MY PRS guitars...

[Lewguitar]

Re: MY PRS guitars...

PRS SEs typically have Fender string spacing at the bridge.

My three SE's measure 2 1/16" E string to E string at the bridge.

My Tele measures 2 1/8" E string to E string at the bridge.

My Strat's both measure 2 3/16" at the bridge.

So my '07 & '09 SE's do NOT have Fender spacing at the bridge.

 

[Lake Placid Blues]

Re: MY PRS guitars...

Very cool.

One of my main guitars is an SE standard that I got for about $300. I got it to examine how it was built because I wanted to try and build a set neck guitar. It was a little beat up. It looked like it had been a weapon in a domestic dispute and hit a door frame instead of the ex. So I refinished it and tried my set of boutique pickups in it just for kicks, thinking I would then throw in a set of off the shelve pickups and flip it. It sounded so good that it became part of the rotation instead. For a gig or a rehearsal I normally take two guitars: my swamp ash HSS strat number one, and the SE as the backup. It is feather lite not having a maple top but sounds good with great sustain.

 

[richard parker]

Re: MY PRS guitars...

I thought it was a boast of PRS that you should be able to take any of their guitars off the shelf or out of the box and it would be gig ready. My SE Bernie Marsden played like a dream when I first tried it in the shop. I've had the nut slots widened a little and changed the pickups for the Bare Knuckle Abraxas set. I liked the original pickups but wanted a little more oomph. I was at my guitar guy's place the other day and got to play a '68 Les Paul Custom through a very early 60's Marshall. My Bernie played and sounded better than the LP.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: MY PRS guitars...

I thought it was a boast of PRS that you should be able to take any of their guitars off the shelf or out of the box and it would be gig ready. My SE Bernie Marsden played like a dream when I first tried it in the shop. I've had the nut slots widened a little and changed the pickups for the Bare Knuckle Abraxas set. I liked the original pickups but wanted a little more oomph. I was at my guitar guy's place the other day and got to play a '68 Les Paul Custom through a very early 60's Marshall. My Bernie played and sounded better than the LP.

I'd like to have a nice Bernie.

 

[voggin]

Re: MY PRS guitars...

I think the smartest thing PRS did with the SE line was not making them identical to the US core line. They save some money making them thinner, making the carve a bit shallower, etc., but then still make them excellent guitars, rather than trying to make "perfect" copies.

I had an SE single cut that I still regret selling. However, I sold it to a buddy so I still have visitation rights.

Lew mentioned the stock pickups. I replaced them with Duncans on mine, but as far as cheap pickups go, the stock ones weren't too bad. They were at least usable, and you could get some interesting sounds out of them. the neck pickup on mine had a cool, cocked wah sort of thing going on.

If you buy SE's used, you'd be hard pressed to find a better value guitar.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: MY PRS guitars...

I think the smartest thing PRS did with the SE line was not making them identical to the US core line. They save some money making them thinner, making the carve a bit shallower, etc., but then still make them excellent guitars, rather than trying to make "perfect" copies.

I had an SE single cut that I still regret selling. However, I sold it to a buddy so I still have visitation rights.

Lew mentioned the stock pickups. I replaced them with Duncans on mine, but as far as cheap pickups go, the stock ones weren't too bad. They were at least usable, and you could get some interesting sounds out of them. the neck pickup on mine had a cool, cocked wah sort of thing going on.

If you buy SE's used, you'd be hard pressed to find a better value guitar.

The Korean pickups in my guitars used a small, T-Top style alnico magnet.

Made them very sharp and edgey. Very bright.

I did experiment with magnets and was able to make them sound pretty good eventually with an RCA2 in the neck and UOA5 in the bridge.

But I replaced them with Duncans eventually and that made all the difference in the world.

And I was able to sell the pair of Korean pickups on Reverb for $40...after putting the original magnets back in!