PRS SE Singlecut vs Custom 24 vs 245

[tyt921]

Beginner here!

So I tried most PRS SE guitars yesterday at GC except the 245. I basically liked them all. SO which brings me here and I want to ask some guitarist what the differences are. What is the singlecut model? Does it mean single coil? I also tried a Opeth in Deep Red, and I liked it, it was good but slightly harder to play than the others. I liked the singlecut the most, for some unknown reasons, and Custom 24 was good but $700+ while the singlecut was $489. Tried also a Santana Signature for $750+ for me it felt more or less the same.....as the 489 dollars Singlecut. I have been getting many feedback from the 245 as it is supposedly a great guitar and most rounded guitar. What do you think? IF i were to purchase online whats a good store? Sweetwater?

Would love to hear from others what the difference in the models because I tired to play around with it and I couldnt tell any of the differences. Thanks guys. Going out to buy it today or tomorrow, would appreciate some opinions.

 

[FennRx]

Sweet water is nice bc you can often pick the top you want and they ship really fast. If you email them they will usually give you a bit off the sticker price too. I would be hard pressed to pay for a new 245 when everyone was blowin them out for 400 a couple months ago.

 

[AP515]

Beginner here!

...What is the singlecut model? Does it mean single coil? I also tried a Opeth in Deep Red, and I liked it, it was good but slightly harder to play than the others. I liked the singlecut the most, for some unknown reasons, and Custom 24 was good but $700+ while the singlecut was $489. Tried also a Santana Signature for $750+ for me it felt more or less the same.....as the 489 dollars Singlecut. I have been getting many feedback from the 245 as it is supposedly a great guitar and most rounded guitar. What do you think?

The SingleCut is much like the 245 but has different controls. The 245 has controls like a les paul. The SC has controls like many PRS guitars with only one volume and one tone. I believe the SingleCut is no longer made so if you see one for sale it is probably NOS and the 245 is current. If the SC is newer than 2009 the pickups will be the same as the 245, if not that will be a significant difference as they upgraded the pups in 2010. $489 sounds like a NOS price. Either of them will be well worht the money.

 

[alantig]

Does the SE 245 have the same control layout as a Les Paul, or does it follow the PRS layout used on the core SC 245 and Tremonti, with the bridge volume being on top by the bridge pup? Something for the OP to consider.

Meaning...

Les Paul layout (from the front - and sorry, the forum software changed my formatting):

Neck Tone Neck Volume

Bridge Tone Bridge Volume

SC 245 layout (from the front):

Bridge Volume Neck Volume

Bridge Tone Neck Tone

 

[AP515]

You are correct alantig. My comment was only to describe the number of controls, not the locations. I appologize for the oversight.

 

[tyt921]

hey guys, I dont mean to add more to the table, but I just saw a beautiful Paul Allender SE with EMG pups. I played and liked it even at clean tones. what do you guys think of that one? for about 700 bucks out the door...going back at the custom 24, it was a bit too bright. The paul allender also had the split coils for chosing single or humbucker. would that be the idea choice?

 

[shinksma]

hey guys, I dont mean to add more to the table, but I just saw a beautiful Paul Allender SE with EMG pups. I played and liked it even at clean tones. what do you guys think of that one? for about 700 bucks out the door...going back at the custom 24, it was a bit too bright. The paul allender also had the split coils for chosing single or humbucker. would that be the idea choice?

Although I don't have a whole whack of posts here, I can say with pretty high confidence from all my years of guitar playing and buying: go with the one that sings to you when you play it.

If you liked that Paul Allender, then that is the guitar for you. It doesn't matter what the specs are on the pickups, the neck, the body wood, whatever. If the guitar feel right in your hands and sounds right in your ears, that is the guitar you want.

IMHO, of course. YMMV, I don't make a living at this...

 

[leeasam]

This ^^^^^^^^^^

 

[tyt921]

Thanks guys. Its great to find a good guitar that you want, but its hard getting there. I was trying just 2 guitars yesterday, Custom SE 24 and the Allender SE. I totally dig the sound and bite even in soft tone for the Allender through those active pups. I dont know anything about guitars, nor do I know how to actually play a song YET, but those sounds were awesome. To be perfectly HONEST....all these guitars and different models....their differences are so small I think just as you all suggested, ill be happy with any PRS. So I almost walked out the Guitar Center with a brand new Allender with those awesome bats inserts...HOWEVER, they dont have any new ones, and the one that I was played had cracked paint job dings and dents. If you guys havent caught on by now, I like my stuff minty fresh. Fine....I asked to order new one, but it seems like all other ones are NOS as well. You know fine, I was hunting for a guitar for a month now, and I just cant wait anymore. I settled for a Custom SE 24, and because that one had a broken neck, I naturally asked if they had another one. Nope. The other stores are basically sold out as well, and what are left are NOS are basically....demo models, used, whatever. The sale person actually told me what to expect, there will be dings and scratches because people will try on them. I honestly think sometimes the demo models are worse than used ones. Anyway, I am pretty tired from this point. I ran into the gaurentee policy and 55 point inspection policy from Sweetwater...and boy that sounds damn SWEET! Thats basically like having a luthier look at your guitar before you buy it. Its just awesome too that they only sell NEW IN BOX items and not demos. I think I will order from Sweetwater from now on.

Over the course of month, Guitar Center has been nothing but pain in the rear. I just wanted to buy a guitar, but they were pushy, rude and insensitive towards my needs. I said i needed a gigbag and at check out I literally had 5 other things on my bill. Done with the experience. I guess ill just go to GC to try on guitars and buy online.