Korean Line Worth the Money?

[Brewer]

While the SEs are quite nice and a great value, if you are going to spend $1,000 I would suggest that you might be able to find a US-made PRS for not that much more. It will be used, but 4 out of 6 PRSi I have purchased were used and I am very happy with them. Tell the dealer what you have in mind and perhaps they can help you find a used US model, maybe something taken on a trade, etc. They are simply wonderful guitars.

 

[rocguitar]

Currently have 4 guitars in the SE line.........ABSOLUTELY worth every penny!

IMHO.......Best Bang for the Buck!

 

[captdg]

If one is wondering about the Bernie SE, my barber's(she) Husband has been making custom banjo's for 30 plus years. He has an impressive list of clients, i.e. Ricky Skaggs. I took my BM SE to him to get the bridge and neck adjusted..He asked How much? Told him,"Around 700 U.S." he was very impressed with the wood and especially the beefy neck. Didnt need very much adjusting, he offered to buy it for 900. Told him no, but he said if I wanted to upgrade the hardware, he would do it for very little if I brought the parts.. ever since I bought this guitar, the news just gets better and better. There isnt an an amendment yet that says a man cant marry his guitar, is there?? hehehehe...........

 

[RafRey]

Yes the SE line is worth every penny you will pay, and if you happen to score a lightly used one, even more so!! And you will have $$$ left over to get a nice amp!

These reviews on the PRS forum may be slightly biased, but every independent review on the SE line (written or youtube) has nothing but good things to say about the PRS import line.

As far as import guitar building goes, Korea is the new Japan!

 

[neauone]

Just purchased a PRS SE 245 in antique white from Guitar Center who matched the price on line. Final cost with free shipping was $XXX

 

[auriemma]

I got a used SE Singlecut and was blown away by the build quality, playability and sound. It looks great too. Worth every cent and then some. Try one... You won't be disappointed.

 

[frankb56]

I recently purchased a Custom 24. The bottom line is you are not going to find a USA made brand new guitar of this quality. So basically, your choices are Korea, Mexico or China.

 

[Sollophonic]

Never looked at PRS guitars until recently, as I have always been e Tele and lower end Gibson player (as well as resonators).

Then I got this battered and worn SE Singlecut for a great price, and was blown away by how nice it was to play and what a great sound it had

Soild, reliable, dependable and not too heavy too. 2 hour sets are a breeeze.

 

[joseph]

prs se all the way!got a tremonti 2009 model and love it!the stock pick ups are really nice,was really surprised with it,but had change it for a pair of passive emgs hza hz4..got a jackson rhodes flying v and a fender strat deluxe with seymour duncan invaders on the bridge,but prefer the prs se all the way big time. the feeling and quality of the guitar is bloody amazing for the price..i play it through a peavey bandit 112 transtube 80w and a mxr fullbore metal distortion pedal,great guitar very happy with it..

 

[Howlingmine]

I own both a 2102 SE CU24 and a 2013 SE245 Soapy with plans of getting another SE as soon as I can find an old SE EG at a decent price. You will not be disappointed in the quality or playability of the SE models. They are well worth the price.

 

[taliababa]

I'm looking for some feedback concerning the Torero guitars. Specifically, how well do they play and sound? Prior to acquiring 3 PRS', I primarily owned ESP (not LTD) and EVH USA guitars. All were equipped with Floyd Rose trems, so I'm pretty discerning when it comes to guitars that come with a Floyd. How satisfied will I be with a Torero. I'm also used to the tonal qualities for EMG's. Any input will be appreciated.

 

[markie]

Korean line (PRS) are the best value on the Planet for the cost .......................... IMHO

 

[11top]

Absolutely

 

[CantankerousCarl]

SEs are indeed best band for the buck...S2s are more expensive, but you can get some of them for around a grand street, and they are worth more than every penny sound-wise.

 

[richardmac]

Ancient Thread, but I have no doubt that people continue to read it, so I'll add my two bits. I bought a PRS SE Custom 24 from Sam Ash for$XXX[i/] a week ago, complete with gig bag. It was a Black Friday special. It is stunningly good for that amount of money. I'm not going to pretend that it's as good as the real Custom 24 - it's not - but it's as good as any guitar I've played for under a grand. And at$XXX it was an absolute steal. I own an Epiphone Les Paul and two Partscasters made from MIM and American parts, and I like them all. But my favorite guitar is my PRS.

 

[FennRx]

I also purchased a SE C24 from Sam Ash last week for $XXX. I am absolutely floored by awesome this guitar is- and I am a Gibson Historic Les Paul guy. The frets are perfect- completely level and none jutting out the end of the board (unlike many unbound USA made LPs). The biggest strength of this guitar is it's versatility. The coil tap is among the best I've heard; it actually sounds pretty close to a strat. And the humbuckers are very good at handling gain- when I engage my Bad Monkey into my YJM100, I get a sweet, sweet RR like tone. My LPs get a similar sound, but the PAF clones tend to get a bit fizzy with gain.

So how does it compare to a USA-made PRS? Last Wed my buddy and I headed down to Sam Ash and checked out an S2 C24 priced at $XXXX. After we both played it and listened to it, we both agreed there was little discernible difference between my SE and the S2. The necks were similar, the sound was similar, the fit and finish was similar. The S2 had a nicer top, but I certainly couldn't detect anything that would make me pay an extra $1000 for it.

I've been playing since 1995 and I have never been so impressed by an Asian made, budget guitar. I think Gibson needs to be taking notes.

 

[JMintzer]

Guys, let's leave the pricing out of the discussions. Thanks!


Jamie

 

[andy474x]

I also purchased a SE C24 from Sam Ash last week for $XXX. I am absolutely floored by awesome this guitar is- and I am a Gibson Historic Les Paul guy. The frets are perfect- completely level and none jutting out the end of the board (unlike many unbound USA made LPs). The biggest strength of this guitar is it's versatility. The coil tap is among the best I've heard; it actually sounds pretty close to a strat. And the humbuckers are very good at handling gain- when I engage my Bad Monkey into my YJM100, I get a sweet, sweet RR like tone. My LPs get a similar sound, but the PAF clones tend to get a bit fizzy with gain.

So how does it compare to a USA-made PRS? Last Wed my buddy and I headed down to Sam Ash and checked out an S2 C24 priced at $XXXX. After we both played it and listened to it, we both agreed there was little discernible difference between my SE and the S2. The necks were similar, the sound was similar, the fit and finish was similar. The S2 had a nicer top, but I certainly couldn't detect anything that would make me pay an extra $1000 for it.

I've been playing since 1995 and I have never been so impressed by an Asian made, budget guitar. I think Gibson needs to be taking notes.

Wow, isn't that last line the truth. Lucky for Gibson they have a lot of brand recognition, if not I think their poor craftsmanship would've run that company into the ground by now. At best, I would say they have QC problems, but the more Gibsons I get my hands on, the more I think it's almost a mistake when they make a good one rather than when they make a bad one. The action on most that I try is awful, and the fret ends nothing to write home about. Especially the thing they have going with the "nibs" on the bound necks, where the frets don't extend over the binding... I mean c'mon, that just sucks. Every time I see one, the first thing I think is that it looks like total sh**. They look totally inconsistent fret to fret (see below), not to mention the functional problems that they can cause.

And yet, almost every new SE I've tried has played and felt consistently good, with the very few exceptions being those that have been on the sales floor too long without any TLC. How people are actually buying the sub-$1000 Gibsons, and the question is even being asked as to whether the PRS SE guitars are worth the money, just blows my mind.

End rant.

 

[FennRx]

Gibson has 2 things going for them: brand recognition and the fact that when they DO get it right, they really get it right. But it's outrageous the number of guitars they produce that I would reject outright. And I'm just one guy who goes to Sam Ash.

And the asian made stuff? Ick. I played a number of epi lps while I was there...terrible. all terrible.

 

[vchizzle]

Yes, well worth the money. Great guitars. That said, in your price range, I'd look at a used Mira or McCarty. Can definitely get one of those in that range. Maybe one of the new S2's if you stretch your budget a bit.