alantig
Zombie Four, DFZ
- Joined
- Apr 28, 2012
- Messages
- 14,919
Nah, she just watched that old Sergio video before she went onstage - it’s clearly her favorite. She’s only human!
Ordered an SE, disappointed
- Thread starter PRSnewb
- Start date
Nah, she just watched that old Sergio video before she went onstage - it’s clearly her favorite. She’s only human!
CandidPicker
Tone Matters. Use It Well.
I think we all get little excited when we learn something good. Not sure what Carrie D was doing, but I've learned it isn't smart to carry a large soda between your legs while driving and listening to Serg's music...
That's why guys have 2 ears, so we can listen twice as much as we speak.
And why a female friend asked, "Why do men have 2 ears? Are they just for show?"
(My reply came after her question.)
That's why guys have 2 ears, so we can listen twice as much as we speak.
And why a female friend asked, "Why do men have 2 ears? Are they just for show?"
(My reply came after her question.)
OGORMANIA
New Member
- Joined
- Jul 17, 2020
- Messages
- 20
FWIW I have 2 made in Indonesia SE's that I got this year. The 245 and 35th Ann Cust 24. Both are real players. I also have a HBII (non-piezo) which also feels and plays great. I am new to PRS SE guitars.
They were my first big step up. I have a 2004 MiM Strat and the SE's all feel and play better. I also bought the EVH5150 Deluxe this year, which is also a MiM and the SE's are on par.
I'm sure there are growing pains with the new plant and in a few years quality will be more consistent. Got to give them a chance.
But customer service has always answered any questions I've had so far.
MichaelC24
Sucker for Squabbins
That’s a bummer for your first introduction to PRS...
All I can give is my experience, as I’ve owned a ton of SE guitars. They have all been excellent, but they have also ALL come from WMI in Korea. The only newer factory SE I have is the T55 acoustic, also made by Cor-Tek. Its a fantastic guitar, zero issues... I can’t speak to the SE Standard line, or even the new SE electrics coming out of Indonesia. All I can do is ask you to not give up on PRS. If I were in your shoes, I’d look for a used SE from WMI. I’d be shocked if you felt the same way about it. I also own fenders, squiers, sterling by musicman, legator, epiphone and a handful of other import guitars... and (for me) the PRS is about as good as you can get quality wise. I do also own a few Cores and S2, but I pick up my SE’s all the time. Hope you have a better experience down the road, and try your best to keep an open mind. Don’t let the negative comments steer you away. We are all passionate about this company, and some will just jump on you regardless of the situation... because of that passion
Good luck..
All I can give is my experience, as I’ve owned a ton of SE guitars. They have all been excellent, but they have also ALL come from WMI in Korea. The only newer factory SE I have is the T55 acoustic, also made by Cor-Tek. Its a fantastic guitar, zero issues... I can’t speak to the SE Standard line, or even the new SE electrics coming out of Indonesia. All I can do is ask you to not give up on PRS. If I were in your shoes, I’d look for a used SE from WMI. I’d be shocked if you felt the same way about it. I also own fenders, squiers, sterling by musicman, legator, epiphone and a handful of other import guitars... and (for me) the PRS is about as good as you can get quality wise. I do also own a few Cores and S2, but I pick up my SE’s all the time. Hope you have a better experience down the road, and try your best to keep an open mind. Don’t let the negative comments steer you away. We are all passionate about this company, and some will just jump on you regardless of the situation... because of that passion
Good luck..
Stephen J.
New Member
- Joined
- Apr 19, 2020
- Messages
- 485
Mission accomplished.
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Chuck_P
New Member
- Joined
- Nov 14, 2012
- Messages
- 53
1) Hard to imagine this train wreck of a thread could be so redeemed by this one comment
2) "This guitar seems to have been heaved from the Burj Khalifa. Hey, PRS enthusiasts, why does PRS suck?" is not an awesome first-day first post
3) I have too many fancy-pants American guitars incl an LP Custom, a USA Strat, a 335, Custom Shop Tele, etc., and I am consistently impressed with the two SEs in the house. Bought one for my 15yr-old son (congrats, lefty, you get to learn to play righty) and every time I play it I think "man, imagine a day where this is a starter guitar". Both pup selectors are jacked up though...
Thanks man.
You’re correct, I ordered it from a sister company GC, but it shipped from a GC. Definitely brand new. I usually order from Sweetwater & Sam Ash but they were out of stock. Plus I know PRS does QC in Maryland before going to retailers, so I was confident it would be checked properly. As I said, the crack is on the retailer or shipper, not PRS.
I somewhat get the brand loyalty around here, I am I huge Gibson fan. But if someone said “My Epiphone showed up and it sucks”, I definitely wouldn’t give them the Greta “How dare you!”.
DISTORT6
NJ Devil
We expect better from PRS. Simple as that.
PRS can take the heat when it is warranted, and it's probably good that they get a wake up call once in a while, just to make sure they are paying attention. I also get the whole "fanboy" label. I wear it proudly.
Overall I think their reputation has been tested with the move to Indonesia. We've been holding our breath wondering if they can pull it off. I've seen good and bad reports. I think they are getting there, but we don't know how many behind the scenes conference calls have gone on to get their quality up to standards. Though in this case you say the quality was far below your Epiphone, in my experience, and what I have seen from others, you are the exception.
sergiodeblanc
New Member
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2012
- Messages
- 27,380
I own, I think, nine SE’s? And I’m gonna say this: my last three newest made SE’s are my least favorites.
My observation is as the feature set increased, the overall quality of the guitars have gone down. They look amazing, and they sound great (my least favorite to play is actually one of the better sounding guitars I own, including Core’s) but they don’t feel like really good guitars.
Half of the fun of SE’s is/was ripping out all the parts and modding/upgrading them and then having a really excellent guitar for... I was gonna say not a lot of money but, we all know how “upgrades” add up quickly.
And the “husk” or the “bones” of old SE’s just seem like they were plainer, but better built guitars from my experience.
These are all WMI built examples, I should add.
The last two newest SE’s I have bought, are older ones: an EG and the Custom 22 Semi Hollow w/Bigsby. Both are excellent guitars, and were made around 2008-2010. Hell... I paid about $800 f@cking dollars for that Semi Hollow used, and it’s worth every penny.
So while these “laundry day” postings are kinda annoying... ugh, I can’t say that some of them don’t have a point. IMO, ymmv, etc.
P.S. All other guitars are still trash in comparison.
My observation is as the feature set increased, the overall quality of the guitars have gone down. They look amazing, and they sound great (my least favorite to play is actually one of the better sounding guitars I own, including Core’s) but they don’t feel like really good guitars.
Half of the fun of SE’s is/was ripping out all the parts and modding/upgrading them and then having a really excellent guitar for... I was gonna say not a lot of money but, we all know how “upgrades” add up quickly.
And the “husk” or the “bones” of old SE’s just seem like they were plainer, but better built guitars from my experience. These are all WMI built examples, I should add.
The last two newest SE’s I have bought, are older ones: an EG and the Custom 22 Semi Hollow w/Bigsby. Both are excellent guitars, and were made around 2008-2010. Hell... I paid about $800 f@cking dollars for that Semi Hollow used, and it’s worth every penny.
So while these “laundry day” postings are kinda annoying... ugh, I can’t say that some of them don’t have a point. IMO, ymmv, etc.
P.S. All other guitars are still trash in comparison.
CandidPicker
Tone Matters. Use It Well.
You noticed that she wasn't jamming on a lute.
In recent weeks several folks have mentioned that their SE's have arrived with some type of issue, whether it's intonation, structural damage, or something else. And more retailers are taking the heat because of the issues.
Rather than complain about what's wrong, let's see if we can help solve the problem at the root cause.
1) Guitar intonation or set-up is bad.
A) Before shipping your purchase, be sure to contact the retailer or seller, and ask if an intonation has been performed on the guitar recently. If the seller says, "they don't know" or say "last month," politely ask them if the seller will intonate your guitar and/or inspect the guitar for any signs of wear or cosmetic issues delineating what you'd especially like looked at, and put a fresh set of strings on if the guitar was a floor model. If the guitar is being shipped without being removed from its factory carton, be sure to ask the seller to inspect the guitar for any issues that may have been incurred from factory to retailer. (Most retailers are required by store policy to open the factory carton and inspect their inventory once it's arrived at the retailer. Failure to do so displays incompetence on the retailer's part, and a blatant disregard for safety precautions.)
Doing the above not only protects the seller from possible required repair, but also the buyer because he or she will receive the item they expect to according to sales listing.
2) Guitar has structural damage.
A) Prior to shipping your guitar, require the seller to inspect the guitar, and loosen the guitar strings before packaging the guitar for shipment. Why loosen strings? Loosening the strings will allow the guitar to adjust to any temperature/humidity changes during transit, and not affect the overall quality of the guitar if by contrast the strings remained tightened and compromised the structural integrity. Also require from the seller to securely package your guitar with adequate packing materials (extra bubble wrap and packing paper, especially for guitars shipped with gig bags). If possible, and you might be willing to work with the seller on shipping costs, ask if the seller will ship your guitar in double-walled cartons. Why double-cartons? While this adds to the shipping weight, it serves as an extra level of protection for your shipment. How many times have your items arrived with either a tear or gouge in the carton? Mine have, at least twice. No structural damage, but a few tense moments opening the carton and worrying about the gig bag inside
Doing the above may not prevent structural damage which will certainly require return to retailer for repair or a refund, but may serve as a level of preventive maintenance so you can avoid costlier issues down the road.
3) Pickups sound thin or weak. Tone doesn't sound good.
A) See answer 1). Intonating a guitar also involves setting correct pickup height to factory specs. If your pickups aren't what your ears prefer, you have every right to adjust them once your guitar arrives, or even swap them out. This is essentially a non-issue because it involves preference, not something that the retailer or seller is required to do.
In summation, we've often heard the phrase, "Don't try this at home." Well, if safety precautions aren't taken, what might you expect to occur? Correct. Damage will occur. If retailers or sellers are careless with their product, they will invariably see more of their items returned to them because of their carelessness. And customers who will be less likely to do business with them again because of their experience. There are many parallels that can be drawn from this example. Know that carelessness is one of the major contributors towards damage or injury, so be forewarned. This isn't an example of Tool Time. It's preserving and protecting what you've invested your money and time in.
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This was my hypothesis as well. Around 2017 when they started all the cosmetic (and pickup) upgrades to the se standard 24 I thought, holy crap! That’s an amazing deal!
But after spending time with it, I would trade all that cosmetic stuff for a guitar that feels of higher quality. Now, this standard is the only SE PRS I’ve spent time with. If I played a few more models I might come to the conclusion that this particular guitar, or even model, is not like the others.
As for Korean prs, I’ve heard FAR too many good things over the years. I have to believe the quality is great on those.
goat-n-gitter
Dismembered
- Joined
- Dec 16, 2014
- Messages
- 2,921
Sorry you had a bad experience. My Indonesian SE Standard 24 Schizoid is top notch, good sound, good playability, not a blemish on it. The damage on your guitar is shipping damage. I'd be scared to see what a LP that went on the same journey as that guitar would have looked like.
I'm sure there are growing pains to be overcome with every new overseas plant PRS sources from, but they're still the best bang for the buck out there. I hope you stick with PRS despite this setback.
I'm sure there are growing pains to be overcome with every new overseas plant PRS sources from, but they're still the best bang for the buck out there. I hope you stick with PRS despite this setback.
I’m glad you like it, I just watched a few videos on this guitar. Most liked it. One guy wasn’t a fan lol Had some choice words, kind of hard to understand everything with his thick accent. Oh well. Can’t please everyone.
I 100% am going to buy a core PRS. I think it would be foolish on my part to use my experience with a $500 Indonesian guitar as the basis to judge a $3700 American guitar. I wanted this se Standard 24 because 1) it looked cool as ****, tobacco burst with birds, binding, zebras, etc but mostly 2) to get a basic feel of PRS scale length and 24 frets.
I would hope people wouldn’t steer away from fender American because they had a bad experience with squire. I think people thought I was here to bash PRS. I was actually trying to give a blunt, honest assessment of the se guitar I received. I don’t blame PRS for that anymore than I blame Music Man if I had problems with a Sterling. It’s their budget line, I get that. It’s their cheapest model, I get that.
But I was convinced it was going to be much better than other things I have that are quite less expensive.
John Beef
Opaque
Each guitar is its own thing. I own 2 cores and 3 SEs. I've owned other cores and SEs, keeping the ones that float my boat and passing on the ones that didn't. I think it's a testament to PRS that I have only one guitar that's not a PRS, and that's a very custom instrument I designed and assembled myself, then tweaked and tweaked to my liking.
Alnus Rubra
Loving nature’s wonders
Daves Guitars will see you right for an SE standard!
Tim S
King of the barre chord
- Joined
- Aug 1, 2018
- Messages
- 543
It’s important to distinguish between Indonesian-made P. T. Wildwood guitars and Indonesian-made Cor-Tek guitars.
They are two different companies who made SEs during different periods of time. Lumping them together as “Indonesian SEs” is too broad a generalization.
(And yes, I love my PT Wildwood. If I didn’t, I probably wouldn’t have continued buying SEs & S2s.)
They are two different companies who made SEs during different periods of time. Lumping them together as “Indonesian SEs” is too broad a generalization.
(And yes, I love my PT Wildwood. If I didn’t, I probably wouldn’t have continued buying SEs & S2s.)
Alnus Rubra
Loving nature’s wonders
I love my P.T. Wildwood as well!
OP Im a PRS guy like most here BUt I will say the original run of Core Tek PRS were aweful IMO, I grabbed one form 2015 from Daves and sold soon after,...NOW I have a 2020 Mira and its muck better not too far from the Korean ones Ive had which have all been fantastic, my new Mira was bought over the EPI I was looking at for a beater the Mira crapped all over the EPis and Squires I was looking at, the S2s now are a different game all together and I think you should maybe look at one of them, if youre looking for a great budget friendly PRS. with the QC you seem to want...
