mwalluk
New member
Let me preface this by stating that I still need to put some more time into the instrument before I can really review it. That being said, here are my first impressions.
2007 PRS CE 22
Right off the bat, the craftmanship is top notch. The amount of work put into it is really noticeable. I also own a Gibson Les Paul Studio Deluxe which looks like a cheap first act axe in comparison.
Older discontinued CEs are the closest you can get to a CORE model without having to sacrafice a limb. The reason I prefaced it as discontinued was due to PRS reissuing the CE 24 (no 22). The reissues and S2s are fine quality guitars for the price point. However, I believe they are closer to PRSs true intent than the original CEs were. PRS wanted to make a more stripped down, cost savings guitar while still offering the perks of the PRS name.
The original CEs offered multiple wood options (mahogany, maple, ash, alder, etc), bolt on neck and a variance in hardware. Other than dots and the afforementioned differences, it was pretty much Custom. While the reissues and some S2s may havr nicer flame tops and birds, they do not offer the same amount of craftmanship that the discontinued ones had. First thing I noticed was the non recessed volume and tone controls. The maple top appears thinner and cut slightly different. It also slants to the end rather than lip up. The notch is not as prevalent. The neck is multipieced. The back panels are not recessed either.
To my knowledge, wood is mahogany back and maple top only for reissues and S2s. Theres definitely a trade off between cosmetics and craftmanship. Those differences wouldn't deter me from getting one though. Just sometging to consider.
That's where the comparisons end. Being that my CE has different pups and woods used, I can't really offer an honest tone comparison. Too many differences, wouldn't be fair.
Now coming from a 60s Slim Neck LP, the Prs Fat/Wide neck took sometime to get used to. After a couple days and a good tech setup, it feels amazing. Far better than my LP. It also has a natural back, unlike Gibsons glossy back. Definitely more comfortable playing.
The bolt on neck and all maple body isnt really noticeable. It weighs almost as much as my LP but its more balanced. I can still get that in your face, heavy chug of an LP. The trem is blocked, sustain for days.
The biggest difference made was the pickup swap and 3 way toggle switch installation. The toggle is so much more practical compared to the original 5 way rotorary dial. Im now able to switch neck to bridge on a downstroke, split second vs having to plan to turn the dial 5 clicks.
The C5/59 combo really opened it up. Its almost like a blanket was removed from my amp. The clarity, definition is to die for. The C5 is great for a dirty overdriven sound. Think Slash coming into a song, strums one chord, big, loud, in your face. Im not sold on the C5 for cleans, then again I dont really use my bridge for cleans. The 59 is what I needed for cleans. Round, robust, clear. Its lacking something for overdriven, but not enough to make me want to swap it out. I was a fan of the PG in my LP dirty, 59 definetly sounds better. I can still get an in your face attack, just not as aggressive.
That's one thing I will suggest, if you get a PRS be prepared to swap pups out. In the weeks prior to getting my PRS, I was using my bandmate's McCarty. I wanted to get use to the bodystyle, strumming real estate, neck and how it sits. The McCarty sounded similar. Dull, blanket, uninspiring. Im using a Mesa Stiletto which is decently bright amp. Thats not meant to be a slight to PRS but rather a testament to the quality of Duncans. Then again, you might like em. Tone is subjective which is why I focused more on the build of the guitat rather than tone.
In closing, the CE just became my go to guitar. Ive played LPs for well over a decade. Thats all I played. While the CE will never replace the lore of a Gibson LP, but I have no reservations turning the LP into a backup. Nor do I have any regrets doing so. Nor will I lose anything tonally.
If you are interested in getting a PRS, I highly recommend checking out a discontinued CE. For a few bucks more than a upper end SE or S2, but a few bucks less than a used/new reissue CE, you will get the quality of a core model, but a fraction of the price. If cosmetics are more your thing and those tradeoffs dont bother you, get an S2 or reissue CE. If you dont care about USA made and dont wanna spend as much, get an SE.
2007 PRS CE 22
Right off the bat, the craftmanship is top notch. The amount of work put into it is really noticeable. I also own a Gibson Les Paul Studio Deluxe which looks like a cheap first act axe in comparison.
Older discontinued CEs are the closest you can get to a CORE model without having to sacrafice a limb. The reason I prefaced it as discontinued was due to PRS reissuing the CE 24 (no 22). The reissues and S2s are fine quality guitars for the price point. However, I believe they are closer to PRSs true intent than the original CEs were. PRS wanted to make a more stripped down, cost savings guitar while still offering the perks of the PRS name.
The original CEs offered multiple wood options (mahogany, maple, ash, alder, etc), bolt on neck and a variance in hardware. Other than dots and the afforementioned differences, it was pretty much Custom. While the reissues and some S2s may havr nicer flame tops and birds, they do not offer the same amount of craftmanship that the discontinued ones had. First thing I noticed was the non recessed volume and tone controls. The maple top appears thinner and cut slightly different. It also slants to the end rather than lip up. The notch is not as prevalent. The neck is multipieced. The back panels are not recessed either.
To my knowledge, wood is mahogany back and maple top only for reissues and S2s. Theres definitely a trade off between cosmetics and craftmanship. Those differences wouldn't deter me from getting one though. Just sometging to consider.
That's where the comparisons end. Being that my CE has different pups and woods used, I can't really offer an honest tone comparison. Too many differences, wouldn't be fair.
Now coming from a 60s Slim Neck LP, the Prs Fat/Wide neck took sometime to get used to. After a couple days and a good tech setup, it feels amazing. Far better than my LP. It also has a natural back, unlike Gibsons glossy back. Definitely more comfortable playing.
The bolt on neck and all maple body isnt really noticeable. It weighs almost as much as my LP but its more balanced. I can still get that in your face, heavy chug of an LP. The trem is blocked, sustain for days.
The biggest difference made was the pickup swap and 3 way toggle switch installation. The toggle is so much more practical compared to the original 5 way rotorary dial. Im now able to switch neck to bridge on a downstroke, split second vs having to plan to turn the dial 5 clicks.
The C5/59 combo really opened it up. Its almost like a blanket was removed from my amp. The clarity, definition is to die for. The C5 is great for a dirty overdriven sound. Think Slash coming into a song, strums one chord, big, loud, in your face. Im not sold on the C5 for cleans, then again I dont really use my bridge for cleans. The 59 is what I needed for cleans. Round, robust, clear. Its lacking something for overdriven, but not enough to make me want to swap it out. I was a fan of the PG in my LP dirty, 59 definetly sounds better. I can still get an in your face attack, just not as aggressive.
That's one thing I will suggest, if you get a PRS be prepared to swap pups out. In the weeks prior to getting my PRS, I was using my bandmate's McCarty. I wanted to get use to the bodystyle, strumming real estate, neck and how it sits. The McCarty sounded similar. Dull, blanket, uninspiring. Im using a Mesa Stiletto which is decently bright amp. Thats not meant to be a slight to PRS but rather a testament to the quality of Duncans. Then again, you might like em. Tone is subjective which is why I focused more on the build of the guitat rather than tone.
In closing, the CE just became my go to guitar. Ive played LPs for well over a decade. Thats all I played. While the CE will never replace the lore of a Gibson LP, but I have no reservations turning the LP into a backup. Nor do I have any regrets doing so. Nor will I lose anything tonally.
If you are interested in getting a PRS, I highly recommend checking out a discontinued CE. For a few bucks more than a upper end SE or S2, but a few bucks less than a used/new reissue CE, you will get the quality of a core model, but a fraction of the price. If cosmetics are more your thing and those tradeoffs dont bother you, get an S2 or reissue CE. If you dont care about USA made and dont wanna spend as much, get an SE.
