Anyone own/try PRS SE models? Some players swear by them.

[mooncobra]

I am just curious. I don't plan on getting one, but I have seen quite a few people playing them. I have watched videos of guys gigging with them and doing demos with them. Most have switched out the pickups, and some have changed the tuners. All these guys claim that if you switch out those two things that it is as good as a guitar 3 times it's cost. I am curious. That would be cool to spend so little on a guitar, and switch out a couple things and have a great guitar. Anyone tried this? Are they great sounding and playing guitars after the switch has been made? I have seen a few PRS SE models online that looked cool.

I think I read that one of Mark Holcomb's main guitars is a Holcomb SE model. Anyone know what's up with the PRS SE models? Is the build quality that good?

 

[Chris6870]

I've never played an SE. But have a Custom 24 and a new CE24. I would recommend a used CE24 that could be had for probably,1200. By the time you swap out parts on an SE you could be close to a USA made CE24.

 

[Michi]

I had a SE Custom 24 with a Suhr Aldrich set. Loved that guitar! Great great instrument not only for the money but just an awesome instrument period. Could have gotten by with the stock pickups but wanted them DAs in there ;-).

The only reason I sold it was I got a Torero SE and couldn't (at least at the time LOL ) justify having two almost identical (to me) guitars. The Torero is a metal shredding machine! I like the EMGs a lot too.

Granted I haven't had that much time with a core model PRS, but I am willing to bet the SE range will give them a decent run for their money. Every SE I have tried has been very well made, played well and sounded good right off the bat.

 

[rokket2005]

I have 5 Maryland PRSi and have/had 2 SEs. My first PRS was a singlecut SE which was a really nice guitar for the ~$250 or so I paid for it. The pickups were a little more generic sounding than USA models and it wasn't as thick as a core model but a perfectly fine playing and sounding guitar, ultimately sold it cause after playing it for a while I bought all my core models. The other SE that I have is a 277 which is also a really nice guitar. Again the pickups are pretty good for all around rock tones, nothing special, but all other metrics surpass the quality of similarly priced guitars IMO. They don't quite have the same feel as USA ones, but they're still nice guitars in their own right.

 

[seanseanhd]

They really are that good with new pickups and tuners they play and sound almost as good as my core models.

 

[squank]

I've owned a bunch of USA PRS guitars and a number of SEs. The SEs are amazing guitars for the money. They exceed most other brand USA guitars in build quality and QC. Change pickups and tuners and you have an amazing guitar for under $1k. I gigged an SE for a number of years alongside my USA guitars and never felt like it was a step down, just different.

 

[Shask]

I love my SE Custom 24. I feel like they are unique guitars in general vs. the competition. They have a 25" scale and are mahogany set neck kind of like a Gibson, yet they dont have the archtop and TOM bridge, so they feel a little more Fender-like in that regard. They are kind of like playing a Gibson in tone, yet have more of a Superstrat feel, without going all Jackson/Ibanez pointy. I think that is the main reason to like them, however their quality is much better than many other brands. A $800 SE will have similar quality of a $1300 guitar of a different brand. They seem to pay more attention to the little details.

 

[romanianreaper]

Buckeydog has one and I actually got to try it out. I believe it was the Mark Tremonti one. I was really blown away at how great it sounded and played. Definitely didn't seem like a lower end guitar. Years ago I tried out the purple one with the bat inlays which is the Allender model or something like that? I don't know who plays it but great guitar as well!

 

[Buckeyedog]

Now I have a Zach Myers and a Bernie Marsden!! Very impressed with these SE's.

 

[Steinmetzify]

Had the Mushok baritone for a while....super solid guitar once pickups and nut were changed.

 

[Mesa\Kramer]

They are truly great guitars

 

[Chris O]

I've had a handful of them, and each one was very well made and set up. Tough to find a better value out there. The stock pickups were pretty good for my purposes. Fretwork was top notch. No complaints at all. I was quite content with the guitars I had in stock form.

 

[D-Rock]

I've heard from steadfast SE players that they are great guitars for the money, but only after changing the pups, a full set up and neck adjustment, swapping the tuners and a fret polish....

 

[JerEvil]

Not been too much a fan of the few SE's I have tried BUT.... I am really interested in the Chris Robertson sig model.

 

[Chris O]

I've heard from steadfast SE players that they are great guitars for the money, but only after changing the pups, a full set up and neck adjustment, swapping the tuners and a fret polish....

I've heard that eskimo pussy is mighty cold.

 

[CrazyNutz]

I've owned a few (I have a USA Custom 24 now), they are really good for the money. I would go as far to say probably the best import guitar you can get.

My brother brought his single cut SE over recently, I dropped a set of USA PRS Nickle HFS/Vintage Bass pup's I had lying around in it, and damn thing sounded KILLER!

 

[squank]

Couple of my SEs:

This one has locking tuners and Anderson H1/H3 pickup set

I have a mixture of Suhr and Duncan pickups in this one

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