Oh okay, NOW I understand PRS!

ScottyB said:
I tried this in the SE Custom 24-08 thread, but this may be a better location...

So I'm looking at an SE Custom 24-08. Would there be a reason to do these upgrades on a new guitar? Is there a drop in the quality of these components from the core guitars to the SE line?
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Don’t know about the 24-08s but I recently picked up a Korean SE245 soap bar. I have no doubt they use cheaper electronics. And a veneer over the maple cap along with machined bevel carving. But man I really love this guitar. It’s pretty much the only one I’ve played since I got it. Mine came with upgraded tuners which is something else the SE won’t have. I have a US PRS too. Love them both but right now I love the SE more lol. Almost hate saying that but it’s true.
 
Thanks for the responses folks. The seller said the pu selector had failed early on so he replaced it along with the pots and wiring and then added the PRS locking tuners.
So I decided to run with it and ended up getting my first PRS ever. The feel of the guitar is pretty awesome as are the tonal palette options.
00d0d_STFVOjEhQMz_07K0ak_1200x900.jpg

I did have to make a couple of slight modifications after putting on some new strings. (.10’s vs. the .09’s that were on it) I dampened the trem springs to get rid of a bit of a ringing sound. I also made some slight adjustments to the truss rod, trem bridge height and trem springs tension. Trem bridge is level at 1/16th off the body with action at 1/16” at the 12th fret now. This thing is a beast! Pretty happy camper right now. :D
 
One thing: I recommend giving the core CE 24 model a try. Both versions, SE and core, seem to have the same woods and the same meassures, so you'd expect them beeing very similar. But they are less similar than it seems from the specs.

They say both have a wide thin neck, but the CE 24's is a bit thinner and allows for faster playing! Compared to my full mahogany PRSi I'd say the neck on the CE 24 is the real wide thin version, the SE's necks are a bit thicker. Though they are not near the wide fat form.
Also the CE 24's body is a bit thinner. The woods on the CE are way harder, you can feel it easily.
And all that makes a different guitar.

I was satisfied with my SEs as long as I had no CE 24, not amazed, but they are solid guitars for the money and I would have used them with the band after some setups and tweaks (one got new pickups) I did on them. But when I got my core CE24 I started to scratch my head. They should have been very similar. They should have been almost the same. Instead the core version is a different beast. Outstanding sound, both bridge and neck, and even the split sound are good. And a better playability. And no tweaks necessary at all, great setup right out of the box.
 
ScottyB said:
Thanks for the responses folks. The seller said the pu selector had failed early on so he replaced it along with the pots and wiring and then added the PRS locking tuners.
So I decided to run with it and ended up getting my first PRS ever. The feel of the guitar is pretty awesome as are the tonal palette options.
00d0d_STFVOjEhQMz_07K0ak_1200x900.jpg

I did have to make a couple of slight modifications after putting on some new strings. (.10’s vs. the .09’s that were on it) I dampened the trem springs to get rid of a bit of a ringing sound. I also made some slight adjustments to the truss rod, trem bridge height and trem springs tension. Trem bridge is level at 1/16th off the body with action at 1/16” at the 12th fret now. This thing is a beast! Pretty happy camper right now. :D
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You know about the special screws used with the tremolo, right?

They are grooved for the knife edge so all 6 screws need to be precisely adjusted otherwise the bridge can bind and not return to the zero point well.

There's a video a friend sent me when I was having some tuning stability issues with my CE24 after I got it. Very good to know!
 
unix-guy said:
You know about the special screws used with the tremolo, right?

They are grooved for the knife edge so all 6 screws need to be precisely adjusted otherwise the bridge can bind and not return to the zero point well.
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I think they can make a difference in the sustain if they're not adjusted right also. Make sure to release the string tension before adjusting them or the knife-edges can be ruined.

Here's the PRS tremolo setup page:
https://prsguitars.com/support/article/prs_tremolo
 
666was999 said:
But when I got my core CE24 I started to scratch my head. They should have been very similar. They should have been almost the same. Instead the core version is a different beast. Outstanding sound, both bridge and neck, and even the split sound are good. And a better playability. And no tweaks necessary at all, great setup right out of the box.
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That's been my experience too. The SE and S2 guitars are good and worth the money, but, even though the core guitars cost a lot more, the core guitars are worth the difference in price because they are so well made. I have five and they're outstanding instruments, with a great range of sounds, and are all a pleasure to play.
 
Greg Ferguson said:
That's been my experience too. The SE and S2 guitars are good and worth the money, but, even though the core guitars cost a lot more, the core guitars are worth the difference in price because they are so well made. I have five and they're outstanding instruments, with a great range of sounds, and are all a pleasure to play.
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My S2 is the guitar i'd keep of my harem. No idea if they're all that good lol.
 
I fell in love with PRS a couple of years ago, maybe 3, when I got a Korean made Zack Myers SE. The rounder radius to what I was used to, the feel of the neck on this model, the visceral nature of it.. Most things about the instrument were amazing. I've since swapped out the pickups for EMG 57/66 and refretted with 58118 stainless jescar frets.

Unfortunately the neck recently developed a twist. But I leveled the frets to compensate, and it still plays great. IMG_20211216_104316.jpg
 
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