CE 24 - Tone?

[Mole351]

I've been looking at the CE24 for awhile - was curious about the tone. Haven't had a chance to play one, but I know the bolt on neck gives it a "snappy" tone. I like this, but I also want to be able to have a warm tone with great sustain sometimes as well (think Trey Anastasio). As versatile as the the CE is, is it capable of producing a tone that's even close to this?

 

[AP515]

...As versatile as the CE is, is it capable of producing a tone that's even close to this?

Sure, just turn that other knob that doesn't change the volume.

Sustain might prove to be more elusive. It isn't about whether it's a maple or bolt on neck. 24 fret guitars have a tendency to have dead spots. I have more that don't than do, but it does happen. Playing it first will let you know.

 

[maggior]

The neck pickup gets pretty smooth sounding...more so in humbucker mode than single coil. As AP151 suggested, rolling back the tone knob will make it even smoother sounding.

As far as sustain goes, I get better sustain than on my strat and I haven't noticed that it sustains less than my LPs which have nice sustain.

 

[Fro]

The CE is one of the nicest sounding guitars I've ever played. I love the pickups on the newer CEs.

 

[Russ73]

OP I played one yesterday at GC Platinum room and it rocked, was thick and fat with that snap we love of a bolt on, I don't think you can go wrong with this guitar....I personally like 22 fretters but Id love a bolt PRS...

 

[gush]

CEs rock hard!!! I have one 24 and two 22s. I love them. I would love to try a new 24 but I would have to put a Mann trem on it for sure.

 

[G-Man]

I own an old one and played a few new ones. They are very nice guitars. The snap comes from the maple neck which is very nice not because of the bolt on neck.

 

[Ovibos]

I own an old one and played a few new ones. They are very nice guitars. The snap comes from the maple neck which is very nice not because of the bolt on neck.

PRSh said as much in his talk last week here in CHI. To paraphrase, he said a bolt on would sound the same if you put wood glue in the spaces btwn the bolts.

 

[RobG]

I want a CE 24 pretty bad, but it's not in the budget right now. Instead, I'm looking to upgrade the pickups in my SE Custom 24 until such a time as I can get one.

 

[Spikedog007]

I posted this in another thread a few days ago...I had an older CE24 (that I wish I still had) and it would cut through a band mix a lot better than my CU24 would. It just seemed a little hotter and had more bite. Both had HFS/VB pups so it probably had a lot to do with the maple neck. Snappier is also probably a good description when compared to a CU24. And I personally like the split tones of the HFS/VB as well or better than any of the 5X/XX series pups. Not exactly strat tones but, to me, pretty close and enough quack to satisfy.

 

[Iceman101]

The snap comes from the maple neck which is very nice not because of the bolt on neck.

+1

 

[Mole351]

Played one and then ordered one from GC with the 20% off promotion. Loved the guitar - can't wait until it gets here!

 

[LJD]

Trey tones can absolutely be achieved with a CE or CU24. Just get the ross type comp, TS, and blackface style amp taboot

 

[Brad737]

I had an old alder CE-24 that shouldn't have, but it NAILED the tone EC got on the John Mayall Bluesbreakers album. I sold it because I didn't care for the Wide-Thin neck. But I've never heard another CE that sounded like it.