PRS SE Soapbar

[Dave Scrimshaw]

Hi, Just joined this forum and as i can't post any links just yet i'll use this one as introduction.

My first PRS guitar was a 2004 custom black SE soapbar in 2006, loved it and had it for years. I have since moved on to a S2 McCarty Single Cut, Custom Fire Red and picked up a Kestrel Bass again custom Black. Our local dealer seems to get hold of all the custom colours! Also had a T60 acoustic for a while.

I do still have a nostalgic view of the original Soapbar and picked one up again in the original Vintage Cherry. I have since picked up some others, some to keep and some fixed up and sold on. I have obviously become aware of the Gibson law suit and have looked at how this effected SE production in Korea by logging serial numbers. I'll make more posts on this and include link.

 

[Dave Scrimshaw]

I have logged a number of serial numbers found online for the various SE models made in Korea. I have seen a lot of discussions as to when the law suit happened and when the original soapbar stopped, also when the SB2 started. The date of the various court cases are given in court publications so i assume the original model stopped at that point. What i was surprised to see is SB2's with numbers from 2004, the view is these did not come out until 2005, assuming the year lettering is correct. This could mean that the guitars were made in 2004 and not sold until 2005, either way the numbers would suggest a quick change over of the production to the SB2 post court ruling. In fact there is evidence for an overlap of these numbers.

As I see it there were ~4 models in 2004, two single cut and two double. As the court case stopped two of them the production would have been halved in Korea hence the need for another model to be made.

 

[Dave Scrimshaw]

Looks like the SB2 ran for a number of years while all the appeals went through and only double cut models made. The "Single Cut" model came out in 2006 after the appeals concluded. The SB2 ran on till 2007 when the original Soapbar reappeared in 2008.

Not sure if all of this is of any interest to anyone else, but it satisfied my curiosity. A lot of info out there on Gibson case but not so much specific to the SE Korean models of the time, which is what I was interested in. Hopefully I can now post some links on this.

 

[Dave Scrimshaw]

Links to serial numbers for 2004 and 2008 along with full file.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1pmx_KjahHqHae1YBERcLtyYFLFXyFxIh 2004

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1pmx_KjahHqHae1YBERcLtyYFLFXyFxIh 2008

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1pmx_KjahHqHae1YBERcLtyYFLFXyFxIh Full File

 

[dogrocketp]

I’m with you. I have both an SE One and a 2 pickup Singlecut. Very underrated in my opinion.

 

[Dave Scrimshaw]

I’m with you. I have both an SE One and a 2 pickup Singlecut. Very underrated in my opinion.

Yes, I have one of the Single Cuts too, as you say very nice, not tried a One yet though.

 

[AP515]

You should look for the SE Soapbar II. It's the one I have. Lovely soapbar tone.

 

[Dave Scrimshaw]

You should look for the SE Soapbar II. It's the one I have. Lovely soapbar tone.

I assume with the same pickups and electrics there should sound the same, both very nice. I have picked up a SB2 as I saw one with a high number from 2004 which I thought unusual at the time. From the little I have played it it does sound good, but is not in great cosmetic shape so have some work to do on it.

 

[dogrocketp]

The good ones always get played.

 

[bodia]

The good ones always get played.

Fact