PRS CE24 quesstions

matt3310

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I am buying one and waiting for it to ship to me. I had an original 94 model.
Are the tops carved the same as the originals? I know the wood is different.
Also I have read that the hardware is SE line hardware. Any truth to that?
What's the general consensus on these guitars here?

Any info you guys have would be appreciated!
 
They`re not the same as the older ones. Note that I said not the same. I didn`t say better or worse, just not the same. I Believe anything made in Maryland will be of excellent quality. Yes, the hardware is SE line. I have several Se`s and core guitars. Each one sounds different, and all of them sound good to my ears. Most everyone I talk to who has one of the newer ones really loves them. My CE 24 is from 2003, and I haven`t gotten around to looking at a new one, but I wouldn`t hesitate to buy one. Get used to the sound, then play the snot out of it. It`s as fast as your car avatar.
 
The CE-24 tops are not carved the same. The current ones are less carved than, say, my original '90 CE, or the current Core models, somewhat shallower (but yet still more carved than an SE). Also, the current tops are not gently carved out for the knobs but rather are flat.

Current CEs have a mahogany body/maple top but the original bodies were alder, and many had maple tops, mine included.

Yes, there's now some SE hardware involved, plus you now get a gig bag, not a case.

Also, the original and current pickups are quite different, and I would imagine that they might make the most significant overall tonal difference of all (although I've not personally compared them first-hand).

All that being said though, the new models seem to be getting a great reception.
 
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The only thing the CE reissue has in common with the SE line is the bridge. That's it. Tuners are the pin version of the Phase II as used on S2. All the other hardware and electronics are same as Core.

The neck shares some build features with the S2 line: scarf joint headstock and heel splice.

The top carve is shallower than Core line guitars and the pots are not recessed. It is still carved though, vs. the bevels on SE models. It is definitely different, but when I tried one I thought it felt great. Very svelte.
 
I hear the maple top is thinner than a core top slab.
Does that make the body thinner overall or is the mahogany thicker to compensate?

I have an all mahogany standard which is probably the same dim as a regular, current CE, but still seems thinner than I would expect a core custom to be. I don't have a Custom to compare to...
 
It's probably best to think of the new CEs as a different type of animal rather than a reissue or continuation of the old CE line.

They're positioned between the S2 and Core models and the new specs reflect that.

So yeah, consider it a new type of guitar with an old name. It happens sometimes.
 
The maple top is the same thickness but the carve is different. The old ones had a violin carve around the edges vs. the new ones slope to the edge with no additional carves. If anything, a bit more comfortable to play because you do not have the lip digging into your forearm. As noted, there are also no additional carves for the control knobs. The neck is a three piece carve with a scarf joint and a two piece heel with more of a satin feel. Nice. Totally stable!!! The bridge is a SE model which uses cast saddles and a different block. Jury is still out on that one but I think it is fine. Pickups are upgraded to the most recent cool ones that everyone is raving about.

I own two old CE's and love them. When I played the new CE, it captured the magic of the older ones, improved the pickups, have some killer tops and the cost cutting features did not take away from the quality or playability of the guitar. PRS did a very nice job on this one, as usual and they are priced in a competitive range.

The downside? Minimal but there is now a lot of traffic in that sub $2k guitar range. I think they will do very well.
 
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