PRS SE 2018 Exotic - looking for more info

[TravisT]

Hey all! I thought I just bought a 2018 PRS SE Exotic Made in Korea and am trying to find out more info about it. Does this have a 1/4" maple top? Does anyone have more info about these guitars? The closest pictures I could find online are the 2019 Ziricote PRS SE.

Serial # S16030
Maple 3 piece neck.

I was expecting this to have a 1/4" maple top on it, but the cutaway looks like it's just a veneer on a mahogany body.

 

[Fullmoon 1971]

I would say that certainly just a veneer, you can see the woodgrain continuing through the cutaway.

I would also be tempted to say that's a 2019. the 2018's exotics I've ever seen are either zebra wood or spalted maple. That wood is almost certainly Ziricote. because of the numbers of SE's produced the serial doesn't always match up with the year of purchase. I used to own a special spec Tremonti SE that I pre ordered and when it arrived it had a 2014 serial number, although store that custom ordered them spec'd them for its 60th anniversy in 2015.

 

[TravisT]

I would say that certainly just a veneer, you can see the woodgrain continuing through the cutaway.

I would also be tempted to say that's a 2019. the 2018's exotics I've ever seen are either zebra wood or spalted maple. That wood is almost certainly Ziricote. because of the numbers of SE's produced the serial doesn't always match up with the year of purchase.

Thanks Fullmoon. The Ziricote specs mention a maple cap too, but I also see them being sold without the maple cap and made in Indonesia, so I guess it's just luck of the draw. This is my first PRS after 30 years of playing and it feels so good. The first thing I noticed is there is zero resistance playing past the 12th fret. It's like the guitar gets out of my way. I'm definitely in love. Thanks again!

 

[aamefford]

That sure is a looker! Congratulations.

 

[bodia]

Sweet guitar

 

[veinbuster]

An SE is always going to be a veneer.
That is a killer veneer though.

 

[TravisT]

An SE is always going to be a veneer.
That is a killer veneer though.

Yeah, it sure is. All the descriptions I find say it's a mahogany body, with a maple top and a veneer. My understanding is PRS uses a 1/2" choice maple top for their core models, and 1/4" B stock with a veneer for the SE's.

 

[Uncle Bob]

That is plastic binding on a hog body for sure. No maple cap. Also I believe maple capped bodies would usually have natural/reveal binding instead.

Looks great though. And I like that it has an unpainted maple neck too. Congrats!

 

[11top]

Yeah, it sure is. All the descriptions I find say it's a mahogany body, with a maple top and a veneer. My understanding is PRS uses a 1/2" choice maple top for their core models, and 1/4" B stock with a veneer for the SE's.

What B stock? (Insert a confused smilie since this new unimproved format doesn’t have one). And cores start with 3/4” billets.