NGD 4-1-2014 2014 PRS SE Zach Myers

[CoreyT]

Well, after having owned this guitar now for close to two years, it is my least favorite of my SEs.
I am not very happy with the Gotoh locking vintage tuners, and it does not play as well as my other guitars.
That is about to change hopefully as it is going into the doctor Wednesday after work.

Going to replace the Gotoh tuners with my standby tuners I have on all of my other SEs, the Planet Wave/D'Addario Autotrim locking tuners.
The Autotrim tuners have a nice 18:1 gear ratio, and are much easier to turn to tune than the Gotoh ones.
Next to the Phase Three tuners on my 408, the Autotrims are my favorite.
Too bad they do not come stock on all of the SEs.
Also the strings seem very high off the fretboard, and they are hard to bend.
They almost feel like 10s, and I use exclusively EB Cobalt 9-42 on all of my other guitars.

I am hoping after a new setup and string change that I start enjoying this guitar again.
If I am lucky, I may be able to pick it up Saturday, and will report back if I like it much better than I do not.
If not, it will go to my youngest son if he wants it, or it will be up for sale.
If the latter, it will be the first guitar I have sold since getting rid of my '73 Les Paul Deluxe back in '86 when my second son was born.

 

[Screamingdaisy]

Tweaking the trussrod won't bring the string height back down?

As for bending, the ZM is the only SE you have with a hard tail. Correct?

 

[CoreyT]

Yes, it is the only hard tail I own next to my Gibson SG.
But I played both of my son's hard tail SEs, and they play so much better.

It was last setup two years ago when I bought it, so I get a free second setup.
Will only have to pay for the strings (maybe not, last SE got free Cobalts) and labor to install the tuners.

This is the same scale length and neck size as my SE Santana, but the Santana plays circles around the ZM.

 

[rubalup]

I aslo have a Santana and a ZM... two very different animals IMO. I enjoy the Santana a bit more, but the palyability of the ZM is also great, so I think you just have to setup the guitar again... however the santana is going to be easier for bending, but it should be absolutely no problem bending on the ZM when setup correctly. I use 10's on both and they feel great.

Hope you enjoy it again, and if not just let it pass. Sell it and get another guitar.

 

[prsrocker1988]

Congrats!

 

[CoreyT]

I hope so too.
It is in my locker at work, and I will load it into my vehicle when I take off from work tomorrow.
While there, I will check out some PRS guitars he has in stock.
He stocks a lot of S2s and SEs, but not many cores.

If only they made an S2 Custom 22 Semi-Hollow with a stoptail like my sons SE, and with a pattern thin neck.
I would be all over it.
I believe the current S2 has the pattern neck and tremolo.

 

[CoreyT]

Just an update to this thread, but I touched on in in others.
Me and the ZM are at zen again
Fresh setup, D'Addario NYXL 9-42 strings, and it plays incredible.
All it needed was a new setup.

Also trying these strings for the first time, and I like them a lot.
Seem to be brighter/chimier than the Ernie Ball Cobalt 9-42s I run on all of my other guitars.
Will be using these strings on future changes for sure.

 

[dogrocketp]

Glad you like the new setup. Do the pickups sound different to your ears with the string change?

 

[CoreyT]

Cannot really tell as I only played the ZM on the dirt with lots of gain.
Will have to try it on clean.
But playing both the ZM and the new guitar with Cobalts unplugged, the XLs def sounded brighter.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

Happy to hear the romancing is back on.