Thoughts on PRS CE24?

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I’m eyeing up a CE24, but just want to get some ideas of what they’re like before I go any further.

Are their any upgrades I’d need to factor in from the start to make it better - bridge, pups etc.
I don’t have a gambling problem, I’m winning, and winning is not a problem for me. That’s like saying that Iron Maiden have an awesomeness problem.
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  • The latest ones are more akin to S2 guitars - Korean pick-ups/hardware iirc.

    The older ones were essentially PRS Customs with bolt-on maple necks, adding some Fender-line ‘snap’ to the tone. They’re are every bit as good as a Custom - albeit with a slightly different character.
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  • WhitecatWhitecat Frets: 5378
    Old one (2008 and prior, iirc) or newer one (within the last couple years)?
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  • If a recent model I’d personally save money and get an S2 standard 24. If an older model then try playing with the pickup heights first before changing them out. Those VB HFS pickups can be a lot of fun. 
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  • grungebob said:
    If a recent model I’d personally save money and get an S2 standard 24. If an older model then try playing with the pickup heights first before changing them out. Those VB HFS pickups can be a lot of fun. 
    I believe the CE is a 2016. That S2 is right up my straße.
    I don’t have a gambling problem, I’m winning, and winning is not a problem for me. That’s like saying that Iron Maiden have an awesomeness problem.
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  • WhitecatWhitecat Frets: 5378
    I’m not personally a fan of the pickups on the older ones - they are the first thing I’d change - but the rest of the guitar is outstanding and an absolute bargain second-hand. 

    I concur that an S2 with swapped pickups is a better buy than a current CE. The CEs are made on the S2 production line anyway and the only thing they have above the the rest of them component-wise are the pickups - the 85/15s are quite good, actually. But the rest of the guitar is pretty compromised to hit a price point. 

    All things being equal an older one will always be a much better guitar for a fraction of the price, IMO. 
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  • Adam_MDAdam_MD Frets: 3420
    edited September 2018
    Personally I’d go for an older ce22 I think they sound better than the 24 fret models.  
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  • grungebob said:
    If a recent model I’d personally save money and get an S2 standard 24. If an older model then try playing with the pickup heights first before changing them out. Those VB HFS pickups can be a lot of fun. 
    I believe the CE is a 2016. That S2 is right up my straße.
    They are damn fine guitars those S2’s, need a pickup change but the rest of the construction is quality. 
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  • Go older. The new versions are decent but can't compete with the older versions. Tone, build and quality are superior
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  • jeztone2jeztone2 Frets: 2160
    Go older. Bang in new fretwire and maybe pickups to taste. They are a lot of guitar for the money. 
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  • Hi as an owner of an 89 CE that I bought in 79 and its the only true keeper if the house burns down 8 go back for the CE. Not played a modern one or any S2 line but I have a question  hearing people say buy  S2 but swap the pickups.

    So my question is why if most machine made pickups bar boutique hand wound stuff can be made to the same formula in Korea save
    ing on labour and producing at lower price.

    Most mainstream after market pickups fitted to guitars are machine wound.

    Are people saying PRS did not spec properly or is it just the stigma of Asian pickups, 


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  • WhitecatWhitecat Frets: 5378
    Hi as an owner of an 89 CE that I bought in 79 and its the only true keeper if the house burns down 8 go back for the CE. Not played a modern one or any S2 line but I have a question  hearing people say buy  S2 but swap the pickups.

    So my question is why if most machine made pickups bar boutique hand wound stuff can be made to the same formula in Korea save
    ing on labour and producing at lower price.

    Most mainstream after market pickups fitted to guitars are machine wound.

    Are people saying PRS did not spec properly or is it just the stigma of Asian pickups, 


    Not all the S2 pickups are lousy IMO but the ones that go into Custom 22/24s are. I’m sure it’s a case of “not to my taste” more than anything but I owned both S2 Starlas and Velas in the past and had no desire to swap their pickups out (even despite the fact that the USA Starla pickup is superior to the Korean S2 version in every subjective way...)
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  • thegummythegummy Frets: 4389
    Hi as an owner of an 89 CE that I bought in 79 and its the only true keeper if the house burns down 8 go back for the CE. Not played a modern one or any S2 line but I have a question  hearing people say buy  S2 but swap the pickups.

    So my question is why if most machine made pickups bar boutique hand wound stuff can be made to the same formula in Korea save
    ing on labour and producing at lower price.

    Most mainstream after market pickups fitted to guitars are machine wound.

    Are people saying PRS did not spec properly or is it just the stigma of Asian pickups, 


    The only time I've spent a lot of time specifically comparing pickups in the same guitar (swapping back and forth, taking recordings to compare etc.) it was between the PRS SE pickups and Seymour Duncan and the conclusion was that I really liked both, they were different but neither was superior.

    I've never compared the SE model to the same core version but if the core really is better they must be some of the best pickups in the world.

    I think that for very cheap pickups on entry level guitars, they use cheaper wire and magnets etc. so the machine made pickups are actually worse but at the level of PRS SE I believe they're of a quality where any alternative is just different rather than objectively worse in any way.
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  • thegummythegummy Frets: 4389
    Adam_MD said:
    Personally I’d go for an older ce22 I think they sound better than the 24 fret models.  
    If you've never had a 24 fret guitar, don't underestimate how much the neck pickup sounds more like a middle pickup than a classic neck and also how different it feels to play.

    I actually prefer the feel of 24 because the 12th fret is way up the neck and it's so easy to play there and above. But because of the sound of the neck pickup, all my other guitars have fewer frets so it feels strange playing on a different length neck. If it wasn't for the neck pickup problem I think I'd always go for 24 but for me the neck pickup thing is a huge deal.
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  • rlwrlw Frets: 4671
    The latest ones are more akin to S2 guitars - Korean pick-ups/hardware iirc.

    The older ones were essentially PRS Customs with bolt-on maple necks, adding some Fender-line ‘snap’ to the tone. They’re are every bit as good as a Custom - albeit with a slightly different character.
    They have USA pickups don’t they? 85/15.  The non USA ones have a different designation.
    Save a cow.  Eat a vegetarian.
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  • rlwrlw Frets: 4671
    edited September 2018
    I have an old CE24 - 1997 I think - and it's brilliant.  It came with a SD Jazz and JB which I found too bright in combination so the JB was swapped for a Bare Knuckle VHII and the range of high quality sounds out of the guitar are amazing.  It really does go from full on humbucker to full on single coil/Strat using the coil splits and the tone control.   My only complaint would that the edges and binding seem to be more easily damaged than some, but then I like my guitars pristine.

    I bought a McCarty which isn't half as nice although I am trying to address that.
    Save a cow.  Eat a vegetarian.
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  • pmbombpmbomb Frets: 1169
    See my sig for one FS. I'm in Dorking if you want to try it.

    AFAIK it's fully USA made, not same production line as an SE (which are Far East, no?)


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  • What’s going on in the pics with the 50p pieces in them? 
    I don’t have a gambling problem, I’m winning, and winning is not a problem for me. That’s like saying that Iron Maiden have an awesomeness problem.
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  • pmbombpmbomb Frets: 1169
    edited September 2018
    it has a couple of small nicks on the binding, showing them to scale. I'd agree with RLW the bindings are easy to mark. I don't think it's a biggie actually but each to their own.
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  • rlwrlw Frets: 4671
    pmbomb said:
    See my sig for one FS. I'm in Dorking if you want to try it.

    AFAIK it's fully USA made, not same production line as an SE (which are Far East, no?)


    I am seriously temoted by that myself.................
    Save a cow.  Eat a vegetarian.
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  • rlwrlw Frets: 4671
    rlw said:
    pmbomb said:
    See my sig for one FS. I'm in Dorking if you want to try it.

    AFAIK it's fully USA made, not same production line as an SE (which are Far East, no?)


    I am seriously temoted by that myself.................
    although that may be a completey different one..........
    Save a cow.  Eat a vegetarian.
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