Please help me identify my PRS SE Custom 22!

[Tom Holmes]

I bought one of the PRS SE Custom 22 with crescent moon inlays. Out of all the guitars I've tried and owned it is probably still my favourite. Sadly, the frets have worn considerably from all my playing over the years, so I'm now evaluating whether to refret or buy a replacement guitar with the characteristics I like.

I would really appreciate anyone who can tell me more about this guitar or point me in the direction of a spec sheet, in particular I want to know what wood the body is made out of because the feel / weight and the tone are both perfect (for me).

A few things about it:
It's a very lightweight body, which I have become accustomed to and it's something which keeps me coming back to it, alongside the tone.

When unplugged, it's the loudest guitar I own - due to the maple top?

It looks like the newer SE Customs use mahogany, judging from other guitars I own that are much heavier, I don't think my SE is mahogany, I don't like how mahogany feels and prefer the tone of my SE to guitars I've tried.

Nickel frets, hence the fretwear

Crescent Moon inlays

I think the finish is cherry flame sunburst or something to that effect

I can't see the full serial number but it begins with 11 62
I don't remember what year it was bought, but if the first number is the year, then 2011 would sound about right. However, I searched using 2011 and didn't find much concrete info on Google.

I can get a picture if you need it, or more info!

Thanks in advance
Tom

 

[toothace]

Your serial number should begin with a letter, and that indicates the year it was made( A=2000, etc)

Should have been mahogany body/neck with a maple veneer.

Yes, pics would help

 

[andy474x]

If yours is a flat top with moons, it’s one of the older models - personally, I think those were the best of the SE Customs! I had one, it was my first PRS. It’s a mahogany body and neck, with a plain maple cap and veneer over that. The things I like about those older ones are the stoptail bridge or trem was available (only made with a trem now, I liked the stoptail more) and toggle switch instead of the blade, but most of all, the wide fat mahogany neck. The new ones have a wide thin maple neck, which is brighter and snappier, and IMO not as fat sounding. A refret won’t be cheap, although if there’s a lot of fret material left, you may only need a fret level, which is less. Still worth the refret if you love the guitar and want to keep it. If not, you could sell it, and I would recommend looking at a used S2.

 

[Tom Holmes]

Thank you both for the replies! If that's the case RE mahogany body - I'm surprised that this guitar is lighter than my other guitars!

It's the lightest guitar I own, I recently bought a guitar with a mahogany body and it is the heaviest guitar I own - I don't really like the way it feels as a result. Based on that, I was doubting that my PRS was made of mahogany, but is there some other factor at play in the weight?

RE fret level, my understanding is that's only a temporary solution and I'm not sure if it will make much difference with this level of wear.

The serial begins with the letter I
It's actually I 1 62

I misread it before!

Thanks
Tom

 

[garrett]

Thank you both for the replies! If that's the case RE mahogany body - I'm surprised that this guitar is lighter than my other guitars!

It's the lightest guitar I own, I recently bought a guitar with a mahogany body and it is the heaviest guitar I own - I don't really like the way it feels as a result. Based on that, I was doubting that my PRS was made of mahogany, but is there some other factor at play in the weight?

RE fret level, my understanding is that's only a temporary solution and I'm not sure if it will make much difference with this level of wear.

The serial begins with the letter I
It's actually I 1 62

I misread it before!

Thanks
Tom

An "I" serial number indicates a 2008 model.

I think they use the term "mahogany" loosely when it comes to the SE guitars. I don't think they use the Central American species like with the USA guitars, so that's one factor in tone and weight.

There are other things impacting the weight, too. The older SE's like that had thin bodies. There is also a lot of variation between individual pieces of wood that can vary the weight of similar guitars by a pound or even more.

If you love the guitar, have a good luthier take a look at the frets and see what they recommend.

 

[Tom Holmes]

Thanks for your reply, I'm pretty sure I'm going to get it refretted as I've found a recommended local luthier and the price was lower than expected. A friend of mine mentioned a lot of guitars have 'weight relief' - cavities inside. Does anyone know if that's the case with these SE Customs, or where I could find out?

I'm interested because I have amassed quite a collection of guitars and it may be time to purge some of them and replace some of them with guitars more to my liking. It would help me in my search, plus I find it interesting!

 

[andy474x]

No weight reduction that I’m aware of.

But, if you want a feather light PRS, keep your eyes peeled for a Mira X. Hands down the lightest guitar I’ve ever played.

 

[garrett]

SE guitars are not weight-relieved.

 

[Tom Holmes]

Thanks guys, very helpful! Gonna get this SExy thing refretted soon for the time being.