PRS SE quality over time

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ToneControlToneControl Frets: 11791
Has the SE quality varied much?
Is the newer stuff better?
I am more familiar with Core USA built PRSs, but just got an SE EG, which is quite impressive (pickups less so)

Some of the soapbar ones look OK, and the recent SE Customs??
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Comments

  • FunkfingersFunkfingers Frets: 14324
    I am old enough to remember Neville Marten enthusing over the original Santana SE when it first appeared. 

    The woodwork is consistently good. IMO, the pickups, controls and machineheads disappoint.

    I need to check the serial numbers on my SE guitars to confirm their dates of manufacture.
    Be seeing you.
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  • I remember the earliest getting rave reviews, but most were average. However, they soon started doing some sigs and quality did improve.

    Modern ones I've not played, but my friend had an excellent original Tremonti sig (no trem, white singlecut) and it was well built but the tuners were those horrid winged tuners prs liked, and the pickups were dogshit. Apparently newer ones have very good pickups. 
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  • The SE Holcomb that I had was great: build quality was excellent and the pickups (SD Alpha & Omega set) were some of the best I've ever heard. Tuning stability wasn't the best; if I'd kept it I probably would have had the nut looked at eventually 
    Too much gain... is just about enough \m/

    I'm probably the only member of this forum mentioned by name in Whiskey in the Jar ;)

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  • skunkwerxskunkwerx Frets: 6838
    I had a Tremonti Se (the one with the wraparound tailpiece) and it was good. Quality wise I couldnt fault it except the nut was just mental. Like they cut the grooves but didnt refine it at all so the actual slots were miles deep because the nut was so massive. 

    Overall it was great and I kinda regret letting it go, acoustically it sounded great too. 

    The only thing I hated and that still puts me off getting another Prs is whatever they use (nickel isnt it?) for hardware just tarnishes way too easy. 

    It could be cleaned off with guitar polish but a couple days later it was back and I hated it lol.
    The bridge and tuners were the worst but I’m sure the frets also suffered too. 

    Left a grim residue on your hands (if I go to tune with my fretting hand), and I hate grimy hands when playing. 

    No idea if thats inherent with Prs’s or what. 
    The only easy day, was yesterday...
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  • grungebobgrungebob Frets: 3300
    I’ve been impressed with the SE range throughout the years. The newer SE standard range not so much plus it may have just been that particular one but the Paul’s SE guitar I tested was a bit shite. 

    I really like the look of the new 24 08 for 2021 , I love green and the tone demo sounded great 
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  • chris78chris78 Frets: 9166
    I had an se245 with a zebrawood veneer. Superb quality. The poly finish is a bit thick and slippy, but the build was flawless. 
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  • Arktik83Arktik83 Frets: 431
    The best SE I had was the Santana 2011 version.  It was bloody lovely, deeply regret selling it on.  The last one I had was a single cut SE and it was really well put together but was a bit heavy and lifeless.  I've never had an SE where the build wasn't up to scratch.
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  • Philly_QPhilly_Q Frets: 22516
    edited January 2021
    I am more familiar with Core USA built PRSs, but just got an SE EG, which is quite impressive (pickups less so)

    I've got an SE EG, it was one of the earliest SE models - I bought it in Sound Control on Oxford Street, so it must have been quite a few years ago!  They discontinued them early on, as well.

    The guitar itself is pretty good and well made, but I replaced everything apart from the neck/body, scratchplate and bridge.

    As the range has expanded they've gone upmarket, but I've never tried any of the cheaper SE Standards, I don't know how they compare with the old models.
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  • skunkwerx said:
    I had a Tremonti Se (the one with the wraparound tailpiece) and it was good. Quality wise I couldnt fault it except the nut was just mental. Like they cut the grooves but didnt refine it at all so the actual slots were miles deep because the nut was so massive. 
    That's what the nut was like on my Holcomb, too...
    Too much gain... is just about enough \m/

    I'm probably the only member of this forum mentioned by name in Whiskey in the Jar ;)

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  • bazxkrbazxkr Frets: 610
    I have the 2012 limited edition SE245 that I got new and have noticed no quality issues or tarnishing of bridge or tuners. For the money it is a very well put together beast with a lovely top. So maybe it is more recent years where price pressures have driven quality issues more to the fore. Have they moved production facilities at all ?
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  • 10thumbs10thumbs Frets: 427
    I have an SE Standard mahogany,  w/rosewood board from around 2000ish , it has the wide slim neck nobody else seems to like. 
    Cost was about  £540 back then , nearly double that of the SE Custom , I  only paid £280 new as it was  on offer as the last one on sale anywhere , I love the neck so, I changed the pickups turning it into a rock beast, the quality is as good as anything else I've had , its a Korean one , I can't speak for the newer ones though.


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  • grungebobgrungebob Frets: 3300
    I just remembered a SE Navarro I had. Was a great guitar. Probably around 2013 ish. 
    I changed a lot of gear on it for core components     
    The thing that affected the sound for the better by a country mile was swapping the hollow SE nut for the USA one. It rang like a bell afterwards
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  • ToneControlToneControl Frets: 11791
    bazxkr said:
    I have the 2012 limited edition SE245 that I got new and have noticed no quality issues or tarnishing of bridge or tuners. For the money it is a very well put together beast with a lovely top. So maybe it is more recent years where price pressures have driven quality issues more to the fore. Have they moved production facilities at all ?
    I read today that they moved to Indonesia around 2017
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  • GrumpyrockerGrumpyrocker Frets: 4118
    edited January 2021
    I have an SE 245 I bought in March 2019 from Peach. It's as well made an instrument as you could hope from any factory. Fit and finish are excellent. According to the serial number and information on the headstock it was made in 2018 at the World Music Instrument factory in South Korea. What would it lack a guitar 2K more would have? I guess expensive pickups, but these sound great. And of course maybe another centimetre of figured maple you could never actually see.

    I've also got an SE Custom 22 that I think is from 2009 or maybe earlier (Edit have checked, definitely 2009 at WMI). Can't look at the headstock right this second. It's a very nice guitar. Has moons instead of bird inlays. I guess it's a bit boring really, completely flat top. Doesn't quite feel as premium as my SE 245 but it's still a well made instrument. 

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  • I set up a mid-2000s custom 24 for a mate a while back - was very well put together, pickups were a bit meh.

    I had a Santana special (p90s) a few years ago, must have been a 2012 or so model. Incredible for the price. Pickups were still a bit meh but it rang really nicely and the neck/fretwork were fantastic for a £300 guitar.

    I purchased a 2017 custom 24 a few months ago, after trying out a couple of more recent ones (both Korean and Indonesian made). Now we're talking. Impeccable fretwork, pretty much flawless fit and finish, very decent pickups. I sold it to fund a core model, but kinda regret letting it go. Sure, it doesn't quite ring like a us model, but it's about 80% of the way there in terms of playability and sound.

    So I would say there has definitely been a step up (in line with a price increase, it has to be said). But given that the older ones can be scored for about £350 used, that's also a lot of guitar for the money.
    Click here to see me butchering some classic solos!
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  • NikcNikc Frets: 627
    edited January 2021
    I've got a Santana SE (world music instruments) and it is lovely, plays great sounds great. I've had a decent set up but other than that its the same as it left the factory. So from my extensive research I'd concluded they are awesome 
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  • I think there's one universal failing on all SEs (at least, those I've seen and played): the nuts.  They are always awful.  The slots don't match the string size (either too small or too large), way too much depth of material above the string interfering with low position chords and a sharp edge facing the unwary fretting hand.

    The woodwork, finish and fretwork always seems very good.

    Most of the hardware is fairly generic, neither outstanding nor bad.  That said, the pickups seem to tend towards overwound gain/mud monsters (though there's a fair variety).
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