Any PRS SE love out there?

[chrisolson]

Or do I have it all right now?

I stopped at a super high-end shop here in the Twin Cities over the weekend. In the "back room" (where they keep the non-vintage "shit guitars") was a small gaggle of PRS SE's. I've glanced at them before, but never thought about them much. I picked a couple up. Not bad. Fit and finish were nice. Sounded good acoustically. Felt good.

I think I mentioned that I'm done with big $$$ guitars as of late. Just not worth it. Hard to unload. Trading is okay, but cash? Forget it.

So...I perused the local GC used shit ads. Went out and tried a couple. Bought them BOTH! I came home with a Singlecut and a Custom 22. Polished them up, re-strung, and set up to my liking. Easy. Excellent. Impressed! I may throw JB's into them, but beyond that, there's nothing to want for. Simple, playable, and outstanding for what I paid. They kill my Epi's, and hold their own against much "better" guitars.

So good...that I bought a Mushok today. I was looking for a baritone, since I had recently sold my Ibanez RGD's. it doesn't give up much. I'll probably tune it down to drop G# (like Love and Death), but it's SIMPLE and SOLID.

Anyone else out there digging these? Others I should have? I'm thinking a Soapbar might be in my future to round it out...

[VitaminG]

I'm very interested in the Fredrik Akesson model. Local store has one. I like it a lot.

[chrisolson]

I played one of those too! The weird thing -- I thought it was damn near the same weight as the thinner Singlecut I played. Weird. Looked really cool though. Dark sounding.

[84sups]

I have a Tremonti SE that I got at a local pawn shop and it has the lowest action of all my guitars. I put an Iommi in it but I'm about to put the 500/498 set in it. It plays great, I just can't for the life of me adjust to the scale length.

[levantin]

I've got an SE245 which I dig. It's great for lower gain tones as the pickups have lower output and I absolutely love the short scale narrow board. I'm thinking of chucking in a duncan distortion I have lying around somewhere but haven't got around to it yet. I bought this as a cheapo replacement for a les paul I sold recently, and it definitely holds its own against the gibson.

[chrisolson]

Yeah! Isn't that something else? I have a couple Epi's that don't give up much to a Gibson after a pickup upgrade and a little time with the setup, and the PRS is head-and-shoulders above those. The fit and finish on these are definitely a step up over most things I see in a similar price range.

There's a local guy with an SE Custom 24 that I'm talking to - we'll see.

[chrisolson]

Here's for all the people...


Here we go...





To go along with those, here are my other recent acquisitions:
Squier Classic Vibe 50's Tele neck on a Might Mite body
Fender FSR Player's Tele w/Vintage Noiseless and 25db mid-boost
Squier Classic Vibe 50's Tele

The Squiers are getting new Wilkinson Tele bridges with 3-barrel compensated brass saddles, and the blue one is getting a Dimarzio Chopper T and the white one is getting a SD Little '59. The "blizzard pearl" one came with a tortoise pick guard, but that went as soon as I changed the strings. Not a tortoise fan. This may be getting a Chopper at some point as well. The necks on the Squiers - WOW. They give up nothing on the MIM stuff, and are on par with some of the USA's I've had.

[straycat]

I have had single cuts and double cuts and I love them as long as they are in the 2004-2005 range.
I have a white soap bar II and its a fantastic guitar.

[MetalMedal II]

I got the singlecut Akerfeldt SE model last year in an effort to get an LP feel since I sold my LP years ago. It’s a great guitar but I didn’t bond w it the way I thought I would. I know it’s not a true LP scale length at 25 in. Maybe I’m just spoiled w C/J compound radius over the years. Anyway, I sold it to my pal and he loves it (sucker!).

BTW, I got it barely used and the fit/finish was great.

[Cygnus X1]

Yes, the tone and neck dimensions vary widely on PRS guitars overall.
Find a good one and you're golden.
Congrats!

[chrisolson]

The more I play them, the more impressed I am. Korea is indeed the new Japan. Suck it, RacerX...

I did some "surgery" on the Teles last night, and both the Squiers have sc-sized humbuckers in the bridge now - Chopper T in the blue and a Little '59 in the white one. The blue sparkle now has a black pickguard too - looks better IMO, and it kinda pops. With that and the hum, it's a little more "rock" now. I'm beginning to think the the white one might be a USA or Mexi body though - it didn't look like pine in the neck pocket. Kinda heavy too. I put the Wilkinson bridges in too, and all went well. They set up well, and sound terrific. I think I'll probably find a bridge p'up for the pearl Fender too, and I already have a bridge for it.

Couple "post-op" pics:

[chrisolson]

White SE Singlecut in the house, and a sunburst SE Singlecut Soapbar on the way!!

Epi Zakk was sacrificed though...