Can't decide. Help!!

[lebowski77]

Hi all

I'm in the market for a new SE Singlecut. I already have an SE245 that i absolutely adore.

My choice is between the SE Fredrik Akkeson and the SE Tremonti Custom.

I love my SE245 and the short scale and I know that I will also love the FA model, but the only real difference between that and the 245 is the ebony board, jumbo frets and the tonepros bridge. On the other hand, the SE Tremonti Custom has a wide thin neck (which is attractive to me) and the slightly extended scale. The only thing that concerns me about this model, and it's a big one, is the tremolo bridge. I like to change tunings and I am concerned that the bridge will make it a pain the ass having to set it all up if I want to drop it down 1/2 or full step on a whim every once in a while. If it had a hard tail, the choice would be easy (why won't PRS make an SE single cut with a wide thin neck and a hardtail bridge!!!!)

Are my concerns justified? I know it's not a FR trem, but are they sensitive to tuning changes? The FA is also about $100 cheaper, but I'd rather spend $100 more for the right guitar.

I'm at the stage now where I need some outside perspective as I can't see the wood for the trees.

Any opinions at all would be appreciated.

Cheers.

 

[Egads]

Get the Tremonti and use the SE245 for drastic tuning changes. That way, you get two more different guitars.

Good luck, and post some pics!

 

[andy474x]

Hmm... I have a couple thoughts. I own the Akesson, and LOVE it. It's a PREMIUM guitar as far as the SE's go, between the ebony board, upgraded bridge, jumbo frets, and even the material the birds are made of. I wasn't so keen on the SE245 (which is rare for me not to love any SE) but the Akesson really impressed me when I played one.

That being said, it sounds like you really want the Tremonti. Which isn't a bad call, it's a bitchin guitar too. Look into a tremel-no, I think that will let you change tunings without messing up the trem. Either way, I think you'll be very satisfied, but I'll swallow my pride and say go for the Tremonti!

 

[blaren]

I LOVE my Tremonti SE Custom. It has put all my USA PRSs out of work. It's my only singlecut. I LOVE the WideThin necks and this one is AWESOME.
The trem floats. It IS a PITA to change tunings...and break a string lol.
I agree with getting it (you NEED a trem anyway ..muahahaha) and keeping the 245 for alternate tunings....BUT...tuning that shortscale down...especially with .009s....well that might get pretty floppy.
A tremol-no would eliminate your tuning concerns. You might want to take that into account (no pun intended) in your budget too though. And then, the Tremonti comes with the same pups...SE245s. If you love them great. If you love them (you have a guitar already loaded with them) but want a different flavor for this guitar, also budget for new pups.
The trem works as well as any other non locker. As well as any USA PRS non locking trem...and that is about as good as a non locker gets. No need to budget for locking tuners..the $75 Shaller M6 lockers I put on mine didn't improve the already great tuning stability. They DO make string changes a lot faster but they didn't help whammy tuning. Same with a different nut. If you want to run .010s instead of .009s, you WILL need to widen the nut slots...or replace the whole nut (unnecessary) but if you're leaving .009s on it, the nut works perfectly. A nut wont improve or change your tone....well maybe it will...SLIGHTLY (???? if at all)...and if so, ONLY on open strings...once you fret a note the nut is out of the equation.
So...I wouldn't worry about locking tuners or a nut upgrade.
Making the bridge non-floating will help with alt tunings...and if you want a different sounding guitar than your SE245, a pup swap might be in order but other than that...you can't go wrong with the Tremonti.

 

[lebowski77]

Cheers for the feedback, folks. I wouldn't be tuning any lower than C# anyway as I have a 25.5 scale ESP set up for the lower tunings. I also use 10-52 strings as standard and also use 11-56 for lower tunings which is enough for as low as I need to go on this guitar. I just want the flexibility to go from say, E standard to Drop D quickly without the hassle of adjusting the tremolo every time.

A pup swap is factored in either way I go (thinking an SD Custom or Custom 5 to brighten them up a bit, as my 245 is really dark and low mid heavy). Also locking tuners and a Tusq nut if it really needs it.

The Tremonti is gorgeous, and I really want to try the wide thin neck, but the Fredrik Akesson is tipping the scales at the moment. I can just see the tremolo getting annoying. I don't really use the tremolo anyway so the fact that something I wouldn't even really use could annoy me is a big factor.

Decisions, decisions...

 

[maxtuna26]

Hi, lebowski! Welcome to the forum! Take the FA since you use different tunings all the time. The shorter scale won't benefit you much in terms of string tension but it'll give you a lighter tension with thick strings, which could be a good thing if you want thicker strings to thicken up your sound but don't want the tension. I've tried the FA and it sounds amazing. Lots of bite in the bridge and tube-y smoothness in the neck. The darker-coloured inlay materials and unique brown quilt top definitely makes it stand out from the SE Singlecut herd. Actually most people wouldn't notice it at first, but the cutaway is deeper on the FA compared to the singlecuts, for better access to the higher registers.

One thing to be concerned about is that the control layout is "flipped". The bridge pickup controls are in front, so you'd need to get used to it, or flip it "back" yourself if it's not your thing. Pickups can always be changed later on, so maybe you should give it a listen first before rushing into swapping them out. The stock pickups are really great in their own way.