"five watt world" started out with me wrestling with the question of how much gear did I really need, after spending decades collecting guitars and buying and building amplifiers. As I dug down into what mattered to me most I realized that no one had made short histories of the iconic gear and so I made one about the Telecaster, and that proved very popular. As I'm always engaged by a good story I started making others. Now I try to alternate between a video on how to have less gear and histories that I hope will help people find the tone in their heads without having to buy everything that I went through. I hope that works for you. Thanks in advance, and thanks for being a part of five watt world. Keith
The SE semi hollows that you spoke of towards the end of the video stating how they got lost during covid, I don't believe they got lost at all because they're made in China and sit around that $1500 range. I know thats a hard pass for a LOT of players including myself and I noticed you conveniently skipped over that made in China detail.
So many completely different and often beautiful guitars! And all of them with that silly, ugly and undersized headstock… It just looks horrible in my eyes, and I’ll never own a PRS because of that headstock alone.
Hi guys love your channel so much , I would love to see a History Of …… fender cases through the years , I’ve looked on line and have found nothing, so could be an idea to do a complete one . ☝🏻
Back in 2020 I found a 2006 SE Custom in a second hand shop - it was missing the pick up switch knob, had a shallow gauge in the neck and a very dirty body and neck. Cleaned it up and it’s become my ‘testbed’ guitar, having replaced the pick ups and wiring for split coils (not a feature on release). A very solid instrument!
I picked up an SE Hollowbody II for GBP600 2 years ago - it’s a real good guitar for that money. Easily sits alongside guitars 5-10x the cost both in quality and how it sounds. I’d say my old 2002 Lucille edges it on tone just, and it’s finished in poly so feels a bit ‘cheaper’ , but for the money they are superb.
I've been playing guitar for 40 years, many of those years professionally, and over those four decades I've played and owned almost every major guitar brand out there. Except for a large sampling of Ernie Ball Music Man models, I have more Korean-made PRS SE's in my collection than anything else. They're just so hard to beat for the money - they look, sound, and play great. I've checked out a few of the more recent models being made in Indonesia and China, but I found that the quality control is not up to the Korean standard I've become accustomed to. I'm glad I bought the ones I have when I did. Thanks for the video, Keith, stellar content as always.
Good video. I've never owned a PRS, but I have played and inspected plenty of them. Never actually liked them much, to be honest. They always seemed to have flaws in the finish, and a weird scale length. I must be missing something, so many people swear by them, but I have never bonded with them.
I got the hardtail version of the first run of Santana SE’s in red for my 15th birthday. The one similar to the one featured in the SE 20th anniversary video. Crazy to think it’s held up so well after 20 years
This video inspired me I went to my music store K.S.M music in Logan Utah and I bought a PRS. SE. MARK HOLCOMB SIGNATURE MODEL 😅 I HAVE A SHOT VIDEO OF THE GUITAR ON MY RU-vid CHANNEL 😊
I don't understand why the poor choices an artist made has to be upchucked, when all we want to hear is about their unique ability to create music. Maybe you can tell us all about your unpaid parking tickets someday. How tortured with guilt you are that I'm sure helps you be a better writer.
Great video, Keith. I am a long-time fan of PRS guitars. Thanks for shining a light on this brand. I have had played and owned too many to list here and they are a special fiddle. It was cool that you had ole Blugubrious on your video. Way to reach out in the community. Thanks again.
Just a small correction... at 21:14 you say that the V2 was released in 1981. However, production actually ran from 1979 to 1982. I have two that were manufactured in 1980. Otherwise, great video!
I can't believe you missed the one flagship core that made it to the SE line along with the DGT (2023), and that's the only SE I own: the McCarty 594. What sets it apart from most other SE models is how true to the core that it remains with the same Pattern Vintage neck profile This model was snuck in during the same launch as the DGT and was overshadowed because of timing. I may be mistaken, but I believe this is the only current SE using the 85/15 LT pickups. I have the double cut, but there is a single cut model as well. I think this is a more important move than most have noticed as it's the one guitar (along with the DGT) that most closely resembles its core counterpart, neck profile and all. And as I let the video play to the last few seconds, John Cordy is playing the model to which I referred in the outro!
I just finished paying off My 2022 Gibson Les Paul standard and it is the prettiest and best guitar ive ever owned I play it every day and it has a beautiful Unburst top and sounds amazing.
No P90 guitars currently sold by PRS, at least not on Sweetwater. Only solid body w single coils in bridge are all strat copies. PRS are a great guitar to spend way too much money on. PRS insisting tonewoods are a things denies science as well. I’ll pass. And yes I realize this is about their more budget models, but they don’t offer anything to make me want to put down my money
in the Harrison video you said you were 10 when Abbey Road came out - you do not remember Macca playing guitar before Abbey Road - total Mandela effect or just plane old bs from watching too much - but on tv in 1970 or before there wasn't that much Beatles stuff going around, yeah he might of been just noodling around at some point on that acoustic but he wasn't 'playing' as in pre Sutcliffe days - you was just being born around then if what you said about Abbey Road is true
I love my PRS s2 McCarty 594 Thinline in Vintage Cherry Burst with locking tuners and 57/08 pickups. One day, I hope to be able to play it as well as I appreciate its look and feel.
I have a SE Soapbar II, and it's a really great guitar. One of the finest guitar players in my area hipped me to the Soapbar II's. Fat necks, lightweight and resonant. Tossed a pair of Pete Biltoft Vintage Vibe pickups in it, and it sounds amazing. Funny thing was I liked the SE so much I sold my USA PRS guitars. LOL
The Prs Santana model looks like the Gibson 1958 les paul double cutaway junior. I am assuming that PRS got away with making these guitars and modifying them to look different but keeping its original shape in some ways
While the SE Hollowbody II Piezo is a cool guitar with great tonal character, I respectfully disagree on the value. $1,589 for guitar manufactured in the far east is bonkers.
I remember when the SE came out and compared to other Import guitars, it looked SO PLAIN! I tried one back in the day but at the time I had a Samick SG clone and that felt much better to me at less than half the price. Today I have a Schecter S-1 Elite that I jokingly call a "Tele in a PRS clothing" and have made several small changes to it but from the outside it almost looks the same. I swapped black speed knobs for Q Part acrylic dome Tele style knobs replaced the plastic switch tip with a black Gretsch style metal one. Under the hood I replaced both Volume knobs with CTS push pull knobs to individually split each pickup rather than just the tone being the original push/pull. For the Tone knob I tracked down a Shadow Killswitch pot (to bad it's Linear but I have a Killswitch on the guitar). I also swapped the original jack (nothing wrong with it) for a Switchcraft one. I mention all of this because the Schecter does fit much of the PRS aesthetic while being a bit more Metal. The Elite version is a 25.5 inch scale length but other S-1 models have a 24.75 inch scale. The other thing is that it is pretty easy to play and unlike my Teles, I never feel I have to fight this one. I also moved the strap button to the back center position like an SG and that solved the only comfort issue I had with this guitar. This guitar is interesting because while I use it as an SG stand in, it's a bit beefier in feel and tone than an SG but not quite in Les Paul territory. While not a PRS guitar I feel that this model was heavily inspired by US made PRS guitars in many respects and feel wise, this guitar does it for me. I pick up PRS SE guitars and while they are not bad, they feel a tad off compared to Gibsons or Fenders. I do really like the Single Cut Korina model and that is one of those guitars I plan to pick up one day. 😎👍✨
My bone of contention with PRS guitars is the same one I have with Fenders. The back cavity covers aren't countersunk and they stick out, causing the screws to grab and tear my clothes. Other than that I really like them. However, that one factor prevents me from buying them.
