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I have one. Since 2004. A custom made for me. Dont ask, I will not answer. 😂 I am a Queen fan. But regardless its the best guitar ever. I played around 1.000 gigs with it. And I play it every day. So ...
@@gers3904 An excellent choice, probably one of the most versatile guitars available at the price point. Bridge and middle pickup, both set in phase is a great classic rock sound. If you check my other videos out there’s one of me demonstrating how good it does classic rock with an AC/DC cover!
@@DGSessions Many thanks for your reply. I've been struggling whether to buy a PRS or something in this price range. You may have just convinced me. Liked and subscribed
@@gers3904 My honest advice? One question should make that decision and it’s “will you be playing much Queen on it?”. If the answer is yes, even just at home, go for the May. If the answer is no (or even “hmmmm, not really sure, maybe one or two?), go for the McCarty. You won’t be disappointed in either, my main guitar is a PRS Custom 24 and they really are incredible instruments.
@@rick00770 Thank you! I appreciate the comment! Based on my experience, if you imagine a slightly squashed player Strat you won’t be far off. So just a little wider IMHO. The more accurate replicas on the other hand are a whole other tree trunk sized beast!
Great that you found a guitar that just speaks to you so much! What year is that PRS you bought?? Seems there is something special about earlier PRS's. I had a 1999 McCarty that was amazing.
@@markburgess6466 He’s definitely much more interested in his acoustic playing these days. Compare his electric tone now to what he had in the early 90s and it’s night and day. For my money, early 90s Clapton is his prime…even over his cream days.
You are correct. His 90 to early 2000s was his pinnacle. His shows during the from the cradle tour were some of the finest blues playing and vocals, ever laid down. His crossroads shows from 99 to 2004 were also on another level. To the fool who tries to disrespect EC abilities, you only show your lack of musical understanding. EC is the most influential, revered, imitated guitar player of any generation. He set the bar so high that few will ever come close.
I love EMGs but I gotta say in this play style the neck of the of the PRS pickups sounded best. Warm and fat. The Emg wasn’t bad. I have them in almost all Of My guitars but I play heavy stuff consistently and if I was going to be playing this kind of stuff I’d go for the passive pickups.
@@xFallnessx The EQ curve on the EMGs definitely lends itself to very high gain. There’s an abundance of high end which helps them cut through all that gain but ends up sounding harsh on mid to low gain tones. That was my experience anyway, YMMV of course.
Both sets sounded awesome but pretty different. The EMGs definitely didn’t sound sterile like a lot of people claim. I’m sure you could sculpt your sound around either set and be happy with the tone.
@@TheBrettSiler Completely agree. The EMGs definitely have a more prominent high end which can be a little harsh but very easily dialled out with a twist of a knob
Any instrument that inspires you to become a better player is worth every penny! Congrats on your custom 24. I also have a custom 24 in yellow tiger, and I love mine too!
I have one, and love it I had every guitar possible, Gibson, Fender, Ibanex, and PRS. My BMG can imitate any of those guitars.. But I also love my Strat..
@@davidanctil4671 It is one of the most versatile guitars I’ve ever owned, but we all know guitars aren’t always about sound so I’ll be holding onto my PRS as well 😉
More likely, but still unconfirmed officially at this point. Regardless, I do think now is a relevant time to discuss the potential feature-set and spec for a possible future product…
@@MrCleitus Yep, as expected. Kemper have been fairly open about the possibility of paid upgrades since the launch of the player, I’m also expecting fender and tonex to offer additional “paid” models in the near future.
I think its a new floor unit that's gonna be the stage 2.0. They hinted a lot with the Player floor unit for the past while on the social media pages. So the next step is making an updated version of the stage but smaller but a possible power amp unity. Just my hunch as i could be way off but if its a new smaller rack unit, I'd also be chuffed!
@@CormacTunstead It’s tough to call for sure. I feel like the stage was intended as a floor version of the toaster, so updating the stage before the toaster feels out of order somehow. I could see a larger “player” unit coming with a stage-ish footprint but no profiling, but a “player” rack/mini toaster would be much more dangerous to my bank account!
@@gulfmarine8857 Can’t argue with that! The whole idea behind the video was that I was so surprised that the core managed to be noticeably better, despite the SE being amazing to begin with!
@@DGSessions I got my mint condition Santana model along with an Ovation 12 string (also immaculate) for 300 bucks! Both with hard cases. Package deal!! I didn't know exactly what I had 'till I got home! I can't say I never got a lucky break now.
There’s nothing wrong with an SE. It’s kind of like comparing a Toyota to a Lexus. Toyota is a great vehicle…fantastic in a lot of ways. But a high-end Lexus is a masterpiece. A core Custom 24 is a flagship PRS. If you are a musician and really enjoy playing guitar, and play often, and you can afford it, it makes more sense to buy a core model. They are a just a pleasure to play…great feel, great sound, easy to play, reliability and beautiful craftsmanship. It’s a great investment in your own craft and personal life-enrichment; plus if you buy a used one they hold their value. Yours is a beautiful color. Congratulations!
@@smflyboy Thank you! What really surprised me in this instance was just how much of a difference there was between the two. Much more than I was expecting based on my experience of other brands.
@@idontgrillonwed Fingers crossed! I’ve tried to find my Number One many times over the years: Suhrs, Vigiers, Ibanez, and loads more. Maybe the key is not to force it.
Great video! I dont think the price of the guitar makes it sound good.. its in the skill of the player. I think the price more so reflects the quality and feel of the build!
@@trentpagani962 I definitely agree in some ways. However, I do think that generally speaking, more expensive guitars are more likely to possess tonal qualities that most players find appealing. Things like resonance, sustain, and better balanced pickups.
@@DGSessions for sure! Definitly get a bit more clarity the more expensive you go aswell but unless you got a good amplifier its hard to hear the difference
Great video and playing. Both sound good indeed, the PRS definitely has a better tone to me but not 10x better of course. However, playability and inspiration is something else - as a owner of several HB's (in the range of $150 to 350) and PRS Core's (including a Private Stock), I never play the Harley Bentons. They don't inspire me and it took some work to make them feel somewhat decent (fretwork, setup etc.). Also worth noting is that PRS Core guitars are unparalleIed in tuning stability (except Evertune or Floyd Rose guitars). And tuning stabiliy is key having a good sound for longer playing. I was too curious if the HB hype is justified, that's why I got them, same as Squier Classic Vibe against Fender reissues, these instruments are on a different level. Cheers
@@marander512 You’ve hit the nail on the head! It’s about that undefinable “mojo” that some guitars have. There’s no guarantee you’ll have it no matter how much you spend, but expensive guitars seem more likely to have “it”
So very useful, thanks for taking the time and effort to make this comparison. These are clearly two nice instruments, and whilst there will always be a place for both expensive and budget guitars, the tonal quality gap between them has narrowed enormously.
Thank you! and I absolutely agree. The fact that they both get used regularly is enough evidence for me that both guitars are really excellent. Sat side by side, the PRS is of course a much nicer instrument but exactly how much of that would be noticeable to a listener vs the player is exactly why I made this comparison. Have a great weekend!
@@GShockWatchFan. Yes, the spec is definitely adjusted so that the guitar suits a wider audience. For those that want a more faithful reproduction, there’s the £3k Red Special Super.
I would never go on stage with that guitar because it's Brian May's guitar. It would be like walking around in Louis XIV's wig. It also just looks cool on him. But I admit, it sounds hell.
That's one way of looking at it. On the other hand, why not walk out on stage with Brian May's guitar? It's a great design and sounds killer, so should it really be any different to walking out with a black strat with a black pick guard? or a Wolfgang? or (possibly aging myself a bit here) a two tone Flying V?
@@antoniomargheriti5186 I think we as guitarists probably overestimate how often audiences even notice what we’re playing. I doubt most people would even be able to recognise if Steve Vai himself were on stage, let alone his guitar.
Having played and owned SEs, an S2 a Core and 2 Bolt-On (CE) PRSs, the SEs feel superior to your typical import guitar, but you really can't compare the feel between the SEs and any of the USA made ones. How much the feel difference is worth to you? That is a question you have to ask yourself. Great and similar sounds can be achieved with any of them.
yeah bonding to a guitar is a very personal matter. but I think you should be able to tell us what aspects of the guitar you evaluate being so much better from the SE! you didn't tell... I can't believe it's a "I don't know why but I preferred this one" 🤔
I was about to buy and on the lookout for a SE DGT, same as you... - I got a chance to test one recently in a shop .. - and boy was I disappointed ...; the built quality was subpar to everything I know from PRS, neck and fret finish was really bad.. plus a really bad setup which made it overly hard to play. (and I have some - Core USA, 2 S2 and really good SE's to compare - which are from the Korea Built period) - of course in the shop I could not start doing adjustments to see how much can be fixed to make it more playable.. - my gut feeling is, all the YT reviewers that hype especially this model "DGT SE" receive and extra carefully checked one... - don't get me wrong, I have 2 Korean made SE's which are outstanding - but right now I am rethinking if I should go for the SE DGT....
@@mheyl180 That’s the first negative review I’ve seen on an SE DGT, and I’ll definitely bear it in mind. I was considering ordering one online, but this experience has firmly encouraged me to try instruments in store before buying.
Sometime with guitars you need to check out several of the same model because to me every guitar is unique. I was looking for a Gibson SG 61 reissue years ago and tried maybe 10 before I picked the one I bought. They were all noticeably different to me which doesn't say alot for quality control but never judge a model on just one sample. The same happened to me with a Gretsch 5622.
@@DGSessions I can honestly say, that with the move to have SE's built in Indonesia, the prices have gone up - and the built quality has become "inconsistent" to phrase it politely - but in all fairness the pickups have improved...; I have a Zach Meyers SE which is really good; for Korean built - my SE Bernie Marsden is fabulous, the now old Korina SE a killer...; I still fancy the SE DGT Gold Top as even the used Core DGT's here in Germany are rarely to be seen below 3.5k €...
I know exactly what you mean. A few months ago I wanted a SE DGT but theSE word most everywhere was backordered. I went shopping anyway. And yes, I bought a used Limited Quilt 10 CU24/08 etc... It was from the store owner's horde and I could not find a mark on it. I have a new working opinion of the word, sublime. I am very happy with it. And yes, a few months later, I got a new Goldtop SE DGT. They are both keepers.
3500 Pounds for a new Custom 24? Around 2010, I bought a 1990 Custom 24 for $1800 CAD. That converts to about $1020 British Pounds. This was from PRS’s arguably even higher quality, early period, when they still had the “sweet switch” and the now illegal Brazilian rosewood board, and before they began implementing full CNC construction. I don’t know where used prices are at nowadays, but I’d argue that maybe instead of settling for an SE OR paying out the a** for a new US model, people should be directed to looking at used US examples. -EDIT: Yeah, never mind. I just looked at going prices for 1990 models. Utterly ridiculous. I should have kept that guitar for another 10 years before selling it. Apparently I could have at least quadrupled my money off of some sucker today.
Ultimately, used prices are what they are. With new CU24s at 3500, a reasonable used price is probably north of 2k. Of course, bargains will be around from time to time but it is what it is. Compare any the used market today of anything with what was around 15 years ago and you’ll likely find similar results
@@warrenfeit9121 I usually buy used for that very reason. 90% of the time I end up selling it for what I paid, the other times sometimes make a profit and sometimes a loss.
I'm am glad to know there's someone who has a similar experience as me! Similarly, I walked into my local music store with the mindset of trying SE-DGT and the 35 anniversary S2 custom 24. And there lies a USA custom 24 Core, so I thought might as well I try all 3. I didn't like the DGT due to it's vintage neck. However, I really wanted to like 35 anniversary S2, since it has USA pickups. I thought the S2 makes a really value packed proposition, but after 1 hour plus of trying, ...I ended placing order for USA core custom 24 in my fav colour. Which i received in 1 month time and never regretted since. I never expected my decision to spend that much more money. often times, we hear people saying the budget SE is a superb value for money guitars and the US Core model is not worth the 4 times more expensive price tag. After my experience, I beg to differ. I'm guessing people underestimated the whole tactile and emotional experiences of a really good quality guitar. In my case, the difference really lies in the sensation of how it resonates and connects with the player. That itself, is priceless and definitely worth the 4x price. I highly recommend to really spend time to try them in store if one is keen in any PRS. Thst said, the SE itself is one of the best built guitar in its price range. I owned many expensive guitars and this US custom 24 has quickly become my fav go to equipment. It's just a joy to pick it up every time. Congrats on your purchase! , I definitely understand why you made that decision and I believe you will not regret. Cheers.
Some notes: the core you have there is from 2012 to 2015. They put 85/15 pickups on the core custom 24s around 2015 or 2016. The pickups you have are probably dragon pickups. Totally different sound. Plus the 85/15s interact with different amps in different ways.
@@DGSessions Oh, right on. Were you able to a/b the 85/15s with the HFS pickups. I don't know why, but I'm not digging the tone on the 2 and 4 positions with the 85/15s.
@@inthewild5776 I’m not sure where the 85/15s have come from, in the store I was able to directly A/B an SE CU24-08 (which has TCI “s” pickups) with the Core Custom 24. Neither of them have a position 2/4, they’re both 3 way toggles.
@DGSessions and how do you find them? Been reading mixed reviews about them. Actually getting a set of those installed on my SE Custom 24 Floyd model this weekend.
@@francoislouw181 They suit me. I find a lot of pickups are voiced with a bit too much harshness and bite so that they don’t turn to mush when they’re run through mega gain. These are a bit warmer and work well with my usual mid-ish Marshall gain levels.
@DGSessions great. I'm a old school blues/rock and rock player. We cover a lot of ground from Bad Company to Pink Floyd to Gary Moore, the latter being my main influence too. I use a Bluguitar Amp1. So should work?
Same happened to me, I already had a custom order made Suhr Modern and an USA Jackson SL2, however one day I’ve tried and bought a PRS P22 with a rosewood neck. At home I realized that I only started playing the PRS and I sold the Suhr and the Jackson and bougt two more core PRS’s. So I understand you :). SE’s are good guitars especially for the price but Core PRS’s are work of art. And it is not about the hardware difference, it is about the difference in amount of time spent on each instrument perfecting it.
Core PRS guitars are indeed better and have nicer woods than the SE's. And they should be 😊 How much better and if you want to pay the extra cash, depends individually... Used core PRS's though, from the early 2000 can be found at a good price. I bought a 2003 CE 22 core for a little bit more than the cost for an SE Custom and less than half the current US CE24 price. And it is a way nicer guitar with a US trem and a violin carved top, you find nowadays only on the Core Customs...
@@bobdelair02 I’ve owned 3x USA CE PRSes through the years (one early 22, one early 24, and a modern 24) and the early CE24 is a guitar I wish I never sold. The 22 was excellent too but the neck on the 24 suited me better. I think the main point is that the SE range is so good that it’s very easy to forget that the USA range isn’t just more expensive…it’s supposed to be noticeably better.
@@DGSessions Personally I prefer the CE22 over the 24, because the warmer neck pu sound. Wide fat necks are fine with me, though I would have preferred a more rounded edge. May sand the neck a bit rounder some day... 🙃
You remind me of me. I have gone to music store with the aim of testing certain guitars and walked out considerable poorer having chosen a guitar I wasn't even thinking about. Just like anyone addicted to any substance. So, no, it's not about the quality, sound or "wood". It's about psychology. Of course it sounds and play better! it costs many times as much! Yeah. I know the feeling.
@@olestef Truthfully, I’m usually the other way around. I sold a very expensive Suhr T-style after I a/b tested it with my Shijie, and I still have my Martin Kidd designed Jet City Amelia but my Victory counterparts went ages ago.
@@jonathananthony1901 "tone tuning keys". I rest my case. He's very greasy. You can see it in the way he tries to convince people of things that are obviously not true. You can REALLY see it in the way he tries to bully and push the anderton's boy into taking his free guitars as their main guitar. He gaslights and tries to bully.
@@iancurrie8844 I've met him in person. Sat and played guitar with him. He's nothing like you're describing. Also, the mass of the tuning machines does affect sustain. That's an established fact.
@iancurrie8844 why do people replace the bridge block with a higher mass block? Why does a brass nut change sustain vs a plastic nut? Just because you may lack understanding in something, doesn't make it untrue.
@@mannymejia7972 I think I agree with you there. I couldn’t in good conscience recommend that everybody buy USA PRS instead of SEs (otherwise I would have in the video), for most players out there I believe that the SE is probably the correct choice. But for me, the difference between the two guitars I played on that day was more than enough to convince me that the USA was worth the amount extra I paid. I still think it was one of my best ever guitar related purchases.
@@DGSessions I mean when you vibe with a specific guitar it can’t be helped. I’m sure that’s what happened with your purchase. I’ve vibed with $5k guitars and vibed with a used $50 squier.
