Help our 13 year old son decide, he saved up his money

[SinSir]

But sadly not on their own

??? Necks used? They pop up. Definitely nothing at all like Fender, but probably one for sale as I type this.

 

[andy474x]

I’d pick the SE SS 8 days a week over anything fender is putting out right now .

 

[Gtrbldr]

??? Necks used? They pop up. Definitely nothing at all like Fender, but probably one for sale as I type this.

No, PRSi

You have to buy them

 

[Alnus Rubra]

Also you have the issue that the maple neck/fb may not fit neck pocket of the rosewood fb guitar.

Just saying.

 

[SinSir]

No, PRSi

You have to buy them

Ahhh! Lol! That would be awesome.. wipe em down and in the morning hello! Problem is with my playing it mat be the equivalent of those nasty Gremlins after midnight..

 

[deathworlder]

Go with feel...
If you or your son are worried about wood...one word. Poplar.

 

[aphantomvaper]

Agree with all mentioned so far.

I'll add that at 13 he should go with the guitar he can try in his hands and likes locally, SE SS is a good selection.

Mail order can cause much disappointment. Playing the shipping game can be taxing for a new player.

If possible he should check out the SE CE, all flavors. 24 frets will give a different perspective and while not a true single coil the humbucker can be split. Still a bolt on with tremelo.

Good luck and congrats to the boy!!

 

[alantig]

Also you have the issue that the maple neck/fb may not fit neck pocket of the rosewood fb guitar.

Just saying.

With a big enough hammer, it’ll fit.

 

[Black Plaid]

I prefer the Rosewood necks, but really just for the feel.

Some luthiers, like Ken Parker, will tell you that rosewood is going to maintain it's geometry better than maple, so it's a good idea to have such a fretboard.

You cannot go wrong with the SE Silver Sky, especially at the price you are seeing it.

 

[GGJJGG]

One of my fondest memories was saving money toward a Gibson Les Paul in 1986. My dad came in and helped when I fell short of being able to pay for it. We drove together to pick it up. I still have that guitar today. I will never sell it. Hope your son has a similar memory 40 years from now.

 

[rcsrich]

I'll add that I've had my share of maple fretboards, but I don't like the feel of a thick gloss, and without protection, wear and dirt on the fretboard is obvious. Rosewood or ebony are much better choices if you're a little OCD about keeping the guitar looking new.

 

[mixmkr]

I can't believe you guys...it's either a flying v or explorer...pick your brand. A couple of skull stickers too.

 

[dogrocketp]

Agree with all mentioned so far.

I'll add that at 13 he should go with the guitar he can try in his hands and likes locally, SE SS is a good selection.

Mail order can cause much disappointment. Playing the shipping game can be taxing for a new player.

If possible he should check out the SE CE, all flavors. 24 frets will give a different perspective and while not a true single coil the hum u mere can be split. Still a bolt on with tremelo.

Good luck and congrats to the boy!!

I agree on most all of this . At this point he should go with the guitar he picks, plays, and loves. You can overthink this. A 13 year old should get what he wants.

 

[Rwdavis2]

I have an SE Silver Sky with rosewood fingerboard. I'm ready to sell my MiJ Strat.

 

[JimPridx]

Look at Daves guitar shop in LA Crosse they have a bunch of SE silverskys for under 600 bucks...ive bought a bunch from them myself!

Yeah, these look great for the price! If I'm not mistaken, these aren't really used guitars, either.

SE Silver Sky '22

Stone Blue, Poplar body, 635JM shaped Maple neck with an 8.5” radius Rosewood fingerboard and the small Bird inlays, 25.5" scale length, 1 20/32nd" nut width, 635JM single coil pickups, 5-way switching with the master volume and two tone controls, Two point steel tremolo and nickel hardware...

www.davesguitar.com

 

[JasonE]

To me, the difference in sound between rosewood and maple fretboards is guitar dependent. On a Tele, I can hear a difference and prefer the maple. On many Strats, depending on the pickup configuration, I can hear a difference and prefer rosewood. This is typically with single coils. With humbuckers I find the difference to be less. If he really liked the rosewood, stick with that.

The other thing I would recommend, don't compromise. If he doesn't have enough money to buy the one he really liked, keep saving. If you compromise, he will never be as locked in with the guitar as he would be if he got the one he really wanted. I have had to learn this lesson a few times in my playing years. Every time I settle for something that isn't exactly what I really wanted, I don't play the guitar as much and at some point when I have more money, I sell the first guitar at a loss and buy what I really wanted. I am always happier once I get the one I wanted in the first place. Settling can also lead you down a path of constant modifications until you realize it just isn't the one you want.

 

[Credible_Hulk]

The SE Silver Sky is a great choice in that price range. Maple vs rosewood is just a matter of preference. Neither is inherently better or worse than the other.

If he likes the Silver Sky with rosewood, that seems like the one to get, especially with the lower price.