Paul explained in a recent video that he opted to have the factory that built the guitar on the back of the headstock on SE models so the workers can take pride in their creations.
@@motleyford Mine is wonderful on my PRS SE Custom 24-08. Everything about this guitar is freaking awesome. Haven't touched my Strats or Les Paul's since I got this thing a few weeks ago lol. It's just so awesome to play.
I bought my prs from Andertons almost three years ago now. It was a big change and almost a gamble for me, who had been playing telecaster and stratocaster exclusively until then. The guitar arrived setted, tuned, ready to play with a mixed scent of the fragrances of Danish Pete's talent and the Captain's French accent...I'll never forget...no never 🤩
Similar story for me, a life long Fender purist. I am still a devout disciple of the greatest innovator and revolutionary in the guitar world, Leo Fender. However, about 5 years ago I was given a semi hollow Prs Se , don't remember the model but it was Similar shape to Santanas signature, but semi hollow, as payment for a paint job. I fucked around with it and was like, really taken back and surprised by how good it felt, sounded and looked. I had played, ar thar point, for 15 years and exclusively Fenders, both tele and strat. But that first session with the PRS, plugged into my Deluxe Reverb...I was sold. I happen to be an obsessive studier of things I like, so I read about the company and whatnot. Come to learn that Paul Smith is a fuckin awesome guy, who believes in his product and puts in great amounts of research and experimentation to end up with great, reliable and beautiful products. Now, I am not sold on his amps...but that's just because the best amps were designed and created by Leo, 50+ years ago...so that's not even a real fault lol I now own a Silver Sky Se, which is easily the best strat copy on the market. Their single coils that are on them, the SS models, are really nice and well behaved. I'm excited to try out their newest strat like guitar, with another new pickup design.
Owned 2 x core Custom 24s, had to sell both due to circumstances. I now only own an SE Custom 22, but I love it. It plays effortlessly and the new 85/15s pick ups sound really nice.
I'm very happy with my SE Custom 24. Same exact one as featured in this video actually. But I still want a Core. The carve, the finish, the tuners, and the flush cavity covers are all details that really make it stand out to me. It's a lot of money though and if I'm shopping 3000+ dollar guitars I'm gonna probably get really picky about my options.
I have a feeling you are going to get one. I have asked my wife to restrain me, since I've just got a se DGT, and a se custom 24 may arrive tomorrow or Friday. I do not need more, but they're just so pretty.
I got my first PRS this year. It's a 2008 Korean made Paul Allender ( non EMG) model. HH, no coil taps. It's an absolutely AMAZING guitar! Purple burst, with BATS in flight in the fretboard!
I feel like Pete is gradually evolving into Daniel Johns from Silverchair, and I love it! the earrings look great, next step is a touch of eyeshadow. the confidence! its all positive vibes 👌👌
The S2 series may be somewhat misunderstood, but the differences within the S2 series even more so. The S2 Custom is what is played here; the S2 Standard line are actually the guitars I prefer. They have cool pick guards, solid color finishes, often come in satin finishes, semi hollow options occasionally, and while they are available with both inlay options, there are more S2 Standards with dots than any of the other series. The most massively underrated part of the S2 range: the Vela, Mira, and Starla. The S2 is home to three (now just one as the Mira and Starla were moved to SE) unique models. The Vela is my favorite PRS model, but only because I have yet to try a Mira!
@@JELIFISH19 I definitely agree with you there. IMO those three models were like triplet children that made the S2 series home to something really special.
Glad you reviewed these, I just got the se semi hollow custom 22 , my first prs guitar, I’m really impressed. Great neck, sustain, smooth playing, my first experience with the coil tap, I’ve played 57 yrs, not a pro but, I’m really digging the guitar. Well worth the money, mine says made indonesia core-tek. Thanks fellers Y’all great. It’s Santana yellow color.
The carve of the core is unspeakably gorgeous but I have an s2 and it plays like butter. SO smooth. The craftsmanship is a noticeable step up from the SE. I put some Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates pickups in and it may be my favorite guitar I’ve played.
Just bought an SE 24-08 in transpqrent blue. What an incredible feeling and sounding guitar, and really for the price it is a total bargain. Both single coil and humbucker modes sound great.
I have the new Core > Special > Semi-Hollow body... 3 pickups, each configurable individually, and with a 5 way switch allowing for 12 combinations of tone.. it blow my mind and made me sell 3 guitars to buy it as it literally replaced all 3...
@dizzy7454 I ordered mine online from a nationally well-known guitar store. It was used, but it was in mint condition. There wasn't a scratch on it. I went to tune it, and the strings were rubbing on the frets. Just laying right down on top. I've never seen that before, and I've had a lot of guitars. I don't know if the previous owner didn't know what to do with it or what, but I'm wondering if he never even played it for that reason. I figured the store should have tested it out before sending it to me. I was pretty disappointed in the store to be honest. They couldn't even test it to see if it worked. It wasn't even poorly playable. Anyway, last night, I finally had time to adjust the truss rod and saddle, and it seems like new again. I was just surprised at the playable condition I got it in, considering it looked like it just left the plant.
@@dw1784 I was going to ask if you played with the truss rod. Mine came a little low and I had buzzing on the 3rd but with 5-10 minutes of adjustments it plays great. Glad to know you got it sorted out!
Just picked up a Vela S2 in satin nitro. In terms of quality, playability and sound it easily sits next to my custom suhr modern. And it's a quarter of the cost
I have the same guitar. I sold guitars for 18 years so I’ve played tons of amazing guitars, and the Vela holds its own with nearly every single one of them.
The pickups were nothing to write home about but the quality of the guitar is stellar. Once you change the electronics, it's up there with guitars that cost much more.
@@JELIFISH19 I think the pickups are pretty great actually, but ultimately I needed just a bit more guts out of the bridge pickup but I didn’t want to stray too far from the original vibe and tone so I put a TV Jones Power’Tron in mine.
Thanks, guys! Great video! I live about 40 minutes away from the PRS factory in Maryland and own a few of their guitars from their earlier facility in Annapolis. Keep up the good work!
Should've thrown a CE in there too. I know its technically not a Custom 24 but the specs are close enough to be a reasonable alternative that sits nicely between the S2 and Core ranges.
I’m with you Tom. I think the CE is the perfect compromise. Nearly core in build, the top pickups, but closer to an S2 in price. I have one on order right now.
@@kolchak357 You're going to absolutely love it. I bought my CE in 2017 when they brought them back and it's still absolutely my #1. It's the perfect balance between core and S2. I wish they'd build one of their singlecuts as a CE.
The PRS S2 Standard Satin has one of the nicest/warmest tones I've heard in any of the PRS line of guitars. Currently $1449. Maybe the best value PRS you can buy right now.
I have core series and s2 series guitars and I have to tell that while core series are like custom made boutique guitars the S2 guitars resonate better than core series aciustically and are louder. I think the S2 satin series are an incredible bargain for the price. Although fret wire is different than the core line the fretwork is impecable just like a core line, perfect.
I've had two SEs some time ago (first year production Standard 22 and a 2008 Mark Tremonti - both Korean made) and they were just great for the price. They were amazingly built in terms of craftsmanship, and had great components (tuners, pickups and electronics, bridge...) that felt like high quality. Have tried some other SEs as well and have no complaints whatsoever. But some days ago, I picked up a 2008 Starla Core, US made. A bit of an odd PRS but it's the BEST guitar I've had (I've owned quite a few Gibsons, american Fenders, Ibanez Prestige...). It's just perfectly built, the woods are lightweight, extremely resonant and it just sings... Plus those Starla USA Treble/Bass are truly amazing, they even have the BEST coil split I've ever tried on humbuckers. Nothing wrong on the SEs, but you can't compare them in any way shape or form. These guys at PRS do know how to built guitars, and their attention to detail is just spot on.
Can’t believe they didn’t throw a CE in here.....must not have had one in the shop. CE is by far my favorite, I like the body carve better and I have a satin body and neck.
I have a PRS SE 2021 model. I did 3 modifications which doubled it's cost and now it sounds equivalent to PRS Core series! 1. Bare Knuckle Polymaths 2. Graph Tech Nut 3. Bare Knuckle Pots, Capacitors, switch
Im in the US, Gallatin,Tennessee which is 30 min away from downtown Nashville. My Soul is telling me I should own a Gibson.... I was wanting a Gibson LP standard for my 40th birthday, seven years ago. I went down the Gibson, PRS, Heritage rabbit hole for a few months. I wanted quality! Without costing me half a months salary. I knew about ESP. I have an LTD MH series and tbe quality is outstanding for the money I spent. Sooooo, I went to Sam Ash, ordered the LTD EC 1000 Deluxe. LP style in a Honey Burst style color, SD 59, JB.. This Guitar is Flawless! And its made in Korea! Well, here I am again... What do I do? I WANT A USA MADE GUITAR DAMN IT! My main thing is Quality, Value! Maybe S2.... ? Im still torn! Just a quick note... Anderson's, That pedal show are my go to youtube channels for Guitar info. As well as a good time watching you guys play. Thank you!
The Core guitars are genuinely special instruments. I bought one almost 5 years ago and I've never had a guitar that looks and sounds as nice as it does. Having said that, it was really expensive for me. I think there was a time where Paul wanted to protect the Core line from the SE and S2 line by making them slightly less appealing to look at. He has softened on that a great deal and I think that benefits anyone who ever wanted a PRS guitar. Unless you absolutely must have the violin carve top, you're not missing out anymore by getting an S2 or SE. They play really well, have the right amount of bells and whistles, and are really starting to look the part.
I own a custom 22 and used to own a ce 24. The ce had some damage I couldn't afford to get repaired at the time, but I actually liked that one better than the custom 22.
I have a CE24 semi-hollow, and used to have a core Custom 24. I like the CE better, by quite a bit. I kinda feel like they're PRS's secret guitar. Relatively speaking of course.
I have a S2 Vela replace the pick ups with TV Jones CTS pots German push pull switch it will rip up the floorboards … quite different from my core 22 solid one piece, big leaf, mahogany 20th anniversary replace the pick ups with a similar hand wound 58,50 … This thing is a surgical instrument. … I don’t know how people can say PRS guitars have no soul I think it has less to do with the instrument and more to do with the player….. love your videos, as always keep up the great work….
I have a 1997 emerald custom 24 and it’s the best guitar I’ve ever played. So smooth and effortless, pretty much plays itself. That is the only guitar I ever need. Not too mention the aesthetics and the amazing violin carve
You guys need more PRS guitars on those racks against the walls. There are 6 PRS guitars in my collection, the SE series I prefer the Korean made over the Indonesian - the Quality is a little better and the neck carves are specked different. The body & neck wood joints seem to be uniform on the SE line, which gives them a nice balanced appeal. After I bought my first SE I sold my GLP. The S2 series are fantastic - Solid wood bodies, they seem to have more resonance to them then the SE series, which for me just ads to the experience. The trem system is awesome, the hard tail is awesome, the wrap around awesome (I like the newer wrap around). My Core Model is an NF3 Korina body which I feel lucky to have - Top Shelf Mojo!! Hard to describe, you just have to play a Core.
I think this video should be revisited. Namely S2 got option of real USA pickups and bridges are USA versions on some guitars. BTW there is one big difference between them. Especially important one is that from one neck blank in USA they make one neck of the Core model but make two necks of S2. They cut it in half then diagonally at the headstock angle and turn that part and get headstock from it. Core models have one peace necks. WMI made one peace necks on SE models. Cort makes the Mahogany necks out of the 3 peace’s and they are laminated length wise. Some maple necks are still one peace while some can have dove tail as well. Tops on the Core and S2 are two peace’s and backs are one peace. Woodworkers would say cut the wide board in 3 peace’s and glue it inverting the direction of the middle peace and wood will be more stable and will not twist over time. Sure that is true, especially for doors and tables. 3 peace necks will be stronger and resist twisting but do not transmit vibrations as good as one peace necks period. They do not ring. Watch video where Paul holds neck blank with two fingers hanging down and nocks on it. It rings like a bell. I have different ranges of PRS. From the SE to Wood Library. No Private stock for me 😢 I am not going to by SE anymore. Despite that I am tempted to try some models I do not want or can spend a lot of money on. Models I would try normally if SE construction stayed one peace neck. On all of my SE guitars upgrades cost as much as guitars the, self. Tuners are changed with original PRS locking tuners or original Kluson tuners. All harness is changed and guitars got boutique pickups. Knobs and switch tips are changed with pots and switches and output jacks. So practically only the wood stayed original. Another difference between series is electronics and cables. In the Core series everything is perfect. Paul even knows capacity per inch of the cables they use. In the SE you get Alpha pots and no name jack and switches and crap high capacitance cables. Pickups have improved but S line pickups are far away from the USA made once. You get awesome value with the SE still though. SE tops are covered with veneer but the actual maple cap is made from 3 peace’s. Mahogany back’s are 3 peace’s at least. This makes difference and savings regarding to the wood. Plus, yeah wood sourcing is different as well.
Awesome video guys I’ve just purchased a 24-08 se custom Eliza-verde .. it is just a beautifully built guitar for the price. I just love it. The only thing i am going to change is to put locking tuners on it. Thanks for the show
I normally don't like the "s" pickups even over youtube, but there's something about that s2. I liked it over the core. Also I might even like the se the best, but it sounded so close to the s2. Would love to play them blindfolded. Pete's choices are the most pure imo. Rob gets more right, but I feel like he's better at noticing subtle quirks instead of what one sounds better.
I concur with this video. I have a Core Artist P22, S2 SC 250 Semi Hollow, and an SE 245. The S2 gets the most play out of the three. Something about it just feels right.
SE vs S2 vs Core is like comparing a steak at a good chain like a Texas Roadhouse to a local fine dining steakhouse to a Peter Luger's dry aged 135yr old secret family recipe steak in Brooklyn. The more mass produced SE hits the spot and in terms of quality stands above a lot of the import competition (although this gap has narrowed since the SE 1st appeared 20+ years ago), the S2 is effortless to play and very close to what you get in the core line, the core is just perfectly balanced and hits every mark where the recipe has been meticulously designed so each component blends with/works in harmony to create an exceptional experience. All are good, all will get the job done, and tbh in a live setting only you and other musicians will hear the subtle nuances. You also have to consider if you prefer bringing a $3000+ core model or an $800 SE to a dive bar gig night after night. The choice is subjective and personal, but the core is objectively better. How much better or if it's worth it monetarily is completely up to the player. I've owned SEs that blew away all my other imports and have gigged an S2 for 9yrs. In my guitar journey I'm ready to step up to a core and I'd like a CE24 and a Silver Sky. Why? Because for me, PRS are overall the most dialed in, exceptional quality, and fun for me to play. I will always play my strats, teles, and Les Pauls, but for me PRS blows all the mainstream non boutique builders out of the water. Never played a PRS that was a dog, but have played a TON of Fenders and Gibsons that were awful. Also, the PRS guitars I've owned over the years have required the least maintenance/setups/adjustments with Gibson being the next less needy, and the Fenders have been the most in need of tinkering with changes in season/humidity/etc.
I'm in love with my S2 594 Thinline! in Vintage Cherry. It's way better than an SG. NO neck dive, beautiful neck, coil splits, better bridge, and tailpiece. My opinion...
I ve been trying to figure which one i likes the feel of ,and I have to say the core ,than the s 2 ,than se . But few people found the se felt better when it was built in Korea . So I m going to sage up for the core . After I pay off the guitar I just purchased. 👍 👌 show . These are very helpful, ty .
I feel so much respect for PRS, his creator and I acknowledge how beautiful and well put together this guitars are. Once, I walked into a store with the sole purpose of buying one, and walked out with a Gibson LP lol .. I cant seem to connect with them.. to me, their are not a rock guitar, they are not a strat, but in the middle. I dont find songs or melodies in them..
I've just bought 2 SE's ! a luna white silver sky, and Paul's guitar with a blue maple veneer! that has the fattest neck I think I have ever played, I have de-glossed the back of the neck and changed the black tulip buttons for cream tulip button locking Grovers! the pickup rings and switch tip will be changed too as well as the black speed knobs for gold Gibson style! the silver sky I will change the tuners for the Tulip locking Grovers just because of the tremendous and the look! they are awesome and play great! but a Yamaha desert burst on order, got a pacifica hardtail with a P90 at the neck and splittable humbucker, and a breedlove in koa! yes I have went a bit nuts! but I don't care! an Eastman 59 with the antique varnish will be mine too!
I have a nice Burl top SE Santana 22, it plays great, and I switched the pickups with hot Dimarzio's, and put a graphite nut on it. It has one chip on the edge, otherwise it's in mint condition. I never play it anymore, even though it sounds massive. Too bad you aren't in the area.
I have a 2019 SE24 Custom Cherry Sunburst. I had the same issue with the tone pot lift being awkward. If you move the tone pot nob up just a little bit (like 1-2 mm) up on the post.. Bob's your uncle, it's sorted. You kind of made a big point about this when it's really easy to solve. Also for the SE the US pot knobs are way nicer. On the SE, DUMP THE NUT!!!.. the plastic ones are garbage. Tuning stability was non-existent until I replaced the nut with a bespoke bone nut.
I have a S2 594 Thinline and a S2 semi hollow Vela. Both are fantastic. I don't need the bling, but the feel and finish of these was better than any of the SEs I've played. I don't think you can beat the S2 line for bang for $.
I vaguely recall either Paul himself or someone close to PRS (Tylor Larson maybe) calling out SE standing for student edition. The difference between "veneer" and a "cap" is a pure technicality; veneers can be thick and caps can be thin. Of course reveal binding won't work on a thin veneer but other than that a veneers can easily be as beatiful as or even more so compared to two handpicked slabs of wood (bookmatching really only works for veneers because they're two slices of the same wood back to back -- with slabs that doesn't necessarily work since the thickness of the wood makes it rather rare that the outsides end up symmetrical).
I never liked the plain looks on the S2 line. The CE look great though and are a big step up from the SE. I've had a bad experience with an SE, having a badly pitted and orange-peeling finish(it was the premium exotic top also). They refused to fix it, calling it a "subjective" issue. If I do ever get a PRS again it'll be a CE or core.
I had a problem with a SE with tuning stability but I am thrilled with my CE. Find one you bond with you wont regret it. And thats coming from a die hard Gibson guy
@@HoracioGarciaMusic Unfortunately the past 25 years have taught me not to judge the PRS on the pickups or where the pickup was made. For some reason pickups have always been a crap shoot with them.
@@brianseneca3546 I had two Gibsons. I bought them before new management, but the biggest change seems to be in their marketing. See other channels buying $6k custom shop with issues cinched that for me.
I trade a taylor 414 to a 20 years old core PRS, the most beat up one you can ever face, it has a lot of use in it, there is a TEA word out of its case, pretty sure it have some history in it, I absolutelly love it, its the best instrument you could ever have, its a 24 custom top 10, just a beauty
SE is Santana Edition. The SE line was Carlos' concept. Somewhere along the way people started assuming "student edition" because being cheaper in price, it must be for students. Making them feel better about overpaying for their own core models.
All three are great quality and accepted in Gigging now. At 45 years old I’d probably only buy a Core at this point though. Its just a status thing i guess but all 3 are fabulous!
Owning a PRS SE Zach Myers since a few weeks and also an old 20th anniversary Core Custom 24, I was surprised how good the SE is. You get better hardware, better wood and slightly better playability on the Core, but the difference isn't worth 3.000€. Small upgrades to the SE and you have a killer guitar. But to be honest, the Zach Myers signature would outperform guitars double the price even without modifications. Maybe the signature SEs play in another league.
I got one of the older versions of Myers' guitar (the black fade), and playing wise, it's my best guitar. Everything I changed was just me wanting something different. As it was, it played better than my Johnny Marr Jaguar, which is 3x the price. I guess that's a testament to the build quality and care put into SE line or maybe I got lucky.
You really get the more genuine and thorough reaction if you aren't too proud to watch the complete video. My SE has the sound and feel that to me is closer to my Gibson standards than my Mexican Strat
Great video but would have liked to seen a CE-24 in the mix for a tone comparison. Is there a need to have both a CE-24 and a Custom or maybe get a single cut instead?
What everone you can afford. I've had an SE and a 10 top core. Both super nice guitars. I had to sell them when I left the country I was living in. Only so much you can take on a plane, sadly.
Core versus S2 - Neck is the main physical difference besides the finish sets, Core is a 3 piece neck with 2 of the pieces being the winglets on the headstock, where as the S2 is a 5 piece, the maple cap thickness is different I think its S2 1/4 versus 3/4 Core which allows the Core a deeper finish on the effects and more extreme body carves. Electronics though are why they sound different S2 has some cheaper stuff on them, but everything that actually matters can be changed to better like to zero load pots on the Core, better pickups, yadayada. Personally, the S2 in Aged Cherry Burst is just beautiful, well I am a Mcarty 594 singlecut guy, since Gibson's QC is spotty its the perfect alternative to the LP for a great price. I personally don't like the Core line because its differences perse aren't +2000$, but a private stock now sometimes you can get them for $5-8k on deals and if you are going to pay $4k on a guitar and are that experienced and are at that level than the extra should be nothing for you.
I love my s2. It is so versatile and sounds great. I've played se's and core series and while the core is beautiful and sounds great but, I tend to beat my guitars up so I can't see spending the money on one and I just didn't like the way the se played or sounded.
I have a 1987 PRS Custom 24 I bought from Paul himself back in 1988. All the guitars sound good. Is it the amp, the person playing or the production? Where are they made? Mine have the rotary switch
Easy answer - the one you can justifiably afford to spend on an instrument because they are ALL great within their price points and you do get 'better' things if you pay more (as you should) but the 'end result' are great instruments within their price range. I doubt if you have up to £1k to spend on an instrument that a Core is 'right' for you but if you can afford to spend the money, then its whether you can 'justify' the cost for what you need - if you can't afford to 'use' it without worrying, its not the right guitar.... So the 'best' one is the one you can afford.... I love both my Custom 24's -a regular Core and Core Cu24 Floyd - but if I was still gigging in bars, the SE Cu24 would be a great choice or the S2...
I have an SE and a S2. The S2 is better, but they are both great, great instruments. Nothing wrong with an SE. Nothing at all. In some ways it's the "smarter" buy,
Wide thin is the same as pattern thin, it is the old name of of pattern thin :). Also you forgot to mention that core series have 1 pce body and 1 pce neck, whereas S2 has 1 pce body but 3 pcs neck with scarf joint and neck pocket joint. SE has 3 pcs body and 3 pcs laminated neck. But the 3 pcs necks of SE and S2 are very different. The fret material and sizes of all three are different to my experience. Plus why dont you guys give a detailed feedback of the fretwork of the guitars you are testing?
Would have loved a CE in this comparison, to me there's basically three choices with PRS. The SE, CE or Custom (well, private stock too if you are a millionaire) For me the S2 is too expensive when you can buy a used CE for the same price as a new S2.
Marylander here. It's typically pronounced like the name "Marilyn" but with a D sound at the end. But most people here don't really care if it's pronounced wrong.
