I used to be a dealer for PRS and I can confirm their out-of-the-box quality. With only one exception, every PRS that arrived to my store was set up and ready to play right out of the packaging. The only adjustments I needed to make were slight truss rod adjustments to account for the drier climate where I lived, and if a client asked me to adjust the action to their preferred height if it differed from the standard PRS set-up. That exception I mentioned earlier was a single Santana Edition that arrived with some neck warping issues. When I inspected the guitar and realized the issue, I called my rep and he sent me a replacement which was up to the proper standard before I even shipped the faulty guitar back. And that was only one out of dozens that I had go through my store. In contrast, I had to do fret work and full set-ups to most of the Fenders that arrived in my store. And when I would call the revolving door of Fender reps, they would always try to shift the quality concerns away from them. Don't get me wrong, when Fenders are stable and set up well, they are wonderful instruments. But if you have a Fender that plays well, give the credit to the luthier or guitar tech who set it up, as they are likely the reason for that.
guitar shops have free setup on new purchase tho right? im already used to guitars not being setup out the box and it takes a while for me to get a new guitar but its worth the wait.
@@jojojojojojojojojojojojob Yes, I performed setups on all the guitars that I sold. However, the PRS guitars required fifteen minutes maximum to get the action where the clients wanted it. No other work was required to get the client their guitar to their preference and in perfect working order. The Fenders on the other hand, had fret ends poking out on almost every single guitar I unboxed, even on the Am Pro models. And filing down fret ends to keep from poking and cutting a player's fretting hand is definitely not in the normal scope of a setup.
I owned a PRS SE Custom 24 08. Beautiful guitar, but there was something bizarre about it when I played it. I felt no vibration whatsoever. It was just weird. Fretting the guitar was smooth, but I couldn’t feel any resonance in the body when I’d play it. I ended up selling it. More of a Les Paul fan
I’m from Maryland and I love the way you all say it as “Mary Land”. I’m gonna start saying it like that. S2 is Stevensville 2. I believe you said “Stenson-ville” which also sounds cooler.
I'm an old senior 67 years, and I recently purchased the PRS Mira SE and it arrived perfectly protected and set up and playable straight from the box! I haven't played guitar for over 25 years and I must admit the action, and neck feel was incredible! The quality of workmanship was excellent for a $900 CAD! I'm very pleased with the instrument and look forward to many years of enjoyment from a quality guitar. Love my PRS!
Same boat, recently woodshedding... so you like the neck action? Is it low action -- and what about the frets (high fat narrow?) and is the neck stocky like a studio Les Paul... does it allow for fast playability? -- any other details appreciated! Congratulation on your purchase!
I am 67 but been playing mostly acoustic guitar but only recently playing electric guitar when I retired at 65. I had a Gibson classic but I traded it with an S2 PRS macCarty 594 because of its heavy weight. I like metal so I started learning songs from accept, five finger punch and seven avengefold . I form a rock metal band with my younger friends on their 40s and 50s and I am the lead guitarist as well as the vocalist. It's hard to do lead guitar and at the same time do the vocal from songs like accept because of a bit complicated rhythm while singing and also some fast lead but practice make things easy. Well that's how grand pa makes the day busy on my retired days. Hell yeah young guys keep rocking but grand pa rocks harder. I am a vocalist in the band when I am younger and I sing songs from scorpions, Bon Jovi, foreigner, firehouse, warrant etc. Even now I'm retired I can still hit those high notes easily maybe because eversince I refrain from smoking and alcoholic drinks and living a healthy life.
I have a range of PRS guitars; a couple SE's, a couple core, and a wood library. The only thing I would add to this video is that the CE and the S2, while made in the states, do come with the import pickups and electronics for the most part. While this shouldn't be a deal breaker for people, they should at least be aware. As well as their newer SE line being made in China (Hollowbody, Hollybody piezo, and their parlor acoustic), once again, not a deal breaker but just info. I have had absoloutely no issue with any of the ones I have purchased over the years, which I can't say for the other big brands. You can almost guarantee the quality no matter which tier you go with when it comes to PRS.
I thought all SE guitars were now produced in Indonesia at the Cor-Tek (Cort) facility, but now I see that some Cor-Teks, like the hollowbodies, are made in China. For purely subjective reasons, I'd opt for the Indonesia-made ones. Wonder if they'll eventually move all production there.
I learned just how amazing PRS guitars are when I "inherited" a CE a few years back. It HURT me to sell it and I always regretted it on many levels. So after migrating through all the standards (LPs, Strats etc) I pulled the trigger and bought a Custom 24. End of story Great video BTW!!
Got a 30th Anniversary Custom 24 and a Singlecut P245…absolutely amazing guitars. Also I had a SE CU24 and an SE Standard in the past and you cannot beat these for the price.
One thing you didn’t mention: the default scale used by PRS is 25” (which was between the 24” ¾ from Gibson and 25” ½ from Fender). However, over the years PRS did guitars with different scale length. For instance, they had the Singlecut or Singlecut 250 which was 25”, but now they have a Singlecut guitar named 245, which is 24” ½. The guitar name is about the scale length, just like the PRS 594, which is a round up number fro 24” and 19/32, which is 24.59375”, rounded up to 24.594. The reason is that Les Paul advert their Les Paul to be 24” ¾ (24.75”), but when Paul did measure some old ‘58 and ‘59 Les Paul, they were 24” and 19/32. So when he build the PRS 594, he used this scale to match the scale of the old ‘58/59 Les Paul. Another guitar is the PRS SE 277, which is a Baritone guitar with, you guess it, a 27.7” scale. However, be careful, the number in the name is not always about the scale. For instance with the PRS 513 and PRS 509. Their name mean a PRS with a 5 way blade selector with 13 positions (513) and 09 positions (509). Historically, PRS had a rotary switch to have multiple pickup selection, but player didn’t like it, so he did switch to a regular 3 way toggle switch like a Les Paul (because he main only had 2 humbuckers pickups). But then, he started to build guitar with HSH pickups, so he had to change it for a 5 way blade selector like a Fender Strat. So he named those guitars starting with a 5 number, followed by the number of total pickup position. Same thing with the Custom 24-08 (the 08 means 8 Pickup positions).
Call me crazy but 0.5”-1” scale length difference either way never makes a bit of difference to me. Feel exactly the same to me. Neck shape n feel is different between the 3 brands but the scale length, literally has never been noticeable to me.
It is pronounced “Marilyn” just like Marilyn Monroe by Marylanders. The Maryland factory is in Steven’s-ville (Stevensville, MD). This is where Core & S2 lines are manufactured. Also, I believe the Overseas SE manufactured guitars are finished with QC inspection and setup at the Stevensville, MD factory as well.
This was suspended under Covid, passing on QC duties to the retailer (as well as a discount in dealer cost). PRS is still behind (12+ months wait for many models) so I doubt it has returned to the old normal.
I have a very handsome 2011 Starla....i got it for a great price too. The tonal range with the humbuckers that can be split into single is very good, but i honestly don't use the single coils much as I have a 60th anniversary tele that I use when I want the "thinner" sound. Love my Starla, it's retro look and the bigsby whammy...
It still has the soft D in the pronunciation .. haha soft D 🤭 … at least as a Virginian that’s how we say it unless you count people who are simply speaking lazy. If you’re from Maryland then you know better than me, so ignore everything I said expect my soft d joke please 🤓🥂
PRS ruined my guitar collecting before it really gotten started, my first guitar was a cheaper epiphone les paul so after I saved up I decided to buy a PRS ce24. Best guitar playing experiance I've ever had, mind you that I'm new at this point to guitars. Fast forward 2 years and I want to start to collect guitars like strats and les pauls but every guitar I pick up and play fails to compare to my PRS, it's like everything is feels cheap to me know. Strat ultra was nice tone wise but the fret board felt strange with that gloss finish on it so I didn't get it, the Silver sky is choice but I'm waiting for them to put better pots and nobs on them, those feel cheap to me.
I have a 2017 PRS SE Custom 24 in a Tobacco Burst finish and I LOVE it, except for the gloss finish on the back of the neck (I wish back in the day I could have bought one with a Satin finish). But that’s me!! I live in White Plains, Maryland about an hour from the PRS factory with in my bucket list is to someday tour the factory! At all the price point I think you get a Great instrument and if you plan on doing any upgrades then I think that the S2 and SE line price points will leave enough money in your pocket to do that. Great video!! 🎸
What an excellent, informative vid. I've been a fan of PRS since first playing one in Los Angeles in 1987. That Custom was so gorgeous I couldn't believe it. What a perfect instrument. A true work of art. I've since become a PRS owner myself. Best guitars in the world.
Great video guys. Would have liked to hear more about their neck types as I’m never sure what the differences are. Maybe you could do a video about neck types and what each brands names really mean? I’d find that super helpful as a buying guide
Just wanted to add to what he said about all "PRS being set up before they leave the factory" comment. Although they might and especially for the SE series, the amount of abuse it gets from shipment handling and extreme temprature changes inside the back of a truck or a storage room, will definetly ruin it. I had the SE 24 and it was the worst guitar I've ever played out of the box. However when I got it set up by a luthier, it became my favourite guitar just because of how buttery it was. Vibrato's are much easier to pull off and bending are effortless. So If it plays like crap out of the box, just think about the amount of stops it has done before it gets to your front door. Not PRS's fault.
Yeah I just got a $5500.00 Special semi hollow body from Sweetwater and the playability sucks. Action seems way to high. I half wonder if it was returned, before it was sent to me. Also it was supposed to be overnighted but ended up getting stuck in Anchorage Alaska for 4 days before it arrived to me in Juneau.
I bought the PRS Silver Sky when they first hit the market and it took the place of my Fender Custom Shop Strat. Excellent and versatile instrument, however I just purchased a 22 year old PRS Custom 22 with Dragon 2 pickups… what an awesome guitar and is now my main gigging instrument. I am a convert.
I'm an 61 year old beginner and have tried a few of the lower fender and gibson (epiphone) models, plus a Reverend Tele. I enjoyed them to a point, but when a PRS CE 24 Semi-Hollow came up for sale locally I was pretty excited when the owner said he'd trade my low end guitars for the PRS. It now hangs on my wall and is played for several hours every day. It is the only guitar I have had that has made me eager to play consistently and constantly. I have only one gripe, but being a late beginner it's probably me rather than the PRS, but I wish I could get the action a tad lower. I have adjusted the neck and the saddles (following the fretboard radius) and the saddles for the 1st and 6th strings are as low as they can go, but the action is still at 2mm on the low E. I only want another 0.5mm but I saw that the PRS tech recommended not to lower the bridge itself, so I'm stuck at 2mm. That is a very minor niggle because I love this guitar so much. 😃
I own a cherry red PRS SE standard, its my first guitar, and I couldn't be happier with my choice. Got it at a guitar shop in Camden, London (yes guitarguitar) and I've loved every single second of it. Great tone, great quality, and very comfortable to play both standing up and sitting down. Would highly recommend to any guitarist, new or with decades of experience.
I like everything about the S2 EXCEPT the carve. To me it looks cheaper than the SE range. And it’s tough buying a guitar when you don’t like the way it looks, no matter how good it plays and sounds.
Own a PRS CE and it's an amazing guitar. I liked it when I first got it but after playing and getting used to it, its phenomenal. I will own a Core some day!
I just got my 1st PRS a few weeks ago; a CE24 semi hollow body in Eriza Verde. I fully agree with the assessment above esp. about going from a great guitar to phenomenal in just a few short weeks. It's hard to put down. As they claim in their ads, the guitar was playable right out of the box. The only "mod" I made was changing the strings to my preferred 9.5-44 gauge. That miniscule diameter change brought the strings a wee bit lower (.005"?) right into my "magic" zone without touching the bridge saddles. No buzz. No fret outs. I'm still experimenting with the TCI p/ups and the controls and getting used to their positions. The pickup switch has been taking me a little more time getting used to where its positioned behind the bridge. I've been playing Tele's, Strats and a variety of Gibson's for most of my guitar playing years. The light weight (6.8 lbs) and balance make it very comfortable to hold sitting or standing and it's easy on these old shoulders. The 25" scale with the 10" radius and pattern thin neck is a joy to play and a great fit for my small hands. I can honestly say, after 3.5 weeks, it's been a seemless and painless transition. My only regret is that I didn't get a PRS years ago. Overall, I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars. I gave it a -.05 deduction for the "bag" it came in. It's an okay "bag" as bags go. But at this mid range price point, the bag could have been a little more substantial (e.g., more padding needed around the sides and back to keep the guitar from moving around while it's inside). I get it about price points and cost savings. No need to explain. I put the new CE24 into a Gator (tm) Transit case I had bought for another similar sized guitar where it will live until I find a more appropriate case for it. I expect the CE will see a lot of road time in the near future.
When people say PRS started in 1985 they do not understand that brand existed from 1976 and he had small workshop but 1985 Paul sorted out money for first real factory where he could establish production line. He build his first guitar in school. So 1976 is not date of his first guitar either. Took him 9 years to get it from real top guitars boutique built to place where he was able to make emough of those guitars to matter on the market. You say new company? Its older than you. PRS was talked abaout as of magical guitars company already in early 80-ies. Guitars you have had to be big artis so that they accept to build one gor you. I remember time when people did not even connect that Paul Reed Smith and PRS is the same company. Time of tales of that magicsl instruments only people like Santana can get. Then I remember when first Dragon came. There was no Internet si pictures were not widly available. Someone would see the picture in some magazine and later on from ear to mouth myth was growing. I remember shop in Germany in early 90-ies having one Dragon pickup in their shop and asking fortune for it explaining that it was hand wound and only one available outside super expensive Dragon guitar ot self. So no PRS is not new company. How ever you take it is at least 40 years old. Thats what Fender was in 80-ies while Leo was long gone and company was already 20 years in hands of different companies. PRS is already one if the longest existing guitar companies that are owned by (partially) and lead by the same man. So saying its new company is ridiculous.
I never have the guts to try one because I know that I will fall in love immediately and my pockets aren't deep enough to afford one. Great and complete video man!!
It's good to see, that Jim Helpert quit his job at this stupid paper company and is now chasing his dreams. Never thought he was that good of a guitar player!
According to an interview I watched with Paul Reed Smith, SE does not stand for "student edition"... Matter of fact he had no answer what SE stood for...
I wish PRS would have more offers for left handed players. I'm right handed but chose to play as a lefty player and I enjoy my custom SE 24 but wish PRS had more trims for lefty players.
Very good video and very informative. I still have my 1988 CE24 which I bought new for $1,100 back then. It was the first good guitar I owned and I had to scrape to afford it. It's been my #1 guitar for 34 years now. Maybe I will check out some new ones just for fun.
Not one mention of the amazing tuning stability in the whole vid. why even make a vid like this if you don't mention the most important thing about a guitar? This is just a re-hash of what everyone already knew. My playing took off when i started playing prs because i didnt have that lack of confidence in my instrument that people have when they always have their tuner glued to the headstock. Is it supposed to be a secret that they keep far better tune than fender or gibson guitars? fancy wood and great sound is one thing, but if the effer doesn't stay in tune it's not really very useful for any kind of player.
just wanna i say i hate the little clips you put playing each guitar, im not into the same type of playing as you i just want to see the review not you jamming for 30 seconds
This is easily the best guitar channel on TH-cam. The quality of your shots, the depth of information given, everything is just so perfect. Thank you for doing what you do!
It's not. I have seen many a vid on youtube as well as the commenters underneath stating how GREAT the CE is. I have seen some say they prefer the CE over the core models ! I have a CE, CU 24-08, and an SE FLOYD. I am about to sell my 2 Schechter's, TELE, and STRAT. I will keep my PRS and my Ibanez prestige and my D'Angelico semi hollow body.
I’ve had two PRS’s I bought new, a 91 Signature and a ‘97 McCarty. Both were beautifully made, no doubt. But no matter how much I tried to love them, both left me kind of “Meh…” Just didn’t have that “it” thing.
@@richardlaiche8303 I see PRS has Robben Ford playing a custom version of what looks like one of their McCartys. A solid endorsement if it settles in. Robben's Fender Esprit Elite signature model was in some ways very similar to a PRS build-wise.
Just recieve my first PRS guitar in the mail. I got a SE Custom 24 Quilt. I wanted to know where this guitar stood among the range of PRS guitars and this video was very helpful . Thanks!
Hi, I've had a PRS DGT core model for a few years. Excellent guitar, top quality, great playability and what-have-you. But I sold it. Why ? I just did not bond with it. Many comments say the tone is a bit sterile... and I must agree to it. In few words, I prefer an instrument that has mojo to a perfect guitar that has no soul (sorry Paul)... It's not a rule of thumb: one can love and prefer playing a PRS: they are great guitars but that was just not my experience... Cheers !
Just purchased a PRS semi Hollow Special 10 top. Wow, what a guitar. It is truly a dream machine. I can get so many different sounds. I love it. Thanks Paul.
I recently purchased a PRS S2 594 McCarty singlecut. The guitar was great in every way except for one very important issue with the width of the neck. It doesn't give you any room for vibrato bending on the 1st and the 6th strings. Which I think is a major flaw in their design. Another words when doing vibrato bending on those strings your finger slip the string off the neck. In my opinion they should have left The Binding off allowing for more space between those streams and the edge of the fretboard. I returned the guitar to Guitar Center and thank God for their 45-day return policy. Another disappointment was after spending over $2,000 for one of the PRS great guitars. They sent me home with that guitar in a gig bag. Really? Come on Paul Reed Smith. Are you so much of a capitalist you forgot about music and love of music and people that play music and giving them a little bang for their buck? So much for Paul Reed Smith weirdo nerd extraordinaire😢
I wish they would do a CE22 again. One of my favorite guitars i ever had was a CE22(out of scores). i think it's the closest a model actually gets to the original idea behind PRS to straddle the line between a Fender and Gibson, i regret ever selling it. I find the CU22 to sound to close to a Gibson, of which i don't need another. The maple neck gives it more presence, and being a bolt on gives it snap that the set neck doesn't have. I can't do 24 fret guitars, any 24 fret guitar. I just hate how it changes the neck pickup tone. A semihollow CE22 would be even better.
I've been playing for 48 years. I bought a new 2022 Core 10 top custom 24 piezo from John Mann's Guitar Vault a month ago for $5470. It sounds amazing in the low-gain sounds, but it lacks deep low high-gain sound. (It Doesn't Thug) I hate the trem as it does not stay in tune when used, so I unfortunately decided to totally block it and use it as a hardtail guitar. It plays & feels alot like a gibson les paul, but sounds more angelic. I'm going to keep it, but I don't think I'm going to buy another one any time soon, especially for the money.
Wait a minute.... what about them 7-strings. Mark Holcomb ones for example. And when talking about PRSs you just have to mention Carlos Santana, you just have to ;)
SE is a fantastic value: nothing “student” about them, huh? Had a Singlecut in 2000-2001 not long after they’d come out: I thought it was too nice for a guy like me and life happened and I sold it, never to get a PRS again despite going through far too many of the “Big 2” models and never being satisfied. Wow: looking at one. 20 years plus later, and it could be the one that I make the electric for the rest of the time I have here.😊
Cool video, I just had a job interview at PRS yesterday evening, have a trial shift next week! The first person I saw when I pulled up to the building was the man him self leaving for the day, I feel like it's a good omen for my future there :) And us Marylander's pronounce it "mara-land" Also, Stevensville, not Stensonville LOL
So much guitar playing.... I get it - to hear what they sound like, but I don't think we need performances. I'd rather list to your information and see photos and make a PRS "comparison" video Curious, are you using pedals?
I used to be a dealer for PRS and I can confirm their out-of-the-box quality. With only one exception, every PRS that arrived to my store was set up and ready to play right out of the packaging. The only adjustments I needed to make were slight truss rod adjustments to account for the drier climate where I lived, and if a client asked me to adjust the action to their preferred height if it differed from the standard PRS set-up.
That exception I mentioned earlier was a single Santana Edition that arrived with some neck warping issues. When I inspected the guitar and realized the issue, I called my rep and he sent me a replacement which was up to the proper standard before I even shipped the faulty guitar back. And that was only one out of dozens that I had go through my store.
In contrast, I had to do fret work and full set-ups to most of the Fenders that arrived in my store. And when I would call the revolving door of Fender reps, they would always try to shift the quality concerns away from them. Don't get me wrong, when Fenders are stable and set up well, they are wonderful instruments. But if you have a Fender that plays well, give the credit to the luthier or guitar tech who set it up, as they are likely the reason for that.
guitar shops have free setup on new purchase tho right? im already used to guitars not being setup out the box and it takes a while for me to get a new guitar but its worth the wait.
@@jojojojojojojojojojojojob Yes, I performed setups on all the guitars that I sold. However, the PRS guitars required fifteen minutes maximum to get the action where the clients wanted it. No other work was required to get the client their guitar to their preference and in perfect working order.
The Fenders on the other hand, had fret ends poking out on almost every single guitar I unboxed, even on the Am Pro models. And filing down fret ends to keep from poking and cutting a player's fretting hand is definitely not in the normal scope of a setup.
Exactly why I stopped buying new Fenders from around 2015 on.
I owned a PRS SE Custom 24 08. Beautiful guitar, but there was something bizarre about it when I played it. I felt no vibration whatsoever. It was just weird. Fretting the guitar was smooth, but I couldn’t feel any resonance in the body when I’d play it. I ended up selling it. More of a Les Paul fan
Fender + Gibson = PRS
Commercialville.
I’m from Maryland and I love the way you all say it as “Mary Land”. I’m gonna start saying it like that. S2 is Stevensville 2. I believe you said “Stenson-ville” which also sounds cooler.
Oh no... I was so busy trying to pronounce Maryland right I completely missed that! Thanks, and I'm glad you don't sound offended aha
As an Australian who lives in DC, my wife used to laugh at me for the same🤣 been here for a while so I’ve finally got it.
I'm an old senior 67 years, and I recently purchased the PRS Mira SE and it arrived perfectly protected and set up and playable straight from the box! I haven't played guitar for over 25 years and I must admit the action, and neck feel was incredible! The quality of workmanship was excellent for a $900 CAD! I'm very pleased with the instrument and look forward to many years of enjoyment from a quality guitar. Love my PRS!
Got the same one in vintage cherry. I love it. I’m a little older than you but I still enjoy playing.
Same boat, recently woodshedding... so you like the neck action? Is it low action -- and what about the frets (high fat narrow?) and is the neck stocky like a studio Les Paul... does it allow for fast playability? -- any other details appreciated! Congratulation on your purchase!
good to see you're playing again!
I am 67 but been playing mostly acoustic guitar but only recently playing electric guitar when I retired at 65. I had a Gibson classic but I traded it with an S2 PRS macCarty 594 because of its heavy weight. I like metal so I started learning songs from accept, five finger punch and seven avengefold . I form a rock metal band with my younger friends on their 40s and 50s and I am the lead guitarist as well as the vocalist. It's hard to do lead guitar and at the same time do the vocal from songs like accept because of a bit complicated rhythm while singing and also some fast lead but practice make things easy. Well that's how grand pa makes the day busy on my retired days. Hell yeah young guys keep rocking but grand pa rocks harder. I am a vocalist in the band when I am younger and I sing songs from scorpions, Bon Jovi, foreigner, firehouse, warrant etc. Even now I'm retired I can still hit those high notes easily maybe because eversince I refrain from smoking and alcoholic drinks and living a healthy life.
Played Fender for 17 years, saved up for a CE24 semi-hollow and haven't put I down for 2 years. Just phenomenal instruments...
I have a range of PRS guitars; a couple SE's, a couple core, and a wood library. The only thing I would add to this video is that the CE and the S2, while made in the states, do come with the import pickups and electronics for the most part. While this shouldn't be a deal breaker for people, they should at least be aware. As well as their newer SE line being made in China (Hollowbody, Hollybody piezo, and their parlor acoustic), once again, not a deal breaker but just info. I have had absoloutely no issue with any of the ones I have purchased over the years, which I can't say for the other big brands. You can almost guarantee the quality no matter which tier you go with when it comes to PRS.
My ce has the core pickups 85 15s. Only import part is the se bridge
I thought all SE guitars were now produced in Indonesia at the Cor-Tek (Cort) facility, but now I see that some Cor-Teks, like the hollowbodies, are made in China. For purely subjective reasons, I'd opt for the Indonesia-made ones. Wonder if they'll eventually move all production there.
@@PNWGuitar yep. CEs have USA pups.
Mine also has the USA bridge. The SE arm doesn’t even fit right.
I love the guitars but the owner is an irritating know it all,
I learned just how amazing PRS guitars are when I "inherited" a CE a few years back. It HURT me to sell it and I always regretted it on many levels. So after migrating through all the standards (LPs, Strats etc) I pulled the trigger and bought a Custom 24. End of story
Great video BTW!!
SE range has to be incredible value. I have a SE Pauls Guitar; an SE Hollowbody II; and an SE John Mayer. Love them all.
That SE Silver sky jam is highly highly underrated.....I would want a 7 min version of it that i could play on repeat
Just bought a S2 McCarty from sweetwater. Great guitar, the only negative are the sub par overseas pickups that come with it.
Fender wouldn’t give John Mayer a signature guitar…..but they gave H.E.R. one. Brilliant move….
Anyway, it worked out well for PRS! 🤙🏼
Got a 30th Anniversary Custom 24 and a Singlecut P245…absolutely amazing guitars. Also I had a SE CU24 and an SE Standard in the past and you cannot beat these for the price.
One thing you didn’t mention: the default scale used by PRS is 25” (which was between the 24” ¾ from Gibson and 25” ½ from Fender). However, over the years PRS did guitars with different scale length. For instance, they had the Singlecut or Singlecut 250 which was 25”, but now they have a Singlecut guitar named 245, which is 24” ½. The guitar name is about the scale length, just like the PRS 594, which is a round up number fro 24” and 19/32, which is 24.59375”, rounded up to 24.594. The reason is that Les Paul advert their Les Paul to be 24” ¾ (24.75”), but when Paul did measure some old ‘58 and ‘59 Les Paul, they were 24” and 19/32. So when he build the PRS 594, he used this scale to match the scale of the old ‘58/59 Les Paul. Another guitar is the PRS SE 277, which is a Baritone guitar with, you guess it, a 27.7” scale.
However, be careful, the number in the name is not always about the scale. For instance with the PRS 513 and PRS 509. Their name mean a PRS with a 5 way blade selector with 13 positions (513) and 09 positions (509). Historically, PRS had a rotary switch to have multiple pickup selection, but player didn’t like it, so he did switch to a regular 3 way toggle switch like a Les Paul (because he main only had 2 humbuckers pickups). But then, he started to build guitar with HSH pickups, so he had to change it for a 5 way blade selector like a Fender Strat. So he named those guitars starting with a 5 number, followed by the number of total pickup position. Same thing with the Custom 24-08 (the 08 means 8 Pickup positions).
I love the PRS 24.5 in. scale, very comfortable to play!
Call me crazy but 0.5”-1” scale length difference either way never makes a bit of difference to me. Feel exactly the same to me. Neck shape n feel is different between the 3 brands but the scale length, literally has never been noticeable to me.
"Marriland" (I'm from Laurel, Maryland).
It is pronounced “Marilyn” just like Marilyn Monroe by Marylanders.
The Maryland factory is in Steven’s-ville (Stevensville, MD). This is where Core & S2 lines are manufactured. Also, I believe the Overseas SE manufactured guitars are finished with QC inspection and setup at the Stevensville, MD factory as well.
This was suspended under Covid, passing on QC duties to the retailer (as well as a discount in dealer cost). PRS is still behind (12+ months wait for many models) so I doubt it has returned to the old normal.
@@andrewshell788 I work there, they definitely still do SE qc in the MD factory. There's a whole department for it.
I have a very handsome 2011 Starla....i got it for a great price too. The tonal range with the humbuckers that can be split into single is very good, but i honestly don't use the single coils much as I have a 60th anniversary tele that I use when I want the "thinner" sound. Love my Starla, it's retro look and the bigsby whammy...
It still has the soft D in the pronunciation .. haha soft D 🤭 … at least as a Virginian that’s how we say it unless you count people who are simply speaking lazy. If you’re from Maryland then you know better than me, so ignore everything I said expect my soft d joke please 🤓🥂
masterful playing, great video! Thanks for making an updated line up video and showcasing some notable instruments.
PRS ruined my guitar collecting before it really gotten started, my first guitar was a cheaper epiphone les paul so after I saved up I decided to buy a PRS ce24. Best guitar playing experiance I've ever had, mind you that I'm new at this point to guitars. Fast forward 2 years and I want to start to collect guitars like strats and les pauls but every guitar I pick up and play fails to compare to my PRS, it's like everything is feels cheap to me know. Strat ultra was nice tone wise but the fret board felt strange with that gloss finish on it so I didn't get it, the Silver sky is choice but I'm waiting for them to put better pots and nobs on them, those feel cheap to me.
Missing the DGT in this story, one of the best allround dual humbucker guitars and the best neck PRS makes I would say.
You can actually find one (gold top)?
PRS going up against Gibson and Fender is like David taking on 2 Goliaths at
the same time. It's an amazing success story.
Doh! You snubbed the DGT
I have a 2017 PRS SE Custom 24 in a Tobacco Burst finish and I LOVE it, except for the gloss finish on the back of the neck (I wish back in the day I could have bought one with a Satin finish). But that’s me!! I live in White Plains, Maryland about an hour from the PRS factory with in my bucket list is to someday tour the factory! At all the price point I think you get a Great instrument and if you plan on doing any upgrades then I think that the S2 and SE line price points will leave enough money in your pocket to do that. Great video!! 🎸
Dude, that’s what steel wool pads are for..they’ll fix that neck right up..nice, smooth, and you can tint as you want….
Love my PRS Silver Sky and SE Semi Hollow great guitars
What an excellent, informative vid. I've been a fan of PRS since first playing one in Los Angeles in 1987. That Custom was so gorgeous I couldn't believe it. What a perfect instrument. A true work of art. I've since become a PRS owner myself. Best guitars in the world.
Paul hates left handed guitarists, NO selection. We should at least have choices in color...
Great video guys. Would have liked to hear more about their neck types as I’m never sure what the differences are. Maybe you could do a video about neck types and what each brands names really mean? I’d find that super helpful as a buying guide
Core PRS is too expensive for me so I’m getting a Gibson sg standard
wood on electric guitar is just for cosmetic purpose. it doesn't affect the tone at all.
Got myself a SE MIRA in frost blue metallic on a black friday sale and I love it!!! Amazing quality and craftmenship for a decent price!!!
I always loved the Mira. The Korina wood Mira is a bucket list guitar for me!
Only thing one needs to know about PRS lefty guitars is that they will most certainly be about 20% more than their righty counterparts.
...and of course the extensive range to select from - one model?? and hope you like the neck profile!
Just wanted to add to what he said about all "PRS being set up before they leave the factory" comment. Although they might and especially for the SE series, the amount of abuse it gets from shipment handling and extreme temprature changes inside the back of a truck or a storage room, will definetly ruin it.
I had the SE 24 and it was the worst guitar I've ever played out of the box. However when I got it set up by a luthier, it became my favourite guitar just because of how buttery it was. Vibrato's are much easier to pull off and bending are effortless. So If it plays like crap out of the box, just think about the amount of stops it has done before it gets to your front door. Not PRS's fault.
Yeah I just got a $5500.00 Special semi hollow body from Sweetwater and the playability sucks. Action seems way to high. I half wonder if it was returned, before it was sent to me. Also it was supposed to be overnighted but ended up getting stuck in Anchorage Alaska for 4 days before it arrived to me in Juneau.
I bought the PRS Silver Sky when they first hit the market and it took the place of my Fender Custom Shop Strat. Excellent and versatile instrument, however I just purchased a 22 year old PRS Custom 22 with Dragon 2 pickups… what an awesome guitar and is now my main gigging instrument. I am a convert.
I'm an 61 year old beginner and have tried a few of the lower fender and gibson (epiphone) models, plus a Reverend Tele. I enjoyed them to a point, but when a PRS CE 24 Semi-Hollow came up for sale locally I was pretty excited when the owner said he'd trade my low end guitars for the PRS. It now hangs on my wall and is played for several hours every day. It is the only guitar I have had that has made me eager to play consistently and constantly. I have only one gripe, but being a late beginner it's probably me rather than the PRS, but I wish I could get the action a tad lower. I have adjusted the neck and the saddles (following the fretboard radius) and the saddles for the 1st and 6th strings are as low as they can go, but the action is still at 2mm on the low E. I only want another 0.5mm but I saw that the PRS tech recommended not to lower the bridge itself, so I'm stuck at 2mm. That is a very minor niggle because I love this guitar so much. 😃
I own a cherry red PRS SE standard, its my first guitar, and I couldn't be happier with my choice. Got it at a guitar shop in Camden, London (yes guitarguitar) and I've loved every single second of it. Great tone, great quality, and very comfortable to play both standing up and sitting down. Would highly recommend to any guitarist, new or with decades of experience.
I like everything about the S2 EXCEPT the carve. To me it looks cheaper than the SE range. And it’s tough buying a guitar when you don’t like the way it looks, no matter how good it plays and sounds.
Own a PRS CE and it's an amazing guitar. I liked it when I first got it but after playing and getting used to it, its phenomenal. I will own a Core some day!
I just got my 1st PRS a few weeks ago; a CE24 semi hollow body in Eriza Verde. I fully agree with the assessment above esp. about going from a great guitar to phenomenal in just a few short weeks. It's hard to put down. As they claim in their ads, the guitar was playable right out of the box. The only "mod" I made was changing the strings to my preferred 9.5-44 gauge. That miniscule diameter change brought the strings a wee bit lower (.005"?) right into my "magic" zone without touching the bridge saddles. No buzz. No fret outs. I'm still experimenting with the TCI p/ups and the controls and getting used to their positions. The pickup switch has been taking me a little more time getting used to where its positioned behind the bridge. I've been playing Tele's, Strats and a variety of Gibson's for most of my guitar playing years. The light weight (6.8 lbs) and balance make it very comfortable to hold sitting or standing and it's easy on these old shoulders. The 25" scale with the 10" radius and pattern thin neck is a joy to play and a great fit for my small hands. I can honestly say, after 3.5 weeks, it's been a seemless and painless transition. My only regret is that I didn't get a PRS years ago.
Overall, I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars. I gave it a -.05 deduction for the "bag" it came in. It's an okay "bag" as bags go. But at this mid range price point, the bag could have been a little more substantial (e.g., more padding needed around the sides and back to keep the guitar from moving around while it's inside). I get it about price points and cost savings. No need to explain. I put the new CE24 into a Gator (tm) Transit case I had bought for another similar sized guitar where it will live until I find a more appropriate case for it. I expect the CE will see a lot of road time in the near future.
Yes there's certainly no doubt of the quality.
When people say PRS started in 1985 they do not understand that brand existed from 1976 and he had small workshop but 1985 Paul sorted out money for first real factory where he could establish production line.
He build his first guitar in school. So 1976 is not date of his first guitar either.
Took him 9 years to get it from real top guitars boutique built to place where he was able to make emough of those guitars to matter on the market.
You say new company? Its older than you. PRS was talked abaout as of magical guitars company already in early 80-ies. Guitars you have had to be big artis so that they accept to build one gor you. I remember time when people did not even connect that Paul Reed Smith and PRS is the same company. Time of tales of that magicsl instruments only people like Santana can get.
Then I remember when first Dragon came. There was no Internet si pictures were not widly available. Someone would see the picture in some magazine and later on from ear to mouth myth was growing. I remember shop in Germany in early 90-ies having one Dragon pickup in their shop and asking fortune for it explaining that it was hand wound and only one available outside super expensive Dragon guitar ot self.
So no PRS is not new company. How ever you take it is at least 40 years old. Thats what Fender was in 80-ies while Leo was long gone and company was already 20 years in hands of different companies.
PRS is already one if the longest existing guitar companies that are owned by (partially) and lead by the same man. So saying its new company is ridiculous.
I never have the guts to try one because I know that I will fall in love immediately and my pockets aren't deep enough to afford one.
Great and complete video man!!
Playing the lefty really cracked me up 🤣
My most sincere of apologies 😂
What was that really cool riff he was playing left-handed?
It's good to see, that Jim Helpert quit his job at this stupid paper company and is now chasing his dreams. Never thought he was that good of a guitar player!
According to an interview I watched with Paul Reed Smith, SE does not stand for "student edition"... Matter of fact he had no answer what SE stood for...
I'd imagine standard edition, it makes sense
I wish PRS would have more offers for left handed players. I'm right handed but chose to play as a lefty player and I enjoy my custom SE 24 but wish PRS had more trims for lefty players.
Theres been quite a few changes and new models since this video. The SE line specifically, has really grown in the last couple years.
Wow, the playing in that jam at the end was fantastic!
Is that leftt handed wood library PRS for sell?
The difference between driving a Volkswagen at 200km/h and driving a Porsche at 200km/h is the difference between SE and Private Stock.
Technically it's pronounced "Vee-lah" with a long 'E' (ē). It means "sail" in Arabic, among other things.
Thanks for the info, I'm about to buy my 1st PRS, this was really useful. Cheers from Portugal!
Very good video and very informative. I still have my 1988 CE24 which I bought new for $1,100 back then. It was the first good guitar I owned and I had to scrape to afford it. It's been my #1 guitar for 34 years now. Maybe I will check out some new ones just for fun.
Nice guitars I'm thinking about buying one
Don't think. Get the Credit Card out. You wont be disappointed.
@@grimreaper-qh2zn I was about to say the same thing. Glad I read your comment first. No need to beat him up
This was brilliant (sorry I only found it!) What about the early EG models? Where do they fit??? Thank you I am now subscribed....
Overpriced, soulless planks that sound thin and generic. I’ve had two.
I own a number of earlier PRS guitars. It's astounding how nice these guitars are. I liken Paul Smith to our modern day, Leo Fender.
Thompson Timothy Clark Brian Perez Deborah
It’s not Maryland. It’s….Mary…..land. Mary-land. Maryyy-land. Mar….Yland? Mari-land? Mareeeland?
I don’t know….
Sold my fenders and Gibsons after playing the silver sky. Now I own 7 American PRS
Not one mention of the amazing tuning stability in the whole vid. why even make a vid like this if you don't mention the most important thing about a guitar? This is just a re-hash of what everyone already knew. My playing took off when i started playing prs because i didnt have that lack of confidence in my instrument that people have when they always have their tuner glued to the headstock. Is it supposed to be a secret that they keep far better tune than fender or gibson guitars? fancy wood and great sound is one thing, but if the effer doesn't stay in tune it's not really very useful for any kind of player.
just wanna i say i hate the little clips you put playing each guitar, im not into the same type of playing as you i just want to see the review not you jamming for 30 seconds
I love what he has done giving us the best of a Fender & Gibson tone in 1 guitar. I own 3 and have & S2 on order
This is easily the best guitar channel on TH-cam. The quality of your shots, the depth of information given, everything is just so perfect. Thank you for doing what you do!
Lolololo
Can you say "Mailyn" as in "Marilyn Monroe?" If so, just say it like that but with a "D" at the end.
Pretty guitars, well made but across the board relatively anemic pickups.
Martin Christopher Martin Mark Jones Nancy
Taylor Christopher Garcia Dorothy Lee Scott
Prs guitars are the most beautiful in my opinion. Just a really really good looking guitar
Ahhh yes Ted McCartney, Paul's older brother...😂
Love my prs se 245 i also have a se standerd thay look gright and play nice
It's not pronounced "Maryland"; it's "Maryland"...
Are TCI pickups worth the upgrade/extra cost?
Can't understand why the CE is so overlooked
It's not. I have seen many a vid on youtube as well as the commenters underneath stating how GREAT the CE is. I have seen some say they prefer the CE over the core models ! I have a CE, CU 24-08, and an SE FLOYD. I am about to sell my 2 Schechter's, TELE, and STRAT. I will keep my PRS and my Ibanez prestige and my D'Angelico semi hollow body.
Miller Lisa Jackson Susan Harris Karen
Too much time talking up front.
I’ve seen some SE’s say made in China idk why there’s a variance.
I’ve had two PRS’s I bought new, a 91 Signature and a ‘97 McCarty. Both were beautifully made, no doubt. But no matter how much I tried to love them, both left me kind of “Meh…” Just didn’t have that “it” thing.
@@richardlaiche8303 I see PRS has Robben Ford playing a custom version of what looks like one of their McCartys. A solid endorsement if it settles in. Robben's Fender Esprit Elite signature model was in some ways very similar to a PRS build-wise.
The only guitar I would buy sight unseen.
Really great video! Very informative and well organized!
54682 Jamar Station
It's "Stevens"-ville, not "Stinson"-ville
Understanding that they suck. 😂
Mreeee-land. That’s correct.
They imitated Harley Benton
26:54 love that song.
Stevensville! Not Stensonville.
We pronounce it M-air-land 😂
Great overview. Thanks
Just recieve my first PRS guitar in the mail. I got a SE Custom 24 Quilt. I wanted to know where this guitar stood among the range of PRS guitars and this video was very helpful . Thanks!
Hi, I've had a PRS DGT core model for a few years. Excellent guitar, top quality, great playability and what-have-you. But I sold it. Why ? I just did not bond with it. Many comments say the tone is a bit sterile... and I must agree to it. In few words, I prefer an instrument that has mojo to a perfect guitar that has no soul (sorry Paul)... It's not a rule of thumb: one can love and prefer playing a PRS: they are great guitars but that was just not my experience... Cheers !
Just purchased a PRS semi Hollow Special 10 top. Wow, what a guitar. It is truly a dream machine. I can get so many different sounds. I love it. Thanks Paul.
I love both PRS guitars and GAK, but I feel that the history and overview of the company and their guitars is lacking. Just saying... :(
I recently purchased a PRS S2 594 McCarty singlecut. The guitar was great in every way except for one very important issue with the width of the neck. It doesn't give you any room for vibrato bending on the 1st and the 6th strings. Which I think is a major flaw in their design. Another words when doing vibrato bending on those strings your finger slip the string off the neck. In my opinion they should have left The Binding off allowing for more space between those streams and the edge of the fretboard. I returned the guitar to Guitar Center and thank God for their 45-day return policy. Another disappointment was after spending over $2,000 for one of the PRS great guitars. They sent me home with that guitar in a gig bag. Really? Come on Paul Reed Smith. Are you so much of a capitalist you forgot about music and love of music and people that play music and giving them a little bang for their buck? So much for Paul Reed Smith weirdo nerd extraordinaire😢
I wish they would do a CE22 again. One of my favorite guitars i ever had was a CE22(out of scores). i think it's the closest a model actually gets to the original idea behind PRS to straddle the line between a Fender and Gibson, i regret ever selling it.
I find the CU22 to sound to close to a Gibson, of which i don't need another. The maple neck gives it more presence, and being a bolt on gives it snap that the set neck doesn't have. I can't do 24 fret guitars, any 24 fret guitar. I just hate how it changes the neck pickup tone. A semihollow CE22 would be even better.
I've been playing for 48 years.
I bought a new 2022 Core 10 top custom 24 piezo from John Mann's Guitar Vault a month ago for $5470. It sounds amazing in the low-gain sounds, but it lacks deep low high-gain sound.
(It Doesn't Thug)
I hate the trem as it does not stay in tune when used, so I unfortunately decided to totally block it and use it as a hardtail guitar. It plays & feels alot like a gibson les paul, but sounds more angelic.
I'm going to keep it, but I don't think I'm going to buy another one any time soon, especially for the money.
Wait a minute.... what about them 7-strings. Mark Holcomb ones for example. And when talking about PRSs you just have to mention Carlos Santana, you just have to ;)
SE is a fantastic value: nothing “student” about them, huh?
Had a Singlecut in 2000-2001 not long after they’d come out: I thought it was too nice for a guy like me and life happened and I sold it, never to get a PRS again despite going through far too many of the “Big 2” models and never being satisfied.
Wow: looking at one. 20 years plus later, and it could be the one that I make the electric for the rest of the time I have here.😊
Full setups? Lol😂 if so then they line their action super high.. easy to do yourself though.. prs 2408se is best value around
As a PRS lover, the Silver Sky doesn’t make it for me. Great to get new audiences, but give me my 245 or my Custom
Cool video, I just had a job interview at PRS yesterday evening, have a trial shift next week! The first person I saw when I pulled up to the building was the man him self leaving for the day, I feel like it's a good omen for my future there :)
And us Marylander's pronounce it "mara-land"
Also, Stevensville, not Stensonville LOL
So much guitar playing.... I get it - to hear what they sound like, but I don't think we need performances. I'd rather list to your information and see photos and make a PRS "comparison" video Curious, are you using pedals?