Bro, the guitar world needs to give you an award. It's amazing how much you've exposed these big names and educated me on what truly matters in a good guitar. Keep up the great work brother.
I've got a PRS McCarty 594 SE that is a wonderful guitar. Came setup perfectly from Sweetwater. It's a quality instrument and very attractive. Mahogany body and neck, Maple top with a beautiful vainer. rosewood fretboard. and pretty good tuners. The QC was impeccable . Very, very, happy.
i have 2 PRS SE guitars and they are both high quality instruments with none of these issues. PRS didn't make the Silver Sky to clone a strat - they made it to John Mayer's specs and he wanted a strat like guitar. Like you, i bought mine from Sweetwater and the QC and was excellent.
Ya it’s pretty hard to get a dud prs se -- they do great work and that factory is purpose built for prs it’s not the same one that does this and that … it’s just managed by Cort and if your open minded your gonna find some amazing spec cort guitars for amazing prices as well … 2024 Indonesian made guitars is not 20 years ago , they do amazing work pound for pound
I thoroughly enjoy your reviews and reveals on good cheaper all the way to top name guitars.You seem to find any flaws and show how to make good guitars better.You are down to Earth and speak a great lingo without all the swearing.Thanks for providing such an invaluable service.friends,Dennis Cole.
Good honest review! Basswood is a very cheap wood and I have never liked it for the use in making guitars. Have you seen the latest Firefly strats that came out in 2023? Now that is real value. The specs are just insane for the money i.e... locking tuners, bone nut, roasted Canadian maple neck, stainless steel frets, alnico five pups, and Roasted Ash Bodies all in many different colors or even in a relic white, black or red color. All for just $159.00 to $179.00 (I got mine for $139.00 each plus shipping during Xmas). I have been a professional guitar player for over forty years and I have many, many Fender strats as well as quite a few Gibson LP's and although I don't care much for the C necks on these Stratocaster Fireflys (I prefer soft V, Oval C or medium C), for the most part they look good, feel good and sound good. To be honest, when it comes to guitars I think all of these major brands (Fender, Gibson. P.R.S., Shure etc...) are all priced way out of line. If you haven't played one of these Firefly guitars you are missing out on the absolute best value out their! Just my 2 cents worth. Peace.
I have a Glarry Tele, a Cozart Tele, and a LyxPro Tele. Each under $150. Yes I had to put decent pickups in, new tuners, bone nuts and the LyxPro got new brass saddles. I also dressed (leveled and crowned) the frets but honestly, pound for pound, these guitars play as nice if not better than other Fender Teles I've played.
I have one exact same color, it came out of a box, as a mess. After taking to a guitartech (luthier) its the best guitar i ever had. Much much superior than a Fender Player, even my Luthier sad it doesnt look like a Indonesian Guitar. Switch, knobs and eletrics are BETTER than Fender's. The magnet from the pickups are huge, big bridge block, stays in tune. Mine has very low action with 0.09 and i love it. Maybe the only thing i would replace is bridge pickup for a Dimarzio Chopper, just to have more versality. And i agree your paying more for the headstock, same as Fenders or Gibs. But very far from a bad guitar.
I bought one 3 months ago. The guitar plays and sounds good. But it is a very cheap guitar. I tried to remove the knobs off the pots and one of the posts busted right out of the pot. Trying to remove the cheap white knob with my fingers caused the post to come completely out of the pot. And now as of 2/19/24 the 5 position switch is crapping out. I paid about a grand with shipping and taxes. Over all I agree it is worth about three hundred dollars. I feel like I got totally reamed. On the brighter side I am a big fan of the SMG channel. Thanks for the excellent videos.
Dang! At about the 10:24 mark, I about blew my drink out my nose, laughing so hard! 🤣 I guess she didn't much like your fret job Sean! LOL Great video buddy. Keep 'em comin'! 👍
Hi shawn. Again, you are showing all the up and coming youth what it means to be a real MAN! Big name guitar makers, imho, rely on the Hype and myth that more money spent on their guitars makes the problems seem ok somehow! I've bought 2 guitars you reviewed. Censtar lp, and the westcreek revenge . And both were amazing straight out of the box! I am a bigginer guitar player. I have a 2019 fender tele thinline ,2017 gibson faded cherry, a couple of squiers, a couple ofl acoustics, an older washburn lyon strat, and a used custom that I am still trying to figure out what I have to do to get it playable. It's an older home built one with high-end parts and awesome flame top ,mohagony. I am not you. Lol! But I'm learning. I just lack knowledge to get it howling. Anyway, that (Censtar) and (westcreek) are the ones that I always have the most fun with. They just play easier, feel better, and sound better more consistently. I can say this because of my lack of experience and knowledge. I commend you for calling a rabbid dog in the neighborhood ,a rabid dog in the neighborhood! I wish more men would be like you and quit with the hear no, see no, speak no evil because of the myth,Hype B.S. Now go get your wife to pat you on the back! You are the man! And awesomely talented ! 🎶 🎸📢 I respect you 💯🎸🎶. Some day, maybe I will get me a scared guitar 🎸 By the way, I feel that this subject is not just about PSR's. They just happened to be the example of the day!
Part of the problem is that people continue to buy from these companies because they're so afraid what other people might think when they see the name on the headstock. We need to get past that shit and get people to start taking a stand against the big companies.
I totally agree with that, it’s not everyone, but I think as you get older some don’t even care, unless they want the resales value of it. I’ve been buying some cheap ones, also still buy brand, but I’m amazed by the no name kinda brands, Ive probably gotten lucky, going into those guitars, I always feel you gotta do some set up, but at the end they stack up pretty well with the other brand guitars coming across the ocean. It’s getting better man, I love owning guitars, but my pockets hate it😂 so been trying the cheaper ones. Haven’t been disappointed yet.
@@fatsuperfly dude it's a fantastic time to be a guitar player. I think a lot of the myths that came from our parents generation have come over to our generation but slowly and surely we're moving past that. You can get such a good guitar now for 200 bucks vs even 15 years ago.
Best guitar I ever owned was a martin stinger loved that guitar,I had an sg it was alright,guess the best sounding strat I ever played was an 89 Japanese squire, that thing was beautiful
I can understand why folks may not like this guitar, but every company makes duds from time to time. I have a Silver Sky SE and it had none of these issues out of the box. Is it the best guitar I own? No. But did I spend $900 on it? Not even close 😉 especially with the sales that were going on at the last quarter of last year. I love fatter necks and the feel and playability and very good. Definitely play one (if you have any in your area) before deciding to buy, it’s the best way to tell if it is for you.
Hey brother just so you're aware PRS in collaboration with Cort have built their own factory together these are built by Cort yes but not in the usual factory.
You’re assuming Cathy needs a reason to kabonk ya! That’s her way of keeping you on your toes! I’ve heard mixed reviews about the Silvery Sky’s QC. I have heard some of the other SE models are stellar out of the box overall from online reviews I’ve seen. Are they $900 worth of stellar? Not so sure. My friend from high school got an Epiphone LP Modern Figured for about $649. Then she got the McCarty 594 SE. Both had the same number Alnico magnets, as I recall. Her chief complaint was that the output on the 594 was so poor that she had to raise the pickups as close to the strings as possible so she wouldn’t need a required boost pedal every single time to get the volume of the guitar to sound playable. In comparison, the LP was killer in every possible way for quite a bit less money. She said there weren’t any other issues on either guitar. Both were quite comfortable to play and didn’t even have the slightest blemish. Would be cool to pit some big brand’s “affordable” guitars against each other - so if someone wants to spend more, they’ll know which brands are giving them the most value and quality for their money overall. It could make for an interesting series of videos. Or instead of comparing, just stick to one brand and go through each price tier to give people an ideas what the money buys from that one “affordable” large brand. I do agree, that FoJill is right on that PRS SE’s tail for a fraction of the price!
No disrespect to previous "acquaintances" , but I think I know what you were referring to . Hope you are all good , and have time to play a bit of guitar between shifts . Cheers mate 👍
I was gonna buy an SE as my first guitar....then said oh yeah....I work for a living with 3 kids ...LoL...JK she's beautiful...but I have a squire that needs even more setp!
Man I own this exact guitar it’s great straight out the box very nice fret work literally have only had to retune it twice in 8 months and always from dropping it. For the price pick ups are great too this guy is a joke only negative video you will find on this guitar
Yeah me too. Honestly the best fret work and set up I've ever got on a new guitar and that includes my Pro 2. A player Strat is not even in the ballpark. This guy obviously has an axe to grind, no intelligent person would take him serious.
Sean, I hear you about price. I'm in Australia and my local music shop has them for $A1,339. Ouch. What I will say, however, is that if there is a problem, they'll have your back. The other thing is that if you buy cheap and mod, you have to factor in the cost of replacement pickups, tuners etc. Ok, if you can do it yourself and you don't intend on reselling it. I have a 2nd hand Squier Affinity Strat. It was cheap $40. It needs some new pots. For my standard of playing, it's fine.
I have one of those Mitchell Ms 470 its solid quality Al the way around but I had to do a fret level crown and polish on it it's great now everything is good .
Sometimes you get lucky. I bought an old ONYX acoustic years ago and the bridge was missing. It had a peace of dowel in it. I was walking through a paddock a year later and kicked something in the dirt. There was my bridge. Anyway recently I bought another ONYX guitar for my wife and it's great. perfect action. Sounds ok. could do with better pots. But for $125 AU with free post it's awesome. Sometimes you get lucky. Cheers Y/All.
My Les Paul has a similar truss rod nut. I took a bench grinder and thinned out the box end of the right combination wrench to use as my truss rod adjustment wrench
I bought mine because several people who owned the 3500 dollar version said it compared very favorably. The state of guitar builds has improved immensely, you can get a 400 dollar axe that compares to a lot of 70s era stuff maybe even better! I have 30 total in the arsenal and 8 are Epiphones so the name isn't real important to me, playability is.
Yeah, the SE's are a much better deal on the used market, and if you know how to do setups, and even after all that...... The pickups are a love it/hate it situation. I hated the ones that came in my custom 24 SE. EMG's and a good setup and a little love, and I'm really digging it. I got it and the pups cheap enough to still call it a good deal. New, I don't see that much in value, but that's personal, I guess. I wouldn't part with mine, but I'm not itching to buy another one.
Oh crap. I have one arriving today! But I picked it up for $649 plus tax from Wildwood Guitars’ eBay site. Definitely would not have paid full price. They even emailed me before they shipped it out to ask if I had any setup preferences. I think it’s new old stock. Fingers crossed
@@johnnysix7162 I only played with it briefly acoustically but my first impression as soon as I took it out of the box was “this is a quality instrument”. It feels better than either Mexican Strat I have owned and certainly nothing like the example in this video.
This PRS is a much better 'Strat' that Fender offers at the same price point. Love mine way more than my American made Strat. Headstock is not fot Strat lovers like you but looks good to me. Have not once had an issue with the tuners and it stay in tune really well. Yep...necks needs do need adjustments out if the box sometimes but I'm sure that can be said about any brand. The PRS SE Silver Sky will provide life long entertainment and joy to its owners and outlive similar price point guitars...can't agree with your assessment.
I say go play them side by side and see what you like. Especially if you are looking at the prs dont ask fender players cause u know what they will prefer
100% correct, I bought my silver sky se & its a good thing I'm a luthier. I had to do what I would charge 150 to make playable. Fret level recrown polish setup. New graphtech nut. I own 5 se's & this one was a major disappointment. Chiropractic Guitars Fl. USA.
@@johnnysix7162 some of the "SE" lines were still made in Korea in 2022. At least there were still a "Santana" and a "Tremonti" from Korea at a local music store.
Are you "The Dude" form louisville that rescued all kinds of gear from GC dumpsters????? if you are.....your a legend around these parts, you even inspired me to check our local GC😎 dumpsters for gear
Why is GC dumping guitars? Shouldn't they be sent back to the manufacturer for that? If I was Gibson or whoever I wouldn't trust a GC employee to destroy them. If I was a GC employee I'd certainly find a way to make them mine. Lol.
That tremolo block looks like what my Dad called ‘junk metal’. Sean you should get a Solo finished Les Paul kit and assemble it. Mine went together perfect and needed no adjustments.
Thanks 👍 very much for your Honest review 😊. I had a good look at the US version of that model 😁 as well as the Cort made ones, I have got to say that I would not spend 900 Buck's on a US model either when I could get a good 2nd hand US Strat. Thanks 👍. Best regards John.
Hey Sean. I'm just north of you in Osteen. If you ever want to fish and jam, I've got the space and the St. John's River is my backyard. I've been a subscriber for awhile but I've recently been bingeing on your back catalog. Great channel!
I don't mind the headstock or the color, but yeah, that's just a price-gouge. I just read where Cor-Tek makes DigiTech, which has always been my favorite effects brand.
I saw a PRS in my local guitar shop for about $1200 (not sure what model). I picked it up and after looking it over, I was NOT impressed either. The 2020 Fender Player (formerly MiM) felt much nicer, had an actual Alder body, and the stock AlnicoV pickups that came in it sounded just fine. The PRS I picked up had a mediocre fret job (no better than the Fender Player), sounded a bit "dead" when plugged into the amp. It was by no means a "garbage" guitar, but I honestly didn't think it was worth 1/2 the $1200 they were asking for it. I think it would be a decent deal for maybe $450 - 500. But in my opinion, it'd be a better use of money to get a $400 Squier and get it fixed up until you're happy with it. Or just get a Fender Player and give it a fret job if needed.
Hi Thanks 👍 for your input and honesty 😁 about the BIG brand guitars. I always 🤔 thought that they we're a bit overpriced, a bit like a Skoda pretending to be a VW. Dig you're accent it's Fab. 😅 Best Regards. John😅.
To me, the best value in budget guitars these days is the G&L Tribute line. The PRS SE Line does have some great values price wise: the silver sky has the john Mayer name tag price bump. Beyond that, I like the epiphone prophecy lineup. There's just amazing quality in the 5-600$ price range these days. I'm blown away.
I remember in the late 70s early 80s, I'd watch bands on TV and most bass players were playing Cort. Never heard much about the company after that. As to PRS, I only have two problems with them. I don't like the feel and they don't inspire me to play. I did almost buy a new Tremonti SE model with active pickups for $500 because of the sound alone. Instead, I found the pickups and built myself a HH parts Strat. Sounds just as good to this day. I made a trap door in the pickguard over the empty middle pickup slot to hide the battery. Remove one small screw, change the battery, and replace the cover. The battery slides in and out between the D and G. Easy peasy. BTW, that fretboard looks like purpleheart wood.
I too bought a MIM Fender Telecaster and when I got it I was disappointed with the fret work. I have several cheaper options that I didn't have to touch the frets. Love the sound of the Fender but for some reason I play the Harley Benton Tele which was cheaper . I also put some Tone Rider pickups in an SX guitar that I have and man it was close to the Fendersl sound to me!
Not sure who bought this guitar for that price, though brand new as of now on Reverb... tons of listings for $660- $700 most with free shipping. I got mine used the previous person did got it as an impulse buy and he got it PLEK'd, essentially I got a brand new guitar PLEK'd for $700.
Couldn't believe the condition of this Prs SE, this one might have made it past the last Quality Control. Made me feel good about the Ibanez Azes that I bought. The neck and fretboards seem to be the weakness of the Indonesia manufacturing process. Most new guitars will need a proper setup to play their best.
Sean, im a disabled vet, dont have a ton of money....can do most smsll repairs...i want a tele....can you recommend one i should spend my meager funds on that has a good chance of being worth messing with...if there's any one i would trust a recommendation from. It would be you...im 69 years old been playing since i was eleven....need something to inspire me....sure appreciate your rsvp....thanks bro...
I'm a fan of cheap guitars and also brand name, more expensive, guitars. I'd probably buy one of those Silver Sky SEs for $500-600 if I didn't already have some strats. I'm sure I could find something cheaper that is the same or better but the trusted brands will always hold a little resale value in the name. That said I love my $2,200 Fender Vintage II Strat (won it) and a nearly $2,000 Les Paul, but the best guitar in my collection is a G&L Tribute Fallout (Indonesia) that I picked up brand new, but broken (push-pull pot was snapped in half), for $287 at auction. It has a humbucker in the bridge and a P90 in the neck and covers a lot of ground. The stock pickups are pretty good.
I got an Ernie ball guitar, and I love it, but the same thing with the strings, I hate changing strings on that guitar, string always gets stuck and won’t come out.😂 everything about is cool, but annoys the hell out of me changing strings(if that wasn’t bad already)😅
The PRS site says Poplar. I've cut thru many types of trees with a chainsaw and poplar cuts with about the same ease as pine. Not much character to the wood either.
I'm surprised at the low quality of that one. My main guitar is an SE Standard 24 and it was awesome out of the box. The worst components were the tuners and strap buttons, but I planned on changing them anyway. I've been playing it for a decade and it's my go to for practice, learning, gigging, and recording.
Unlike some private branded guitars made by Cort, PRSSEs are made in an exclusive, joint venture factory, 51% owned by Cort, 49% owned by PRS, with PRS manufacturing consultants in house, overseeing all production. Yes, it is a Cort-made guitar. Cort is an awesome guitar maker. That’s why they make PRSSE, G&L‘s, Squire, and many others. if you’re silver sky sucked, it’s on PRS as much as it is Cort.
At 7:35 is that a window screen replacement tool from Amazon? Those are handy. I used mine to pry the grill off my 80s Peavey bass amp just the other day
The only time I paid $1000 (Canadian) for a guitar was when I bought my Godin (Canadian made in Quebec) with a much nicer gig bag. Worth every penny too.
I’ve known this ever since I started buying the cheap guitars that are reviewed on YT. If you want the name, buy it. I want the looks and good functionality. I think guitars beautiful. I an have more of them if they’re affordable.
Subscribe to Cathy's Channel...Promise you won't regret it!
Let's get her to 1000!
www.youtube.com/@ScarMyPickups
Did you officially retire the Pizza Hut ball cap?
@@onetech-u9uNEVER!
Never liked the looks of a prs
Done I'm in
Already subscribed she only likes about 130 to get to 1000
Bro, the guitar world needs to give you an award. It's amazing how much you've exposed these big names and educated me on what truly matters in a good guitar. Keep up the great work brother.
I've got a PRS McCarty 594 SE that is a wonderful guitar. Came setup perfectly from Sweetwater. It's a quality instrument and very attractive. Mahogany body and neck, Maple top with a beautiful vainer. rosewood fretboard. and pretty good tuners. The QC was impeccable . Very, very, happy.
Yea I think this was a dud maybe. I don't know.
i have 2 PRS SE guitars and they are both high quality instruments with none of these issues. PRS didn't make the Silver Sky to clone a strat - they made it to John Mayer's specs and he wanted a strat like guitar. Like you, i bought mine from Sweetwater and the QC and was excellent.
Ya it’s pretty hard to get a dud prs se -- they do great work and that factory is purpose built for prs it’s not the same one that does this and that … it’s just managed by Cort and if your open minded your gonna find some amazing spec cort guitars for amazing prices as well … 2024 Indonesian made guitars is not 20 years ago , they do amazing work pound for pound
I recorded this tube using a PRS SE Swamp Ash guitar. Excellent instrument, no issues at all.
th-cam.com/video/8AB_9RmJ3do/w-d-xo.html
As Always Have a Great Evening Sean, Cathy, & Everyone Scarred ...
Live Free or Die, From Pew Hampshire !!!
Of course we are gonna subscribe to Cathy's Channel. We love her!
That fret crowning tool is genius!
Agreed,had a Sears strat copy years ago$124.oo,and was a beauty,only issue brittle paint that chipped easy
I thoroughly enjoy your reviews and reveals on good cheaper all the way to top name guitars.You seem to find any flaws and show how to make good guitars better.You are down to Earth and speak a great lingo without all the swearing.Thanks for providing such an invaluable service.friends,Dennis Cole.
I appreciate that!
Good honest review!
Basswood is a very cheap wood and I have never liked it for the use in making guitars.
Have you seen the latest Firefly strats that came out in 2023?
Now that is real value.
The specs are just insane for the money i.e... locking tuners, bone nut, roasted Canadian maple neck, stainless steel frets, alnico five pups, and Roasted Ash Bodies all in many different colors or even in a relic white, black or red color. All for just $159.00 to $179.00 (I got mine for $139.00 each plus shipping during Xmas).
I have been a professional guitar player for over forty years and I have many, many Fender strats as well as quite a few Gibson LP's and although I don't care much for the C necks on these Stratocaster Fireflys (I prefer soft V, Oval C or medium C), for the most part they look good, feel good and sound good.
To be honest, when it comes to guitars I think all of these major brands (Fender, Gibson. P.R.S., Shure etc...) are all priced way out of line.
If you haven't played one of these Firefly guitars you are missing out on the absolute best value out their! Just my 2 cents worth. Peace.
I have a Glarry Tele, a Cozart Tele, and a LyxPro Tele. Each under $150. Yes I had to put decent pickups in, new tuners, bone nuts and the LyxPro got new brass saddles. I also dressed (leveled and crowned) the frets but honestly, pound for pound, these guitars play as nice if not better than other Fender Teles I've played.
I got mu USA G&L for $900 used, very nice build
I have one exact same color, it came out of a box, as a mess. After taking to a guitartech (luthier) its the best guitar i ever had. Much much superior than a Fender Player, even my Luthier sad it doesnt look like a Indonesian Guitar. Switch, knobs and eletrics are BETTER than Fender's. The magnet from the pickups are huge, big bridge block, stays in tune. Mine has very low action with 0.09 and i love it. Maybe the only thing i would replace is bridge pickup for a Dimarzio Chopper, just to have more versality. And i agree your paying more for the headstock, same as Fenders or Gibs. But very far from a bad guitar.
Glad I don't have the budget to over pay for name brands
Incredible guitar the SS SE.
If there's an issue with it send it back. Try a replacement or get your money back.
Pretty simple.
As a bass player, I love your videos! The short scale bass video was great too! Thank you!!
I bought one 3 months ago. The guitar plays and sounds good. But it is a very cheap guitar. I tried to remove the knobs off the pots and one of the posts busted right out of the pot. Trying to remove the cheap white knob with my fingers caused the post to come completely out of the pot. And now as of 2/19/24 the 5 position switch is crapping out. I paid about a grand with shipping and taxes. Over all I agree it is worth about three hundred dollars. I feel like I got totally reamed. On the brighter side I am a big fan of the SMG channel. Thanks for the excellent videos.
Looks like I'm first Sean!
I don't need or want any PRS or other overpriced guitar.
✌💀👍🎸🎼🎵🎶
Dang! At about the 10:24 mark, I about blew my drink out my nose, laughing so hard! 🤣 I guess she didn't much like your fret job Sean! LOL
Great video buddy. Keep 'em comin'! 👍
Hi shawn. Again, you are showing all the up and coming youth what it means to be a real MAN! Big name guitar makers, imho, rely on the Hype and myth that more money spent on their guitars makes the problems seem ok somehow! I've bought 2 guitars you reviewed. Censtar lp, and the westcreek revenge .
And both were amazing straight out of the box! I am a bigginer guitar player. I have a 2019 fender tele thinline ,2017 gibson faded cherry, a couple of squiers, a couple ofl acoustics, an older washburn lyon strat, and a used custom that I am still trying to figure out what I have to do to get it playable. It's an older home built one with high-end parts and awesome flame top ,mohagony. I am not you. Lol! But I'm learning. I just lack knowledge to get it howling. Anyway, that (Censtar) and (westcreek) are the ones that I always have the most fun with. They just play easier, feel better, and sound better more consistently. I can say this because of my lack of experience and knowledge.
I commend you for calling a rabbid dog in the neighborhood ,a rabid dog in the neighborhood! I wish more men would be like you and quit with the hear no, see no, speak no evil because of the myth,Hype B.S.
Now go get your wife to pat you on the back! You are the man! And awesomely talented ! 🎶 🎸📢 I respect you 💯🎸🎶. Some day, maybe I will get me a scared guitar 🎸
By the way, I feel that this subject is not just about PSR's.
They just happened to be the example of the day!
How do we buy some of Cathy's made pickups?
I am making some now. We will make a post when they are available for sale. Thanks 😊
ok, great .. @@ScarMyPickups
Part of the problem is that people continue to buy from these companies because they're so afraid what other people might think when they see the name on the headstock. We need to get past that shit and get people to start taking a stand against the big companies.
I totally agree with that, it’s not everyone, but I think as you get older some don’t even care, unless they want the resales value of it. I’ve been buying some cheap ones, also still buy brand, but I’m amazed by the no name kinda brands, Ive probably gotten lucky, going into those guitars, I always feel you gotta do some set up, but at the end they stack up pretty well with the other brand guitars coming across the ocean. It’s getting better man, I love owning guitars, but my pockets hate it😂 so been trying the cheaper ones. Haven’t been disappointed yet.
@@fatsuperfly dude it's a fantastic time to be a guitar player. I think a lot of the myths that came from our parents generation have come over to our generation but slowly and surely we're moving past that. You can get such a good guitar now for 200 bucks vs even 15 years ago.
Hell my Gibson came with one of those tools
No guitar worth 900 buck unless it was played by your hero or somethin,hell it's not a real problem anyway ,prs strat copy,why god why
Best guitar I ever owned was a martin stinger loved that guitar,I had an sg it was alright,guess the best sounding strat I ever played was an 89 Japanese squire, that thing was beautiful
I can understand why folks may not like this guitar, but every company makes duds from time to time. I have a Silver Sky SE and it had none of these issues out of the box. Is it the best guitar I own? No. But did I spend $900 on it? Not even close 😉 especially with the sales that were going on at the last quarter of last year. I love fatter necks and the feel and playability and very good. Definitely play one (if you have any in your area) before deciding to buy, it’s the best way to tell if it is for you.
That's why I'm stalking Amazon trying to get an American dream SCARRED GUITAR
Cathy are you going to put logo on your pickups?
Yes I am, I will show it in the upcoming video 😊
Hey brother just so you're aware PRS in collaboration with Cort have built their own factory together these are built by Cort yes but not in the usual factory.
Got myself subscribed to Cathy's channel.
Thank you 😊
I got one for $599 and it's better than my mim fender tone wise, it did need to get the action set and intonation was off but it was pre-owned.
You’re assuming Cathy needs a reason to kabonk ya! That’s her way of keeping you on your toes!
I’ve heard mixed reviews about the Silvery Sky’s QC. I have heard some of the other SE models are stellar out of the box overall from online reviews I’ve seen. Are they $900 worth of stellar? Not so sure. My friend from high school got an Epiphone LP Modern Figured for about $649. Then she got the McCarty 594 SE. Both had the same number Alnico magnets, as I recall. Her chief complaint was that the output on the 594 was so poor that she had to raise the pickups as close to the strings as possible so she wouldn’t need a required boost pedal every single time to get the volume of the guitar to sound playable. In comparison, the LP was killer in every possible way for quite a bit less money. She said there weren’t any other issues on either guitar. Both were quite comfortable to play and didn’t even have the slightest blemish.
Would be cool to pit some big brand’s “affordable” guitars against each other - so if someone wants to spend more, they’ll know which brands are giving them the most value and quality for their money overall. It could make for an interesting series of videos. Or instead of comparing, just stick to one brand and go through each price tier to give people an ideas what the money buys from that one “affordable” large brand.
I do agree, that FoJill is right on that PRS SE’s tail for a fraction of the price!
10:02 My old girlfriend had that tool. I always wondered where she was using it. Now I know. Thanks.
No disrespect to previous "acquaintances" , but I think I know what you were referring to . Hope you are all good , and have time to play a bit of guitar between shifts . Cheers mate 👍
I was gonna buy an SE as my first guitar....then said oh yeah....I work for a living with 3 kids ...LoL...JK she's beautiful...but I have a squire that needs even more setp!
So, what we have here is a basswood bodied Strat copy that needs a ton of fret work and just happens to have some nice electronics.
Exactly...except the switch and pots aren't really good, they just look the part.
Preaching the truth brother!!!! Rock on!!!
Man I own this exact guitar it’s great straight out the box very nice fret work literally have only had to retune it twice in 8 months and always from dropping it. For the price pick ups are great too this guy is a joke only negative video you will find on this guitar
Yeah me too. Honestly the best fret work and set up I've ever got on a new guitar and that includes my Pro 2. A player Strat is not even in the ballpark. This guy obviously has an axe to grind, no intelligent person would take him serious.
Thanks for the video I have been on the cusp of getting one for a while. So glad I didn't. I would have sent this back and got my money.
Sean, I hear you about price. I'm in Australia and my local music shop has them for $A1,339. Ouch.
What I will say, however, is that if there is a problem, they'll have your back.
The other thing is that if you buy cheap and mod, you have to factor in the cost of replacement pickups, tuners etc. Ok, if you can do it yourself and you don't intend on reselling it.
I have a 2nd hand Squier Affinity Strat. It was cheap $40. It needs some new pots. For my standard of playing, it's fine.
Damn, $849 + Shipping?! I just got a brand new one for $640 and it plays sweet... I guess I was lucky. Nice and thorough review sir!
I love when Cathy whops you! lol
Oh man, that Acoustic is a collectors item now what with a Sean shaped dent in it, good thinkin' Cathy, y'all can make good money on it.
So how can I go about acquiring a set of scarred pickups?
That's why I like building my own
I'm liking that electric fret crowning file..... lol!
I have one of those Mitchell Ms 470 its solid quality Al the way around but I had to do a fret level crown and polish on it it's great now everything is good .
Sometimes you get lucky. I bought an old ONYX acoustic years ago and the bridge was missing. It had a peace of dowel in it. I was walking through a paddock a year later and kicked something in the dirt. There was my bridge. Anyway recently I bought another ONYX guitar for my wife and it's great. perfect action. Sounds ok.
could do with better pots. But for $125 AU with free post it's awesome. Sometimes you get lucky. Cheers Y/All.
My Les Paul has a similar truss rod nut. I took a bench grinder and thinned out the box end of the right combination wrench to use as my truss rod adjustment wrench
Shawn is like the cave man of guitar tech. He bonks it with his club until it plays right......And it works 😂
Note to self your paying for the birds on the neck that's way it's $900 Bucks plus it got good hardware that's all its got going for the PRS Guitars
I bought mine because several people who owned the 3500 dollar version said it compared very favorably. The state of guitar builds has improved immensely, you can get a 400 dollar axe that compares to a lot of 70s era stuff maybe even better! I have 30 total in the arsenal and 8 are Epiphones so the name isn't real important to me, playability is.
Instant sub for you being straight up!
Yeah, the SE's are a much better deal on the used market, and if you know how to do setups, and even after all that......
The pickups are a love it/hate it situation. I hated the ones that came in my custom 24 SE. EMG's and a good setup and a little love, and I'm really digging it.
I got it and the pups cheap enough to still call it a good deal. New, I don't see that much in value, but that's personal, I guess.
I wouldn't part with mine, but I'm not itching to buy another one.
Oh crap. I have one arriving today! But I picked it up for $649 plus tax from Wildwood Guitars’ eBay site. Definitely would not have paid full price. They even emailed me before they shipped it out to ask if I had any setup preferences. I think it’s new old stock. Fingers crossed
How did your example turn out? seems like the overall experience that I've seen is much more positive than this guys example.
@@johnnysix7162 I only played with it briefly acoustically but my first impression as soon as I took it out of the box was “this is a quality instrument”. It feels better than either Mexican Strat I have owned and certainly nothing like the example in this video.
This PRS is a much better 'Strat' that Fender offers at the same price point. Love mine way more than my American made Strat. Headstock is not fot Strat lovers like you but looks good to me. Have not once had an issue with the tuners and it stay in tune really well. Yep...necks needs do need adjustments out if the box sometimes but I'm sure that can be said about any brand. The PRS SE Silver Sky will provide life long entertainment and joy to its owners and outlive similar price point guitars...can't agree with your assessment.
There is something about a PRS head stock on a strat that just feels wrong. Like Johnny Unitas in a Chargers jersey or Willie Mays in a Mets jersey.
I say go play them side by side and see what you like. Especially if you are looking at the prs dont ask fender players cause u know what they will prefer
Nice can't wait Cathy.
100% correct, I bought my silver sky se & its a good thing I'm a luthier. I had to do what I would charge 150 to make playable. Fret level recrown polish setup. New graphtech nut. I own 5 se's & this one was a major disappointment. Chiropractic Guitars Fl. USA.
didn't the SE's used to be made in korea?
@@johnnysix7162 some of the "SE" lines were still made in Korea in 2022. At least there were still a "Santana" and a "Tremonti" from Korea at a local music store.
@@arvetemechaahh alright it's been a while since I've played any prs products I just remember Korean made ones being pretty nice.
Are you "The Dude" form louisville that rescued all kinds of gear from GC dumpsters????? if you are.....your a legend around these parts, you even inspired me to check our local GC😎 dumpsters for gear
Why is GC dumping guitars? Shouldn't they be sent back to the manufacturer for that? If I was Gibson or whoever I wouldn't trust a GC employee to destroy them. If I was a GC employee I'd certainly find a way to make them mine. Lol.
That's Brad the Guitologist.
I'll take 8 cheap 200$ guitars before I'd buy a 1600$ fender or Gibson
That's essentially what I did. I have 11 guitars and only 3 of them are over $300. But I'm Canadian so that's pretty much $200 USD 😄
That tremolo block looks like what my Dad called ‘junk metal’. Sean you should get a Solo finished Les Paul kit and assemble it. Mine went together perfect and needed no adjustments.
It just needed your skill to make it kinda right.
Cathy, you have FANS!!!!!
Thanks 👍 very much for your Honest review 😊. I had a good look at the US version of that model 😁 as well as the Cort made ones, I have got to say that I would not spend 900 Buck's on a US model either when I could get a good 2nd hand US Strat. Thanks 👍. Best regards John.
Try Phil McNight's know your gear. He reviewed the same guitar, let's just say that he had a different perspective.😉
Hey Sean. I'm just north of you in Osteen. If you ever want to fish and jam, I've got the space and the St. John's River is my backyard. I've been a subscriber for awhile but I've recently been bingeing on your back catalog. Great channel!
Cool, sounds like fun! HMU on Instagram or Facebook
@@scarmyguitar Will do. Just liked the FB page. I'll do the same on Instagram whenever I go there next if I remember. I don't really use it.
@@scarmyguitar ...oh...and by the way...I bought a Monoprice offset today based on your video. $86.25 shipped! 🤣🤣
Pick up build station very cool !
You got a new subscriber! Cheers from Thailand!
I don't mind the headstock or the color, but yeah, that's just a price-gouge. I just read where Cor-Tek makes DigiTech, which has always been my favorite effects brand.
I saw a PRS in my local guitar shop for about $1200 (not sure what model). I picked it up and after looking it over, I was NOT impressed either. The 2020 Fender Player (formerly MiM) felt much nicer, had an actual Alder body, and the stock AlnicoV pickups that came in it sounded just fine.
The PRS I picked up had a mediocre fret job (no better than the Fender Player), sounded a bit "dead" when plugged into the amp. It was by no means a "garbage" guitar, but I honestly didn't think it was worth 1/2 the $1200 they were asking for it. I think it would be a decent deal for maybe $450 - 500.
But in my opinion, it'd be a better use of money to get a $400 Squier and get it fixed up until you're happy with it. Or just get a Fender Player and give it a fret job if needed.
Hi Thanks 👍 for your input and honesty 😁 about the BIG brand guitars. I always 🤔 thought that they we're a bit overpriced, a bit like a Skoda pretending to be a VW. Dig you're accent it's Fab. 😅 Best Regards. John😅.
Rock on!
The dot-neck era Korean SEs are really good. The SE One is the best guitar to have the ne "PRS" on the headstock, IMO.
To me, the best value in budget guitars these days is the G&L Tribute line. The PRS SE Line does have some great values price wise: the silver sky has the john Mayer name tag price bump.
Beyond that, I like the epiphone prophecy lineup. There's just amazing quality in the 5-600$ price range these days. I'm blown away.
I remember in the late 70s early 80s, I'd watch bands on TV and most bass players were playing Cort. Never heard much about the company after that. As to PRS, I only have two problems with them. I don't like the feel and they don't inspire me to play. I did almost buy a new Tremonti SE model with active pickups for $500 because of the sound alone. Instead, I found the pickups and built myself a HH parts Strat. Sounds just as good to this day. I made a trap door in the pickguard over the empty middle pickup slot to hide the battery. Remove one small screw, change the battery, and replace the cover. The battery slides in and out between the D and G. Easy peasy. BTW, that fretboard looks like purpleheart wood.
I too bought a MIM Fender Telecaster and when I got it I was disappointed with the fret work. I have several cheaper options that I didn't have to touch the frets. Love the sound of the Fender but for some reason I play the Harley Benton Tele which was cheaper . I also put some Tone Rider pickups in an SX guitar that I have and man it was close to the Fendersl sound to me!
I think that block is made from zinc also known as pot metal
Not sure who bought this guitar for that price, though brand new as of now on Reverb... tons of listings for $660- $700 most with free shipping. I got mine used the previous person did got it as an impulse buy and he got it PLEK'd, essentially I got a brand new guitar PLEK'd for $700.
Couldn't believe the condition of this Prs SE, this one might have made it past the last Quality Control. Made me feel good about the Ibanez Azes that I bought. The neck and fretboards seem to be the weakness of the Indonesia manufacturing process. Most new guitars will need a proper setup to play their best.
Good video!
Sean, im a disabled vet, dont have a ton of money....can do most smsll repairs...i want a tele....can you recommend one i should spend my meager funds on that has a good chance of being worth messing with...if there's any one i would trust a recommendation from. It would be you...im 69 years old been playing since i was eleven....need something to inspire me....sure appreciate your rsvp....thanks bro...
I worked at PRS in the very beginning when there wasn’t an SE line. Man have things changed…😢
I'm a fan of cheap guitars and also brand name, more expensive, guitars. I'd probably buy one of those Silver Sky SEs for $500-600 if I didn't already have some strats. I'm sure I could find something cheaper that is the same or better but the trusted brands will always hold a little resale value in the name. That said I love my $2,200 Fender Vintage II Strat (won it) and a nearly $2,000 Les Paul, but the best guitar in my collection is a G&L Tribute Fallout (Indonesia) that I picked up brand new, but broken (push-pull pot was snapped in half), for $287 at auction. It has a humbucker in the bridge and a P90 in the neck and covers a lot of ground. The stock pickups are pretty good.
The fret files slick af. Just bought that fojill to build.
I got an Ernie ball guitar, and I love it, but the same thing with the strings, I hate changing strings on that guitar, string always gets stuck and won’t come out.😂 everything about is cool, but annoys the hell out of me changing strings(if that wasn’t bad already)😅
Sean that’s why I luv your videos, no fluff just the facts. BTW subscribed to Cathy’s channel.
Amen broother!
Check out the new squiers I guarantee they are better then most guitars that cost way more then them.
The Stevensville Maryland Factory confirmed with me today the bodies are Poplar NOT basswood. 🤔
The PRS site says Poplar. I've cut thru many types of trees with a chainsaw and poplar cuts with about the same ease as pine. Not much character to the wood either.
I'm surprised at the low quality of that one. My main guitar is an SE Standard 24 and it was awesome out of the box. The worst components were the tuners and strap buttons, but I planned on changing them anyway. I've been playing it for a decade and it's my go to for practice, learning, gigging, and recording.
That's the key, it's ten years ago. Now it's all cash grabs.
Sean ... but the TONE WOOD ... that's what you are paying for. Tone Wood that good ain't cheap.
LMFAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Those brand name prices are why i built my last three guitars from parts i bought online i picked out myself lol.
Unlike some private branded guitars made by Cort, PRSSEs are made in an exclusive, joint venture factory, 51% owned by Cort, 49% owned by PRS, with PRS manufacturing consultants in house, overseeing all production. Yes, it is a Cort-made guitar. Cort is an awesome guitar maker. That’s why they make PRSSE, G&L‘s, Squire, and many others. if you’re silver sky sucked, it’s on PRS as much as it is Cort.
Really nice set up for your pickups Cathy.
At 7:35 is that a window screen replacement tool from Amazon? Those are handy. I used mine to pry the grill off my 80s Peavey bass amp just the other day
The only time I paid $1000 (Canadian) for a guitar was when I bought my Godin (Canadian made in Quebec) with a much nicer gig bag. Worth every penny too.
I swear I was just wondering if Sean was gonna get cracked in the noggin' again and then WHACK!!
it fo' sho' ain't no Scarred guitar....
Just subed to Cathy's channel
Does it make sense to level the frets with the neck dead flat? Genuine question.
Ask that again real slow this time.......level=flat, correct?
@@scarmyguitar 6:46 "And then the string tension should put the necessary bow in it." Is that bow small enough to not make a difference?
Haha an electric fret file? Never seen that before, hot dang!
Keep it up brother love you channel
I’ve known this ever since I started buying the cheap guitars that are reviewed on YT. If you want the name, buy it. I want the looks and good functionality. I think guitars beautiful. I an have more of them if they’re affordable.
Great setup on that guitar you are the man bro