NGD - 2012 SE Custom 24

[CantankerousCarl]

OK, so on a previous post I said I had a little trouble resisting...it won. VERY impressed with this new SE. If I had one of these a few months back, I may have saved some money

20-Minute Impressions:

1) The single coil sounds on here are EXCELLENT - the closest thing I have to compare it to is my Mira Maple Top, and I like these better - they are thicker and have more bite. The bridge split is significantly crisper and much more usable than the Mira's.

2) Humbucker sounds are great as well - I like the bridge sounds better on the 245 and Santana, but the middle is sweet. This sounds noticeably better than the 2010 SECU24 I recently sold.

3) Neck is really damn close to the feel of my older Maryland STD24...REALLY close (but action from factory was a bit too high for my taste, will be lowering it a tad shortly.

4) Pots are much looser than on any of my other SEs - not quite Maryland, but much closer in feel.

5) The top is actually really nice and interesting looking for a veneer - one of the better SE tops I have seen.

6) Fit and finish are also excellent - I have not seen an SE without a little unevenness to the spray on the headstock where the nut sits, and this one has a bit. Otherwise, except for a small scratch in the edge of the headstock, it's perfect (even a little nicer than the one I saw in the store).

7) That slight carve on the top really makes it feel alot closer to an American PRS when it's in your lap - it's just plain nicer, makes it look and feel a whole class better than the 2010 I had.

So, in case you didn't surmise, I am duly impressed with this new SE, and I would encourage anyone who digs some single coil in with your doubles to take a look. Pic is below, and I will post more playing impressions over the next few days:

 

[CoreyT]

Nice!
My shop is expecting them soon and I will be getting one.

Torn between the Tobacco and Whale Blue.
I am so sure of getting one I ordered the Planet Wave Autotrim tuners yesterday.
Will drop them off at the shop when they arrive.

Yours looks great in Tobacco.

 

[bretwomack]

I like what I'm hearing from these guitars, I'm either saving up for that or a SE Angelus. I like the figure in your veneer, too; some of them have a lot of dead spots but yours looks pretty nice.

 

[CantankerousCarl]

Bret - thanks, I definitely lucked out on the top, having bought it sight unseen. The top on my Santana is not too shabby, looses some depth toward the edges. The one on my 245 at certain angles borders on "maybe they should have thrown that piece out" but I played three of them at two different stores when buying, and she sounded the best. She's got "character."

Day two report - an hour more of noodling and A/B'ing this fine afternoon, and my initial impressions hold up, really digging this guitar, she's a keeper. Going to partially amend #1 from my original post - the single coil sounds on the Mira are a bit more expressive on the attack, but overall mellower. They are neck and neck until the bridge, where the SE tapped sounds better.

After playing damn near everything in the arsenal, I would describe the new SECU24 as a more modern-sounding Mira with a trem. Tapped they are quite comparable, dirty & double is where the Mira shows just what a naughty little girl she is, with the SE remains more gentle until dialing in "ludicrous boost."

I think they are going to sell a ton of these.

 

[CoreyT]

Dropping my Autotrim tuners and putting $$$ down on one of these tomorrow.
Tuners are on UPS truck today.

Not sure when he is getting these in, but it should be within a month I hope.

There are only two videos up on YouTube so far of this axe.
One where a guy just has it on his bed, and the one made by PRS.