Revelation
New Member
These are my first impressions on these guitars which I am sure would change a bit if I had them for a while. A big thank you to the best PRS guitar store I have ever been to. The selection and customer service at Northeast Music Center in Scranton PA will definitely get some business from me in the future. Driving 2 hours to the store was well worth it.
The goal of these mini reviews is to perhaps give some insight on these guitars especially after playing one right after the other through a Mesa Boogie Mark 7 amp. Hopefully for those who are interested in some of these guitars, my comments will gain some insight that would help you make a decision on a PRS. I found too many video reviews seem to talk too much or are reluctant to say anything negative. I have been playing guitar for over 30 years, own a studio and currently play in a band live each month. - Glenn
On a separate topic, here is my full review of the Silver Sky. https://forums.prsguitars.com/threads/a-review-of-the-2023-prs-silver-sky.55767/#post-803385
Here is my full review of the McCarty 594. https://forums.prsguitars.com/threads/a-review-of-the-core-mccarty-594-guitar.52143/
Custom 24: This is a beautiful looking guitar. The frets, toggle switch, the knobs, tuning pegs, and paint job are outstanding. The latest pickups in this guitar sound really good. This has the pattern thin neck. It not what I am used to, but I could get used to it and it would work just fine. This really comes down to your personal preference. I had no problem playing this guitar, however its not my favorite neck shape. I really like the full humbucking sound of these pickups. The split sound does not sound like a Strat but it has its own unique sound single coil sound. Its ok sounding but its not my favorite sound. If I was going to play this guitar, I would probably use it more on the humbucker settings unless I wanted its specific single coil sound.
SE Custom 24: This guitar looks and feels less expensive in comparison. I don’t like the way the pickups look. The sound of the pickups are thinner sounding compared to the Custom 24. Using the single coil setting on the higher frets can be a little piercing. However, if you turn back the treble on the amp it is just fine. Then when I switched back to the S2 to compare, now it sounded like it lacked top end however it sounded just fine with the treble setting I originally had. The lesson here is to just adjust the amp settings until you get the sound you want for that specific guitar. This guitar also has the pattern thin neck which does not have much girth to it. I would not buy this guitar due to the way it looks and feels. I will say however that I have played the SE Hollowbody and I enjoyed the look and feel of that guitar more. This is a personal preference comment of course.
S2 Custom 24 This guitar looks a lot better than the SE version. It feels more luxurious than the SE. The pickups are a little thinner sounding to the Custom 2, however the single coil sound is warmer and not as bright as the Custom 24. I actually preferred the single coil sound on this guitar. Due to the reduced price over the Custom 24 and it having good looks, if I was going to spend money on a Custom 24, the S2 version would be my first choice. It’s a lot less than the Custom 24 but it still looks and sounds great.
CE 24: This guitar has is bolt on neck. I found playing the higher notes could sound piecing on the high E string. This was not a problem with the S2. One would think if you reduced your treble setting on your amp it could help reduce issue however. The neck of course feels different and depending on your preference, you will like one more than the other. The longer neck feels odd to me as I have not had a 24 fret guitar since my old Carvin V220 back in the day. I liked playing this guitar.
NF53: I absolutely just love the blue color on this guitar, with black pickguard and the maple neck. I spent some time really just enjoying the way this guitar looked for a long time and it made me smile. It does not look like a Fender Tele nor does it sound like one….thankfully. I did not want PRS to come out with their version of a Tele like the Silver Sky compares to a Strat. Fenders have a thinner sound and they have more treble. This guitar can sound Tele-ish, but it has a thicker sound. Its shape is similar to a Tele but different enough to have its own personality. Sort of like how the Fiore has a Strat sound but a thicker Strat sound. The first thing I noticed about this guitar was how light it was. The next thing I noticed was how chunky the neck is. It’s not awkward to play but it feels like a small baseball bat. I am 6 foot tall and I will admit I had no issue playing rth or lead guitar on this guitar. I could get used to the neck pretty quickly, but I will say, I prefer the Fiore neck over this neck. Regarding the pickups, they did a nice job with them. The back pickup does not have any ice pick. I love the sound of both pickups together as well as the front pickup. If your looking for a real Tele sound, I would like elsewhere. But if you want a punchier Tele, this thing is amazing. I will say however, with playing through a Mesa Boogie amp, getting the Keith Richards 70’s 80’s sound was not an easy task. Part of the reason was the fuller sound this guitar has. I can get the Keef sound quickly on a Tele with opening tuning. This guitar has a bigger and thicker sound and you would have to put the least amount of distortion to get a Rolling Stone sound. This guitar has its own sound. It does not sound like a Gibson or any Fender I have played. I go back to the comparison of the Fiore vs the Silver Sky with this guitar compared to a Tele Pro. I get Paul wanted that 50s Tele neck, but I do prefer the neck on my Fender Professional Tele.
The Studio
Out of all the guitars I played, this one is absolutely my favorite guitar. The quality of everything feels very high end. I much prefer the thicker body of this guitar over the Custom 24. It just has more girth and more to hold onto. It also has the standard pattern neck which I am more used to. One of the things I really like about this guitar is how unique it looks and sounds. When going to toggle switch 4 where you have the front and middle pickup together, it is not as bright as the Custom 24. This guitar does not have a Strat sound but a very nice balanced less full sounding humbucker in a good way. The sound is not as thin as a single coil Strat pickup. One thing I did not care for was the way the back pickup sounded in single coil mode as it sounds too thin compared to the other pickups on its own. I prefer the single coil setting in the toggle 2 position with the middle pickup or with the back pickup in humbucking mode. Playing with the back and middle pickup or middle and front pickup sounded very nice. It won’t quack but it has this nice, blended sound that is similar but not the same as a Strat. It just has this wonderful thinner sounding humbucker tone which is pleasant especially going through a chorus or Wind through the trees flanger. It has a unique sound, and when you want a fuller sound, you have a nice humbucker in the back that can provide a punchy powerful sound when you need it. The front pickup is more balanced sounding than the Fiore which has more top end. As someone who already owns a McCarty 594 and a Silver Sky, this guitar is nicely in between the two. I would enjoy playing this guitar on a regular basis.
The Fiore has maple neck which is not as thick as the NF53. I personally found it more comfortable to play as its closer to other guitars I have played. It has more of a strat sound vs Custom 24 when in single coil mode. However, it’s not like a real strat or Silver Sky with a strong quack. It is a fuller sounding Strat and it sounds wonderful. The pickups are bigger and for those who don’t like the thinner Strat sound, I would be surprised if you don’t like/love this guitar. The back pickup is a great rocking pickup. It was a lot of fun playing this guitar. This guitar offers a lot of different sounds and again comfortable to play.
DGT: This is a custom DGT and it basically appears to be a McCarty but with pickups that have more bite than the pickups in my McCarty 594. This is a real fun guitar to rock out on. When you reduce the volume control, it can clean up nicely. I love the body on this guitar too. Its odd that the back pickup volume knob is first and the front pick knob is behind it. I know that is what the artist wanted, but as no other guitar I have played has this setup, it can be a little confusing until you get use to it. The neck is comfortable to play and as always, the quality is superb. The color and paint job was breathtaking.
I hope that my observations on these guitars will be helpful in understanding some of the aspects on each guitar. All of them are very good guitars. Based on your price point, hopefully this will help you a little. Regarding the SE Custom 24, its still a very good guitar in its price range, but my observations was comparing it to the guitars that were 2x and 4x the cost of the SE version.
The goal of these mini reviews is to perhaps give some insight on these guitars especially after playing one right after the other through a Mesa Boogie Mark 7 amp. Hopefully for those who are interested in some of these guitars, my comments will gain some insight that would help you make a decision on a PRS. I found too many video reviews seem to talk too much or are reluctant to say anything negative. I have been playing guitar for over 30 years, own a studio and currently play in a band live each month. - Glenn
On a separate topic, here is my full review of the Silver Sky. https://forums.prsguitars.com/threads/a-review-of-the-2023-prs-silver-sky.55767/#post-803385
Here is my full review of the McCarty 594. https://forums.prsguitars.com/threads/a-review-of-the-core-mccarty-594-guitar.52143/
Custom 24: This is a beautiful looking guitar. The frets, toggle switch, the knobs, tuning pegs, and paint job are outstanding. The latest pickups in this guitar sound really good. This has the pattern thin neck. It not what I am used to, but I could get used to it and it would work just fine. This really comes down to your personal preference. I had no problem playing this guitar, however its not my favorite neck shape. I really like the full humbucking sound of these pickups. The split sound does not sound like a Strat but it has its own unique sound single coil sound. Its ok sounding but its not my favorite sound. If I was going to play this guitar, I would probably use it more on the humbucker settings unless I wanted its specific single coil sound.
SE Custom 24: This guitar looks and feels less expensive in comparison. I don’t like the way the pickups look. The sound of the pickups are thinner sounding compared to the Custom 24. Using the single coil setting on the higher frets can be a little piercing. However, if you turn back the treble on the amp it is just fine. Then when I switched back to the S2 to compare, now it sounded like it lacked top end however it sounded just fine with the treble setting I originally had. The lesson here is to just adjust the amp settings until you get the sound you want for that specific guitar. This guitar also has the pattern thin neck which does not have much girth to it. I would not buy this guitar due to the way it looks and feels. I will say however that I have played the SE Hollowbody and I enjoyed the look and feel of that guitar more. This is a personal preference comment of course.
S2 Custom 24 This guitar looks a lot better than the SE version. It feels more luxurious than the SE. The pickups are a little thinner sounding to the Custom 2, however the single coil sound is warmer and not as bright as the Custom 24. I actually preferred the single coil sound on this guitar. Due to the reduced price over the Custom 24 and it having good looks, if I was going to spend money on a Custom 24, the S2 version would be my first choice. It’s a lot less than the Custom 24 but it still looks and sounds great.
CE 24: This guitar has is bolt on neck. I found playing the higher notes could sound piecing on the high E string. This was not a problem with the S2. One would think if you reduced your treble setting on your amp it could help reduce issue however. The neck of course feels different and depending on your preference, you will like one more than the other. The longer neck feels odd to me as I have not had a 24 fret guitar since my old Carvin V220 back in the day. I liked playing this guitar.
NF53: I absolutely just love the blue color on this guitar, with black pickguard and the maple neck. I spent some time really just enjoying the way this guitar looked for a long time and it made me smile. It does not look like a Fender Tele nor does it sound like one….thankfully. I did not want PRS to come out with their version of a Tele like the Silver Sky compares to a Strat. Fenders have a thinner sound and they have more treble. This guitar can sound Tele-ish, but it has a thicker sound. Its shape is similar to a Tele but different enough to have its own personality. Sort of like how the Fiore has a Strat sound but a thicker Strat sound. The first thing I noticed about this guitar was how light it was. The next thing I noticed was how chunky the neck is. It’s not awkward to play but it feels like a small baseball bat. I am 6 foot tall and I will admit I had no issue playing rth or lead guitar on this guitar. I could get used to the neck pretty quickly, but I will say, I prefer the Fiore neck over this neck. Regarding the pickups, they did a nice job with them. The back pickup does not have any ice pick. I love the sound of both pickups together as well as the front pickup. If your looking for a real Tele sound, I would like elsewhere. But if you want a punchier Tele, this thing is amazing. I will say however, with playing through a Mesa Boogie amp, getting the Keith Richards 70’s 80’s sound was not an easy task. Part of the reason was the fuller sound this guitar has. I can get the Keef sound quickly on a Tele with opening tuning. This guitar has a bigger and thicker sound and you would have to put the least amount of distortion to get a Rolling Stone sound. This guitar has its own sound. It does not sound like a Gibson or any Fender I have played. I go back to the comparison of the Fiore vs the Silver Sky with this guitar compared to a Tele Pro. I get Paul wanted that 50s Tele neck, but I do prefer the neck on my Fender Professional Tele.
The Studio
Out of all the guitars I played, this one is absolutely my favorite guitar. The quality of everything feels very high end. I much prefer the thicker body of this guitar over the Custom 24. It just has more girth and more to hold onto. It also has the standard pattern neck which I am more used to. One of the things I really like about this guitar is how unique it looks and sounds. When going to toggle switch 4 where you have the front and middle pickup together, it is not as bright as the Custom 24. This guitar does not have a Strat sound but a very nice balanced less full sounding humbucker in a good way. The sound is not as thin as a single coil Strat pickup. One thing I did not care for was the way the back pickup sounded in single coil mode as it sounds too thin compared to the other pickups on its own. I prefer the single coil setting in the toggle 2 position with the middle pickup or with the back pickup in humbucking mode. Playing with the back and middle pickup or middle and front pickup sounded very nice. It won’t quack but it has this nice, blended sound that is similar but not the same as a Strat. It just has this wonderful thinner sounding humbucker tone which is pleasant especially going through a chorus or Wind through the trees flanger. It has a unique sound, and when you want a fuller sound, you have a nice humbucker in the back that can provide a punchy powerful sound when you need it. The front pickup is more balanced sounding than the Fiore which has more top end. As someone who already owns a McCarty 594 and a Silver Sky, this guitar is nicely in between the two. I would enjoy playing this guitar on a regular basis.
The Fiore has maple neck which is not as thick as the NF53. I personally found it more comfortable to play as its closer to other guitars I have played. It has more of a strat sound vs Custom 24 when in single coil mode. However, it’s not like a real strat or Silver Sky with a strong quack. It is a fuller sounding Strat and it sounds wonderful. The pickups are bigger and for those who don’t like the thinner Strat sound, I would be surprised if you don’t like/love this guitar. The back pickup is a great rocking pickup. It was a lot of fun playing this guitar. This guitar offers a lot of different sounds and again comfortable to play.
DGT: This is a custom DGT and it basically appears to be a McCarty but with pickups that have more bite than the pickups in my McCarty 594. This is a real fun guitar to rock out on. When you reduce the volume control, it can clean up nicely. I love the body on this guitar too. Its odd that the back pickup volume knob is first and the front pick knob is behind it. I know that is what the artist wanted, but as no other guitar I have played has this setup, it can be a little confusing until you get use to it. The neck is comfortable to play and as always, the quality is superb. The color and paint job was breathtaking.
I hope that my observations on these guitars will be helpful in understanding some of the aspects on each guitar. All of them are very good guitars. Based on your price point, hopefully this will help you a little. Regarding the SE Custom 24, its still a very good guitar in its price range, but my observations was comparing it to the guitars that were 2x and 4x the cost of the SE version.
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