Indonesian made SE, Im not diggin it....

[Russ73]

I grabbed a 15 Standard SE 22 from Daves to use as a gigging guitar...and mind you I have 3 S2s and a Core that I love and I have played the Korean models that were awesome, but this guitar plays so bad I don't even know how I could sell it...I had it set up by a guy here in NY, I usually set up my own guitars but this guitar needed the nut worked on etc...but ughhh...if PRS switches all their SE production over there I think our beloved SE line will be in trouble....thoughts....

 

[dmatthews]

I only have one SE, but it's great. Almost sounds like a one off to me.

 

[AP515]

Since you asked for my thoughts:

Just because you had a guy set it up doesn't mean it's right. I had a reputable luthier here in NC do the first fret dress on my Cu24AP and I'll never take it back to him. The fret dress was ok, not great. The set up after sucked. Not all luthiers know how to set up a PRS. A couple months after I got it back PRS was doing a clinic at my local GC and I got the real guys to set it up. World of difference.

Next thought, what plays bad about it? Action? Sustain? Stay in tune? What is causing you grief?

 

[Rusty Chops]

I had a MIK SE Soapbar II that was fine.

Recently saw a used Indonesian SE something in a store that seemed fine too. Bit heavy maybe, but on a par with my Korean.

Consistency is a chase on imports, sometimes.

 

[AdenM]

I agree on the Indo front. Was/am an Ibanez fanboy and the hit or miss nature of anything Indonesian has soured me on the factories there. I understand that perhaps the Korean stuff might not be competitive anymore for PRS, but I think a slight price increase would be preferable to the spottier quality we will probably see. WMI is known for consistency - never played a bad guitar out of that factory.

 

[Birdsofprey]

I also bought one out of curiosity (from Dave's though that's here nor there) and found it to great in most if not all the parameters. Sounded good played well was dare I say to light weight for me but for the price point it was descent guitar. I did set it up myself strung/intonation/neck relief/file nut slots and it was usable, but for gigging maybe not. I would have no problem and have used an SE (Korean) singlecut to gig. That is with mods mind you. My Korean single cut trem has changes like wiring harness, nut , US strap buttons and pickups. The standard was more of a experiment and of course I went down the path and changed everything only to realize that this guitar was not worth it for what I was trying to accomplish. If I was to recommend a first electric to someone starting out it would be a good choice. Its the age old argument about price point and what a manufacture can give you for that price. AdenM I'm also a fan/own Ibanez stuff and just bought a AM73 built in Indonesia what a great guitar but of course I changed the pickups/input jack and set up. In the end the only thing that would stop me bringing a Standard out would be the tuners, they just wouldn't hold up all night.

 

[László]

It stands to reason that constant downward pressure on price for musical instruments will eventually result in compromise.

As poorer countries like Korea become richer, they have to pay more for labor, so to keep prices low, manufacturing shifts to even poorer countries where labor is cheaper. At some point, though, the price has to affect expectations.

I’m not saying the Indonesian guitars are or aren’t aren’t as good as the Korean ones; but there are certainly compromises made for either one compared to the Maryland guitars.

I’d certainly recommend an import for a beginner, or for a person not all that into playing guitar.

But for a more serious player, a US instrument is worth patient planning and saving for, if it’s possible to do so. I know lots of terrific musicians for whom affording a great instrument was not easy, yet they considered it essential. In the classical music world, players actually take out mortgages on special instruments!

It’s not unusual to see folks with multiple imported guitars when they could have one great USA model, and that’s something I don’t quite understand.

Before you think I’m an insensitive snot who doesn’t grok the needs of working musicians who need to play lots of styles, understand that I’m a working musician making my living doing TV ads and soundtrack music, required to play lots of styles, and there have been many times I’ve been able to have only one really good guitar that I had to scrimp and save for, with a family, a mortgage, and putting kids through college.

Edit: On the other hand, I freely admit to being an insensitive snot for reasons having nothing to do with music or guitars.

 

[Johnny Rigs]

It’s not unusual to see folks with multiple imported guitars when they could have one great USA model, and that’s something I don’t quite understand.

That described me for a while. 3 different SE models. I got a used 2006 CE22 for what two of the SEs cost new. And I wish I had done it sooner. I don’t wish I started out on a USA model necessarily, because the question of ROI wouldn’t have been answered for me like it was.

3 more USA models later...

 

[László]

That described me for a while. 3 different SE models. I got a used 2006 CE22 for what two of the SEs cost new. And I wish I had done it sooner. I don’t wish I started out on a USA model necessarily, because the question of ROI wouldn’t have been answered for me like it was.

3 more USA models later...

Absolutely, I agree with “testing the waters” with an SE until you know what you really want/need. And for lots of folks, an SE is all they want or need anyway.

I guess I’m talking about pickier folks like me for whom that last ounce of tone or playability is desirable; understanding of course that it’s expensive to achieve that.

 

[Turkeyhead]

That’s too bad. It’s a fluke from what I’ve seen though. My local shop had some Indonesian and Korean in stock. Some the same model. Doing a side by side comparison we couldn’t tell a difference except for the name of the country printed on it and that some of the Indonesian had nicer flame. I would take an Indonesian anytime even though the are perceived lesser quality.

 

[bodia]

It stands to reason that constant downward pressure on price for musical instruments will eventually result in compromise.

As poorer countries like Korea become richer, they have to pay more for labor, so to keep prices low, manufacturing shifts to even poorer countries where labor is cheaper. At some point, though, the price has to affect expectations.

I’m not saying the Indonesian guitars are or aren’t aren’t as good as the Korean ones; but there are certainly compromises made for either one compared to the Maryland guitars.

I’d certainly recommend an import for a beginner, or for a person not all that into playing guitar.

But for a more serious player, a US instrument is worth patient planning and saving for, if it’s possible to do so. I know lots of terrific musicians for whom affording a great instrument was not easy, yet they considered it essential. In the classical music world, players actually take out mortgages on special instruments!

It’s not unusual to see folks with multiple imported guitars when they could have one great USA model, and that’s something I don’t quite understand.

Before you think I’m an insensitive snot who doesn’t grok the needs of working musicians who need to play lots of styles, understand that I’m a working musician making my living doing TV ads and soundtrack music, required to play lots of styles, and there have been many times I’ve been able to have only one really good guitar that I had to scrimp and save for, with a family, a mortgage, and putting kids through college.

Edit: On the other hand, I freely admit to being an insensitive snot for reasons having nothing to do with music or guitars.

Great post, Les! Totally on point!

 

[Boogie]

Trying not to be negative, my recommendation is to buy from a reputable reseller with a liberal return policy, like Dave’s. While PRS personifies consistency in quality, sh@t happens, especially when a musical instrument travels from a potentially high heat/humidity jungle environment in Indonesia to container shipment over the Pacific Ocean, to truck transport in the winter to frigid Maryland, then up to the tundra of Wisconsin. There can be a heat variance of over 100 degrees and a humidity change of over 90%! Under those conditions, bad stuff can happen. The good reseller insulates you from that level of quality variance. And 30 days should be enough time to figure out if you love it.

So, take the plunge and grab a cheap guitar but don’t be surprised when it doesn’t hold up well to the rigors of winter. You usually get what you pay for. And communicate quickly with the dealer so they have the opportunity to make you happy.

 

[BrianC]

to Les's point - the way the used market is just keep your eye out for a steal deal on a USA one and be done.

 

[dkilpatrick]

It stands to reason that constant downward pressure on price for musical instruments will eventually result in compromise.

As poorer countries like Korea become richer, they have to pay more for labor, so to keep prices low, manufacturing shifts to even poorer countries where labor is cheaper. At some point, though, the price has to affect expectations.

I’m not saying the Indonesian guitars are or aren’t aren’t as good as the Korean ones; but there are certainly compromises made for either one compared to the Maryland guitars.

I’d certainly recommend an import for a beginner, or for a person not all that into playing guitar.

But for a more serious player, a US instrument is worth patient planning and saving for, if it’s possible to do so. I know lots of terrific musicians for whom affording a great instrument was not easy, yet they considered it essential. In the classical music world, players actually take out mortgages on special instruments!

It’s not unusual to see folks with multiple imported guitars when they could have one great USA model, and that’s something I don’t quite understand.

Before you think I’m an insensitive snot who doesn’t grok the needs of working musicians who need to play lots of styles, understand that I’m a working musician making my living doing TV ads and soundtrack music, required to play lots of styles, and there have been many times I’ve been able to have only one really good guitar that I had to scrimp and save for, with a family, a mortgage, and putting kids through college.

Edit: On the other hand, I freely admit to being an insensitive snot for reasons having nothing to do with music or guitars.

Just piggybacking on your comment about classical instruments, I know a couple of violinists and the price they’ve paid for thier instruments is equivalent to a few private stocks. Not to mention the the price of the bow and cost of restringing said bow if needed, that’s an SE/S2

 

[dogrocketp]

I’ve been consistently surprised by the quality of the S2 guitars. They can be found used if the budget requires. I bought a 2017 S2 Custom, and a 2018 S2 Studio. These 2 are my guitar crack, while my other core and 5 modified SE’s don’t get around much anymore. The Indonesian guitars I’ve played have looked good, but the intonation on the dusty end of the fretboard hasn’t made me happy. I think that Les hit it. Korea is drier than Indonesia. In spite of the ocean voyage, the wood should be drier, and from a different source in Korea. Admittedly, I’ve only played a handful of the Indonesian guitars, but consistency is the hallmark of quality.

 

[90sMcCarty]

My 2015 Korean SE looks, feels, plays, and sounds great.

Were it not for the logo differences I doubt most would ever know it's not a core model.