PRS SE CE 24 Standard Satin - On the Bench Today

I have owned a few PRS guitars over the years. I like them but have never really fallen in love with them. I know that will offend some folks and that is not my intent. I think they are a wonderful guitar. I just have not bonded yet with one - hopefully that makes sense.
The PRS SE CE 24 Standard Satin showed up and to be honest I really did not know what to expect. Out of the gig bag is a really attractive guitar. The grain is heavy, and you can easily see the splits in the wood of the body where it is joined. PRS is not trying to hide that this is an affordable entry level guitar with 80lbs of ply finish. You have got to respect that.
The PRS SE CE 24 Standard Satin has a mahogany body with a thin satin finish and a bolt on maple neck with a semi-gloss finish and a scarf-jointed headstock. The guitar has 24 frets, a 25-in scale length, and a wide thin neck shape. It also has a rosewood fretboard with a 10-in radius and a PRS double-acting truss rod. The guitar comes with a really nice PRS Gig bag. My guitar weighs 6 lbs. and 12 ounces. The guitar retails for $499 US.
The pickups are two double black PRS 85/15 'S' humbuckers. The controls are comprised of a standard three position pickup selector toggle style switch and a master volume and tone control. The tone control is also a push pull switch, so you gain coil tapping. This means the following:
• Toggle Switch Position 1 = Bridge Pickup
• Toggle Switch Position 1 w/PP On = front Single Coil of Bridge
• Toggle Switch Position 2 = Both Pickups
• Toggle Switch Position 2 w/PP On = front Single Coil of Bridge and Rear Single Coil of Neck
• Toggle Switch Position 3 = Neck Pickup
• Toggle Switch Position 3 w/PP On = Rear Single Coil of Neck
I find the neck very playable. I am amazed to find rosewood on the fretboard at this price and current day.
Running my hands up and down the sides of the fret board and checking to see if there is any fret rocking, I come back with a big zero. Meaning there is nothing wrong with the frets at all. The sides are super smooth.
The tuners work well, and the guitar overall seems to really hold a tune. Right out of the gig bag the guitar was in tune and the intonation and string height were perfect.
The pickups sound great clean and there are so many different tonal capabilities that come out of the guitar with the added coil splitting. You can move from sounding like a rock god with both humbuckers engaged to a Stratocaster blues player with the coil splitting on.
I think for the price the electronics and pickups overall are surprisingly good and high quality.
I really tried to find something wrong with the guitar. So far, I have not been able to. The only thing that I would still like to see is how does the guitar hold up after six months of heavy use, a year, or several years.
I have to say that out of the box experience with this guitar has been top notch. Probably the best I have experienced in recent times with guitars at any price point. I cannot remember the last time I had a guitar come out of the case or gig bag ready to play without the need to correct or adjust anything. That is just amazing.
Without the opportunity to use the guitar over a long period of time…so far, I think this guitar covers a lot of possible uses and users. I would say it would be an excellent choice for someone just learning to play guitar and I could also see someone making a living with this guitar.

[@simonecelante4174]

Thanks

[@isaacescalera9643]

Thats so cool! Growing up, PRS to me represented the epitome of top dollar electric guitars. It's nice seeing them making more budget friendly versions but with quality parts. The pickup splitting makes this even more attractive.

[@Bad.At.Guitar]

My PRS SE was what I got myself for graduation. I got the Paul's guitar, but every single PRS I've seen has been amazing right out of the box

[@worthmoremusic]

Love my cherry red SE CE 24....bought it in February...it's incredibly resonant...a feel good, sounds good guitar at any price point !

[@guitarcollectorguy]

Agreed!

[@etoineschrdlu9382]

I bought one of these a month after release. I purchased it online and the vendor called to ask if I was willing to take a display model that had been hanging on their wall for the last month. After asking a few questions I said yes. When I unboxed it, it was in "as new" condition and when I checked its tune, only the G-string needed a minor tweak.

[@dallastoto3189]

Mine weighed in at 6.22

[@rmcaudio7041]

Bought one in charcoal black. Indeed a terrific guitar. Did spray paint the standard (ugly) tremelo arm. It has a nice metallic black coat now. Will also exchange the tuners by a set of Gotoh locking tuners in metallic black. The pickups are a bit on the bright side. This can be adjusted by playing with either the volume or tone control. Best value guitar at the moment!

[@Terrysoddy]

The only things I would add would be locking tuners, and some black knurled volume and tone knobs

[@robertlyle3806]

I took delivery of one on Monday and played it during a rehearsal on Friday and then a gig last night ... and it was great. Stayed in tune ... and I was able to get the tones I was looking for throughout the night by simply manipulating the volume and tone knobs. Both the volume and tone pots roll off in a way that the tone is useful up and down the range of the two potentiometers. The single coil is useful in all 3 toggle switch positions ... and the humbuckers can both growl and purr depending on what type of gain structure you put in the front end of the tone stack. Very happy with this investment. I own Les Paul's, Strats, Teles ... this guitar let me get all 3 sets of those types tones in a single instrument.

[@Nothing-gv8mv]

I've been wanting one of those since their release.

[@ssokol91]

I almost bought this one last week, but than saw a used SE Santana at the store for almost the same price, which is a much better build. Looks and finish wise CE24 is definitely much better looking.

[@Stratsrule]

I’ve never cared for a prs personally. Not slamming them but I lean towards what I grew up on. Nice one though

[@richkellett2418]

I’m probably going to upset my wife and order one this weekend.

[@guitarcollectorguy]

In one way you will be happy. In the marital way maybe not.

[@richkellett2418]

@@guitarcollectorguy she’ll get over it… eventually.

[@RaxFx]

Jamie, when you weigh the guitars, could you pls also switchunit to kilos for us metric folks... Thanks!

[@guitarcollectorguy]

Good call. I will start doing that. Thank you.

[@NickGrimes-lr9pq]

Is there neck dive? I am debating between this and the Yamaha Revstar Element. Any thoughts there? Thanks

[@guitarcollectorguy]

No neck dive. If I had to choose I would take the Yamaha. It is a crazy good guitar.

[@DanFlorida]

No neck dive. My opinion, go with PRS.

[@Terrysoddy]

Did it have CTS pots

[@guitarcollectorguy]

I can't recall and I already sold mine.