Focus Group for CE Lover Petition.

[sergiodeblanc]

Okay, for all of us that would love to purchase a brand new CE model, what features would you like to see? I figure it would be better to compile a wish list of features in order to gather my mob of enthusiastic consumers for the reintroduction of the most under appreciated, and best model of guitar to ever grace the planet.

I would like to dispel the notion that the CE was "just" a budget PRS, and it does in fact have a unique and important place in the marketplace for PRS junkies.
If we are able to compromise among ourselves a list, and explain the demand, I'm sure the "Greatest Guitar Company in the World" will have no choice but to comply.

So let's hear it! I will start with some basics.

Alder body with a maple top.
Flame maple neck with some sort of inlays, just to denote that this is a "premium" guitar.
Tremolo
A three way toggle at least, so I can replace it with a rotary. (see, I'm willing to compromise.)
Don't mess with the old neck joint, it's worked before and shall again.

If Mike's 7string crusade has taught us anything, we must be diligent in order to prevail.

I know you are out there, GET IN ON THE LIST!

 

[CantankerousCarl]

I'm with you sergio, would rather have the 5-way type switching, blade even, rather than a 3-way. But if it's a 3-way, do the mini-toggle, not push-pull.

24 fret maple neck, maple or rosewood fingerboard options.

Old school birds.

Alder yes, maple top with a 10-top option.

SIGN ME UP...right after the 408 I will need to sell an organ for...

 

[AP515]

Okay, for all of us that would love to purchase a brand new CE model, what features would you like to see?

All Alder like my 88 CE24, Dragon 1's, 5 way, Phase 2's, trem.

 

[slev]

I'd like a mahogany body w/o the maple cap (Standard style), five way switch, I like the old birds, Trem and I'd go for 59/09s. I like the flame maple neck too very cool.

 

[CE-man]

Alder or Ash body with "10" quality maple cap option, chambering option, figured neck option with peghead overlay, rosewood, ebony, or maple fretboards, MOP birds or moons, John Mann tremolo, 3 way toggle or 5-way rotary, sweet switch option, Standard Treble/Bass pickups and/or the modern equivalent. Making a Pearl White finish available again would be great!

 

[Em7]

I am holding out for a reissue of the original '88 CE (a.k.a PRS Electric). After all, 2013 will be the 25th anniversary for this model.

Unlike late model CEs, the original CE was not a poor man's Custom. It was PRS' answer to the Super Strat. The market wanted a poor man's custom.

 

[]-[@n$0Ma☩!©]

Flamed neck, dark and quarter-sawn rosewood fretboard, abalone birds, alder body, Bud Davis metal paint, T&B reissue pups, 3-way mini-toggle, and mixed hardware.

 

[Brad737]

I'd like an alder body, maple top with 10 option, old birds, and McCarty switching. As for neck carves, I'd LOVE a Wide-Fat option. I'm fairly open when it comes to pickups, but for posterity's sake, I'd like HFS/ Vintage Bass & Dragon 1s. I'm also highly in favor of limited release of Bud Davis Metals.

 

[László]

PRS is making all this great new stuff, and everyone has to b&m about what they aren't making!

No CEs?

Remind us why they stopped making those...oh yeah. People weren't, you know, actually buying them! So...PRS should do that again.

Funny people, guitar enthusiasts. I'm glad I play the accordion.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

PRS is making all this great new stuff, and everyone has to b&m about what they aren't making!

No CEs?

Remind us why they stopped making those...oh yeah. People weren't, you know, actually buying them! So...PRS should do that again.

Funny people, guitar enthusiasts. I'm glad I play the accordion.

Hey, mow your own lawn!

 

[Drew]

eh... so basically, you want pretty much a custom 24 with a maple neck at a price range that would be on par with the custom 24. The great thing about the CEs were the simplicity, the understated looks, and a great middle of the road price. No need for ten tops or flamed necks. A simple opaque or trans finished alder/mahog body with a plain raw maple neck...dot inlays... maybe stainless frets as something different and a pau ferro or ebony board.

 

[vchizzle]

If PRS were doing a reissue, one would think they'd keep to the specs of the original fairly closely. Doing an anniversary reissue only makes sense if it's that.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

eh... so basically, you want pretty much a custom 24 with a maple neck at a price range that would be on par with the custom 24. The great thing about the CEs were the simplicity, the understated looks, and a great middle of the road price. No need for ten tops or flamed necks. A simple opaque or trans finished alder/mahog body with a plain raw maple neck...dot inlays... maybe stainless frets as something different and a pau ferro or ebony board.

Well I would think it would be a little different than a CU24, but I see your point on price. How many of you also see the price point as a defining feature of the CE line?

 

[dmatthews]

I'll take a stoptail, 5 way switch, and a maple board please... with birdies.

 

[László]

I agree, the reason to buy one was never truly price, it was to have a bolt-on PRS with a certain feature set.

They were always super-nice guitars, as is the current SAS, which strikes me as a very nice guitar with the NF pickups and the bolt-on. CE fans really should try one of these, they're quite good, and the NFs are really fine pickups.

 

[Em7]

They are not a budget guitar

However, that's exactly how PRS conceived and positioned the CE. The CE was the PRS SE of its day; namely, an affordable PRS that was within the reach of young guitarists who were mostly playing Super Strats (Gibson was on life support at that point in time). The first CEs were not met with a round of applause. It wasn't because they were not great guitars. It was because guitarists did not consider a CE to be a real PRS. A real PRS was a set-neck guitar. We all know better today. However, the guitar market was very different back in 1988 than it is today. Over time, the CE time the grew into the poor man's Custom.

 

[Em7]

They were always super-nice guitars, as is the current SAS, which strikes me as a very nice guitar with the NF pickups and the bolt-on. CE fans really should try one of these, they're quite good, and the NFs are really fine pickups.

The SAS is a nice guitar, but it has a different performance envelope than the alder-bodied CE.

 

[László]

The SAS is a nice guitar, but it has a different performance envelope than the alder-bodied CE.

Definitely true, but for bolt-on neck enthusiasts, it's a heck of a guitar.

 

[MojoPin]

For me the price was absolutely a vital aspect of what made the CE so great. More expensive models are readily available and this was always a great point to get your first 'proper' PRS. It should be modern, practical and down-to-earth. Doing a super-pimped, luxury CE just doesn't seem to make any sense. My perfect CE would be:

Maple neck (no flame, not needed. A nice bonus maybe but not if it adds to the price)
Mahogany/alder body. Can't quite decide which, but personally I think I'd prefer the mahogany. Option for a maple cap.
Rosewood fingerboard w/ dot inlays, maybe birds option. Plain maple headstock in either matt black or naked maple, with the classic PRS signature in gold or black, respectively.
Locking tuners.
Stoptail/trem option
Coil split
A pickup upgrade would be nice - 59/09, perhaps. But classic pickups would still be cool.
An awesome selection of exclusive colours, much like the 'hot hues' ones.

That would be just about perfect in my eyes!

 

[sergiodeblanc]

Thanks for playing along guys, there have been a lot of cool opinions as to what "makes" a CE a CE.

For those of us who would like a couple more "upscale" features available, would you be open to the possibility of purchasing flame maple necks and tops that fall outside of the PRS "standard" for their production models?

Without going through the entire PRS grading system, they originally used "about a 7" for the "classic" models. Could they do the same with some of their less figured necks and still leave you interested?

High commonality of material is an important part of any manufacturing process, and if the Artist package were still available for a new CE model, would you be cool with "classic" grade materials if that meant that birds came standard?
I'm not all that into birds personally, but it is a feature that most CE's were lacking, and a deal breaker for some potential customers.