I'd expect an SE to cost a LOT more if it was built in Maryland in the exact same way, same materials etc and would likely sound/feel exactly thae same - whether you'd 'feel' different just because its made in US instead. The S2 is perhaps the closest to a US SE, yet that has the same Pups etc as an SE to keep the costs down. It's only when you get to 'Bolt-On' range that you get 'Made in US' Pups as standard.
Of course an SE is NOT a Core. Its built differently for a start to keep those costs down. It doesn't have the same thickness Maple Cap, it has Scarf joint necks and multi piece bodies, different finish etc but that doesn't stop it being a 'PRS'. You can go by a made in China Ibanez RG, a Made in Korea RG or a Made in Japan RG but they are ALL Ibanez Guitars - regardless of whether you 'personally' can only bond with Japanese built guitars.
I don't care what you play, what you have experienced, what you prefer, but you are WRONG to think an SE is NOT a PRS because they are built exclusively for PRS to sell as PRS Guitars! Cores are Superb quality instruments built without 'compromise'. As you move down to 'Bolt-On', you may get some 'import' parts, but you'll certainly get a scarfed neck as it saves time/money to sell 'cheaper'. The S2 range too has 'compromises' to sell it even cheaper but you'll end up with more 'Import' parts - still PRS designed parts, just not made in the US.
You came in here saying that SE's are NOT PRS guitars when they ARE. Just because they don't feel like a Core, a guitar built without any Compromise to sell at a 'low' price point, doesn't make them 'NOT' PRS guitars. If you can't 'bond' with a cheaper version, that is something only you need to explore - what it is about other Instruments that really help you 'bond' with them. It maybe that the Scarf neck makes a difference to YOU, but that doesn't mean its an issue for everyone and stops them from bonding with an Instrument. Another may only bond with 'Nitro' finishes, or feel that Satin finishes are more 'magical' to them and find any Poly finish prevents them from bonding because they don't get the same 'feel'.
SE allows people to get a Custom 24, DGT, 594, Holcomb, Silver Sky etc guitars at a 'fraction' of the cost.
What makes a Guitar more magical to you? You have to work that out because that is 'personal' to you. I can walk into a Shop with a 100 Gibson R9's and go through 'every' one to try and find one that resonates 'more' with me despite them ALL having the exact same Specs on Paper. The one I think is the worst may well be anothers 'magic' guitar and that's in the 'high-end' tier too. Point is, what makes one more Magical to 'ME' is very personal to me. Another could turn around and say their Epiphone sounds, feels and/or plays better - because to them, it may well be the case. It doesn't mean that I should 'bond' with an Epiphone because I much prefer the R9.
The lower the asking price, the more they have compromised to hit that price point - but that doesn't stop them being 'PRS' guitars - they are still PRS, just not 'Core' guitars built without Compromise to hit lower price points to make them more accessibleto a much wider range of musicians. Even a Bolt-on Cu24 isn't quite the same as a Core Cu24 with its maple Scarfed bolt-on neck and import Bridge and a S2 too will have more 'compromises' - Import Pups so the 'only' thing left to 'compromise' is the labour/overhead costs to sell at 'lower' than S2 prices.
There are so many musicians that have been asking PRS when they will do an SE Silver Sky or SE 594 or SE DGT etc because they cannot afford (or justify spending) that much on a Guitar when all they really want is a Fantastic Musical Instrument that they can rely on, sounds Great (especially in a band mix), feels comfortable to play and does the Job they want. Its still upto PRS and ONLY PRS can decide if they want to release 'SE' versions. Just watch the Series about the DGT SE and then try and tell me that the SE is a 'Cortek', not a guitar that Dave Grissom and PRS collaborated on to ensure its as close to a Core as they can get at that price point and until they got it there, would not put their name (PRS & DG) to it.
Whether 'you' bond with the SE DGT vs a Core is irrelevant, they are at very different ends of the PRS range - but they are PRS guitars regardless. The 'issues' are yours and part of that musical journey to understand what it is that you 'prefer' in an instrument that makes a difference to you. Some may not even hear/feel enough of a difference to care but a 'Core' is a 'high-end' instrument, built without Compromise to be the 'best' production guitar they can make. The rest are all varying degrees of 'Compromises' to sell at 'lower' costs - like Scarf necks to reduce waste and time, using import parts and/or Labour are other examples - but they are ALL PRS guitars which is what you Originally came here to argue about.
They are NOT cores, not trying to 'replace' cores etc, they are built to be more Affordable versions. To get as 'close' as they can for a LOT less cost - and to use your own words, they get '80%' there for less than 25% of the cost, or in other words, that 'extra' 20% is where the extra 75%+ cost is incurred. So its up to you to decide whether you would rather spend '4x' more for that 'little' extra or whether that '20%' is not worth the extra. I know I wouldn't buy a Core 12 String or 7string for that 1 time I may need a 12/7 string - an SE version would be perfect for that. I started on an Epiphone Les Paul Custom and my 'Dream' guitar was a Gibson Les Paul Custom. If my Dream had been a Cu24 at the time, there was NO way I could get a cheaper import version and yes my Epiphone also had 'Gibson' on the Headstock on the TRC and everyone knew it was a 'Cheap' import Gibson anyway because everyone knows that 'Epiphone' is Gibsons designated import range - just like SE is PRS designated import range today...
I knew going in that my opinions would upset people, and I’m sorry for that. But I’m not going to change my opinions because some people don’t agree. And since my opinion is that I don’t consider the SEs that I’ve played to be the genuine PRS guitars that I value above almost any other guitar that I’ve played out of the many hundreds of guitars that I’ve played, it is just as valid as any other opinion. I like SE’s, but I wouldn’t buy one over some other brands, whereas with Cores, I generally would.
I’m just going off of my personal experiences with the Core and SEs that I’ve played, and I do not find the SE’s to be the same thing at a lower price point. I find them to be different animals. While I think that the quality standards of SEs are within 80% of Cores, my guess is that if I were to strip both a Core and and SE down to husks, then swap all of the parts, the Core would still feel like a Core to me, and the SE would still feel like an SE.
That said, the limited S2’s that I’ve played didn’t do much at all for me, so I’d like to get my hands on more of them, as well as try some of the newer SEs to see how I feel about them. I previously had asked about the wood sourcing to see if maybe SEs, Cores, and S2s used the same wood supplies, but it seems as though the SEs use different wood types, which are sourced from different countries and regions. Maybe this is part of what I’m feeling.
To answer your question as to what makes a guitar “magical” to me, it generally comes down to feel. And by feel, I mean that when I play through a said guitar either plugged in or unplugged in the case of electric guitars, I can feel the guitar vibrating and resonating into my hands and body in a specific way that is much more so than the average guitar I pick up. Also, of course it comes down to how the neck feels, how it sounds plugged in, and how it looks. I’ve played and owned SEs that meet the criteria of neck feel, looks, and sound, but never have I played one that I could feel throughout my body like I have with 3 out of the 5 Cores that I’ve owned. To me, when I feel a guitar do this special thing, it inspires me to play more than other instruments that don’t do this special thing.
Of course, what makes a guitar “magical” will differ from person to person, but I can only say what does it for me. And again, I have found a high percentage of Cores do this for me, whereas, I’ve never experienced it with an SE.
I don’t know how you can say that my opinion is “right” or “wrong.” Yes, SEs are owned by PRS, and made by Cor-Tek. This is a fact. But my opinion is that SEs are not simply more budget friendly versions of Core guitars. They are something else.
And about the money thing… I promise that if you hunt around, you can find used Cores for nowhere near what they cost new. I prefer used guitars because not only are they usually a lot cheaper, but I can generally play them before purchasing. I realize that you can buy used guitars online as well, but I’ve never attempted to do so with something as high end as a Core PRS. I did by 2 of my SEs used online from mom and pop shops, and the other two were bought used from Craigslist. I totally understand that some people prefer new guitars, but that just isn’t me.
