Thoughts on PRS SE range and best PUs

[Guitarteach]

I am travelling to the US quite a bit at the moment and with exchange rates and prices its good for guitar hunting

How do the cheaper korean SE models like the custom 24 SE really compare for tone, build, ability to take a good setup and is it worth the PU upgrade?

Was thinking another RY set or maybe mules...  What have you found works best?

May grab one this week if it looks like it would stand some mods

[Telerocker]

I don't know how they compare. There are several PRS-owners here, so I hope they will chime in.
I played a few of the SE-series. Especially the Bernie Marsden en the new Santana-models appeal to me. I think they offer a lot of guitar for the money. The workmanship is good.
I would select a pickup that matches the natural voice of the guitar. On a 24-fret PRS something like the Abraxas will be most satisfying and I bet the more agressive, brighter Rebel Yell will do too, unless the guitar has a bright character.

[PhilKing]

I have 4 PRS's with different BK pickups, an Artist with Mules, a Standard with Rebel Yells, a Single Cut with Abraxas and an EG with Crawlers and BKP-91's.  I also have a Warmoth PRS bolt on clone with a rosewood neck and a Miracle Man set.  The RY's work really well if you have a darker guitar (the standards are all Mahogany).  For a maple capped I would look at VHII's, Mules or Abraxas.  Each of them is different in the overall sound, but all of them upgrade the sound well.   You don't mention what you want to play on it, so it's difficult to say what the best pickups would be.  Btw, Sam Ash in NY is having a closeout on the PRS SE 245 for $359.99!

[Twinfan]

The SEs are great guitars, but the frets can be a little low and the necks a bit thin.

Best of the range IMHO is the Bernie Marsden.  A cracking guitar well worthy of a pickup upgrade,

[Slartibartfarst42]

I bought a used but mint PRS SE Custom 24 a couple of years ago for Ģ350 and thought it would be a nice backup to my Japanese made Jackson Soloist that cost me Ģ1000. Other than the quality of the rosewood on the fretboard, the PRS easily matched the Jackson in terms of build quality and the tone was actually better than the Jackson. Suffice to say that I no longer own the Jackson but I have bought a second PRS SE Custom 24 to go with the first one!!

Negatives? Unless you use very light gauge strings, the nut will need a little work to make the grooves bigger otherwise you'll hit some tuning problems. The fretboard will also need a few good lemon oil treatments to get it looking and feeling as it should but other than that I can't think of any negatives at all. My older PRS just had a fret leveling and recrown done and the tech told me the frets were good quality ones. It's certainly taken a pro set-up beautifully and they both play like a dream. The trem unit is excellent; easily a match for any trem I've tried on a Fender. As for upgrades, I've changed the knobs to metal Tele-style ones as I just prefer them; I've changed the pots to Bare Knuckle 550k units (500k on the tone pot on one of the guitars as I wanted a push/pull); caps are now BKP units and obviously both have Bare Knuckle pickups. The guitars aren't especially dark sounding but they're not bright either; just warm and a bit middy. I imagine they'll take most pickups depending on how bright you like things. Rebel Yells would be too bright for my tastes but there's no reason why you wouldn't like them if you like a bright guitar. One of mine uses a Holydiver bridge with an Emerald neck, which gives you a very versatile Rock/Metal set. It's obviously a bit middy in the bridge but for that application, that's the way I like it. The Emerald neck absolutely kills in a PRS. My other PRS uses a Crawler bridge and Holydiver neck. The Crawler is my favourite as there's absolutely nothing I can't do with that guitar. If my other guitars broke down I could happily play Blues to Metal all night long with that pickup. A Crawler bridge in a PRS is the dog's danglies.

So, I have no regrets at all about buying these guitars or upgrading them. I'm left with no desire at all to buy one of the new S2 models and if I lost them I would simply buy exactly the same again. It's safe to say I'm a bit of a fan  :D

[darrenw5094]

The SEs are great guitars, but the frets can be a little low and the necks a bit thin.

Best of the range IMHO is the Bernie Marsden.  A cracking guitar well worthy of a pickup upgrade,

Are you Twinfan from the Marshall forum?

Anyway, most bkp would be an upgrade from the prs range.

[Twinfan]

Err, I think I have a login on there?  I rarely post though!

[Guitarteach]

Thanks for all the feedback.

I went to one of the stack em high, sell em cheap Guitar Center places here last night to try some out. They had a couple of SEs but with over light, out of tune strings and a horrible high action they really did not sell themselves well. (why they dont do a quick setup before putting them out for customers to play escapes me)

As it was I got completely sidetracked by one of the Ibanez reissue Artists, an AR 420 i think.... Beautiful block inlays, carved top, set up like a dream, all the switching options one could want and a totally killer sound - bright, airy and solid with a hot vintage vibe - like the RYs in have in another Ibanez. My guitars are called on play anything from ceilidhs, to wedding covers band stuff to knocking about in a blues band as well, so it fit well, esp. with all the switching.

I lusted over the Artist design in 80's Ibanez catalogues as a teenager... So now i am in a dilemma! :)

Do i need an ibanez AND a PRS?  sadly they are too similar and the pricing with exchange rates is not as attractive with the Ibanez.

[oldfoxy]

I too have looked longinly at the (apparently) US only Artist re-issues, particularly as I have a Black '79 Artist which I bought from new as a teenager, which is a beautiful guitar and I would dearly love another. They rarely make an appearance on ebay unfortunately.  I also have a PRS SE Bernie Marsden which is a great player and is a candidate for a pup upgrade when I get some spare dosh. Bang for buck with the SE range is high. I'd buy both, but then I'm greedy...............

[Kiichi]

What I can say is: PRS are amazing. Great bang for the buck. Got my eye on a Korina Singlecut myself.
Thing is: If you think it is good, it is good. Donīt think you have to get a PRS, they are just a great direction to go to, but if you find something else while walking there...hey.