PRS CE Models 00's 10's 20's Comparisons?

[cassiusjinn]

Hi Prs Forums! i'm fairly new to the brand as my first purchase is a SE silver sky and following that its American made counterpart

im now looking at getting a CE but am confused on whats changed over the years. i see a couple of old CE's now and then dating back just from the late 00's to early and late 10's and wondering what has changed over the years and if the older models may have been superior instruments compared to the more recent improvements the ce has undergone.

 

[RC Mike]

The old CEs, from the 2000s and earlier, are very different from the current CEs (2016 and on). The name is about the only thing they really have in common.

The new ones are really nice guitars. So are the old ones.

 

[cassiusjinn]

The old CEs, from the 2000s and earlier, are very different from the current CEs (2016 and on). The name is about the only thing they really have in common.

The new ones are really nice guitars. So are the old ones.

thanks for the reply Mike! but would you know if any of the hardware changed as i read a few forums mentioning the hardware such as the trem were the same as the SE models (and no insult there as se models are imo great instruments as well) and wonder if there are any improvements with the pickups as the current CEs have 85/15 pickups.

 

[RC Mike]

Everything is different about them. The bridges, the pickups, the tuners, the body carve, the neck construction and joint, thickness of the maple cap... They're truly different models of guitar.

Imagine comparing a 1965 Ford Mustang with one of today's. Very different cars. There's not a major component that they have in common. Some people would prefer one, some the other, and some would enjoy both.

 

[cassiusjinn]

Everything is different about them. The bridges, the pickups, the tuners, the body carve, the neck construction and joint, thickness of the maple cap... They're truly different models of guitar.

Imagine comparing a 1965 Ford Mustang with one of today's. Very different cars. There's not a major component that they have in common. Some people would prefer one, some the other, and some would enjoy both.

I Agree! i read a couple of threads about this on here and people were really adamant that these are two different guitars!

but i was kind of hoping i could find a specific difference spec sheet that i can compare between the two because im highly curious on what was changed over the years as im shopping around for a semi hollow ce but those old CE solid bodies really catch my eye

 

[MarcWink]

The best way to think of the early 2000's and earlier CE's is as bolt neck Core Custom guitars. In fact, prior to the reintroduction of the CE in 2016, everything about the CE was the same as the Core Custom 22 and Custom 24 with the exception of the neck being a bolt on maple as opposed to set mahogany. I have CE 22 from 1997 that I absolutely adore. The current crop of CE has a slightly different carve to the maple top, the routing for the knobs isn't recessed, the electronics are shared between the SE/S2/CE with the exception of the pickups which are Core pickups. The neck construction on the current CE is scarf-jointed as opposed to quartersawn, the hardware is different (i.e. shared with the S2 series), and the back plates aren't recessed flush with the body. If I were in the market for a CE right now, I'd be on the prowl for a mid 90's CE 22 with Dragon I pickups as opposed to the current crop.

 

[SamIV]

I owned a 98 CE 24 and build quality was extremely good. Owned a 2021 CE 24 for a couple of days. It was a good guitar. Couple of things I preferred on the 2021 were the pickups and tuners. The wing tuners on the 98 were designed by an enemy to mankind

 

[Xtcclassic]

The best way to think of the early 2000's and earlier CE's is as bolt neck Core Custom guitars. In fact, prior to the reintroduction of the CE in 2016, everything about the CE was the same as the Core Custom 22 and Custom 24 with the exception of the neck being a bolt on maple as opposed to set mahogany. I have CE 22 from 1997 that I absolutely adore. The current crop of CE has a slightly different carve to the maple top, the routing for the knobs isn't recessed, the electronics are shared between the SE/S2/CE with the exception of the pickups which are Core pickups. The neck construction on the current CE is scarf-jointed as opposed to quartersawn, the hardware is different (i.e. shared with the S2 series), and the back plates aren't recessed flush with the body. If I were in the market for a CE right now, I'd be on the prowl for a mid 90's CE 22 with Dragon I pickups as opposed to the current crop.

This is 100% correct. The older CE’s are core-level instruments and are superior to the new ones in pretty much every way. Not knocking the new ones, they’re still great guitars. But the older ones are zero-compromise core-level guitars.

 

[dilznik]

The cynic's view: The current CE is a pale imitation of the old one. Thinner maple cap, veneer rather than just the cap, S2 hardware except the pickups, plastic birds, gig bag. They don't even stamp the serial number onto the neck plate.

The old CE was just a low bling Custom. Same hardware and wood and everything except a maple neck instead of mahogany. If anything, an old CE should've cost more to produce than a no-bling Custom 22 or 24 because the neck plate and 4 screws would certainly cost more than glue. You could even get CEs with birds. Real abalone birds, not plastic.

Gig bag on a $2500 guitar. What the what? The new CE is only trading on the name.

The DW version and the semi-hollow version however... that's where the awesome is.

Edit: no veneer on the thin maple cap, just the maple cap which is a lot thinner than the old CE top.

 

[RC Mike]

veneer rather than just the cap,

There’s no veneer on the 2016 and beyond models.

 

[dilznik]

There’s no veneer on the 2016 and beyond models.

Ah okay, that's nice of them. I'll fix it above.

 

[RAM Engineer]

The reasons above are why I tried to get PRS to make me a Private Stock CE24 earlier this year. I wanted one equivalent to the older ones, with out the issues of buying a 30 year old guitar. Unfortunately, despite my and John Mann's best efforts, PRS politely declined to make any PS CEs...

 

[24Fretter]

The cynic's view: The current CE is a pale imitation of the old one. Thinner maple cap, veneer rather than just the cap, S2 hardware except the pickups, plastic birds, gig bag. They don't even stamp the serial number onto the neck plate.

The old CE was just a low bling Custom. Same hardware and wood and everything except a maple neck instead of mahogany. If anything, an old CE should've cost more to produce than a no-bling Custom 22 or 24 because the neck plate and 4 screws would certainly cost more than glue. You could even get CEs with birds. Real abalone birds, not plastic.

Gig bag on a $2500 guitar. What the what? The new CE is only trading on the name.

The DW version and the semi-hollow version however... that's where the awesome is.

Edit: no veneer on the thin maple cap, just the maple cap which is a lot thinner than the old CE top.

Owning both, disagree that they are different guitars. Some spec changes on paper, yes, but ultimately very similar tone and feel.

Also, winged tuners are awful..... got rid of those asap.

No case on the new ones sucks at the price point.

But owning both, and ignoring the case, would I go out of my way to get another old one vs new? Nope.

 

[Steve's addiction]

I'm quite the opposite, they are 2 different guitars. I have an 89 and a 2019. The 89 runs circles around the newest one. Better playability def better tone. If I had to let one go it would be the 2019

 

[StSpider]

Also noteworthy that for a few early years CEs were alder bodies as opposed to mahogany and maple. Those are truly unique...and also great.

I love mine, it's a '91:

And if the front looks clean, I bet the wear on the neck tells you eveything you need to know about this guitar:

 

[DISTORT6]

Also noteworthy that for a few early years CEs were alder bodies as opposed to mahogany and maple. Those are truly unique...and also great.

I love mine, it's a '91:

And if the front looks clean, I bet the wear on the neck tells you eveything you need to know about this guitar:

Good lord, that’s BEAUTIFUL.

 

[StSpider]

Good lord, that’s BEAUTIFUL.

I, of course, wholeheartedly agree

I love flamed tops too but there’s something so cool about this guitar. My only gripe with it is the single side dot at the 12th fret that I find confusing live, no matter what.

 

[dilznik]

They don't even bevel out a little route for the knobs on the new ones. Shortcut after shortcut for $2500. The old ones were Core level builds. The new ones aren't.

 

[RC Mike]

They don't even bevel out a little route for the knobs on the new ones. Shortcut after shortcut for $2500. The old ones were Core level builds. The new ones aren't.

Would you be as put out if the name were different?

 

[Ruffone]

That and they have tried several different finishes throughout the years as well.