NGD - 2019 SE Paul's Guitar - Amber

[John Beef]

Hey, out of curiosity, is it McCarty thickness like the US model?

 

[shimmilou]

Not sure, I don’t have a McCarty or the US version.

 

[shimmilou]

Got a chance to play it through a higher gain amp, a Bugera T50, starting in Class A mode. After a bit of amp tweaking, the sound is awesome! The bridge pup, humbucker mode, is crisp and chirpy, with mellow low end, a loose and luscious sound, think classic rock (reminiscent of Leslie West of Mountain). The tone is balanced and full, clear and bright but not harsh, with a bit of wool but not edgy, very smooth, still that P90ish kind of sound. Lowering the guitar volume cleans up the sound nicely.

The neck position is beefier, warm and mellow, but still a bit chirpy and clear. The middle position is a great mix of the 2 pups, and the split switches allow the mix more towards the bridge or the neck, and with both pups split still retaining much of the gain and volume. To me, the middle position with both pups split, really sounds like a humbucker. I really think that the bridge humbucker position was the best sound of all with distortion, with the middle position, both pups split, a close second. Again, a seemingly endless variety of sounds with the various switching positions, volume and tone controls.

Switching the amp to A/B mode really tightened things up, giving the guitar a more punchy and focused sound, still on the mellow side, a more classic rather than modern sound. It never really would get into metal territory, but easily some fantastic classic and heavier rock sounds, with excellent pinch harmonics.

Although the higher gain sounds are awesome, the guitar really shines with an amp like a DR. This guitar and a DR are a perfect match. I took the guitar to jam session yesterday, and heard it through a Supersonic 22 (another 6V6 amp), and it was simply beautiful through that amp also. Definitely a fantastic guitar that I will be playing for quite a while. Check YouTube, I found some very good demos by people who can actually play (as opposed to my fiddling), and get the full potential out of this great guitar.

I am extremely happy with this guitar, nothing but good things to say.

 

[RomeoSierra]

Beautiful guitar! I was nearly torn between one of these in Aqua and the Custom 24 I eventually went for, the vibrato bridge being enough to swing it in the end.

Out of curiosity, is it built by WMI or is it Indonesian? It's interesting to see which models are coming out of which factory.

 

[shimmilou]

Indonesia, Cor-Tek factory. Same as my SE Cu 24, both excellent guitars.

I now have/had 4 made in Indonesia, all are great.

 

[shimmilou]

Check it out, they are using my guitar for the stock pics.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/SEPGAB--prs-se-pauls-guitar-amber

 

[CyFan4036]

Congrats, that’s cool!

 

[NBW]

There's a couple on eBay for $899 new with free shipping. Plus 13% eBay bucks through midnight. I almost bought one. But I don't love the wide fat neck. Also the last matte gray quilt se 24 sold from Amberon's in the UK. So much for scratching the new guitar itch. I just need to remember how much I low my SE standard with the BKs in it.

I'll go back to trying to build my own pedals for a bit.

 

[John Beef]

Nice, this angle from that ebay listing gives a better representation of the top carve, and also this might be McCarty thickness. I've asked that probably 4 times and nobody knows.

 

[Alnus Rubra]

Nice, this angle from that ebay listing gives a better representation of the top carve, and also this might be McCarty thickness. I've asked that probably 4 times and nobody knows.

Only one way to find out for sure!

 

[shimmilou]

Holding it next to my SE Cu 24, it is the same thickness. If that is any help.

 

[John Beef]

Sigh, that's a bummer. I was hoping for a SE McCarty platform.

 

[WA Paul]

Sigh, that's a bummer. I was hoping for a SE McCarty platform.

But the maple is a veneer, so sonically it might be closer to that ‘grunt’ of a McCarty than you think? Just a WAG.

 

[shimmilou]

Maple veneer on top of a thick maple top.

 

[WA Paul]

Maple veneer on top of a thick maple top.

Ah, didn't realize they were doing a hog with maple cap then veneer on the SEs.

 

[shimmilou]

Yeah, and on the SE Paul's, you can see the maple top piece from the edge, looks like binding but it is the top (see above pic). It looks like 3 or 4 pieces as opposed to the bookmatched halves on the US made guitars, hence the veneer on the SEs.