CE24 vs S2 Custom 24

[seanchristopher]

As an olde-tymie PRS player, Idefinitely notice the carve being shallower when I pick it up, but while playing it, it makes no difference.

The shallower carve is just one of the aspects of it that PRS compromised on to keep the manufacturing quality of the instrument high while being able to offer it at more affordable prices than a set-neck model.

I don't know that the SE really has a violin carve at all, have you compared them directly?

One of the major reasons the SE is 1/3 of the price is that the workforce in Indonesia is treated more as laborers, where as they are crafstpeople in Maryland. The woods are also not as premium or handled as well. An SE will have multipeices peice mahogany body, and plain maple cap with a figured vineer. The wood isn't seasoned for a year, and I very much doubt they take a month to carve a neck.

You should check out the differences in the factory tours

SE:

US:

As with all quality items, you can get 80% of the way there for 1/3 the price, if that fits your bill, that's ok!

I haven't compared them directly yet. They didn't have any CE24's at any Guitar Centers near me when I was trying out different PRS models before ordering from Sweewater.

I ordered the CE24 after trying out the S2 Custom 24 because I thought they were basically the same aside from the bolt on neck and satin neck finish, so I went for it. But after noticing that the carves were different, i'm just trying to make sure now that i'll still like the CE24 and i'm trying to figure out if it'll be better for me to cancel my order for the CE24 and order an S2 Custom 24 instead. But I'd be compromising on the satin neck which was a big factor for me. But on the other hand, I really like the asymmetrical bevel because I thought it looked great and is super comfortable. I think part of why i'm freaking out is because I don't know what to expect now that I noticed the differences I mentioned and I don't want to screw myself over by not getting the one with the features I really want.

I guess I have to decide which features are more important to me. Is the asymmetrical bevel is worth dealing with or sanding down a gloss neck? Is a satin neck worth seeing if the Violin carve on the CE24 looks as good as the bevel carve to me and if it's as comfortable? Is the satin neck worth compromising on the look I initially liked?


The CE24 is a limited edition with a faded blue black smokewrap finish and a dark Rosewood fretboard and dark headstock, and the S2 is just a regular Charcoal S2 Custom 24. So i'd be losing out on a limited edition CE24 if I end up wanting the asymmetrical bevel carve more than the satin neck, and then on top of losing out on the limited edition CE24, i'd have to either deal with the gloss neck or sand it down and chance messing it up since i've never done it before.

Seeing the vids you posted links for and seeing the super high quality of the American Made models, I definitely want to stick with one of the American Made PRS's for my first one!

I finally found a shop near me with a CE24 so i'm going to check them out in person in the morning. I think not getting to try it out and see it in person like I got to with the S2 Custom 24 is adding to my doubt lol

 

[Glide-bpm]

The se carve is nothing like the ce carve in real life. The ce has much more of a violin.

This!!!

The CE carve is much like the core violin carve, but only half the height or less in the middle. That's the height of the carve measured from the top of the body to the top of the carve. The curved up part around the
guitar top edges is less pronounced than on a core model. It is nothing like my new SE models!

 

[Glide-bpm]

I haven't compared them directly yet. They didn't have any CE24's at any Guitar Centers near me when I was trying out different PRS models before ordering from Sweewater.

I ordered the CE24 after trying out the S2 Custom 24 because I thought they were basically the same aside from the bolt on neck and satin neck finish, so I went for it. But after noticing that the carves were different, i'm just trying to make sure now that i'll still like the CE24 and i'm trying to figure out if it'll be better for me to cancel my order for the CE24 and order an S2 Custom 24 instead. But I'd be compromising on the satin neck which was a big factor for me. But on the other hand, I really like the asymmetrical bevel because I thought it looked great and is super comfortable. I think part of why i'm freaking out is because I don't know what to expect now that I noticed the differences I mentioned and I don't want to screw myself over by not getting the one with the features I really want.

I guess I have to decide which features are more important to me. Is the asymmetrical bevel is worth dealing with or sanding down a gloss neck? Is a satin neck worth seeing if the Violin carve on the CE24 looks as good as the bevel carve to me and if it's as comfortable? Is the satin neck worth compromising on the look I initially liked?


The CE24 is a limited edition with a faded blue black smokewrap finish and a dark Rosewood fretboard and dark headstock, and the S2 is just a regular Charcoal S2 Custom 24. So i'd be losing out on a limited edition CE24 if I end up wanting the asymmetrical bevel carve more than the satin neck, and then on top of losing out on the limited edition CE24, i'd have to either deal with the gloss neck or sand it down and chance messing it up since i've never done it before.

Seeing the vids you posted links for and seeing the super high quality of the American Made models, I definitely want to stick with one of the American Made PRS's for my first one!

I finally found a shop near me with a CE24 so i'm going to check them out in person in the morning. I think not getting to try it out and see it in person like I got to with the S2 Custom 24 is adding to my doubt lol

The CE24 is a very comfortable guitar. I'd be surprised if you don't enjoy playing it!

 

[Birdsofprey]

Hope you guys don’t play acoustic.

 

[Glide-bpm]

Hope you guys don’t play acoustic.

All the time! Mine has a small right arm comfort bevel/carve. I don't really need it, but it does feel rather plush!!!

 

[seanchristopher]

This!!!

The CE carve is much like the core violin carve, but only half the height or less in the middle. That's the height of the carve measured from t he top of the body to the top of the carve. The curved up 5 around the
guitar top edges is less pronounced than on a core model. It is nothing like my new SE models!

That is a relief to hear and makes me much less weary and excited again about the purchase!
I hadn't gotten a chance to see a CE24 in person when I ordered it. I only got to check out a S2 Custom 24. I think the negative posts saying the carve made the CE24 look like an SE scared the crap out of me lol. The thought of dropping more than their S2 line to get the CE24 and having it look like the line that's 1/3 the price would really suck and wouldn't make any sense lol.

The CE24 is a very comfortable guitar. I'd be surprised if you don't enjoy playing it!

I hope I enjoy playing it! When I tried it the S2 Custom 24 in person, it was awesome and it played amazing. I didn't see the differences in body shape between the Custom 24 and the CE24 so I assumed they'd play and feel the same aside from the satin neck on the CE24.

And I figured the satin neck would elevate the playing experience even more past how awesome that S2 Custom 24 was

When I try one out today I'll let you guys know how it went!

Thank you so much for your replies. You're too awesome and you've been a huge help. I appreciate it, brother!

 

[seanchristopher]

Hope you guys don’t play acoustic.

Lol not as much these days. But I'll admit, I've often wished my acoustic had an arm bevel or something like that. When I'll play or write for hours on end, that sharp edge sure can start to dig into the forearm!

As I get older, I'm starting to appreciate the little things that improve the comfort and experience of whatever I'm doing

But the again, there's nothing like a classic full shaped dreadnought with a full round tone!

 

[Glide-bpm]

That is a relief to hear and makes me much less weary and excited again about the purchase!
I hadn't gotten a chance to see a CE24 in person when I ordered it. I only got to check out a S2 Custom 24. I think the negative posts saying the carve made the CE24 look like an SE scared the crap out of me lol. The thought of dropping more than their S2 line to get the CE24 and having it look like the line that's 1/3 the price would really suck and wouldn't make any sense lol.

I hope I enjoy playing it! When I tried it the S2 Custom 24 in person, it was awesome and it played amazing. I didn't see the differences in body shape between the Custom 24 and the CE24 so I assumed they'd play and feel the same aside from the satin neck on the CE24.

And I figured the satin neck would elevate the playing experience even more past how awesome that S2 Custom 24 was

When I try one out today I'll let you guys know how it went!

Thank you so much for your replies. You're too awesome and you've been a huge help. I appreciate it, brother!

No problem! If you have a core guitar, you'd swear the CE24 is one other than the bolt on neck.
It's a well done slightly more shallow version of the core violin carve!

 

[jamjam1]

That is actually great to hear! I was strongly considering getting an S2 Custom 24 instead and just dealing with the stickiness if it would go away eventually. Or I was gonna sand down the finish to a satin finish on the neck. But the thought of doing that to an expensive guitar is sort of terrifying haha

When you say "much" brighter, is it a shrill brightness or an overly bright tone in comparison?

I didn't get to test out any CE24's because none were in stock at any of the guitar stores near me, but I ended up getting it mainly because of the satin neck and because it was a limited edition finish with a dark rosewood fretboard and dark headstock. I thought it would be a better investment than a S2 Custom 24 with a normal finish.

But after seeing the stuff about the Violin carve on the CE24 being more shallow than the core Violin carve on the cores and closer to the SE's shallow Violin carve, combined with hearing that the CE24 is a lot brighter than the Custom 24, now i'm honestly worried with the choice I made.

I was so confident in my decision at first, and then I saw the carve was different and heard that it's a much brighter guitar than the Custom 24, and now i'm questioning if I should cancel my order and go with the CUstom 24.

I play metal and hard rock and stuff like that so i'm not looking for anything overly bright lol. I like the mids to be rich and I like the high mids to be present while still having that low mid grunt and growl

I was thinking of trying out the CE24 first and then going from there but idk if Sweetwater has a restocking fee when you return a guitar.

First of all, you can't go wrong with either. They're both great guitars. You will seriously be happy with either one.

Regarding tone, listen to the opening tune or the bass pickup section of the PRS CE demo video:

CE 24 - 2024

Since the dawn of rock and roll, the snap and response that comes from a bolt-on neck guitar has been an essential part of the mix. These attributes have,…

prsguitars.com

And compare that to the S2 demo bass pickup:

S2 Custom 24 - 2024

The S2 Custom 24 takes the original PRS guitar, the Custom 24, and re-imagines it with stripped-down features and a new aesthetic. Retaining the classic…

prsguitars.com

I feel like the S2 has a rounder tone, more like a 335. The CE bass pickup sounds almost similar to my middle position with both pickups. It's more of a guitar rock tone, IMHO. I picked the S2 because I like the sweet bass tone that makes it kind of like a 335 jazz guitar. (I don't play jazz, I just gravitate to those tones. Actually I wanted something that can do both.)

Other videos online make the CE sound brighter IMHO. I wonder if the CE can do better split tones than my S2. I have to crank up the treble a bit because my S2 can be too dark sounding.

 

[seanchristopher]

Just wanted to give everyone an update! I went to a little guitar shop right outside the city I live in, and I was finally able to try both a S2 Custom 24, and a CE24!

Even though I really loved the satin neck, the nitro gloss neck on the S2 didn't get sticky at all like the one I played at Guitar Center did. Maybe it's been sitting for longer so the nitro had longer to cure?

The CE24 sounded noticeably brighter than the S2 Custom 24. I couldn't tell if it was because the CE24 had new strings, but the S2 seemed like it had much older worn out strings.

And on top of that, the S2 played a lot better. The action on the S2 Custom 24 was a lot lower than the CE24 and it made the CE24 feel like it wasn't as smooth to play. I'm sure a good set up would change that though.

I'm going to go back to that same shop tomorrow and play a different CE24 model they have, in hopes the action is better so I'll be able to get a better feel for how a CE24 with a good setup plays.

I'm a little worried because after trying them today, becayse the S2 Custom 24 sounded less bright and had much better action. I hope the CE24 I tried just had high action or something because if the CE24 I get plays like the one I tried and not anything close to the S2 Custom 24, I'll be pretty bummed.

I really like the nicer flame maple tops, the Violin carve, and the satin neck a lot. I was just hoping the CE24 would be more like a S2 Custom 24 with a bolt on maple neck with a satin finish and a nicer maple top piece and a nicer top carve. But if it's way brighter like it seemed like it was today, I'm worried I won't like it much. I'm really hoping the sound difference was due to old strings or something lol.

 

[seanchristopher]

No problem! If you have a core guitar, you'd swear the CE24 is one other than the bolt on neck.
It's a well done slightly more shallow version of the core violin carve!

I tried the CE24 today! The fit and finish on it was really premium feeling and the carve was honestly super comparable to the core violin carve in person and the SE shallow violin is pretty noticeably different from the CE Violin Carve luckily!

The CE24 I tried was a lot brighter sounding than the S2 Custom 24 I tried today as well, so I'm a little worried about that haha. I love the S2 Custom 24's balanced tone and I didn't expect the CE24 to sound so much brighter. I expected just a little bit more bite and snap than the S2 Custom 24, but the sonic difference was really obvious. .

I hope the differences I was hearing were because the CE24 had newer strings or something like that lol. Because the S2 Custom 24 had what felt like some pretty worn strings. And the CE24 had pretty crisp feeling strings.

But the S2 played a lot smoother and I think that was because the action on the CE24 was a lot higher. The actual feel of the back of the neck of the CE24 was a lot smoother with the satin finish, but the S2 played like butter and the CE24 didn't play as nice. But then again, I'm hoping that's just a setup and action issue lol.

I already ordered the CE24 and it's on its way from Sweetwater and they did a setup on it before shipping it. I really hope a good setup will make the CE24 i'm getting play as smooth as the S2's i've played!

 

[seanchristopher]

First of all, you can't go wrong with either. They're both great guitars. You will seriously be happy with either one.

Regarding tone, listen to the opening tune or the bass pickup section of the PRS CE demo video:

CE 24 - 2024

Since the dawn of rock and roll, the snap and response that comes from a bolt-on neck guitar has been an essential part of the mix. These attributes have,…

prsguitars.com

And compare that to the S2 demo bass pickup:

S2 Custom 24 - 2024

The S2 Custom 24 takes the original PRS guitar, the Custom 24, and re-imagines it with stripped-down features and a new aesthetic. Retaining the classic…

prsguitars.com

I feel like the S2 has a rounder tone, more like a 335. The CE bass pickup sounds almost similar to my middle position with both pickups. It's more of a guitar rock tone, IMHO. I picked the S2 because I like the sweet bass tone that makes it kind of like a 335 jazz guitar. (I don't play jazz, I just gravitate to those tones. Actually I wanted something that can do both.)

Other videos online make the CE sound brighter IMHO. I wonder if the CE can do better split tones than my S2. I have to crank up the treble a bit because my S2 can be too dark sounding.

Between the CE24 and S2 Custom 24, which would you say has a more general mid focused sound?

I've heard the CE24 can sound scooped in comparison to the S2 Custom 24 but I'm hoping that's an exaggeration because I don't like to scoop my mids for my tone and I like a super mid balanced tone. If anything I like it to be a bit mid heavy lol

It was hard to get a feel for the sonic differences when I tried a CE24 alongside a S2 Custom 24, because the S2 had pretty old strings haha.

 

[DISTORT6]

You seem to have commitment issues.

 

[Juan Luis Vidal]

My CE 24 has a very comfortable action…you should not have any problem after a proper setup. I use it on daily basis to play metal and it's just a killer beast for that: I love how articulate the pickups are and how comfy the guitar feels.

 

[jamjam1]

Between the CE24 and S2 Custom 24, which would you say has a more general mid focused sound?

I've heard the CE24 can sound scooped in comparison to the S2 Custom 24 but I'm hoping that's an exaggeration because I don't like to scoop my mids for my tone and I like a super mid balanced tone. If anything I like it to be a bit mid heavy lol

It was hard to get a feel for the sonic differences when I tried a CE24 alongside a S2 Custom 24, because the S2 had pretty old strings haha.

Keep trying them and keep listening to videos. I made my final decision after listening to videos and that helped a lot.

And ask yourself why you're spending nearly $1000 extra for one model over the other if you can't tell which one's better.

 

[SinSir]

A lot of what you're describing can be adjusted with a full setup, including dialing in the pickups to your liking. PRS pickups are very sensitive to height adjustments. You can adjust the pickup height and pole pieces. We all have our setup preferences.

 

[Glide-bpm]

A lot of what you're describing can be adjusted with a full setup, including dialing in the pickups to your liking. PRS pickups are very sensitive to height adjustments. You can adjust the pickup height and pole pieces. We all have our setup preferences.

Also, roll that tone back a couple notches on the CE24... It works well if it's a hair too bright for ya!

 

[seanchristopher]

You seem to have commitment issues.

Lol I think in this situation I'm just trippin because it's the most i've ever spent on a guitar and since it'll be the only one i'll be able to afford for a while, I really want to make sure it's the right one for me. I've been saving for a PRS for years so it's a big purchase for me

My CE 24 has a very comfortable action…you should not have any problem after a proper setup. I use it on daily basis to play metal and it's just a killer beast for that: I love how articulate the pickups are and how comfy the guitar feels.

I went back to a shop that I initally tried out a CE24 at yesterday and I tried a different one today. The action was amazing and it played smooth like butter!! It blew me away and it made me super excited about the one that's on its way to me!

The pickups sounded great and I actually really like the coil split sounds. Coil splits or taps or whatever they are, usually just sound like a humbucker that's been turned down with the tone rolled off a bit. But the PRS pickups sounded great even when using the coil split/tap.

The Violin carve is actually not much more shallow than the normal Violin carve on the core models. I put an SE, S2, CE, and a core model next to each other at the shop and they each had a noticeably different carve except for the CE and core models. I was pretty stoked to see that the Violin carve on the CE24 was awesome looking like the core models, and it was actually really comfy to play!!

Keep trying them and keep listening to videos. I made my final decision after listening to videos and that helped a lot.

And ask yourself why you're spending nearly $1000 extra for one model over the other if you can't tell which one's better.

I tried a CE24 with a much better setup today and it played amazing!

I originally picked the CE24 over the S2 Custom 24 because the one I ordered has a limited edition finish, and the CE24 has a nicer maple top, and a satin neck. The one I got was only about $200 more than the newer S2 Custom 24s so the CE24 seemed like a great deal in comparison. But after trying one that didn't play as well as the S2 Custom 24 I tried recently, I was worried I had jumped the gun and bought a CE24 when it wasn't for me.

But after playing one that had a great setup today, it played like butter and it blew me away. It played even better than the S2 Custom 24 and had some extra attack and response and it sounded awesome.

I also played a different S2 Custom 24 with newer strings and in comparison to the CE24 it wasn't much less bright like I had thought when I played that other Custom 24 with old dead strings. So that crazy high end difference I was hearing was from old vs new strings like I had thought lol. And I'm super glad it was that and not the guitar hahaha

A lot of what you're describing can be adjusted with a full setup, including dialing in the pickups to your liking. PRS pickups are very sensitive to height adjustments. You can adjust the pickup height and pole pieces. We all have our setup preferences.

Like I mentioned above, I a new CE24 today and it had a much better setup and it totally changed my perception of the CE24 lol. It played even better than the S2 Custom 24 I had tried recently and I really liked the immediacy of the attack from the bolt on neck!

I knew you could adjust pickup height but I didn't know you could adjust the pole pieces! What does that do??
And for the PRS pickups, would I lower them to reduce brightness or raise them to make them hotter and to brighten up the tone? Which direction would I go for more bass if the pickups are sounding thin?

Do PRS pickups come high or low from the factory?

 

[Glide-bpm]

Lol I think in this situation I'm just trippin because it's the most i've ever spent on a guitar and since it'll be the only one i'll be able to afford for a while, I really want to make sure it's the right one for me. I've been saving for a PRS for years so it's a big purchase for me

I went back to a shop that I initally tried out a CE24 at yesterday and I tried a different one today. The action was amazing and it played smooth like butter!! It blew me away and it made me super excited about the one that's on its way to me!

The pickups sounded great and I actually really like the coil split sounds. Coil splits or taps or whatever they are, usually just sound like a humbucker that's been turned down with the tone rolled off a bit. But the PRS pickups sounded great even when using the coil split/tap.

The Violin carve is actually not much more shallow than the normal Violin carve on the core models. I put an SE, S2, CE, and a core model next to each other at the shop and they each had a noticeably different carve except for the CE and core models. I was pretty stoked to see that the Violin carve on the CE24 was awesome looking like the core models, and it was actually really comfy to play!!

I tried a CE24 with a much better setup today and it played amazing!

I originally picked the CE24 over the S2 Custom 24 because the one I ordered has a limited edition finish, and the CE24 has a nicer maple top, and a satin neck. The one I got was only about $200 more than the newer S2 Custom 24s so the CE24 seemed like a great deal in comparison. But after trying one that didn't play as well as the S2 Custom 24 I tried recently, I was worried I had jumped the gun and bought a CE24 when it wasn't for me.

But after playing one that had a great setup today, it played like butter and it blew me away. It played even better than the S2 Custom 24 and had some extra attack and response and it sounded awesome.

I also played a different S2 Custom 24 with newer strings and in comparison to the CE24 it wasn't much less bright like I had thought when I played that other Custom 24 with old dead strings. So that crazy high end difference I was hearing was from old vs new strings like I had thought lol. And I'm super glad it was that and not the guitar hahaha

Like I mentioned above, I a new CE24 today and it had a much better setup and it totally changed my perception of the CE24 lol. It played even better than the S2 Custom 24 I had tried recently and I really liked the immediacy of the attack from the bolt on neck!

I knew you could adjust pickup height but I didn't know you could adjust the pole pieces! What does that do??
And for the PRS pickups, would I lower them to reduce brightness or raise them to make them hotter and to brighten up the tone? Which direction would I go for more bass if the pickups are sounding thin?

Do PRS pickups come high or low from the factory?

Yeah... old dead strings and a bad setup will fork up a good guitar tryout!!! I have all levels of PRS guitars and my two CE guitars are awesome!!!

 

[spawnofthesith]

I wouldn't be second guessing your choices at all, the CE24 excels at the styles you described, and yes for metal stuff the CE neck is a bit nicer than gloss (S2, core or other wise) imo.

Aesthetically I personally prefer the violin carve to the asymmetrical bevel on the S2s, shallow or not. I have a core custom 22 and the carve is absolutely noticeably different depth compared to my SH CE24 but the CE 24 still looks great and none of that really impacts playability to me

I’d say to stop overthinking and just enjoy your sweet axe when it arrives.

Mine in action at a gig: