SE 245 Questions

[Fritz]

I bought a used 2018 PRS SE 245 online a few days ago that had a few mods. 1st the tuning machines look like PRS locking machines but no logo on the caps and the post are chrome like the Mann Made ones any idea what they are?
2nd the pots appear to have been changed to full size that are branded RF howbeit a very good soldering job is it possible these are OME?
3rd and final question the truss rod cover is plain black no 245 engraved on it was this standard in 2018 and where can I get on that has been engraved?

 

[Broseph]

I wonder if the tuners are Mann Made SE tuners; prior to official PRS ones.
The truss rod cover is a replacement. I'm sure somebody on here has a spare 245 cover that could hook you up.

 

[Broseph]

also congrats! I love the Zach myers series which is essentially a 245 with an F hole.

 

[Wakester]

Congrats on the 245.

Is the TRC on upside down? Some people flip them for some reason. The pots sound like as though they were swapped, do the capacitors look like orange drops or big OIP types? Those may have been changes too as part of a complete harness change.

 

[Fritz]

Thanks @Wakester one of the first things I did was pull that cover to check the truss rod and it was not flipped so I need to find and buy the correct one, the pots have definitely been swapped out they seem to work alright but I can't find anything about them online they are marked RF and under that R2410 and there's nothing special about them just plain Jane not sealed no brass shafts or anything the caps are the little brown mylar .022uf caps so I have no idea why they were changed out in the first place. I have some Sprague orange drop caps and some good push back wire I ordered 4 CTS pots this morning 2 push-pull for coil split. I have a SE Standard 24 I put a Seymour Duncan JB in the bridge and a Jazz in the neck and it sounds great I want to change the 245's pups and thinking about the Vaughn Skow ones any thoughts, And thanks so much for the feedback guys I've been on here for about a year but rarely post so really good that you folks would be willing to help a relatively unknown member.

Here's my SE Standard 24

 

[Alnus Rubra]

Congratulations, SE245s are awesome.

 

[Tim S]

The tuners sound like John Mann’s. I have a few sets I bought from him. If he’s not modifying ones you send him, then they won’t have the PRS logo. It’s the same OEM tuners that PRS uses on the SEs — just modded.

Congrats on the new-to-you guitar! It’s a fine looking instrument.

 

[ScottR]

I wonder if the tuners are Mann Made SE tuners; prior to official PRS ones.
The truss rod cover is a replacement. I'm sure somebody on here has a spare 245 cover that could hook you up.

Yup I've got a spare 245 cover...it's not engraved, the 245 logo is screen printed.

To the OP, where are you located? If you're in the U.S., I'll be happy to mail it to you. Just send me a PM with your address and I'll get you the correct TRC.

Congrats on the score! You can't go wrong with any variant of the 245.

Oh and here's mine...

 

[Alnus Rubra]

Yup I've got a spare 245 cover...it's not engraved, the 245 logo is screen printed.

To the OP, where are you located? If you're in the U.S., I'll be happy to mail it to you. Just send me a PM with your address and I'll get you the correct TRC.

Congrats on the score! You can't go wrong with any variant of the 245.

Oh and here's mine...

Bonnie guitar, tuner buttons look nice!

 

[ScottR]

Bonnie guitar, tuner buttons look nice!

Yeah they do!! Thanks again homie!!

You really can't see them very well but, in the first pic you can see I have added the brass bridge bolts. Looks cool af!

 

[CrimesAgainstMusic]

I have a SE Standard 24 I put a Seymour Duncan JB in the bridge and a Jazz in the neck and it sounds great I want to change the 245's pups and thinking about the Vaughn Skow ones any thoughts

Well, understand I am a "tyro" player. I do not have a bunch of pickup aural impressions by which to make comparisons...

But I bought the Vaughn Skow "PRS Replacement Pickups" ... largely on the strength of the Dave Wampler YouTube video "I upgraded my PRS Pickups" ...

The Wampler video (and I did not know he was a Pedal Guy before I checked it out) is right on, and no BS, as it accurately portrays the improvement one hears in making the change. I would characterize the PRS Replacements , as not night & day, because they do not change the character of the guitar (an SE CU 24 ) but makes it better in all respects. Clean, Coil split, even distorted.

I was going to go SD like you did in your Std. But I never felt I could be sure, of how the pickups would sound in my guitar. SD does lavish productions and to me introduces too many variables to get an idea as to how the pickups will sound in my application. Wampler's video is simple, clean and accurate, so listen to that. Not sure how they will compare to the SD Jazz/JB., but from what I understand the JB is plenty hot. Probably hotter than the VS.

I put a set of SD Black Winters in a Fender Jaguar, because I wanted to make it into a small 5 W Amp crusher (get pure output stage distortion easy ) Mission Accomplished !

But I'd say the VS set is very musical, smiley faced EQ (Bass and Treble slightly higher than Mids) set that does split without large volume drop off. and does about everything well, without calling attention to itself.... Not a crazy pickup, but a musical one ...