Just played a PRS SE Mark Tremonti Custom 2015 Grey Black - wow - questions

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Dynac0mp

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Wow. I was amazed by the tonal balance that was achieved by this instrument and I want to figure out if it was just "that" guitar, or if this is a formula that has been figured out and is repeatable. Sometimes you want to optimize and sometimes it's just that magic instrument that speaks to you regardless of the specs.

All character in the timbre. Sweet midrange clarity. No mud, no ice-pick and a little snap. I may have to buy this particular one--but before I do, I just want to ask the gurus on the forum some general questions. (Specs for the model I played listed at the bottom):

  1. The SE 245 pickups seem to be a majority of the secret sauce here. Apparently these have been discontinued on the new model in favor of the "Tremonti S". Does anyone know the difference?
  2. The 25" scale is another part of the magic. Is it the ultimate resting place for those who vacillate between loving/hating short-scale and loving/hating long-scale? In any case, this particular example seems to do the best of both worlds.
  3. I tend to prefer a stop-tail, but don't have experience with the trem on these SE models. Do they stay in tune? Is there a marked tonal difference with the trem vs. wraparound bridge?
  4. Last but not least, has anyone else noticed the excellent clean tone offered by these pickups? Wow.


PRS SE Mark Tremonti Custom 2015 Grey Black

PRS Paul Reed Smith SE Tremonti Custom Guitar Features
Beveled maple top and flame maple veneer
Thick mahogany back, 25"
Maple neck
Rosewood fretboard
Wide thin neck carve
Product SpecificationsPRS Paul Reed Smith SE Tremonti Custom Guitar Specifications
Top Wood: Beveled Maple with Flame Maple Veneer
Back Wood: Mahogany
Number of Frets: 22
Scale Length: 25"
Neck Wood: Maple
Fretboard Wood: Rosewood
Neck Shape: Wide Thin
Fretboard Inlays: Birds
Bridge: PRS Designed Trem with Trem-Up Route
Tuners: PRS Designed Tuners
Truss Rod Cover: "PRS"
Hardware Type: Nickel
Treble Pickup: PRS Designed SE 245 Treble Humbucker
Bass Pickup: PRS Designed SE 245 Bass Humbucker
Pickup Switching: Volume and Tone Control for Each Pickup with 3-Way Toggle Pickup Selector On Upper Bout
 
The magic guitar is a real thing, it just seems like they know how to make the magic happen whereas other companies are hit or miss. Most of the PRS i have played have that magic feel and sound to them, i have played few that don't resoante like they are alive. The hype is most definitely real.
 
ReptilianNosewood said:
The magic guitar is a real thing, it just seems like they know how to make the magic happen whereas other companies are hit or miss. Most of the PRS i have played have that magic feel and sound to them, i have played few that don't resoante like they are alive. The hype is most definitely real.
Click to expand...
Agreed. PRS hits the magic zone more often than most because they have more of the formula figured out. I have, however, owned one PRS that didn't have it. A McCarty that was less than inspiring. So if you look around you are likely to find others that are magic, but a few than don't do it for you. If you know you have one that rings your bell, just buy it. ;)
 
Glad to hear these responses! Keep em' coming! Now I'm headed to a different store to play the same exact model in a different color. This should give me an idea if I need to buy the 'snowflake' guitar or if this is a fantastic formula that PRS has consistently re-created. I'm so amazed with the 25" scale feel and sound. Some say it's neither, but I'm thinking--at least on this guitar--it's the best of both worlds (F & G).
 
Hello and welcome. So you have tried a PRS SE Mark Tremonti Custom and it really speaks to you. Great, but now you are overthinking the situation. Even in the world of PRS there are great guitars and there are those that are the same but better. I cannot explain why it happens other than maybe sometimes there exists a perfect marriage. Just buy the thing before somebody else does.
 
Overthinking: That's what I do! Indeed, you are most probably correct. I should get over cosmetics, and trying to find one that's "even better". Indeed, after playing about 10 teles and a few 335-style and strat-style... this one spoke to me.
 
I have two SE models and have tried different pickups in both of them. I have tried the same pickups in both of them. One of these guitars always performs tonally far better than the other regardless of the change I make. It has some features that are not my preference, but it just sings, even unplugged.
 
I have an SE Tremonti Custom hanging on my wall as I type. It is a GREAT guitar! Mine was bought from Sweetwater (a birthday gift from my incredible wife!!) so I never had a chance to play it first. But upon arrival it was awesome!

Stock it was a great guitar. Mine came with the 245 pickups but I wanted something a bit more aggressive in it so I changed them out to the US Tremonti pickup set (very happy!). Stock, the trem stays in tune rather well. Odds are, if you have issues it is due to the nut....I didn't have this issue. The only issue I did have was was the three way switch (it didn't like to stay in the neck position) but that was an easy swap.

It really is a great guitar and I'd bet that the second one you try will feel and play very similar.

Beyond the pickup swap, I made two other changes. First, I replaced the standard tuners with a set of John Mann Modified SE Locking tuners (great tuners btw!). Second, I swapped out the stock strap buttons for the US PRS ones (they're bigger and work exceptionally well on my US Core models as well).

Good luck on the hunt and we will want to see some pics!!
 
I owned a 2013 SE Tremonti Custom, best playing SE I've ever had, but foolishly sold it in 2015. That model had the SE 245 pickups that really sang, not quite as aggressive as I prefer, but they were great sounding and I never felt a need to swap them out. That guitar was kept stock and played so smooth and buttery, the wide thin neck is perfect for me personally.

Two weeks ago I purchased a 2017 SE Tremonti Custom with the Tremonti "S" pickups and signature SE logo from Sweetwater, and although not the player like the previous one, it plays great! The pickups sound fabulous to my ears, more in line with the aggressive sound I prefer. The nut slots were actually filed unlike the previous guitar that had the tight computer cut slots that caused poor tuning until it was fixed, this guitar stays in tune. I was going to swap the nut out but decided to leave it stock. I did put a set of John Mann Modified SE Locking tuners in place of the stock tuners, mainly to simplify string changes, but they do add to the tuning stability. I don't use a tremolo, but there are some upgrades done to enhance the overall tone via a John Mann upgrade kit for SE bridges, which includes a brass block and nickel plated brass saddles, the sound is fat and heavy with spot on tuning and intonation.

In my experience, most of the SE's are consistent players from guitar to guitar. Finding others to play for comparison is a good idea, each guitar has it's own vibe, and you may find yourself going back to the first one you tried already to take home. Good luck.
 
I have those pickups in my SE Akesson. I was also amazed by how good they sound, especially clean. I own several core models and I can say these pickups absolutely stands on par with other cores. These are low output pickups indeed, some people may not like them. But I grew up playing single coils so they are great to my taste.
 
Run, do not walk, back to the store to get the Magic Tremonti. IF the guitar speaks to you, it should be the end of the hunt. If someone else buys it, you can kick yourself until you expire. I have one that has been heavily modified and is amazing.
 
Well... Here's how this story ended.

went back next day. It was still there, so no-one else had discovered the magic yet. Good. The Tremonti neck pickup was as magic as I remember, yet there were a number of non-compelling issues (trem, weight!, color) that began to eat away at me and caused me to continue down the PRS SE road and remain open minded.

I played a few more 25" scale models. When I got to this one, everything about it spoke to me.

It has a great clean tone and feels great in the hand. This is a well executed design. These pickups do right by the resonance/non-resonance of the thin-line body style. I prefer the wrap-around bridge both for the way it feels under my right hand and the simplicity of the design. Turns out this one is good-looking too. Very happy with this guitar after a few days of playing. (New amp on the way today... it mates well with the Egnater Tweaker-112 combo).

I don't have intentions of upping my string gauge--as is so often the fashion--since I like the tone of the 42-9's that appear to be standard. However, if I did, it would only be up to 9.5's since it looks like the nut-slots would need re-cutting to accommodate larger diameter strings. Apparently I like midrange emphasis or I wouldn't have a guitar with "Tone Furnace" pickups? These don't sound overly burning to me... not to bright, not too dark.



 
Last edited:
Yes, so far, very good experience. I don't know why I've avoided the 25-scale for so long. 10" radius. No sharp frets. All just very well done. I actually traded in a well loved Reverend Double-Agent III to make this happen. No dis to the Rev whatsoever. We just...drifted apart. Probably the best trem (Wilkinson) I've ever used in terms of nice action and stays in tune. Just got a little schitzo trying to choose between single-coil neck goodness (but with hum) or bridge punch (no-hum). I'm sure many of you have or have had Reverends and are familiar with the similar high-quality reasonable-price phenomenon. PRS SE seems to have that going on too.
 
Ultimately, all that matters is that you got a guitar you`re really happy with. Congratulations, and play the hell out of it.
 
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