 has a 1/4 thick flame maple cap, while the SE has a cheaper maple cap with a thin flame maple veneer. The SE pickups are made to the same specs as the US models and most people would be hard pressed to tell the difference. There's also a 3rd series, the S2 series, which is made in the US, but uses a lot of the SE parts.

There's a great video of the factory in Indonesia with an explanation of the differences by PRS people here:

Great marketing video. It leaves a lot of questions but is non the less, a great marketing video. :Beer:
 

MikeR

Guitar Challenged
Staff member
To clarify on the pickups, "S" pickups are the Indonesian-made version of the US pickups. "TCI" (Tuned Capacitance Inductance) is a type of pickup that used in both lineups. Supposedly, TCI pickups are tuned to the guitar model, which I believe first came out with the Paul's guitar. When coil split, the Paul's guitar has no appreciable dropoff in volume.
 

JPsuff

Blackstar Artist
I have an SE "Paul's Guitar" (TCI pups, wide fat neck, coil-split) which I absolutely love and it has displaced my beloved EPI LP Custom as my #1 guitar ($999.00 Sweetwater).

I also have an S2 Vela (PRS Plate-Style Bridge Starla Humbucker with Coil Tap & Type-D Singlecoil, pattern regular neck).
Completely different personality than the PG but also a great sounding guitar ($1399.00)

Both are extremely easy to play and more importantly - fun to play!

As I've said before, PRS got it right with their SE and S2 lines. They focused on putting the quality where it counts.
If you want 4A maple, mother of pearl inlays and other fancy stuff, they can certainly accommodate you.

But if you want a still quite beautiful instrument with solid features and great sound at a reasonable or even a budget price, you can't go wrong with PRS SE or S2.
 

CaptainMoto

Blues Voyager
Played a few..all great, never owned one..........yet!

A while back, I posted a comparison review video of PRS vs PRS SE, I'll see if I can find it.
They are both good but different.


 
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JestMe

Student Of The Blues
I have a PRS S2 Mira Semi-hollow and a PRS S2 single cut semi-hollow. My favorite 2 guitars!
 

MarkDyson

Blues Hound Wannabe
I had two different SE electrics (first one was my first-ever electric guitar) and both were great; they eventually fell prey to the revolving door of my honeymoon period of "gotta try 'em all." My current #1 ride is an S2 singlecut semi hollow and it's displaced my beloved ES-339. Sounds great, feels great, looks amazing, and the price was right.

To me (and, mind you, I'm just one of those "perpetual beginners"), the things like thick and "10" tops, and the other trimmings that take them into the $3k realm, are just frills that don't attract.
 
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