Any love for the SE Soapbar I and II?

[Oscar]

Around 2008 or so I went out to buy a really nice guitar with P90s. When in the shop, I tried that guitar and liked it. But ears are subjective so I asked for something else to A/B it against. Enter an early Soapbar I, a singlecut guitar with two P90s, volume, tone, wraparound tailpiece and a dark translucent finish that looks black but turns into a sort of purple sunburst when in the light. Well, the expensive guitar I came for stayed the shop while the Soapbar came home. Paid very little for it. By now, it’s been played _a lot_ and the frets have been levelled twice. My SE Soapbar is now in the company of a couple of core-line PRS models but I still play it regularly. Never felt any need to change anything. Plays wonderful, refuses to go out of tune, sounds awesome. Those P90s pups… they just sound right to me. This little giant of a guitar just speaks to me.

Any love here for these pioneers of the SE range?

(PS haven’t figured out yet how to post pics here)

 

[Alnus Rubra]

Hello and welcome, a nice introduction to your guitar.

 

[GADonis]

I have a Soapbar II Maple that I really like. I put on a Graphtech nut because I screwed up the original nut. The B and G strings were binding and in my attempt to file them slightly wider I didn't pay enough attention to what I was doing I a put a lot depth into the slots making them too low. I put an adjustable bridge on it because I couldn't get the intonation adjusted with the fixed bridge. I also put some locking tuners on it. Acoustically it is one of the best sounding guitars I have. And plugged in it sounds great.

 

[ChesterB]

I have the SE Soapbar I. Same colour as yours. Great guitars. Love the pickups.

 

[Oscar]

I have the SE Soapbar I. Same colour as yours. Great guitars. Love the pickups.

Cool! It’s uncanny how well those early SE soapbars stand up to core line instruments. Those P90s give me exactly what I want.

 

[garrett]

My first SE was the Soapbar II. Great guitar and unique in the lineup. Mine had a huge neck on it. I only sold it because I can't seem to get along with soapbar pickups.

I'm a big fan of the early SE range.

 

[doublescale1]

I was in a local indie shop picking up my Martin after a warranty repair was finished and this guitar was hanging on the wall right above where they put my guitar to check out the repair. It was a used guitar that they were asking $299.00 for - it followed me home that day. It's got all the goods the time tested formula of a slab of mahogany and 2 P90's. All the regular quality boxes were checked off - fit/finish, fret work and the neck was one that make instant friendships. I play this quite a bit, have giggled it and am really glad I stumbled upon it. Please excuse the semi-crappy phone photo.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

I converted mine to a “Studio” but yeah, great guitars!

 

[rpoce24]

I want more soapbars in general. Still think the S2 Thinline McCarty would be a brilliant guitar to bring these pickups back into the US regular production line.

 

[ViperDoc]

Excellent guitar.

 

[Deleted member 5962]

David Barber (of Barber Electronics) told me a few years back that he regularly gigged an early SE with 2 P90s and that he loved the guitar and the stock pickups. He said he'd never even thought about changing them and that they sounded better than several "known and loved" aftermarket P90s he had.

 

[Herr Squid]

I have the one of the original dark SE Soapbars, and it's perfect at its thing.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

David Barber (of Barber Electronics) told me a few years back that he regularly gigged an early SE with 2 P90s and that he loved the guitar and the stock pickups. He said he'd never even thought about changing them and that they sounded better than several "known and loved" aftermarket P90s he had.

Yeah, they’re great pickups. Hate to admit it but, they’re better than the Duncan’s they used in the core guitars (hides).

 

[dmatthews]

Yeah, they’re great pickups. Hate to admit it but, they’re better than the Duncan’s they used in the core guitars (hides).

I only have a SE ONE to compare, so I will. But memory makes me think not. That's compared to a 2018 594 soapy though. Maybe not the same as your comparison.

 

[Deleted member 5962]

Yeah, they’re great pickups. Hate to admit it but, they’re better than the Duncan’s they used in the core guitars (hides).

Dave clearly knows tone, if you know his pedals. I said his #1 for years was that SE guitar, with the stock P90s

 

[CrimesAgainstMusic]

I want more soapbars in general. Still think the S2 Thinline McCarty would be a brilliant guitar to bring these pickups back into the US regular production line.

H'mmmm .......

 

[Fullmoon 1971]

I technically still own a 2004 soapbar one, the perfect combination of function & form. Like others have said the pickups in these are killers - just how a P90 should sound..

As I stated at the beginning I technically still own it - I loaned it to my son when I got my Chris Robertson SE due to the fact it wasn't getting much play. It has since become one of his main gigging guitars, so I don't think theres much chance of me every getting it back. Ahh well at least I since have the C.R. (with it's killer P90 neck pickup).

 

[GADonis]

I want more soapbars in general. Still think the S2 Thinline McCarty would be a brilliant guitar to bring these pickups back into the US regular production line.

I think a S2 594 with soapbars in a goldtop would be a sure way to get me to part with some money.

 

[Oscar]

I technically still own a 2004 soapbar one, the perfect combination of function & form. Like others have said the pickups in these are killers - just how a P90 should sound..

That’s a beauty! Haven’t seen that colour around much over here. Mine’s also a 2004. I guess PRS really tried to get their first SE offerings right - and with this one they hit it out of the park.

 

[Deleted member 5962]

Ahh well at least I since have the C.R. (with it's killer P90 neck pickup).

I've always kept an eye out to see if I could try one of those. It's been on my radar since Scott had his CR