Earlier this year, I needed a new "travel guitar" for practicing on business road trips (read: not too expensive, with split-able humbuckers for hotel rooms with loads of RFI). I picked up an SE Custom 24-08, and within a couple of months, I bought the Custom 24, too, just to see which I prefer. My plan was to sell one, but, they're both excellent and different enough from each other that I decided to keep both. Some of my observations, which may be at odds with the video presenter, here: - With tone at 10: In Humbucker mode, they are brighter than a Les Paul. In Single Coil mode, they are brighter than a Strat. But, in ALL modes they have a LOT of bass. You can reduce the bass by rolling off the volume a bit on the guitar, and you can tame the brightness by rolling back the Tone knob. With the stock treble bleeds in place, these guitars encourage the player to adjust the knobs. Think of "5" as "neutral." If you simply dime all the knobs out of habit, you'll miss out on much of the tonal versatility of these guitars. - I find the Single-coil tones on both guitars very usable. Do they sound like Stats or Teles? Not really, though the 24-08 comes closer. But they DO sound like single coils, and again, experiment with the knobs please! On some clean amp settings, the single coil middle position on the Custom 24 can sound like a plugged-in acoustic. A handy option to have available. - Both my guitars have the stock SE tuners, and I have had ZERO trouble with them AFTER making one minor tweak. The tiny philips head screws that hold the tuner buttons on ALSO serve to adjust the tension/resistance of the tuning machines. As the come from the factory, they are so loose that breathing heavily on them might knock them out of tune. (Hyperbole Alert) Just take a small screwdriver and add a tiny bit of tension (1/8 turn?). This will make the tuners hold tension much more reliably. Of my 13 guitars, these two are now tied for first place in terms of tuning stability. - I don't know what to do with the "Sound in my Head", comment. Kind of a pointless observation, since no one knows what that sound is. I don't care if it sounds like a Core, and, like most players, I have zero frame of reference for that, anyway. Do I like the sound enough to keep it? Yes. I have no plans on changing the pickups. I like them as is, and don't see the point in making all my guitars sound the same. - In the coil-split middle position, the Custom 24 seems to give you some of the out-of-phase quack of positions 2/4 on a Strat. Not so on the 24-08; it's more akin to the in-phase middle on a Tele. - Both guitars feel EXACTLY the same. If I couldn't hear them, I couldn't tell them apart by playing. - The stock 9-gauge strings are too light, and too bright (tinny). These guitars feel and play better with 10s. Also aids in tuning stability and rattle-free low action. - The visual quality of the maple veneers varies WILDLY. So much so that, I really think Mr. Smith should step in and require better judgement from the Indonesian plant. I stalked eBay, Reverb, Sweetwater, Wildwood, and Dave's for over a month for each guitar, waiting to pounce on one with an top that I liked. Honestly, there's no excuse. Some of the tops are so lame/mismatched that they should be priced as factory seconds. Even Harley Benton seems to have better consistency in this area. - No regrets. Lovely guitars, with thoughtful design features that truly make them a joy to play. If forced to sell one, I'd keep the Custom 24.
I just turned 50 and may wonderful daughter gave me a bright green one. Its beautiful! It needed some picky work, i polished the frets, truss adjust, set up etc. Now that thats done, its AMAZING! I've only had it three days now, but i cant put it down!
I got the SE Standard 24 with the 85/15 pickups just about 2 years ago in 2020. I fiddled with the pickup height and I love the tones it gives. And the playability is amazing. The split coil sound is not a strat but it is a single coil tone. And I like that it gives different tones than my other guitars. I don't want all my guitars to sound alike. I like to learn what differences each guitar gives me. So yeah, I'm still in love with the stock SE Standard 24.
I have the same guitar, and I love everything about it. Now, one thing I learned is that it's a bright sounding bridge humbucker and if you want it in a sweet rounded growl you have to turn the tone to 5 or 6. If you want to play punkrock then tone at 10. I never had a guitar where I'm dialing back the tone on a bridge humbucker. That's a plus in my books!
The issue I think is that It doesn't sound like a strat or a Gibson, so when you're playing guns and roses it's not quite the same sound, when you play David Gilmore it's not quite the same ect so it feels like it's missing something but it's not. I feel exactly the same but do I swap pickups for some pearly gates and now it's a Gibson and all strat songs sound even more off or go low output and loose the rock sound? Think I'll leave mine in the middle where it belongs.
Too hot for my liking too. Had it for 8 months and the playability is just as good, almost feels like home with my Ibanez's. But,... well you've said it. (Not that sound heard up here 🤔)
Glad to see you got and like your PRS. Great guitars…I have three of them (all SE models). I changed the tuners not because of tuning instability but because locking tuners make changing strings so much easier.
I know what do you mean.I went to the shop and worker was playing on PRS.Sound was greate.You know it when sound is good.But price was £3,500.I took this PRS to try what it is.The same you have.And I left it in the shop.Difference was massive.None of this chip PRS guitars, even one reminds Santana sound.Not at all.
Played bunch of them. The only reason I see anyone buying a PRS guitar is the design department. The guitar is neither strat, neither gibson, neither anything really - doesn't have distinctive signature tone (generic, less organic gibsonish maybe). Guitars that are designed to cover "all styles" of music, are usually not good to cover any style of music. The most effective PR marketing in the history of guitar made this instrument iconic really. Since 80's there hasn't been more than few big songs written on PRS. Overall, it works nice, stays in tune, thicker sounding, but nothing more really. I'd buy it to play around from time to time as a practice guitar, but that's it. Overhyped, overpriced, and very plasticy looking and sounding instrument.
I have an SE 24 Custom. Absolutely love it. I'm picking it up over my go to guitar of over 30 years. I actually do use the split coil feature in the middle position. Doesn't give a true strat single coil sound, but for certain songs, it gives me enough of that vibe that I don't have to switch to a strat. However, agree that sometimes you just need to use a strat if that's the tone you want. Also find it super comfortable. Had a 2 hour rehearsal wearing the guitar the entire time. Never got tired or sore. My SG2000 starts to kill my back after about a half hour. Also borrowed a PRS CE from a buddy. Honestly like the SE way better and it's half the cost. Didn't like the CE pickups, the rotary switch (older model), or the neck profile.
I'm mainly a SG player and I fell in love with a PRS SE Santana, and it was instantly comfortable to play both sitting down and standing. It has been had a new nut cut for it and set up for GHS strings. The circuitry has all been upgraded and the pickups were replaced. I used left over pickups - SD WLH in the neck and a SD 59 / Custom in the bridge.
I have the same guitar and the tone isn’t quite right for me which is a shame as it’s stunning so looking at selling and getting an American standard strat or Vintera 60s Stratocaster
Been loving my SE Standard 24-08 for six months. Build quality and playability are exceptional at this price point. I have no issue with tuners, try them before switching. Sound options are great. It is on par with my PRS core cu 24 and more flexible. I have a strat as well and it has a different set of sound options. Love them all.
It’s impossible for a builder to make a guitar that suits everyones needs…I use PRS because they play and feel great, they are 100% reliable…they just plain work…great stuff my man!!!
I've been playing se 24-08 for the past year. I agree with the pros, so I'll share my thoughts on the cons: 1) tuners - same, immidiately switched to locking tuners. 2) coil split - I love it. that's the thing that brought my attention to this model and it works for me personally. 3) what this guitar does not work with for me is some heavy overdrive and distortion. Clear tone and crunch, some light OD - great, but for heavier sound I prefer my LP with 490R and 498T. All in all the SE 24-08 managed to replace a strat and a tele (but not an LP), it just works for me. In terms of sound, as a couch guitar player - these 2 guitars seem to be enough for me.
oh crap I go confused I thought this was the Core 24-08 that was 5k... Music store told me to look at that for kind of jack of all trades but also because of the pick thingy..... I am sure my wife would love this one because it much less than 5k but not sure I would... Funny you looked around when said that about buying guitars... My wife does not get like that I want to buy nice electric especially since just bought a nice Taylor... I just think I need atleast one electric and one accoustic.... (well to start lol)
I have three guitars - Squier classic vibe tele, Epiphone Les Paul, and a PRS SE 24-08. The PRS is the most comfortable and easy to play of the three to me. I did put in PRS locking tuners and changed to the PRS lampshade knobs. Really love my PRS. I preferred the pickups in the PRS CE I owned for a while, but I’m happy with the sound as it. I like that it is a bit hotter and brighter than my Les Paul.
Gibson quality just isn't there and hasn't been for decades. I don't want to pay $3k plus and still have to work on the guitar after paying that price! Give me a PRS that's ready to play right out of the box any day of the week. Sounds great and performs exactly how I want and need and it looks great!
Tim Mahoney (311) has used PRS for ages. I'm 45 years old and he is the inspiration that made me want a PRS. Now, I have my PRS on order. I can't wait for it to get here. PRS is making it to order and is projected at the end of December. Merry Christmas to me! 🥰
I've had many different brands of guitar but the PRS is the most comfortable and easy to play no matter the type of music I'm playing it's a pleasure to play can't say that about any other guitar I've owned.
20yrs ago I worked at a guitar shop, and all the guys looked down on PRS in favor of Gibson because they associated PRS with all the nu-metal guys playing them. Looking back over the past 20yrs PRS has evolved and imho put out better overall consistency and quality control in their products. I think the stigma against PRS has faded over the years as they've established themselves as a consistent quality brand. I can't recommend PRS enough!
I own this very model. While I still love my Les Pauls and my Stratocasters, my new PRS Custom SE 24-08 is currently doing most of the heavy lifting on my band's album. Fantastic instrument.
I have an S2 with the same pickups and switching system. I don’t superlove the split coils on their own, but blending in the middle position delivers some really interesting tones. Especially neck humbucker + bridge split. That’s become a go-to clean sound for me.
PRS just released a video with Paul himself explaining bits and pieces around the pickups. Paul is actually very fond of singlecoils, and has a sort of testbed guitar that allows pickup changes on the fly, and he shows humcancelling pups that approach singles more truthfully. The standard PRS humbuckers are indeed fairly hot, which makes a coilsplit lose a lot of focus and output - which is why that trick usually fails to impress. If you going to change out these pickups as you're looking for a good singlecoil sound, then I'd suggest adjusting the current pickup heights to that sweet spot while in singlecoil mode.
I have a 2021 Se Custom 24. I put locking tuners on it and the Wilkinson locking saddles (brilliant!) and it's a great guitar. With the locking at both ends, I can go crazy with the whammy and it stays perfectly in tune. Love the neck carve, the weight, everything. The newer SE's are brilliant.
Every PSR SE Custom just sound right to me. Nor does the feel of the neck. Don't see what all the hype is about these cheap foreign guitars. I've tried modded versions where the pickups were changed and the electronics. And it sounded great, but again that feel of the guitar is awful to me. Myself coming from a 90s Gibson Nighthawk and a 1982 Japanese vintage Squire 70s stratocaster with 7.25 U neck....looks like a guitar, smells like a guitar but a PRS is not it.
That's why there are different brands and styles of guitars. Yours is one opinion. I have about 30 guitars right now and have one of this exact model. It's decent. Is it the best? Well no, but depends on what style I am playing.
Sounds like you prefer vintage style guitars and the PRS custom is a modern style. I wouldn’t say the se guitars are “cheap” though. You are still paying upward of a grand for one. My se cu24 is very nice, their fretwork is better than any import brand and many US brands. They’ve come up in quality a lot since 2018 when they changed pickup design too. To each his own though
I have been playing acoustic guitar for years and recently decided to migrate more toward electric. Had a few low end electrics that I play but really wanted to invest in a "Nice" guitar. After much homework and many RUclips videos I ended up buying this same PRS SE Custom 24/08. I also found this guitar very comfortable to play and am loving the fretboard. Before I replaced the strings I also invested in the locking tuners as I heard others talk about the tuning issues with the SEs Anyway I Love this guitar and can't stop playing it daily, I feel I made the right choice and have no regrets! Thank you, excellent video
I have a 2015 SE Custom in Cherry Sunburst. The tuning stability is the fault of the nut. When I first got it it would stay in tune for as little as 5 minutes!!! I had a custom made bone nut installed and it now stays in tune for HOURS
Prs has a prs md. It had split coil. But has active witb 2 9 volts. It’s great. I think it was to be expensive to make. They stopped. But. U can find them
Wow! You hit the nail on the head in this video. Perhaps we have similar taste, because I have the same exact pros and cons. I’m not Strat crazy, but I do have love for them, and know what they are supposed to sound like, specifically when playing in the neck position. My PRS custom 24 zebrawood doesn’t deliver ANYTHING like that chime that a Strat is renowned for. When the coil split control is engaged, the only change is in regard to the intensity of the pickups. It merely sounds like a weakened version of the same pickup, but the tonal characteristics stay exactly the same. Overall, the tones I get are not bad, but they’re also not familiar. That’s not bad, but when your guitar heroes all seem to play Fender and Gibson, the guitar doesn’t exactly give you what your looking for when you’re used to hearing classic tones on recordings and performances. I can say with all certainty, that PRS is it’s own thing for sure. I don’t mean that as an insult, it’s just the best way I can describe my experience with their instrument. For me it’s a little weird because I don’t have original material, so I’m always trying to make it do something that my other instruments just do naturally. I don’t know if this makes me sound like a dick, (or crazy), but the instrument doesn’t seem to have the same kind of life inside of it like that of it’s competitors, but it’s not lacking life either. Additionally, It’s a very bright sounding guitar. The electronics work beautifully, but if you’re the type of player who likes to turn your tone knob up to 10 and never look back then you’ll realize immediately that the natural voice of the instrument is BRIGHT! Even when playing on the neck pickup. Probably due to the 24 frets vs 22? I have no complaints there, but you do want to dial this guitar in to avoid shrill tones. Thats not an insult either, it just means that the tone pots have a large sweeping range from dark to light, and it’s best to use them to your advantage and experiment with them. Conversely, mine plays extremely comfortably, (more so than my Fenders and Gibsons), and it’s one of the most beautiful guitars I own, which we like to pretend doesn’t matter so much, but it really does. Honestly, the fit and finish are perfect, and it’s the lightest guitar I own. Even PRS’s strap that I bought was of a high quality, and the most comfortable one I own. PRS does an incredible job on their affordable SE line. Because I’d like a better single coil guitar, I’ve though of maybe selling it and going for an SE Silver Sky instead. Sorry for the long comment, but I couldn’t agree more with your points. Overall, I think that this is an incredible instrument and I do love it very much, but it would be best if I wrote original music so that I’m not forced to compare it to other brands simply because they are familiar. Thanks for the video!
This video is 1 year old. But i would just drop the pickups low... I still remember how i found the neck sound of my strat too harsh, one day accidentally i lowered it (wrong screw, i was moving the guard😅) and voila... Then i started noticing ALL my favorite strat players had the pickups just a few milimiters over the pickguard 😅
Honestly I was going to purchase this guitar until I noticed my PRS SE Tremonti Custom is coming apart (shrinking or swelling) at the point where the pieces of wood are glued together and after getting zero help from PRS customer support I will not be buying anything from PRS anymore at all 😐
Tuning issues are down to the crappy plastic nut. Some of them are just badly made. I have a 2015 SE Custom in Cherry Sunburst. The tuning stability is the fault of the nut. When I first got it it would stay in tune for as little as 5 minutes!!! I had a custom made bone nut installed and it now stays in tune for HOURS. I also added Gotoh Locking tuners. WAY nicer than the PRS ones and cheaper...
I've had my SE custom 24-08 for about a month. It has it's own sound. I own Les Paul's and Strats. It is different on purpose. Enjoy it for what it is! Why would you want a PRS that is just like a LP?
It's an honest review but I seriously am a bit surprised not to say confused about the single coil / humbucking topic. I mean if you don't want to just go close to a single coil sound but actually want to have an excellent one, you have to buy a single coil guitar - you mentioned it yourself. PRS offer the SE John Mayer for that purpose - excellent SC guitar. But f.m.o. it's not fair to seriously ctiticising a Humbucker guitar not being able to deliver an excellent single coil tone even if the switch system gets you close to it. By the way - don't even have issues with the tuners - but I am not living in the Sahara. 🙂
I have the same guitar and I agree on most of the points. 1. It is extremely comfortable 2. Weight is just perfect - not too light, not too heavy 3. Addictive - I'm not sure I totally agree with this because I owned my for about a year now and it is my newest guitar so I might lean towards it because it's still "new", but I do lean towards it often 4. Looks beautiful 5. Tuners - not the greatest but didn't have real issues with it 6. Coil split - I didn't really like split sounds on mine so I changed switches to 3-way ones with Split/Series/Parallel and it is much more usable 7. Sound in my head - it sounded a lot muddier than my other guitars so I ended up changing pickups - I've put Suhr SSV+ in bridge and SSV in neck 8. 3-way pickup toggle - It is a total garbage. I'm having problems with mine every other day and I'll end up changing it. I've seen others have problems with that switch as well
I've had my PRS for 3 years. No issues with the 3-way toggle switch and the sound in my head. Everything else is spot-on! Also it is not my newest guitar. I've purchased a Gretsch solid body more recently a Charvel San Dimas Style 1. and I owned a Godin solid body and my original 2012 American Strat. I actually play them all: The Charvel took 2nd place from the Strat but the PRS is still the mos fun to play.
This is interesting. I have this exact model too and the switch seems a bit funky and the tuners are a bit lame. Seems like for the price they could at least put locking ones on it...
It is the same for me with Epiphone guitars. I had a Korean SG model, swapped in Duncan customs figuring it would be perfect, but it wasn't. Played great, had a nice weight and all, but even with those pickups, it never sounded "distinctive" I guess I'd say. Kind of generic. Not sure if it was the finish type, the two piece neck, the selection of the wood itself, just didn't love it. Put the stock pickups back in and sold it.
Have the Tobacco Burst standard version. I’ve been playing it at church for around 9 months. I find myself liking it more and more and more. (I put the SE locking tuners on mine as well). It does everything I need, is easy on my back, stays in tune and is easy on my fretting hand.
PRS SE 245 is my first guitar since 2020. And I love it! Since then I try lot of guitars from other brand, but I don’t know why I always back to PRS. And last year I bought PRS SE Silver Sky and I don’t regret my decision. About the sound, for me (because most of the time I am a keyboard player) it not really bother me. Yes its sound different with the other brand but I still love it. I’m planning to buy other PRS guitar in the future and 24-08 eriza verde is one of them.
Nope. I've owned about a dozen PRS guitars. They've passed through my hands as I tried to find one I could love. The bottom line: they're technically very good! They offer better quality and better value for money. Also, they're hideous and you will never form a connection with one. You will let them all go for guitars that are "worse".
I own the Ezra green version and I adore it. I also changed the tuners but I did it post purchase from Sweetwater. I personally really love the split coil and my PRS sounds how I imagined. Esp when I put it in drop C tuning.
I personally would look for a used S2. You'll have the same issues with the pickups as they are the same but overall quality is far superior and USA made. The necks on the USA models take like 2 weeks alone to complete. That being said the SE's are surely one of the best imported mid priced guitars available. The Strat however is king.
Yep, I've never been a great fan of the split pickups/push pull system on any guitar, so I couldn't agree more. I think it just adds an unnecessary production cost for something that's rarely, if ever useful.
I sold my CE 24 because it sounded like crap , brought a Suhr and never looked back , I like Strats and this is the best of both worlds Guthrie Govan signature
Also, i like the pickups. Ive got lots of guitars with singles so i dont mind the variety. If you cut the tone back a little they sound great, but they are a little noisy. Thats nothing some proper shielding cand handle though.
Refreshing to watch an honest, independent guitar review. A PRS is the next guitar on my buy list. Still tossing up between an SE or spending more on a S2 or CE24 Semi Hollow. Currently have a Tele, Les Paul and a 335 copy
I've had an SE semi-hollow custom 22 (older flat top version) for years. I regularly stop in to the local guitar shop and tryout expensive guitars....none of them seem to do anything better. Some sound a bit different, but none play any smoother. I did my own setup work, and when a pot went scratchy, I replaced both and upgraded pickups to SD Pearly Gates. Next up is a coil split, to try it out. All this to say, I seen no reason to spend more than SE money to get a fantastic guitar.
I have the regular SE without the extra switches. I took out the push-pull pots and replaced them with standard CTS pots. I replaced the pickups with the Peacock Set from Missing Link Audio. They're amazing pickups but more for vintage-y bluesy stuff. They're very open, organic, "alive" sounding pickups. Check out intheblues for a demo of them. I needed something similar but with more balls, so MLA made me a custom set. I'm hoping to get them installed in the next couple of weeks. I also replaced the nut and tuners. Mine has the PRS lockers like yours has. I'd love another CU24 though, in the eriza Verde color. It reminds me of the Kramer that Dave Sabo from Skid Row plays. I'd buy one of those, but I hate Floyd Rose tremolos. They're a headache. But definitely look into Missing Link Audio for pickups.
I had a 1989 CE 24, didn’t know what I had. Traded it for a Gretchen Country Gentleman, big mistake. Later on had a friend sell me his SE custom 24, fantastic. When PRS re-released the CE 24 in 2016 I snatched one up, love it. Then found a SE Santana(22 fret), love it. Found a S2 22 fret in matt black, love it. Finally found a used SE 35th anniversary 24-08, love it. Your fight weight and comfort count on the enjoyment of the instrument while playing on and off the stage. And I have played Les Paul’s, strats and telescope. The PRS line is a stand out.
I have that exact guitar. Agree on every point. Switched to two Seymour Duncan pickups. Neck: '59 Model Humbucker (PAF) and Bridge: SH-5 Custom Humbucker. Got rid of the coil splits, was a pain to re-wire. The difference in sound was massive, now I completely love this guitar. Can get me anywhere from PAF sounds to TOOL riffs. I run this through a BOSS Katana 100 mk2 with the Diezel VH-4^2 as a preamp through the FX Loop and it sounds disgusting. I also run it through a Fender Blues Jr. and the PAF sounds great. Bonamassa/Cream vibes. Use my strat for strat tones.
I had the issue of a guitar not matching the sound in my head too. Les Paul… just never bonded with the thing. Hard to get past it. Looking at a PRS or an Ibanez AR420 to replace it
I added a .033 capacitor, wired the same as S2 that has the same pickups. You may also want to try lowering the pickups. I also changed the tuners, added a Graph Tech nut, the S2's knobs and pickup rings and a Pure Tone output jack.
I have the same guitar as yours. When I first tried it in the guitar store, it was plugged into an Evh amp and I was like “that’s not the sound that I’m looking for” but still I wanted have a PRS HAHHAAHHA so when I got home already, I plugged to one of my Fender Amp and damn, I loved it. Maybe, it’s just about personal preferences that makes it pretty not impressing. But who cares? It’s a PRS, and it’s my dream guitar. HAHAHAHHAHAHHA thanks for sharing this video dude.
I own a SE Custom 24. And, like you, I also am not a fan of split coil pots. So, I had mine removed, swapped out the pickups for 57/08s and changed the capacitors for 0.015 oil and paper Bumblebees. Now, the tone growls and howls like Eric Clapton’s Cream era ‘64 SG. Try it... The sound surpasses most Gibson Murphy Lab custom jobs for a fraction of the price.
I've got my SE 24-08 coming in next week! I don't have many options within the brand unless i want to drop a lot of $, but stoked all the same. It'll be a different kind of beast for me, as I've been a 22 fret, Strat-style / Les Paul player for the longest time. I do agree with what you said on not seeing the 24-08 as a jack of all trades guitar. It's got it's own vibe. It'll definitely handle a gig just fine, but I'm not gonna expect it play like my Schecter Johnston or Gibson Trad. Les Paul. Can't wait for it to come in
Just bought this guitar last week, can't seem to put it down, but you are right the split coil is Mah....but the humbuckers are fantastic, easy to replace my LP that is a brick, don't get me wrong I love my LP but at my age it is a beating to strap on for longer than 30 minutes. The PRS is lighter than my USA 2016 Standard Pro, which is saying something. But if you need the sound of a single coil PRS SE 24-08 just doesn't cut it. I use my Strat when I need the quack. My Strat is a shawbucker so I have the HSS, but the Humbucker is still not as good as the PRS. So you have to choose, if you need the sound of a strat, get a less expensive version and get the PRS, or if you love the strat get the Players Series, price is about the same as the PRS, and get a cheap Epiphone and you will get the HH sound.
I too, put the PRS locking tuners on my SE custom 24-08 at the get-go as well. Oddly this is the FIRST PRS that has stuck with me. I've tried 4 others over the years. I never get along with the tone, until the 24-08. I'm a Humbucker guy. FWIW, going milder output PUPs, will make the coil tap tone even thinner and worse.
As a mediocre(at best) guitar player, and after owning a PRS Custom24SE for a few weeks now it is has become my favourite guitar to play. As bonus, instead of hearing “not another guitar” from my other half, she thinks it looks beautiful, and it does, with a turquoise quilted maple top and headstock.
I really appreciate your comments about splitting the coils. As PRS advertises, I was hoping that these TCI coils would yield some satisfying single coil tones, but apparently not. Honestly, I have yet to hear any split hummers sound like decent single coils. Better to save some $ by investing in the less pricey Custom 24, and then switching to my Strat when desiring single coil tones. 😛
Good job mate! Think this is the first video I've seen which actually gives a balanced look at a PRS guitar. All the others fal into 2 groups, aren't they great, or they're not a Fender / Gibson and a consequently sh#t! Fully understand what you mean about them not producing the true single coil / humbucker sounds you need as a professional, but as a beginner that's not important to me. What I want is a guitar that will give me the ability to emulate the greats while I'm learning and the versatility of this means I can do that. Think it's also great that this has a wide thin neck like an acoustic, after all that's what most beginners start on. Shows PRS have really thought about what newbies need ina Student Edition (SE) guitar. Think I'm going to buy one.
You won't be disappointed! As I mentioned, it's one of those guitars that you just gravitate towards to play. Any instrument that makes you want to practice/play more is a win in my books! Thanks very much for watching
I tried one yesterday. I thought the coil split sounded good - it worked better than on other guitars I have tried as in they actually sounded like single coils and were different enough to the humbucker config that it was easy to tell which was which. Sound in my head? I don’t really have one - probably as I’m primarily a bass and keyboard player. The picks up sounded good in humbucking config too - either with some crunch or some drive. I tried a Mexican strat at the same time - it just didn’t speak to me. Your cons didn’t apply to me - but I think this is probably a lot to do with where each of us have come from, and that I only want one guitar that gets close enough to everything.
Ted Nugent was also one of the early artists. He was playing PRS in the mid-80s (along with a Gibson Howard Roberts Fusion III) and exclusively played them while in the Damn Yankees.
Man I still can't decide between this and SE Mira. Mira looks cool but I fell in love at first sight with the Custom 24. It's just looks perfect (2nd to Jaguar IMO).
So PAF style buckers will always sound anemic as shit when you split ‘em. Cool mod to mitigate the issue - wire the split pot or switch to send the slug coil (instead of straight to ground) to a 10K ohm trimmer pot (which is itself connected to ground of course) so that you can tweak exactly how much of the 2nd coil is shut off and how much still contributes to the sound. I do this mod on all my split coil circuits and, no, still won’t sound like a strat lol, but it won’t be as wimply and anemic sounding as fully split. Especially useful for that bridge pickup, gets you wayyyy closer to a tele vibe.
I just bought this guitar. And I found that if you just lower the neck pickup a little then everything is correct. My jack of all trades is a 2006 Fender American Deluxe with the fourth generation noiseless
I am considering this guitar and just what demo videos I have watched the sound doesn't get it for me either. It is like a muddy mix in the middle, the humbucker loses it's full sound and the single coil sounds watered down. I"ll have to try one to know for sure.
I have the S2 version of the same guitar. It came with the locking tuners and is very comfortable to play. It looks amazing. What you say about it not being a jack of all trades is spot on. The single coil sounds aren't quite like a strat. I have found that I can really get close to the sound SRV uses on Cold Shot if I split the bridge PU and use the neck PU as a humbucker. But it will not cover all of the sounds that you can get with a strat. The PUs used as humbuckers don't get the humbucking sounds I want. They just don't sound like Gibson PAF style pickups. I really like the guitar it just doesn't cover all the bases like I expected it to do.
I think the single coil feature is t really meant to be studio quality. It’s meant to emulate it close enough for live performances. Like, the purpose of it is to be a versatile tool. Paul even says this himself.
@@leodb3894 absolutely! I don't think any humbucker that splits could be classified as studio quality. I guess if you want that, then play a single coil
Earlier this year, I needed a new "travel guitar" for practicing on business road trips (read: not too expensive, with split-able humbuckers for hotel rooms with loads of RFI). I picked up an SE Custom 24-08, and within a couple of months, I bought the Custom 24, too, just to see which I prefer. My plan was to sell one, but, they're both excellent and different enough from each other that I decided to keep both. Some of my observations, which may be at odds with the video presenter, here:
- With tone at 10: In Humbucker mode, they are brighter than a Les Paul. In Single Coil mode, they are brighter than a Strat. But, in ALL modes they have a LOT of bass. You can reduce the bass by rolling off the volume a bit on the guitar, and you can tame the brightness by rolling back the Tone knob. With the stock treble bleeds in place, these guitars encourage the player to adjust the knobs. Think of "5" as "neutral." If you simply dime all the knobs out of habit, you'll miss out on much of the tonal versatility of these guitars.
- I find the Single-coil tones on both guitars very usable. Do they sound like Stats or Teles? Not really, though the 24-08 comes closer. But they DO sound like single coils, and again, experiment with the knobs please! On some clean amp settings, the single coil middle position on the Custom 24 can sound like a plugged-in acoustic. A handy option to have available.
- Both my guitars have the stock SE tuners, and I have had ZERO trouble with them AFTER making one minor tweak. The tiny philips head screws that hold the tuner buttons on ALSO serve to adjust the tension/resistance of the tuning machines. As the come from the factory, they are so loose that breathing heavily on them might knock them out of tune. (Hyperbole Alert) Just take a small screwdriver and add a tiny bit of tension (1/8 turn?). This will make the tuners hold tension much more reliably. Of my 13 guitars, these two are now tied for first place in terms of tuning stability.
- I don't know what to do with the "Sound in my Head", comment. Kind of a pointless observation, since no one knows what that sound is. I don't care if it sounds like a Core, and, like most players, I have zero frame of reference for that, anyway. Do I like the sound enough to keep it? Yes. I have no plans on changing the pickups. I like them as is, and don't see the point in making all my guitars sound the same.
- In the coil-split middle position, the Custom 24 seems to give you some of the out-of-phase quack of positions 2/4 on a Strat. Not so on the 24-08; it's more akin to the in-phase middle on a Tele.
- Both guitars feel EXACTLY the same. If I couldn't hear them, I couldn't tell them apart by playing.
- The stock 9-gauge strings are too light, and too bright (tinny). These guitars feel and play better with 10s. Also aids in tuning stability and rattle-free low action.
- The visual quality of the maple veneers varies WILDLY. So much so that, I really think Mr. Smith should step in and require better judgement from the Indonesian plant. I stalked eBay, Reverb, Sweetwater, Wildwood, and Dave's for over a month for each guitar, waiting to pounce on one with an top that I liked. Honestly, there's no excuse. Some of the tops are so lame/mismatched that they should be priced as factory seconds. Even Harley Benton seems to have better consistency in this area.
- No regrets. Lovely guitars, with thoughtful design features that truly make them a joy to play. If forced to sell one, I'd keep the Custom 24.
I just turned 50 and may wonderful daughter gave me a bright green one. Its beautiful! It needed some picky work, i polished the frets, truss adjust, set up etc. Now that thats done, its AMAZING! I've only had it three days now, but i cant put it down!
Happy birthday and what an incredible present from your daughter. Enjoy the new axe!
I got the SE Standard 24 with the 85/15 pickups just about 2 years ago in 2020. I fiddled with the pickup height and I love the tones it gives. And the playability is amazing. The split coil sound is not a strat but it is a single coil tone. And I like that it gives different tones than my other guitars. I don't want all my guitars to sound alike. I like to learn what differences each guitar gives me. So yeah, I'm still in love with the stock SE Standard 24.
I have the same guitar, and I love everything about it. Now, one thing I learned is that it's a bright sounding bridge humbucker and if you want it in a sweet rounded growl you have to turn the tone to 5 or 6. If you want to play punkrock then tone at 10. I never had a guitar where I'm dialing back the tone on a bridge humbucker. That's a plus in my books!
The issue I think is that It doesn't sound like a strat or a Gibson, so when you're playing guns and roses it's not quite the same sound, when you play David Gilmore it's not quite the same ect so it feels like it's missing something but it's not. I feel exactly the same but do I swap pickups for some pearly gates and now it's a Gibson and all strat songs sound even more off or go low output and loose the rock sound? Think I'll leave mine in the middle where it belongs.
Too hot for my liking too. Had it for 8 months and the playability is just as good, almost feels like home with my Ibanez's. But,... well you've said it. (Not that sound heard up here 🤔)
Glad to see you got and like your PRS. Great guitars…I have three of them (all SE models). I changed the tuners not because of tuning instability but because locking tuners make changing strings so much easier.
I know what do you mean.I went to the shop and worker was playing on PRS.Sound was greate.You know it when sound is good.But price was £3,500.I took this PRS to try what it is.The same you have.And I left it in the shop.Difference was massive.None of this chip PRS guitars, even one reminds Santana sound.Not at all.
Played bunch of them. The only reason I see anyone buying a PRS guitar is the design department. The guitar is neither strat, neither gibson, neither anything really - doesn't have distinctive signature tone (generic, less organic gibsonish maybe). Guitars that are designed to cover "all styles" of music, are usually not good to cover any style of music. The most effective PR marketing in the history of guitar made this instrument iconic really. Since 80's there hasn't been more than few big songs written on PRS. Overall, it works nice, stays in tune, thicker sounding, but nothing more really.
I'd buy it to play around from time to time as a practice guitar, but that's it. Overhyped, overpriced, and very plasticy looking and sounding instrument.
I have an SE 24 Custom. Absolutely love it. I'm picking it up over my go to guitar of over 30 years. I actually do use the split coil feature in the middle position. Doesn't give a true strat single coil sound, but for certain songs, it gives me enough of that vibe that I don't have to switch to a strat. However, agree that sometimes you just need to use a strat if that's the tone you want. Also find it super comfortable. Had a 2 hour rehearsal wearing the guitar the entire time. Never got tired or sore. My SG2000 starts to kill my back after about a half hour. Also borrowed a PRS CE from a buddy. Honestly like the SE way better and it's half the cost. Didn't like the CE pickups, the rotary switch (older model), or the neck profile.
Glad you're enjoying it!
If you haven't already, check out Brendan Bayliss from Umphrey's Mcgee. 2x2 is a good place to start.
I'm mainly a SG player and I fell in love with a PRS SE Santana, and it was instantly comfortable to play both sitting down and standing. It has been had a new nut cut for it and set up for GHS strings. The circuitry has all been upgraded and the pickups were replaced. I used left over pickups - SD WLH in the neck and a SD 59 / Custom in the bridge.
I have the same guitar and the tone isn’t quite right for me which is a shame as it’s stunning so looking at selling and getting an American standard strat or Vintera 60s Stratocaster
The sound you're looking for is: LP.... playability sucks, but the quack is it.
Been loving my SE Standard 24-08 for six months. Build quality and playability are exceptional at this price point. I have no issue with tuners, try them before switching. Sound options are great. It is on par with my PRS core cu 24 and more flexible. I have a strat as well and it has a different set of sound options. Love them all.
Definitely agree re tuners. I check my tuning before playing each day and it rarely needs tuning and if it does, it's a minor tweak.
Maybe trade it for a McCarty 594, with the 58/15 pickups instead of the 85/15s.
It’s impossible for a builder to make a guitar that suits everyones needs…I use PRS because they play and feel great, they are 100% reliable…they just plain work…great stuff my man!!!
I've been playing se 24-08 for the past year. I agree with the pros, so I'll share my thoughts on the cons:
1) tuners - same, immidiately switched to locking tuners.
2) coil split - I love it. that's the thing that brought my attention to this model and it works for me personally.
3) what this guitar does not work with for me is some heavy overdrive and distortion. Clear tone and crunch, some light OD - great, but for heavier sound I prefer my LP with 490R and 498T.
All in all the SE 24-08 managed to replace a strat and a tele (but not an LP), it just works for me. In terms of sound, as a couch guitar player - these 2 guitars seem to be enough for me.
oh crap I go confused I thought this was the Core 24-08 that was 5k... Music store told me to look at that for kind of jack of all trades but also because of the pick thingy..... I am sure my wife would love this one because it much less than 5k but not sure I would... Funny you looked around when said that about buying guitars... My wife does not get like that I want to buy nice electric especially since just bought a nice Taylor... I just think I need atleast one electric and one accoustic.... (well to start lol)
She is a keeper ;)
I have three guitars - Squier classic vibe tele, Epiphone Les Paul, and a PRS SE 24-08. The PRS is the most comfortable and easy to play of the three to me. I did put in PRS locking tuners and changed to the PRS lampshade knobs. Really love my PRS. I preferred the pickups in the PRS CE I owned for a while, but I’m happy with the sound as it. I like that it is a bit hotter and brighter than my Les Paul.
Sounds like all sonic bases are covered - nice!
Gibson quality just isn't there and hasn't been for decades. I don't want to pay $3k plus and still have to work on the guitar after paying that price! Give me a PRS that's ready to play right out of the box any day of the week. Sounds great and performs exactly how I want and need and it looks great!
Tim Mahoney (311) has used PRS for ages. I'm 45 years old and he is the inspiration that made me want a PRS. Now, I have my PRS on order. I can't wait for it to get here. PRS is making it to order and is projected at the end of December. Merry Christmas to me! 🥰
He is actually one of the original "artist roster" for PRS. Enjoy - what a present!
I've had many different brands of guitar but the PRS is the most comfortable and easy to play no matter the type of music I'm playing it's a pleasure to play can't say that about any other guitar I've owned.
20yrs ago I worked at a guitar shop, and all the guys looked down on PRS in favor of Gibson because they associated PRS with all the nu-metal guys playing them. Looking back over the past 20yrs PRS has evolved and imho put out better overall consistency and quality control in their products. I think the stigma against PRS has faded over the years as they've established themselves as a consistent quality brand. I can't recommend PRS enough!
I own this very model. While I still love my Les Pauls and my Stratocasters, my new PRS Custom SE 24-08 is currently doing most of the heavy lifting on my band's album. Fantastic instrument.
I have an S2 with the same pickups and switching system. I don’t superlove the split coils on their own, but blending in the middle position delivers some really interesting tones. Especially neck humbucker + bridge split. That’s become a go-to clean sound for me.
Definitely is fun discovering the different combinations of sounds, from the pickups
PRS just released a video with Paul himself explaining bits and pieces around the pickups. Paul is actually very fond of singlecoils, and has a sort of testbed guitar that allows pickup changes on the fly, and he shows humcancelling pups that approach singles more truthfully.
The standard PRS humbuckers are indeed fairly hot, which makes a coilsplit lose a lot of focus and output - which is why that trick usually fails to impress.
If you going to change out these pickups as you're looking for a good singlecoil sound, then I'd suggest adjusting the current pickup heights to that sweet spot while in singlecoil mode.
I have a 2021 Se Custom 24. I put locking tuners on it and the Wilkinson locking saddles (brilliant!) and it's a great guitar. With the locking at both ends, I can go crazy with the whammy and it stays perfectly in tune. Love the neck carve, the weight, everything. The newer SE's are brilliant.
Every PSR SE Custom just sound right to me. Nor does the feel of the neck. Don't see what all the hype is about these cheap foreign guitars. I've tried modded versions where the pickups were changed and the electronics. And it sounded great, but again that feel of the guitar is awful to me. Myself coming from a 90s Gibson Nighthawk and a 1982 Japanese vintage Squire 70s stratocaster with 7.25 U neck....looks like a guitar, smells like a guitar but a PRS is not it.
That's why there are different brands and styles of guitars. Yours is one opinion. I have about 30 guitars right now and have one of this exact model. It's decent. Is it the best? Well no, but depends on what style I am playing.
Sounds like you prefer vintage style guitars and the PRS custom is a modern style. I wouldn’t say the se guitars are “cheap” though. You are still paying upward of a grand for one. My se cu24 is very nice, their fretwork is better than any import brand and many US brands. They’ve come up in quality a lot since 2018 when they changed pickup design too. To each his own though
I have been playing acoustic guitar for years and recently decided to migrate more toward electric.
Had a few low end electrics that I play but really wanted to invest in a "Nice" guitar.
After much homework and many RUclips videos I ended up buying this same PRS SE Custom 24/08.
I also found this guitar very comfortable to play and am loving the fretboard.
Before I replaced the strings I also invested in the locking tuners as I heard others talk about the tuning issues with the SEs
Anyway I Love this guitar and can't stop playing it daily, I feel I made the right choice and have no regrets!
Thank you, excellent video
Love this!! Thanks for sharing!
I have a 2015 SE Custom in Cherry Sunburst. The tuning stability is the fault of the nut. When I first got it it would stay in tune for as little as 5 minutes!!! I had a custom made bone nut installed and it now stays in tune for HOURS
Before you change the pickups!
Lower them, and then raise the screwed in pole pieces. This will also help with the single coil sounds.
Yes, have definitely played around with the heights as well
Nice job! We strive to make the best guitars we can and glad they are appreciated. #WeMakePRS
I kept the pickups in mine, best way to describe the sound is a Strat with a pair of balls
Love it!!!!
Try an Epiphone Les Paul Modern
Prs has a prs md. It had split coil. But has active witb 2 9 volts. It’s great. I think it was to be expensive to make. They stopped. But. U can find them
Wow! You hit the nail on the head in this video. Perhaps we have similar taste, because I have the same exact pros and cons. I’m not Strat crazy, but I do have love for them, and know what they are supposed to sound like, specifically when playing in the neck position.
My PRS custom 24 zebrawood doesn’t deliver ANYTHING like that chime that a Strat is renowned for. When the coil split control is engaged, the only change is in regard to the intensity of the pickups. It merely sounds like a weakened version of the same pickup, but the tonal characteristics stay exactly the same. Overall, the tones I get are not bad, but they’re also not familiar. That’s not bad, but when your guitar heroes all seem to play Fender and Gibson, the guitar doesn’t exactly give you what your looking for when you’re used to hearing classic tones on recordings and performances.
I can say with all certainty, that PRS is it’s own thing for sure. I don’t mean that as an insult, it’s just the best way I can describe my experience with their instrument. For me it’s a little weird because I don’t have original material, so I’m always trying to make it do something that my other instruments just do naturally. I don’t know if this makes me sound like a dick, (or crazy), but the instrument doesn’t seem to have the same kind of life inside of it like that of it’s competitors, but it’s not lacking life either. Additionally, It’s a very bright sounding guitar. The electronics work beautifully, but if you’re the type of player who likes to turn your tone knob up to 10 and never look back then you’ll realize immediately that the natural voice of the instrument is BRIGHT! Even when playing on the neck pickup. Probably due to the 24 frets vs 22? I have no complaints there, but you do want to dial this guitar in to avoid shrill tones. Thats not an insult either, it just means that the tone pots have a large sweeping range from dark to light, and it’s best to use them to your advantage and experiment with them.
Conversely, mine plays extremely comfortably, (more so than my Fenders and Gibsons), and it’s one of the most beautiful guitars I own, which we like to pretend doesn’t matter so much, but it really does. Honestly, the fit and finish are perfect, and it’s the lightest guitar I own. Even PRS’s strap that I bought was of a high quality, and the most comfortable one I own. PRS does an incredible job on their affordable SE line.
Because I’d like a better single coil guitar, I’ve though of maybe selling it and going for an SE Silver Sky instead. Sorry for the long comment, but I couldn’t agree more with your points. Overall, I think that this is an incredible instrument and I do love it very much, but it would be best if I wrote original music so that I’m not forced to compare it to other brands simply because they are familiar.
Thanks for the video!
Great insights and I definitely agree with what you are saying! Thanks for watching
This video is 1 year old. But i would just drop the pickups low...
I still remember how i found the neck sound of my strat too harsh, one day accidentally i lowered it (wrong screw, i was moving the guard😅) and voila...
Then i started noticing ALL my favorite strat players had the pickups just a few milimiters over the pickguard 😅
i also put it on a pedestal since 05'
Honestly I was going to purchase this guitar until I noticed my PRS SE Tremonti Custom is coming apart (shrinking or swelling) at the point where the pieces of wood are glued together and after getting zero help from PRS customer support I will not be buying anything from PRS anymore at all 😐
Tuning issues are down to the crappy plastic nut. Some of them are just badly made. I have a 2015 SE Custom in Cherry Sunburst. The tuning stability is the fault of the nut. When I first got it it would stay in tune for as little as 5 minutes!!! I had a custom made bone nut installed and it now stays in tune for HOURS. I also added Gotoh Locking tuners. WAY nicer than the PRS ones and cheaper...
I've had my SE custom 24-08 for about a month. It has it's own sound. I own Les Paul's and Strats. It is different on purpose. Enjoy it for what it is! Why would you want a PRS that is just like a LP?
Need better pups and treble bleeds
When I think of PRS, in my
mind it's all about Santana's smooth creamy tones that flow from the guitar like water. Good luck finding this.
It's an honest review but I seriously am a bit surprised not to say confused about the single coil / humbucking topic. I mean if you don't want to just go close to a single coil sound but actually want to have an excellent one, you have to buy a single coil guitar - you mentioned it yourself. PRS offer the SE John Mayer for that purpose - excellent SC guitar. But f.m.o. it's not fair to seriously ctiticising a Humbucker guitar not being able to deliver an excellent single coil tone even if the switch system gets you close to it.
By the way - don't even have issues with the tuners - but I am not living in the Sahara. 🙂
I have the same guitar and I agree on most of the points.
1. It is extremely comfortable
2. Weight is just perfect - not too light, not too heavy
3. Addictive - I'm not sure I totally agree with this because I owned my for about a year now and it is my newest guitar so I might lean towards it because it's still "new", but I do lean towards it often
4. Looks beautiful
5. Tuners - not the greatest but didn't have real issues with it
6. Coil split - I didn't really like split sounds on mine so I changed switches to 3-way ones with Split/Series/Parallel and it is much more usable
7. Sound in my head - it sounded a lot muddier than my other guitars so I ended up changing pickups - I've put Suhr SSV+ in bridge and SSV in neck
8. 3-way pickup toggle - It is a total garbage. I'm having problems with mine every other day and I'll end up changing it. I've seen others have problems with that switch as well
I've had my PRS for 3 years. No issues with the 3-way toggle switch and the sound in my head. Everything else is spot-on! Also it is not my newest guitar. I've purchased a Gretsch solid body more recently a Charvel San Dimas Style 1. and I owned a Godin solid body and my original 2012 American Strat. I actually play them all: The Charvel took 2nd place from the Strat but the PRS is still the mos fun to play.
This is interesting. I have this exact model too and the switch seems a bit funky and the tuners are a bit lame. Seems like for the price they could at least put locking ones on it...
It is the same for me with Epiphone guitars. I had a Korean SG model, swapped in Duncan customs figuring it would be perfect, but it wasn't. Played great, had a nice weight and all, but even with those pickups, it never sounded "distinctive" I guess I'd say. Kind of generic. Not sure if it was the finish type, the two piece neck, the selection of the wood itself, just didn't love it. Put the stock pickups back in and sold it.
Have the Tobacco Burst standard version. I’ve been playing it at church for around 9 months. I find myself liking it more and more and more. (I put the SE locking tuners on mine as well). It does everything I need, is easy on my back, stays in tune and is easy on my fretting hand.
PRS SE 245 is my first guitar since 2020. And I love it! Since then I try lot of guitars from other brand, but I don’t know why I always back to PRS. And last year I bought PRS SE Silver Sky and I don’t regret my decision. About the sound, for me (because most of the time I am a keyboard player) it not really bother me. Yes its sound different with the other brand but I still love it. I’m planning to buy other PRS guitar in the future and 24-08 eriza verde is one of them.
This guitar is perfect... what the matter? I would'nt change nothing...
Looks like PRS, sounds like PRS, feels like PRS. . 🤷♂️🤦♂️
Nope. I've owned about a dozen PRS guitars. They've passed through my hands as I tried to find one I could love.
The bottom line: they're technically very good! They offer better quality and better value for money.
Also, they're hideous and you will never form a connection with one. You will let them all go for guitars that are "worse".
I have GOT to agree with you. The sound just isn’t there for me. Fit and finish is great. But the sound? Meh
I own the Ezra green version and I adore it. I also changed the tuners but I did it post purchase from Sweetwater. I personally really love the split coil and my PRS sounds how I imagined. Esp when I put it in drop C tuning.
You're not wrong. The pickups don't sound great on the SE models. It's worth swapping out.
I have a core and an se - they both come to my gigs. The SE 24/08 mini toggle switches are effin awesome
I personally would look for a used S2. You'll have the same issues with the pickups as they are the same but overall quality is far superior and USA made. The necks on the USA models take like 2 weeks alone to complete. That being said the SE's are surely one of the best imported mid priced guitars available. The Strat however is king.
Yep, I've never been a great fan of the split pickups/push pull system on any guitar, so I couldn't agree more. I think it just adds an unnecessary production cost for something that's rarely, if ever useful.
The SE Standard 24 08 has the TCI pups vs the Customs 85/15. Interesting.
I sold my CE 24 because it sounded like crap , brought a Suhr and never looked back , I like Strats and this is the best of both worlds Guthrie Govan signature
Also, i like the pickups. Ive got lots of guitars with singles so i dont mind the variety. If you cut the tone back a little they sound great, but they are a little noisy. Thats nothing some proper shielding cand handle though.
One of these axes can be pretty good at covering all the bases if you throw in some Fluences.
SE tuners Blow
SEs are a much better value if bought second hand. Then you'll have cash to replace the tiny frets. Really solid guitars that feel great.
No, P R S in in the same boat with gibson ,O K guitar bad price, Those musicians play them cause they get paid to,and free guitars .
Refreshing to watch an honest, independent guitar review. A PRS is the next guitar on my buy list. Still tossing up between an SE or spending more on a S2 or CE24 Semi Hollow. Currently have a Tele, Les Paul and a 335 copy
Thanks Rob - would love to hear what you go with
I've had an SE semi-hollow custom 22 (older flat top version) for years. I regularly stop in to the local guitar shop and tryout expensive guitars....none of them seem to do anything better. Some sound a bit different, but none play any smoother.
I did my own setup work, and when a pot went scratchy, I replaced both and upgraded pickups to SD Pearly Gates. Next up is a coil split, to try it out.
All this to say, I seen no reason to spend more than SE money to get a fantastic guitar.
2.2k resistor to ground...beefs up the split a bit, plus gives it a slight phase twist. Or Not.
I put locking tuners the day I brought it home. Then I changed to Pearly Gates. Big difference.
Never could get used to my custom 24 bought new in 1995.
It feels cold and sounds cold....
I have the regular SE without the extra switches. I took out the push-pull pots and replaced them with standard CTS pots. I replaced the pickups with the Peacock Set from Missing Link Audio. They're amazing pickups but more for vintage-y bluesy stuff. They're very open, organic, "alive" sounding pickups. Check out intheblues for a demo of them. I needed something similar but with more balls, so MLA made me a custom set. I'm hoping to get them installed in the next couple of weeks. I also replaced the nut and tuners. Mine has the PRS lockers like yours has. I'd love another CU24 though, in the eriza Verde color. It reminds me of the Kramer that Dave Sabo from Skid Row plays. I'd buy one of those, but I hate Floyd Rose tremolos. They're a headache. But definitely look into Missing Link Audio for pickups.
Will do, that's awesome - thanks for the heads up
I had a 1989 CE 24, didn’t know what I had. Traded it for a Gretchen Country Gentleman, big mistake. Later on had a friend sell me his SE custom 24, fantastic. When PRS re-released the CE 24 in 2016 I snatched one up, love it. Then found a SE Santana(22 fret), love it. Found a S2 22 fret in matt black, love it. Finally found a used SE 35th anniversary 24-08, love it. Your fight weight and comfort count on the enjoyment of the instrument while playing on and off the stage. And I have played Les Paul’s, strats and telescope. The PRS line is a stand out.
Nice man!
I have that exact guitar. Agree on every point.
Switched to two Seymour Duncan pickups. Neck: '59 Model Humbucker (PAF) and Bridge: SH-5 Custom Humbucker.
Got rid of the coil splits, was a pain to re-wire.
The difference in sound was massive, now I completely love this guitar. Can get me anywhere from PAF sounds to TOOL riffs.
I run this through a BOSS Katana 100 mk2 with the Diezel VH-4^2 as a preamp through the FX Loop and it sounds disgusting.
I also run it through a Fender Blues Jr. and the PAF sounds great. Bonamassa/Cream vibes.
Use my strat for strat tones.
Sounds like the perfect combination!
I had the issue of a guitar not matching the sound in my head too. Les Paul… just never bonded with the thing. Hard to get past it. Looking at a PRS or an Ibanez AR420 to replace it
I've owned many Ibanez guitars over the years. The AZ series are incredible instruments
Hehehe! That's why guitars are better than women. Guitars don't care how many other guitars you have.
Try parallel instead of split. it’s still humbucking. I like it better.
I added a .033 capacitor, wired the same as S2 that has the same pickups. You may also want to try lowering the pickups. I also changed the tuners, added a Graph Tech nut, the S2's knobs and pickup rings and a Pure Tone output jack.
Have played around with the height of the pickups but not the capacitor. Will have a look - cheers!
Loving my PRS Custom 24. Did put the locking tuners on.
I have the same guitar as yours. When I first tried it in the guitar store, it was plugged into an Evh amp and I was like “that’s not the sound that I’m looking for” but still I wanted have a PRS HAHHAAHHA so when I got home already, I plugged to one of my Fender Amp and damn, I loved it. Maybe, it’s just about personal preferences that makes it pretty not impressing. But who cares? It’s a PRS, and it’s my dream guitar. HAHAHAHHAHAHHA thanks for sharing this video dude.
@@kokwalabear8207 love it!!! Glad to hear you're enjoying the axe - thanks for watching
I own a SE Custom 24. And, like you, I also am not a fan of split coil pots. So, I had mine removed, swapped out the pickups for 57/08s and changed the capacitors for 0.015 oil and paper Bumblebees. Now, the tone growls and howls like Eric Clapton’s Cream era ‘64 SG. Try it... The sound surpasses most Gibson Murphy Lab custom jobs for a fraction of the price.
Love it - sounds perfect!
I've got my SE 24-08 coming in next week! I don't have many options within the brand unless i want to drop a lot of $, but stoked all the same. It'll be a different kind of beast for me, as I've been a 22 fret, Strat-style / Les Paul player for the longest time. I do agree with what you said on not seeing the 24-08 as a jack of all trades guitar. It's got it's own vibe. It'll definitely handle a gig just fine, but I'm not gonna expect it play like my Schecter Johnston or Gibson Trad. Les Paul. Can't wait for it to come in
Enjoy man! The Schechter Johnston HSS are also great guitars!
Just bought this guitar last week, can't seem to put it down, but you are right the split coil is Mah....but the humbuckers are fantastic, easy to replace my LP that is a brick, don't get me wrong I love my LP but at my age it is a beating to strap on for longer than 30 minutes. The PRS is lighter than my USA 2016 Standard Pro, which is saying something. But if you need the sound of a single coil PRS SE 24-08 just doesn't cut it. I use my Strat when I need the quack. My Strat is a shawbucker so I have the HSS, but the Humbucker is still not as good as the PRS. So you have to choose, if you need the sound of a strat, get a less expensive version and get the PRS, or if you love the strat get the Players Series, price is about the same as the PRS, and get a cheap Epiphone and you will get the HH sound.
Enjoy the new purchase!
Put two Vaughn Skow PAFs in my SE Custom 22. It's a completely different animal now. What a great instrument. And yes... split works beautifully ;)
Love it!
I too, put the PRS locking tuners on my SE custom 24-08 at the get-go as well. Oddly this is the FIRST PRS that has stuck with me. I've tried 4 others over the years. I never get along with the tone, until the 24-08. I'm a Humbucker guy. FWIW, going milder output PUPs, will make the coil tap tone even thinner and worse.
Appreciate the feedback!
As a mediocre(at best) guitar player, and after owning a PRS Custom24SE for a few weeks now it is has become my favourite guitar to play. As bonus, instead of hearing “not another guitar” from my other half, she thinks it looks beautiful, and it does, with a turquoise quilted maple top and headstock.
Awesome to hear you are enjoying it. Even better that the other half is on board!! Enjoy
I really appreciate your comments about splitting the coils. As PRS advertises, I was hoping that these TCI coils would yield some satisfying single coil tones, but apparently not. Honestly, I have yet to hear any split hummers sound like decent single coils. Better to save some $ by investing in the less pricey Custom 24, and then switching to my Strat when desiring single coil tones. 😛
Thanks for watching!
Good job mate! Think this is the first video I've seen which actually gives a balanced look at a PRS guitar. All the others fal into 2 groups, aren't they great, or they're not a Fender / Gibson and a consequently sh#t! Fully understand what you mean about them not producing the true single coil / humbucker sounds you need as a professional, but as a beginner that's not important to me. What I want is a guitar that will give me the ability to emulate the greats while I'm learning and the versatility of this means I can do that. Think it's also great that this has a wide thin neck like an acoustic, after all that's what most beginners start on. Shows PRS have really thought about what newbies need ina Student Edition (SE) guitar. Think I'm going to buy one.
You won't be disappointed! As I mentioned, it's one of those guitars that you just gravitate towards to play. Any instrument that makes you want to practice/play more is a win in my books! Thanks very much for watching
You nailed it. Among the other points you made, the overall sound is just not there.
I have this guitar in green...love it for all the stated reasons. I actually love the pickups in it - so I am happier than you. ;^)
Haha that's awesome Elen - glad you are enjoying it
DON'T change it. SELL IT, and buy an HSS.
I tried one yesterday. I thought the coil split sounded good - it worked better than on other guitars I have tried as in they actually sounded like single coils and were different enough to the humbucker config that it was easy to tell which was which. Sound in my head? I don’t really have one - probably as I’m primarily a bass and keyboard player. The picks up sounded good in humbucking config too - either with some crunch or some drive. I tried a Mexican strat at the same time - it just didn’t speak to me. Your cons didn’t apply to me - but I think this is probably a lot to do with where each of us have come from, and that I only want one guitar that gets close enough to everything.
Great to hear it was working for you. Thanks for sharing
Ted Nugent was also one of the early artists. He was playing PRS in the mid-80s (along with a Gibson Howard Roberts Fusion III) and exclusively played them while in the Damn Yankees.
Of course - good call!!
Man I still can't decide between this and SE Mira. Mira looks cool but I fell in love at first sight with the Custom 24. It's just looks perfect (2nd to Jaguar IMO).
Try them both out at the same time to compare. You will now straight away. Good luck!!
So PAF style buckers will always sound anemic as shit when you split ‘em. Cool mod to mitigate the issue - wire the split pot or switch to send the slug coil (instead of straight to ground) to a 10K ohm trimmer pot (which is itself connected to ground of course) so that you can tweak exactly how much of the 2nd coil is shut off and how much still contributes to the sound. I do this mod on all my split coil circuits and, no, still won’t sound like a strat lol, but it won’t be as wimply and anemic sounding as fully split.
Especially useful for that bridge pickup, gets you wayyyy closer to a tele vibe.
Love it! Will check this out, thanks
Instead of coil split, wire it for coils in parallel.
Excellent critique. Same observations here.
I just bought this guitar. And I found that if you just lower the neck pickup a little then everything is correct. My jack of all trades is a 2006 Fender American Deluxe with the fourth generation noiseless
Enjoy the new axe!
Thank you sharing pro &cons,great review, i rely to your opinion
Thanks for watching!
I am considering this guitar and just what demo videos I have watched the sound doesn't get it for me either. It is like a muddy mix in the middle, the humbucker loses it's full sound and the single coil sounds watered down. I"ll have to try one to know for sure.
@@johnhepbean4346 definitely worth while trying
I have the S2 version of the same guitar. It came with the locking tuners and is very comfortable to play. It looks amazing. What you say about it not being a jack of all trades is spot on. The single coil sounds aren't quite like a strat. I have found that I can really get close to the sound SRV uses on Cold Shot if I split the bridge PU and use the neck PU as a humbucker. But it will not cover all of the sounds that you can get with a strat. The PUs used as humbuckers don't get the humbucking sounds I want. They just don't sound like Gibson PAF style pickups. I really like the guitar it just doesn't cover all the bases like I expected it to do.
@4:17 Shit-hard
I love Aussie terminology my favorite is '9 Fingered Shite-hawk'
Haha everyone loves a shit hot guitar! Thanks for watching
I think the single coil feature is t really meant to be studio quality. It’s meant to emulate it close enough for live performances. Like, the purpose of it is to be a versatile tool.
Paul even says this himself.
@@leodb3894 absolutely! I don't think any humbucker that splits could be classified as studio quality. I guess if you want that, then play a single coil
I had a 24. Couldn’t find a thing wrong with it. Didn’t like it at all. Traded it for a Highway 1 Telecaster. Talk about an upgrade!!
Strange isn't it how a guitar either resonates with you or not at all! Thanks for watching